Rapping (also known as
emceeing,
MCing,
spitting (bars), or just
rhyming) is the
rhythmRhythm is the variation of the length and accentuation of a series of sounds or other events.-Rhythm in linguistics:...
ic spoken delivery of
rhymeA rhyme is a repetition of similar sounds in two or more words and is most often used in poetry and songs. The word "rhyme" may also refer to a short poem, such as a rhyming couplet or other brief rhyming poem such as nursery rhymes.-Etymology:...
s, wordplay, and
poetryPoetry is a form of literary art in which language is used for its aesthetic and evocative qualities in addition to, or in lieu of, its apparent meaning...
. Rapping is a primary ingredient in
hip hop musicHip hop music is a musical genre which developed alongside hip hop culture, and is commonly based on concepts of loop, rapping, freestyle, DJing, scratching, sampling and beatboxing. The music is used to express concerns of political, social, and personal issues...
, but the phenomenon predates hip hop culture by centuries. Rapping can be delivered over a beat or without accompaniment. Stylistically, rap occupies a gray area among speech, prose, poetry, and song. The use of the word to describe quick speech or repartee long predates the musical form, meaning originally "to hit". The word had been used in
British EnglishBritish English, or UK English or English English , is the broad term used to distinguish the forms of the English language used in the United Kingdom from forms used elsewhere...
since the 16th century, and specifically meaning "to say" since the 18th. It was part of the
African American dialect of EnglishAfrican American Vernacular English —also called African American English; less precisely Black English, Black Vernacular, Black English Vernacular , or Black Vernacular English —is an African American variety of American English...
in the 1960s meaning "to converse", and very soon after that in its present usage as a term denoting the musical style. Today, the terms "rap" and "rapping" are so closely associated with hip hop music that many use the terms interchangeably. For purposes of clarity, this article focuses on rapping as a technique or activity. For more information on the music genre, see
Hip Hop MusicHip hop music is a musical genre which developed alongside hip hop culture, and is commonly based on concepts of loop, rapping, freestyle, DJing, scratching, sampling and beatboxing. The music is used to express concerns of political, social, and personal issues...
.
History
Roots
Rapping can be traced back to its African roots. Centuries before
hip hop musicHip hop music is a musical genre which developed alongside hip hop culture, and is commonly based on concepts of loop, rapping, freestyle, DJing, scratching, sampling and beatboxing. The music is used to express concerns of political, social, and personal issues...
existed, the
griotA griot or jeli is a West African poet, praise singer, and wandering musician, considered a repository of oral tradition. As such, they are sometimes also called bards...
s of
West AfricaWest Africa or Western Africa is the westernmost region of the African continent. Geopolitically, the UN definition of Western Africa includes the following 16 countries distributed over an area of approximately 5 million square km:*Benin...
were delivering stories rhythmically, over
drumThe drum is a member of the percussion group of music instruments, technically classified as a membranophone.. Drums consist of at least one membrane, called a drumhead or drum skin, that is stretched over a shell and struck, either directly with parts of a player's body, or with some sort of...
s and sparse instrumentation. Such connections have been acknowledged by many modern artists, modern day "griots",
spoken wordSpoken word is a form of literary art or artistic performance in which lyrics, poetry, or stories are spoken rather than sung. The category of spoken-word that is often done with a musical background is performance poetry...
artists, mainstream news sources, and academics.
Blues music,
rootedLittle is known about the exact origins of the music now known as the blues. No specific year can be cited as the origin of the blues, largely because the style evolved over a long period of time and existed in approaching its modern form before the term blues was introduced, before the style was...
in the work songs and
spiritualsSpirituals are religious songs which were created by enslaved African people in America.-Terminology and origin:...
of slavery and influenced greatly by West African musical traditions, was first played by blacks (and some whites) in the
Mississippi DeltaThe Mississippi Delta is the distinct northwest section of the state of Mississippi that lies between the Mississippi and Yazoo Rivers. Technically not a delta but part of an alluvial plain, it has been said that the Delta "begins in the lobby of the Peabody Hotel and ends on Catfish Row in...
region of the United States around the time of the
Emancipation ProclamationThe Emancipation Proclamation consists of two executive orders issued by United States President Abraham Lincoln during the American Civil War. The first one, issued September 22, 1862, declared the freedom of all slaves in any state of the Confederate States of America that did not return to Union...
. Grammy-winning blues musician/historian
Elijah WaldElijah Wald is an American folk blues guitarist and music historian. He is a 2002 Grammy Award winner for his liner notes to The Arhoolie Records 40th Anniversary Box: "The Journey of Chris Strachwitz".-Life:...
and others have argued that the blues were being rapped as early as the 1920s. Wald went so far as to call hip hop "the living blues."
JazzJazz is a musical art form which originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States from a confluence of African and European music traditions....
, which developed from the blues and other African-American and European musical traditions and originated around the beginning of the 20th century, has also influenced hip hop and has been cited as a precursor of hip hop. Not just jazz music and lyrics but also
Jazz poetryJazz poetry can be defined as poetry that "demonstrates jazz-like rhythm or the feel of improvisation". During the 1920s, several poets began to eschew the conventions of rhythm and style; among these were Ezra Pound, T. S. Eliot, and E. E. Cummings...
. According to John Sobol, the jazz musician and poet who wrote
Digitopia Blues, rap "bears a striking resemblance to the evolution of jazz both stylistically and formally."
The spoken word
jazz poetryJazz poetry can be defined as poetry that "demonstrates jazz-like rhythm or the feel of improvisation". During the 1920s, several poets began to eschew the conventions of rhythm and style; among these were Ezra Pound, T. S. Eliot, and E. E. Cummings...
of the United States was a predecessor for beat poetry, as well as the rapping in hip hop music.
Gil Scott-HeronGil Scott-Heron is an American poet, musician, and author known primarily for his late 1960s and early 1970s work as a spoken word soul performer and his collaborative work with musician Brian Jackson...
, a
jazz poetJazz poetry can be defined as poetry that "demonstrates jazz-like rhythm or the feel of improvisation". During the 1920s, several poets began to eschew the conventions of rhythm and style; among these were Ezra Pound, T. S. Eliot, and E. E. Cummings...
/musician who wrote and released such seminal songs as
The Revolution Will Not Be Televised"The Revolution Will Not Be Televised" is a poem and song by Gil Scott-Heron. It was the B-side to Scott-Heron's first single, "Home Is Where the Hatred Is", from his album Pieces of a Man...
