Rap music, also known as hip hop, is a music genre that features repetitive rhythms and a style of spoken vocal known as rapping. (Rapping is rhythmical and rhyming poetry which usually features social, economic, race and political themes.)
The invention of the synthesizer in the late 1960s, and the post civil rights culture of the 1970s led to the creation of rap music.
Initially the genre was limited to DJ sets with no vocals and relying heavily on the use of drum machines, synthesizers and samples. This was then combined with African American vocal traditions such as signifiyin and jazz poetry. Call and response patterns of traditional African music and soul artists such as James Brown also had a profound influence on the development of the genre.
The first hip hop record to be released was The Sugarhill Gang's "Rapper's Delight" in 1979. From then on rap music began to spread out across America from its birthplace of New York. With the introduction of new, more advanced synthesizers and drum machines in the 1980s, and the emergence of politically-motivated and militant rap groups, rap music became part of mainstream culture.
The 1990s signified the genre's breakthrough into the mainstream, and Public Enemy's album "Fear of a Black Planet" was warmly received by critics and consumers alike. Since the 1990s, rap music has been ever-present as one of the most popular genres in the western world.
Rap music is also called the hip hop music. It is different types of music and it started in the United States. The music consists of different components like MCing and Djing, and was first introduced by the Blacks and the Latinos. It is also known as the African American music.
Rap music is composed of rhythmic lyrics which use the techniques of assonance. Some songs use instrumental tracks to create a chilled-out effect, but most rap music is made with the use of drums.
In the United States of America, rap music is very successful and many hip hop singers are making something good out of it. It may have started from America but later on it continued in many other countries of the world.
Rapping or rap music refers to the rhythmic delivery of words within a rhyme scheme. This rythmic delivery is one of the central elements of the popular rap music culture that has penetrated beyond the boundaries of the music industry.
The word 'rap' has a very interesting meaning to it. It is believed to be the abbreviated form of the phrase 'Rhythmic American Poetry' - and indicates the delivery of the words and 'flow' with or without any accompaniment. This form of music is more or less a combination of regular speech, prose, poetry and song. Rap music is derived from the folk poets of West Africa; and also applies to the Caribbean style, American Blues and Jazz.
Rap music developed as a popular music style ever since the Jamaican expatriate Kool Herc first demonstrated dancehall toasting in New York, in 1970. The 1980s witnessed the success of rap music groups like Run DMC and this resulted in a huge wave of commercialized rap music.
By the end of the 1990s, the rap style of music became widely accepted in the mainstream music industry. This contemporary rap music has complex rhythms, an intricate poetic form and uses a very inventive play of words.
Rap is a particular genre of music. It consists of reciting rhyming lyrics with some background music. It is generally regarded as African American music as it appears to have originated from this community.
Rap has evoked arguably more outrage than even Rock music or Punk Rock has in decent society. Generally its lyrics contain several swear words and sexual content. The first rap single ever released was Rapper's Delight by the Sugarhill Gang in 1979. Some of the early rappers like Africa Bambaata and Grandmaster Flash were famous DJs.
Famous rappers include Jay-Z, Snoop Dogg, Eminem, Nelly, Puff Daddy, Nitty, Ludacris and Fat Joe.
Although rap has always been considered to be the domain of African American men, in recent times new trends have emerged that belie this fact. Women like Li'l Kim and Missy Elliot are very popular female rappers and Eminem is an immensely popular white rapper.
Most rappers are confident and have some kind of appeal - something we all would like. So we as people see something we like in a person and it's natural to envy that. Well, that's been blown so far out of proportion it's now cool to mimic these people. Sadly most of them are horrible influences on our youth. They just say things to "look" cool. It's really a marketing thing now. What sells is what's going to be said - that's sad. I used to be a rap or nothing guy back in the early '90s. It is a good sound especially if you like music loud. NO distortion. I love guitar though.
Rap Music is rapping to the beat. This style developed in the United States of America. No one ever understood what Jamaicans were saying until a Jamaican artist named "Yellowman" sung with Grand Master Flash and the Furious 5. Douglas "Jocko" Henderson introduced rapping to Jamaican producers and Jamaicans did "toast", but toasting was not rapping. African American history is so confused for a reason. Jamaicans may have started the music "Hip-hop" a term for white people's nursery rhymes, but African American or Black people in New York created Rap Music. Rap Music became a "Music" when it was recorded in 1979 in America by an African American or Black woman. They kill me trying to give Black people's history away in America. Jamaican people, we love you, but we just started understanding what you all were saying with Shabba Ranks. Much props to Bob Marley, Yellowman, and other Jamaican artist, but KRS-One and many others have been real this-respectful in their claiming of being the originators of a music started in the U.S. Even if you were rapping, if no-one in America knew what the hell you were saying, "you weren't rapping" in America. Now, when Grand Master Casanova rapped and the Sugar Hill Gang rapped and recorded it in 1979, that is when Rap Music started and became an industry. The style of music came from poetry and music - 1) Jocko (U.S.A), 2) Last Poets (U.S.A), 3) GM Caz (U.S.A.), and 4) Sylvia Robinson's recording studio in 1979 (U.S.A). I love my Jamaican brothers and sisters, but stop trying to distort African American or Black history. We'll give you Reggae, something many of us didn't appreciate in the U.S., but don't let people like David Toop have you all started Rap, Jazz, ect. Let's be real, brothers and sisters. Rapologist-Critic Robert Jr. James McClendon Robert Jr. James McClendon
Stop distorting "Rap Music" history with Ancient Kemet facts. No one in Africa was using English words to rhyme to a beat. Rap Music became a music form in 1979. If you are going to tell the truth about Africa, start with Kemet, not with distortions just so that you all can keep selling records and magazines. Don't believe the hype, people. Rap Music was started right here in America by Black Americans. You won't accept the facts about Kemet, but you will know the facts about Rap Music.