,
H2OGate Blues Part 2: We Beg Your Pardon America and
Johannesberg, has been cited as an influence on many rappers. His collaborational work with musician Brian Jackson (
Pieces of a ManPieces of a Man is AZ's second album. The album is vastly different from his debut, Doe or Die. It contained fun, party tracks as opposed to Doe or Dies grimey, street oriented lyrics and production. Despite this major change, the album was still highly praised for its complex and insightful...
,
Winter in AmericaWinter in America is a studio album by American soul musician and poet Gil Scott-Heron and musician Brian Jackson, released in May 1974 on Strata-East Records. Recording sessions for the album took place on three recording dates in September and October 1973 at D&B Sound Studio in Silver Springs,...
) have been cited as major influences on hip hop, in terms of sound and lyrical style. Similar in style, the Last Poets who formed in 1969 recited political poetry over drum beats and other instrumentation, and were another predecessor for rap music. They released their debut album in 1970 reaching the top ten on the Billboard charts.
During the mid-20th century, the musical culture of the Caribbean was constantly influenced by the concurrent changes in
American musicAmerican Music can refer to:* American Music Records* American Music * the Music of the United States* Music of the Americas* A song by the Violent Femmes...
. As early as 1956,
deejayA deejay is a reggae or dancehall musician who sings and toasts to an instrumental riddim .Deejays are not to be confused with DJs from other music genres like Hip-Hop, where they select and play music. Dancehall/reggae DJs who select riddims to play are called selectors...
s were toasting (an African tradition of "rapped out" tales of heroism) over
dubbedDub is an instrumental subgenre of reggae music, that involves revisions of existing songs. The dub sound consists predominantly of instrumental remixes of existing recordings and is achieved by significantly manipulating and reshaping the recordings, usually by removing the vocals from an existing...
Jamaican beats. It was called "rap", expanding the word's earlier meaning in the African-American community—"to discuss or debate informally."
One of the first rappers in the beginning of the hip hop period, in the end of '70s, was also hip hop's first DJ, Kool Herc. Herc, a Jamaican immigrant, started delivering simple raps at his parties, inspired by the Jamaican tradition of
toastingA toast is someone or something in honor of which people usually have a drink, the drink or honor itself, or the act of indicating that honor....
.
Old school rap
Old school rap (1979–1984) was "easily identified by its relatively simple raps" according to Allmusic, "the emphasis was not on lyrical technique, but simply on good times", one notable exception being
Melle MelMelvin Glover , also known by his stage name Grandmaster Mele Mel, and formerly Grandmaster Melle Mel, is an American hip-hop musician — one of the pioneers of old school hip hop as lead rapper and main songwriter for Grandmaster Flash and The Furious Five.-Biography:Melvin Glover was the first...
, who set the way for future rappers through his socio-political content and creative wordplay.
The golden age
Golden age hip hopHip hop's "golden age" is a name given to a period in mainstream hip hop—usually cited as late 1980s—said to be characterized by its diversity, quality, innovation and influence. There were strong themes of Afrocentricity and political militancy, while the music was experimental and the sampling,...
(cited as either just the late '80s or the late 80s to early 90s) was the time period where hip-hop lyricism went through its most drastic transformation - writer William Jelani Cobb says "in these golden years, a critical mass of mic prodigies were literally creating themselves and their art form at the same time" and Allmusic writes, "rhymers like PE's
Chuck DCarlton Douglas Ridenhour , better known by his stage name, Chuck D, is an American rapper, author, and producer. He helped create politically and socially conscious rap music in the late 1980s as the leader of the rap group Public Enemy.-Early life:Ridenhour was born in Roosevelt, Long Island...
,
Big Daddy KaneAntonio Mortimer Hardy better known by his stage name, Big Daddy Kane, is an American rapper. He started his career in 1986 as a member of the rap group, the Juice Crew. He is considered one of the most influential and skilled MCs in Hip Hop. Regarding the name Big Daddy Kane, he said: "The Big...
,
KRS-OneLawrence Parker , better known by his stage name KRS-One, is an American MC and producer. Over his career, he has been known by several pseudonyms including "Kris Parker", "The Blastmaster", "The Teacha", and "The Philosopher"...
, and
RakimRakim is an American rapper and pioneer of the musical genre of hip hop, known as one half of the duo Eric B. & Rakim...
basically invented the complex wordplay and lyrical kung-fu of later hip-hop”. The
golden ageHip hop's "golden age" is a name given to a period in mainstream hip hop—usually cited as late 1980s—said to be characterized by its diversity, quality, innovation and influence. There were strong themes of Afrocentricity and political militancy, while the music was experimental and the sampling,...
is considered to have ended around '93-'94, marking the end of rap lyricism's most innovative period.
Flow
The ‘flow’ of rap lyrics refers to the
rhythmRhythm is the variation of the length and accentuation of a series of sounds or other events.-Rhythm in linguistics:...
s (also know as the
cadenceCadence may refer to:In music:*Cadence , a melodic configuration or series of chords marking the end of a phrase, section, or piece of music*Cadenza, a long, unaccompanied, freely played, and sometimes improvised solo passage in a concerto...
) created by the words and syllables over the beat, as well as the
rhymeA rhyme is a repetition of similar sounds in two or more words and is most often used in poetry and songs. The word "rhyme" may also refer to a short poem, such as a rhyming couplet or other brief rhyming poem such as nursery rhymes.-Etymology:...
s and
rhyme schemequote this will not help you at all with home work language practice week 7 msl students in 6th gradedo not use wiki for msl language practice week seven it will not help with unless we are doing stanza's and things...
s and how they interact with the
rhythmRhythm is the variation of the length and accentuation of a series of sounds or other events.-Rhythm in linguistics:...
. It is also sometimes used to refer to elements of the delivery (
pitchPitch represents the perceived fundamental frequency of a sound. It is one of the three major auditory attributes of sounds along with loudness and timbre. When the actual fundamental frequency can be precisely determined through physical measurement, it may differ from the perceived pitch because...
,
timbreNot to be confused with timber.In music, timbre is the quality of a musical note or sound or tone that distinguishes different types of sound production, such as voices or musical instruments. The physical characteristics of sound that mediate the perception of timbre include spectrum and envelope...
,
volumeLoudness is the quality of a sound that is the primary psychological correlate of physical strength .Loudness, a subjective measure, is often confused with objective measures of sound pressure such as decibels or sound intensity. Filters such as A-weighting attempt to adjust sound measurements to...
) as well, though often a distinction is made between the flow and the delivery.
Kool Moe DeeMohandas Dewese , better known as Kool Moe Dee, is an American Hip Hop MC prominent in the late 1970s, throughout the 1980s and early 1990s. He was born in Manhattan, New York. He was one of the first rappers to earn a Grammy award and he was the first to perform at the Grammys...
explains that before
RakimRakim is an American rapper and pioneer of the musical genre of hip hop, known as one half of the duo Eric B. & Rakim...
, the term ‘flow’ wasn’t widely used – “
RakimRakim is an American rapper and pioneer of the musical genre of hip hop, known as one half of the duo Eric B. & Rakim...
is basically the inventor of flow. We were not even using the word flow until
RakimRakim is an American rapper and pioneer of the musical genre of hip hop, known as one half of the duo Eric B. & Rakim...
came along. It was called rhyming, it was called cadence, but it wasn’t called flow.
RakimRakim is an American rapper and pioneer of the musical genre of hip hop, known as one half of the duo Eric B. & Rakim...
created flow!”. He adds that while
RakimRakim is an American rapper and pioneer of the musical genre of hip hop, known as one half of the duo Eric B. & Rakim...
upgraded and popularized the focus on flow, “he didn’t invent the word”.
History of flow
Old School flows were relatively basic and used only few syllables per bar, simple rhythmic patterns, and basic rhyming techniques and
rhyme schemequote this will not help you at all with home work language practice week 7 msl students in 6th gradedo not use wiki for msl language practice week seven it will not help with unless we are doing stanza's and things...
s.
Melle MelMelvin Glover , also known by his stage name Grandmaster Mele Mel, and formerly Grandmaster Melle Mel, is an American hip-hop musician — one of the pioneers of old school hip hop as lead rapper and main songwriter for Grandmaster Flash and The Furious Five.-Biography:Melvin Glover was the first...
is cited as an Old School MC who epitomizes the Old School flow -
Kool Moe DeeMohandas Dewese , better known as Kool Moe Dee, is an American Hip Hop MC prominent in the late 1970s, throughout the 1980s and early 1990s. He was born in Manhattan, New York. He was one of the first rappers to earn a Grammy award and he was the first to perform at the Grammys...
says, “from 1970 to 1978 we rhymed one way [then] Melle Mel, in 1978, gave us the new cadence we would use from 1978 to 1986… he’s the first emcee to explode in a new rhyme cadence, and change the way every emcee rhymed forever.
RakimRakim is an American rapper and pioneer of the musical genre of hip hop, known as one half of the duo Eric B. & Rakim...
, Biggie, and
EminemMarshall Bruce Mathers III , known by his primary stage name Eminem, or by his alter ego Slim Shady, is an American rapper, record producer and actor. Eminem quickly gained popularity in 1999 with his major-label debut album The Slim Shady LP, which won a Grammy Award for Best Rap Album...
have flipped the flow, but
Melle MelMelvin Glover , also known by his stage name Grandmaster Mele Mel, and formerly Grandmaster Melle Mel, is an American hip-hop musician — one of the pioneers of old school hip hop as lead rapper and main songwriter for Grandmaster Flash and The Furious Five.-Biography:Melvin Glover was the first...
’s downbeat on the two, four, kick to snare cadence is still the rhyme foundation all emcees are building on".
Artists and critics often credit
RakimRakim is an American rapper and pioneer of the musical genre of hip hop, known as one half of the duo Eric B. & Rakim...
with creating the overall shift from the more simplistic Old School flows to more complex flows near the beginning of Hip Hop’s
new schoolThe new school of hip hop was a second wave of recorded hip hop music starting 1983–84 with the early records of Run-D.M.C. and LL Cool J. Like the hip hop preceding it, it came predominately from New York City. The new school was initially characterized in form by drum machine led minimalism,...
–
Kool Moe DeeMohandas Dewese , better known as Kool Moe Dee, is an American Hip Hop MC prominent in the late 1970s, throughout the 1980s and early 1990s. He was born in Manhattan, New York. He was one of the first rappers to earn a Grammy award and he was the first to perform at the Grammys...
says, “any emcee that came after 1986 had to study
RakimRakim is an American rapper and pioneer of the musical genre of hip hop, known as one half of the duo Eric B. & Rakim...
just to know what to be able to do…
RakimRakim is an American rapper and pioneer of the musical genre of hip hop, known as one half of the duo Eric B. & Rakim...
, in 1986, gave us flow and that was the rhyme style from 1986 to 1994… from that point on, anybody emceeing was forced to focus on their flow”.
Kool Moe DeeMohandas Dewese , better known as Kool Moe Dee, is an American Hip Hop MC prominent in the late 1970s, throughout the 1980s and early 1990s. He was born in Manhattan, New York. He was one of the first rappers to earn a Grammy award and he was the first to perform at the Grammys...
states that Biggie introduced a newer flow which “dominated from 1994 to 2002”, and also says that
Method ManClifford Smith , better known by his stage name Method Man or Meth is an American hip hop artist, record producer, actor and member of the hip hop collective Wu-Tang Clan. He took his stage name from the 1979 film The Fearless Young Boxer, also known as Method Man. He is one half of the rap duo...
was “one of the emcees from the early to mid-’90s that ushered in the era of flow…
RakimRakim is an American rapper and pioneer of the musical genre of hip hop, known as one half of the duo Eric B. & Rakim...
invented it,
Big Daddy KaneAntonio Mortimer Hardy better known by his stage name, Big Daddy Kane, is an American rapper. He started his career in 1986 as a member of the rap group, the Juice Crew. He is considered one of the most influential and skilled MCs in Hip Hop. Regarding the name Big Daddy Kane, he said: "The Big...
,
KRS-OneLawrence Parker , better known by his stage name KRS-One, is an American MC and producer. Over his career, he has been known by several pseudonyms including "Kris Parker", "The Blastmaster", "The Teacha", and "The Philosopher"...
, and
Kool G RapNathaniel Wilson , better known by his stage name Kool G Rap, is an American rapper from the Corona section of Queens, New York. He began his career in the mid-1980s as one half of the group Kool G Rap & DJ Polo, and also as a member of the Juice Crew...
expanded it, but Biggie and
Method ManClifford Smith , better known by his stage name Method Man or Meth is an American hip hop artist, record producer, actor and member of the hip hop collective Wu-Tang Clan. He took his stage name from the 1979 film The Fearless Young Boxer, also known as Method Man. He is one half of the rap duo...
made flow the single most important aspect of an emcee’s game”. He also cites
Craig MackCraig Mack is an American rapper who gained a considerable amount of fame on Puff Daddy's Bad Boy Entertainment record label in the 1990s. Although his first single was released under the name MC EZ in 1988, he is best known for his 1994 hit single "Flava In Ya Ear", which was released under his...
as an artist who contributed to developing flow in the ‘90s.
Music scholar Adam Krims says, “the flow of MCs is one of the profoundest changes that separates out new-sounding from older-sounding music… it is widely recognized and remarked that rhythmic styles of many commercially successful MCs since roughly the beginning of the 1990s have progressively become faster and more ‘complex’”. He cites “members of the
Wu-Tang ClanThe Wu-Tang Clan is a New York City-based hip hop group. Wu-Tang Clan consists of RZA, GZA, Raekwon, U-God, Ghostface Killah, Inspectah Deck, Method Man, Masta Killa, the late Ol' Dirty Bastard, and Cappadonna...
,
NasNasir bin Olu Dara Jones , who performs under the mononym Nas , formerly Nasty Nas, is an American rapper and actor. The son of jazz musician Olu Dara, he was born and raised in the Queensbridge housing projects in New York City...
,
AZAnthony Cruz, better known as AZ of Afro-Dominican descented, is an American rapper. AZ is best known for being a long time rhyme partner of Nas and being a member of hip-hop super group The Firm alongside Nas and Foxy Brown...
,
Big PunChristopher Rios , better known by his stage name Big Pun , was an American rapper who emerged from the underground rap scene in The Bronx in the late 1990s...
, and
Ras KassJohn Austin IV , better known by his stage name Ras Kass, is an American rapper. He is also a part of hip hop supergroup The HRSMN along with: Canibus, Killah Priest, and Kurupt.- Early career :...
, just to name a few” as artists who exemplify this progression.
Kool Moe DeeMohandas Dewese , better known as Kool Moe Dee, is an American Hip Hop MC prominent in the late 1970s, throughout the 1980s and early 1990s. He was born in Manhattan, New York. He was one of the first rappers to earn a Grammy award and he was the first to perform at the Grammys...
adds, “in 2002
EminemMarshall Bruce Mathers III , known by his primary stage name Eminem, or by his alter ego Slim Shady, is an American rapper, record producer and actor. Eminem quickly gained popularity in 1999 with his major-label debut album The Slim Shady LP, which won a Grammy Award for Best Rap Album...
created the song that got the first Oscar in Hip-Hop history… and I would have to say that his flow is the most dominant right now (2003)”.
Styles
A common way MCs judge how to flow rhythmically in a verse is by stressing syllables in time to the four beats of the musical backdrop. Poetry scholar
Derek AttridgeDerek Attridge FBA is a British academic in the field of English literature and the current Professor of English at the University of York; a post he has held since 2003.-Education:...
describes how this works in his book
Poetic Rhythm – “rap lyrics are written to be performed to an accompaniment that emphasizes the metrical structure of the verse”. He says rap lyrics are made up of…
“…lines with four stressed beats, separated by other syllables that may vary in number and may include other stressed syllables. The strong beat of the accompaniment coincides with the stressed beats of the verse, and the rapper organizes the rhythms of the intervening syllables to provide variety and surprise”.
MCs also use a lot of different rhyming techniques, including complex
rhyme schemequote this will not help you at all with home work language practice week 7 msl students in 6th gradedo not use wiki for msl language practice week seven it will not help with unless we are doing stanza's and things...
s, as Adam Krims points out - “the complexity… involves multiple rhymes in the same rhyme complex (i.e. section with consistently rhyming words),
internal rhymeIn poetry, internal rhyme, or middle rhyme, is rhyme that occurs in a single line of verse.Internal rhyme occurs in the middle of a line, as in these lines from Coleridge, "In mist or cloud, on mast or shroud" or "Whiles all the night through fog-smoke white" , or in "Ah, distinctly I remember, it...
s, [and] offbeat rhymes”. There is also widespread use of
multisyllabic rhymesIn rapping and poetry, multisyllabic rhymes are rhymes which contain two or more syllables...
, by artists such as
Kool G RapNathaniel Wilson , better known by his stage name Kool G Rap, is an American rapper from the Corona section of Queens, New York. He began his career in the mid-1980s as one half of the group Kool G Rap & DJ Polo, and also as a member of the Juice Crew...
,
Big Daddy KaneAntonio Mortimer Hardy better known by his stage name, Big Daddy Kane, is an American rapper. He started his career in 1986 as a member of the rap group, the Juice Crew. He is considered one of the most influential and skilled MCs in Hip Hop. Regarding the name Big Daddy Kane, he said: "The Big...
, and
EminemMarshall Bruce Mathers III , known by his primary stage name Eminem, or by his alter ego Slim Shady, is an American rapper, record producer and actor. Eminem quickly gained popularity in 1999 with his major-label debut album The Slim Shady LP, which won a Grammy Award for Best Rap Album...
.
There are many different styles of flow, with different terminology used by different people –
stic.manClayton Gavin , better known as stic.man, is a rapper, activist and author known for his work as one half of the political hip-hop duo Dead Prez...
of
Dead PrezDead Prez is an American underground political hip hop duo composed of stic.man and M-1. They are known for their confrontational style combined with socialist and pan-Africanist lyrics...
uses the following terms -
- “The Chant”, which he says is used by Lil Jon
Jonathan Smith , better known by his stage name Lil Jon, is an American composer, producer, promoter, and rapper. He is best known as a pioneer of the hip hop sub-genre crunk...
and Project PatPatrick Stephen Houston is an American rapper originating from Memphis, Tennessee. He is the older brother of Juicy J, co-founder of the Three 6 Mafia....
- “The Syncopated Bounce”, used by Twista
Carl Terrell Mitchell, better known by his stage name Twista , is an American rapper who once held the title of fastest emcee in the world, according to the Guinness World Records in 1992, being able to pronounce 11.2 syllables per second. His 2004 album Kamikaze went to number-one on the U.S...
and Bone Thugs N Harmony
- “Straight Forward”, used by Scarface
Brad Jordan better known by his stage name Scarface, is an American rapper from Houston, Texas and a member of the Geto Boys.-Life and career:...
, 2Pac, Melle MelMelvin Glover , also known by his stage name Grandmaster Mele Mel, and formerly Grandmaster Melle Mel, is an American hip-hop musician — one of the pioneers of old school hip hop as lead rapper and main songwriter for Grandmaster Flash and The Furious Five.-Biography:Melvin Glover was the first...
, KRS-OneLawrence Parker , better known by his stage name KRS-One, is an American MC and producer. Over his career, he has been known by several pseudonyms including "Kris Parker", "The Blastmaster", "The Teacha", and "The Philosopher"...
circa Boogie Down ProductionsBoogie Down Productions was a hip hop group originally comprised KRS-One, D-Nice, and DJ Scott La Rock. DJ Scott La Rock was murdered on August 27, 1987, months after the release of BDP's debut album Criminal Minded....
era, Too Short, Jay-ZShawn Corey Carter , better known by his stage name, Jay-Z is an American hip hop artist and businessman. He is one of the most financially successful hip hop artists and entrepreneurs in America, having a net worth of over $150 million, shipping over 30 million copies of his albums in the United...
, Ice CubeO'Shea Jackson , better known by his stage name Ice Cube, is an American rapper, actor, screenwriter, and producer.He began his career as a member of the rap group N.W.A along with group leader Eazy-E, and later launched a successful solo career in music and cinema. In 1992, he married Kimberly...
, and Snoop DoggCordazar Calvin Broadus , better known by his stage name Snoop Dogg, is a Grammy Award-nominated American rapper, record producer, and actor. Snoop is best known as an MC in the West Coast hip hop scene, and for being one of producer Dr. Dre's most notable protégés...
- “The Rubik’s Cube”, used by Nas
Nasir bin Olu Dara Jones , who performs under the mononym Nas , formerly Nasty Nas, is an American rapper and actor. The son of jazz musician Olu Dara, he was born and raised in the Queensbridge housing projects in New York City...
, Black ThoughtTariq Trotter , better known as Black Thought, is an American hip-hop artist who is the lead MC of the Philadelphia-based hip hop group The Roots and occasional actor...
of The RootsThe Roots is an American alternative hip hop band from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are famed for beginning with a jazzy, eclectic approach to hip hop which still includes live instrumentals. Their debut album was released in 1993 and they have collaborated with a wide range of artists from...
, Common, KuruptRicardo Emmanuel Brown , better known as Kurupt, is an American rapper and former Executive Vice President of Death Row Records...
, and Lauryn HillLauryn Noel Hill is an American recording artist, musician, producer and actress. Early in her career, she established her reputation in the hip-hop world as the lone female member of the Fugees. In 1998, she launched her solo career with the release of the commercially successful and critically...
Alternatively, music scholar Adam Krims uses the following terms –
- “sung rhythmic style”, used by Too Short, Grandmaster Flash and The Furious Five
Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five was a highly influential American hip-hop group formed in the South Bronx of New York City in 1978. Composed of one DJ and five rappers Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five was a highly influential American hip-hop group formed in the South Bronx of New...
, and the Beastie BoysBeastie Boys is an American hip hop group from New York City. The group comprises Michael "Mike D" Diamond, Adam "MCA" Yauch, and Adam "Ad-Rock" Horovitz...
- “percussion-effusive style”, used by B-Real
Louis Freese, better known by his stage name B-Real, is an American rapper of Mexican and Cuban heritage. He is best known for being the lead rapper in hip hop group Cypress Hill, who debuted with their self-titled album Cypress Hill in 1991.-Early life and career:Born on June 2, 1970 to a Mexican...
of Cypress HillCypress Hill is an American hip hop group from South Gate, California. Originally called DVX, the name was changed after Mellow Man Ace left in 1988. Cypress Hill was the first Latino group to have platinum and multi-platinum albums, selling over 18 million albums worldwide.-Early works:Cypress...
- “speech-effusive style”, used by Big Pun
Christopher Rios , better known by his stage name Big Pun , was an American rapper who emerged from the underground rap scene in The Bronx in the late 1990s...
Delivery/performance
To successfully deliver a rap, a rapper must also develop vocal presence,
enunciationIn phonetics, enunciation is the act of speaking. Good enunciation is the act of speaking clearly and concisely. The opposite of good enunciation is mumbling or slurring. See also "pronunciation" which is a component of enunciation. Pronunciation is to pronounce sounds of words correctly....
, and
breath controlThe term breath control may mean:* Pranayama, a yogic technique for controlling breathing* A vocal technique used in singing* Breath Control: The History of the Human Beat Box...
. Vocal presence is the distinctiveness of a rapper's voice on record. Enunciation is essential to a flowing rap; some rappers choose also to exaggerate it for comic and artistic effect. Breath control, taking in air without interrupting one's delivery, is an important skill for a rapper to master, and a must for any MC. An MC with poor breath control cannot deliver difficult verses without making unintentional pauses.
Raps are sometimes delivered with melody. West Coast rapper
Egyptian LoverGreg Broussard , better known by his stage name Egyptian Lover is an American musician, vocalist, producer and DJ, and was an important part of the L.A. dance music and rap scene in the early 1980s....
was the first notable MC to deliver "sing-raps." Popular rappers such as
50 CentCurtis James Jackson III , better known by his stage name 50 Cent, is an American rapper. He rose to fame with the release of his albums Get Rich or Die Tryin and The Massacre...
and
Ja RuleJeffrey Atkins , better known by his stage name Ja Rule, is an American recording artist and actor signed to The Inc. and Universal Records, formerly of Def Jam Recordings. A Hollis, New York native, Ja Rule has released six albums.-Early life:Atkins was born in Queens, New York...
add a slight melody to their otherwise purely percussive raps whereas some rappers such as
Cee-LoThomas DeCarlo Callaway , better known by his stage name Cee-Lo Green, is an American hip hop, funk, soul, and R&B musician. He is a singer, rapper, songwriter, and record producer, best known as a member of Goodie Mob and more recently Gnarls Barkley, and has also recorded two critically acclaimed...
are able to
harmonizeIn music, harmony is the use of simultaneous pitches, or chords. The study of harmony involves chords and their construction and chord progressions and the principles of connection that govern them. Harmony is often said to refer to the "vertical" aspect of music, as distinguished from melodic...
their raps with the beat. The Midwestern group Bone Thugs-n-Harmony was one of the first groups to achieve nationwide recognition for using the fast-paced, melodic and harmonic raps that are also practiced by
Do or DieDo or Die is an American rap trio originally from Chicago, Illinois. The group experienced mainstream success with the single "Po Pimp", which featured fellow Chicago rapper, Twista, off the album Picture This, that peaked at #22 on the Billboard Hot 100. Group members are Belo Zero, N.A.R.D. and...
, another Midwestern group. Another rapper to harmonize his rhymes is
Nate DoggNathaniel Dwayne Hale , better known by his stage name Nate Dogg, is an American R&B/hip hop artist and singer born in Long Beach, California...
, a rapper part of the group 213.
RakimRakim is an American rapper and pioneer of the musical genre of hip hop, known as one half of the duo Eric B. & Rakim...
experimented not only with following the beat, but also with complementing the song's melody with his own voice, making his flow sound like that of an instrument (a saxophone in particular).
The ability to rap quickly and clearly is sometimes regarded as an important sign of skill. In certain hip hop subgenres such as
chopped and screwedChopped and screwed refers to a technique of remixing hip hop music which developed in the Houston hip hop scene in the 1990s...
, slow-paced rapping is often considered optimal. The current record for fastest rapper is held by Chicago native Rebel XD, who rapped 852 syllables in 42 seconds (20.3 syllables per second) on July 27 2007.
Subject matter
"Party rhymes", meant to pump up the crowd at a
partyA party is a gathering of people who have been invited by a host for the purposes of socializing, conversation, and recreation. A party will typically feature food and beverages, and often music and dancing as well....
, were nearly the exclusive focus of old school hip hop, and they remain a staple of hip hop music to this day. In addition to party raps, rappers also tend to make references to love and sex. Love raps were first popularized by
Spoonie GeeSpoonie Gee was the nephew of veteran R&B producer Bobby Robinson and one of the earliest rap artists.-Career:...
of the
Treacherous ThreeThe Treacherous Three was a pioneering hip hop group that was formed in 1978 and consisted of DJ Easy Lee, Kool Moe Dee, L.A. Sunshine, Special K and Spoonie Gee with occasional assistance from DJ Dano B, DJ Reggie Reg and DJ Crazy Eddie. Although for the most part it was just Easy Lee, Kool Moe...
, and later, in the golden age of hip hop,
Big Daddy KaneAntonio Mortimer Hardy better known by his stage name, Big Daddy Kane, is an American rapper. He started his career in 1986 as a member of the rap group, the Juice Crew. He is considered one of the most influential and skilled MCs in Hip Hop. Regarding the name Big Daddy Kane, he said: "The Big...
, Heavy D, and
LL Cool JJames Todd Smith , better known as LL Cool J, is an American rapper and actor. LL Cool J stands for "Ladies Love Cool James." He is known for romantic ballads such as "I Need Love", "Around the Way Girl" and "Hey Lover" as well as pioneering hip-hop such as "I Can't Live Without My Radio", "I'm...
would continue this tradition.
East Coast hip hop artists such as KRS One, Public Enemy,
Mos DefDante Terrell Smith is an American actor and MC known by the stage name Mos Def. Mos Def started his hip hop career in a group called Urban Thermo Dynamics, after which he appeared on albums by Da Bush Babees and De La Soul. With Talib Kweli, he formed the duo Black Star, who released the album...
,
Talib KweliTalib Kweli Greene , better known as Talib Kweli, is an American MC from Brooklyn, New York. He is one of the most critically, if not commercially, successful rappers in Hip hop music. His first name in Arabic means "student" or "seeker"; his middle name in Swahili means "true"...
, Jay-Z,
NasNasir bin Olu Dara Jones , who performs under the mononym Nas , formerly Nasty Nas, is an American rapper and actor. The son of jazz musician Olu Dara, he was born and raised in the Queensbridge housing projects in New York City...
, and
dead prezDead Prez is an American underground political hip hop duo composed of stic.man and M-1. They are known for their confrontational style combined with socialist and pan-Africanist lyrics...
are known for their sociopolitical subject matter. Their West Coast counterparts include
Emcee LynxLynx, or Emcee Lynx is an anarchist hip hop artist from Oakland, California in the San Francisco Bay Area who has achieved significant popularity and name-recognition in the West Coast hip hop and underground hip hop scenes and among anarchists and other radicals around the world...
,
The CoupThe Coup is a political hip hop group based in Oakland, California. It formed as a three-member group in 1992 with emcees Raymond "Boots" Riley and E-Roc along with DJ Pam the Funkstress. E-Roc left on amicable terms after the group's second album but appears on the track "Breathing Apparatus" on...
,
ParisParis is the capital of France and the country's most populous city. It is situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, and
Michael FrantiMichael Franti is an American poet, musician, and composer of African, Native American, Irish, French, and German descent....
.
Other rappers take a less critical approach to urbanity, sometimes even embracing such aspects as crime.
Schoolly DJesse B. Weaver, Jr. , better known by the stage name Schoolly D, is an American rapper from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.-Career:...
was the first notable MC to rap about crime. Early on
KRS-OneLawrence Parker , better known by his stage name KRS-One, is an American MC and producer. Over his career, he has been known by several pseudonyms including "Kris Parker", "The Blastmaster", "The Teacha", and "The Philosopher"...
was accused of celebrating crime and a hedonistic lifestyle, but after the death of his DJ,
Scott La RockScott "La Rock" Sterling was the original DJ for the hip hop group Boogie Down Productions.-BDP:Sterling, a social worker, met rapper KRS-One in 1986 at the Franklin Men's Shelter in the Bronx where KRS was staying. The pair, together with rapper D-Nice, formed Boogie Down Productions...
, KRS-One went on to speak out against violence in hip hop and has spent the majority of his career condemning violence and writing on issues of race and class. Several years later, he would go on to influence
Ice TTracy Marrow , better known by his stage name Ice-T, is a Grammy Award- and NAACP Image Award-winning American rapper, actor and author. He is credited with helping to pioneer gangsta rap, a sub-genre of hip hop music, in the late 1980s...
, who had more overtly "gangsta" lyrics.
Gangsta rapGangsta rap is a subgenre of hip hop that reflects the violent lifestyles of some inner-city youths. Gangsta is a non-rhotic pronunciation of the word gangster. The genre was pioneered in the mid 1980s by rappers such as Schooly D and Ice T, and was popularized in the later part of the 1980s by...
, made popular largely because of N.W.A, brought rapping about crime and the gangster lifestyle into the musical mainstream.
Materialism has also been a popular topic in hip-hop since at least the early 1990s, with rappers boasting about their own wealth and possessions, and name-dropping specific brands: liquor brands Cristal and
Rémy MartinRémy Martin is a cognac and champagne cognac originally produced by Rémy Martin, a French winemaker, who founded the company in 1724...
, car manufacturers
BentleyBentley Motors Limited is a British manufacturer of automobiles founded on 18 January 1919 by Walter Owen Bentley . Mr. Bentley had been previously known for his range of rotary aero-engines in World War I, the most famous being the Bentley BR1 as used in later versions of the Sopwith Camel...
and
Mercedes-BenzMercedes-Benz is a German manufacturer of luxury automobiles, buses, coaches, and trucks. It is currently a division of the parent company, Daimler AG , after previously being owned by Daimler-Benz...
and clothing brands
GucciThe House of Gucci mane, better known as Gucci , is a Florentine fashion and leather goods label, part of the Gucci Group, which is owned by French company Pinault-Printemps-Redoute...
and
VersaceGianni Versace S.p.A. , usually referred to as Versace, is an Italian fashion label founded by Gianni Versace in 1978.The first Versace boutique was opened in Milan's Via della Spiga in 1978, and its popularity was immediate. Today, Versace is one of the world's leading international fashion houses...
have all been popular subjects for rappers.
Various politicians, journalists, and religious leaders have accused rappers of fostering a culture of violence and hedonism among hip hop listeners through their lyrics. However, there are also rappers whose messages may not be in conflict with these views, for example
Christian hip hopChristian hip hop is a form of hip hop music that uses Christian themes to express the songwriter's faith. Only during the 1990s did this term "Christian hip hop" become descriptive of this type of music...
. Others have praised the "political critique, innuendo and sarcasm" of hip hop music
In contrast to the more hedonistic approach of gangsta rappers, some rappers have a spiritual or religious focus. Christian rap is currently the most commercially successful form of religious rap. Aside from
ChristianityChristianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as presented by the revelations in the New Testament....
, the
Five Percent NationThe Nation of Gods and Earths, sometimes referred to as NGE, Allah's Nation, the Five-Percent Nation, the Five-Percent Nation of Islam, or the Five Percenters was founded in 1964 in the Harlem section of the borough of Manhattan in New York City by Clarence Smith, known most commonly to the public...
, a gnostic religious/spiritual group, has been represented more than any religious group in popular hip hop. Artists such as Rakim, the members of the Wu-Tang Clan,
Brand NubianBrand Nubian is a hip hop group from New Rochelle, New York, consisting of three rappers: Grand Puba , Sadat X and Lord Jamar , and two DJs: DJ Alamo and DJ Sincere...
,
X-ClanX-Clan is a hip hop group from Brooklyn, New York, originally consisting of Grand Verbalizer Funkin' Lesson Brother J, Professor X the Overseer, Paradise the Architect, and Sugar Shaft the Rhythm Provider...
,
Busta RhymesTrevor Tahiem Smith, Jr., better known as Busta Rhymes , is a Grammy-nominated Jamaican-American rapper, songwriter, and actor...
, and Nas, have had success in spreading the
theologyThe term "theology" literally means the study of God, deriving from the Greek word theos, meaning 'God', and the suffix -ology from the Greek word logos meaning "discourse", "theory", or "reasoning"...
of the Five Percenters.
Literary technique
Rappers use the
Literary techniqueA literary technique or literary device is an identifiable rule of thumb, convention or structure that is employed in literature and storytelling....
s of
double entendreA double entendre or adianoeta is a figure of speech in which a spoken phrase is devised to be understood in either of two ways. Often the first meaning is straightforward, while the second meaning is less so; often risqué, inappropriate, or ironic....
s,
alliterationAlliteration is a literary or rhetorical stylistic device that consists in repeating the same consonant sound at the beginning of several words in close succession...
, and other forms of wordplay that are also found in classical poetry.
SimileA simile is a figure of speech comparing two unlike things, often introduced with the word "like" or "as". Even though similes and metaphors are both forms of comparison, similes allow the two ideas to remain distinct in spite of their similarities, whereas metaphors compare two things without...
s and
metaphorA metaphor is a figure of speech concisely comparing two things, saying that one is the other. The English metaphor derives from the 16th c...
s are used extensively in rap lyrics; rappers such as
FabolousJohn David Jackson , better known by his stage name Fabolous, is an American recording artist. Growing up in the Brooklyn area of New York City, he was among the first east coast rappers influenced by Southern hip hop sounds and secondly became popular through his hit single "Can't Deny It" in...
and
Lloyd BanksChristopher Charles Lloyd , better known by his stage name, Lloyd Banks, is an American rapper and member of the rap group G-Unit. Born in Queens, he dropped out of high school and joined G-Unit in 2003 with fellow rappers 50 Cent, Tony Yayo, and Young Buck. G-Unit released two albums, Beg for...
have written entire songs in which every line contains similes, whereas MCs like Rakim,
GZAGary Grice , better known by his stage name GZA and The Genius, is an American hip hop artist best known as a founding member of the seminal hip hop group the Wu-Tang Clan and for his inclusion on their group albums, his groupmates' solo releases and a successful solo career...
, and
Jay-ZShawn Corey Carter , better known by his stage name, Jay-Z is an American hip hop artist and businessman. He is one of the most financially successful hip hop artists and entrepreneurs in America, having a net worth of over $150 million, shipping over 30 million copies of his albums in the United...
are known for the metaphorical content of their raps.
Lil WayneDwayne Michael Carter, Jr. , better known by his stage name Lil Wayne, is an American Grammy Award-winning rapper. Formerly a member of the rap group the Hot Boys, he joined the Cash Money Records collective as a teenager...
is also known for his frequent use of similies and metaphors.
Diction and dialect
Many hip hop listeners believe that a rapper's lyrics are enhanced by a complex vocabulary.
Kool Moe DeeMohandas Dewese , better known as Kool Moe Dee, is an American Hip Hop MC prominent in the late 1970s, throughout the 1980s and early 1990s. He was born in Manhattan, New York. He was one of the first rappers to earn a Grammy award and he was the first to perform at the Grammys...
claims that he appealed to older audiences by using a complex vocabulary in his raps. Rap is famous, however, for having its own vocabulary—from international hip hop slang to regional slang. Some artists, like the Wu-Tang Clan, develop an entire lexicon among their clique. African American Vernacular English has always had a significant effect on hip hop slang and vice versa. Certain regions have introduced their unique regional slang to hip hop culture, such as the
Bay AreaOakland is the eighth-largest city in the U.S. state of California and a major West Coast port city, located on San Francisco Bay about eight miles east of the City of San Francisco. Oakland is a major hub city for the Bay Area subregion collectively called the East Bay, and it is the county seat...
(
Mac DreAndre Hicks , better known by his stage name Mac Dre, was one of the originators of hyphy and is generally considered the creator of Thizz music...
,
E-40Earl Stevens, better known by his stage name E-40, is an American rapper from Vallejo, California. He is also part of the Bay Area rap group The Click and the founder of Sick Wid It Records. His solo debut album, Federal, was released in 1993, and The Click's debut album "Down & Dirty" came out in...
), Houston (
ChamillionaireHakeem Seriki , better known by his stage name Chamillionaire, is a Nigerian-American rapper and singer and CEO of Chamillitary Entertainment and a founder and original member of The Color Changin' Click, He began his career independently with local releases in 2003, including collaboration album...
,
Paul WallPaul Slayton , better known by his stage name Paul Wall or "The People's Champ" is an American rapper. He is currently affiliated with Swishahouse Records, having released several albums under the label as well as...
), Atlanta (
LudacrisChristopher Brian Bridges better known by his stage name Ludacris, is an American rapper and actor. Along with his manager, Chaka Zulu, Ludacris is the co-founder of Disturbing tha Peace, an imprint distributed by Def Jam Recordings...
,
Lil JonJonathan Smith , better known by his stage name Lil Jon, is an American composer, producer, promoter, and rapper. He is best known as a pioneer of the hip hop sub-genre crunk...
,
T.I.Clifford Joseph Harris, Jr. , better known by his stage name T.I. or T.I.P., is an American Grammy Award-winning rapper, producer, actor, songwriter, and co-CEO/founder of Grand Hustle Records....
), and
KentuckyThe Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. Kentucky is a Southern state situated in the Upland South, although the state is infrequently placed, geographically and culturally, in the Midwest. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a...
(
Nappy RootsNappy Roots is an American alternative Southern rap quintet that originated in Bowling Green, Kentucky in 1995 and is best known for its hit 2002 single "Po' Folks"....
).
The Nation of Gods and EarthsThe Nation of Gods and Earths, sometimes referred to as NGE, Allah's Nation, the Five-Percent Nation, the Five-Percent Nation of Islam, or the Five Percenters was founded in 1964 in the Harlem section of the borough of Manhattan in New York City by Clarence Smith, known most commonly to the public...
, a religious/spiritual group spun off from the
Nation of IslamThe Nation of Islam is a religious organization founded in Detroit, Michigan, United States by Wallace D. Fard Muhammad in July 1930, with the self-proclaimed goal of resurrecting the spiritual, mental, social, and economic condition of the black men and women of America. The N.O.I. also promotes...
, has influenced mainstream hip hop slang with the introduction of phrases such as "word is bond" that have since lost much of their original spiritual meaning. Preference toward one or the other has much to do with the individual; GZA, for example, prides himself on being very visual and metaphorical but also succinct, whereas underground rapper
MF DOOMDaniel Dumile is a British-born American hip hop artist who has taken on several stage names in his career, most notably MF DOOM , where the "MF" stands for Metal Face or Metal Fingers...
is known for heaping similes upon similes. In still another variation, 2Pac was known for saying exactly what he meant, literally and clearly.
Freestyle and battle
There are two kinds of
freestyle rapFreestyle rap commonly refers to rap lyrics which are improvised, i.e. performed with few or no previously composed lyrics, off the top of the head...
: one is scripted (recitation), but having no particular overriding subject matter, the second typically referred to as "freestyling" or "spitting", is the improvisation of rapped lyrics. When freestyling, some rappers inadvertently reuse old lines, or even "cheat" by preparing segments or entire verses in advance. Therefore, freestyles with proven spontaneity are valued above generic, always usable lines. Rappers will often reference places or objects in their immediate setting, or specific (usually demeaning) characteristics of opponents, to prove their authenticity and originality.
Battle rapFreestyle rap commonly refers to rap lyrics which are improvised, i.e. performed with few or no previously composed lyrics, off the top of the head...
ping, which can be freestyled, is the competition between two or more rappers in front of an audience. The tradition of insulting one's friends or acquaintances in rhyme goes back to
the dozensThe dozens is an element of the African American oral tradition in which two competitors, usually males, go head-to-head in a improvised competition of often good-natured, ribald trash talk. They take turns insulting—cracking, West Coast dissin'", or ranking on—one another, their adversary's mother...
, and was portrayed famously by
Muhammad AliMuhammad Ali is a retired American boxer and three-time World Heavyweight Champion, who is widely considered one of the greatest heavyweight champions. As an amateur, he won a gold medal in the light heavyweight division at the 1960 Summer Olympics in Rome...
in his boxing matches. The winner of a battle is decided by the crowd and/or preselected judges. According to
Kool Moe DeeMohandas Dewese , better known as Kool Moe Dee, is an American Hip Hop MC prominent in the late 1970s, throughout the 1980s and early 1990s. He was born in Manhattan, New York. He was one of the first rappers to earn a Grammy award and he was the first to perform at the Grammys...
, a successful battle rap focuses on an opponent's weaknesses, rather than one's own strengths. Television shows such as
BETBlack Entertainment Television is an American cable network based in Washington D.C., and targets young African-American audiences in the United States. Robert L. Johnson founded the network in 1980...
's
106 and Park and
MTVMTV is a cable television network based in New York City and launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs...
's
DFX host weekly freestyle battles live on the air. Battle rapping gained widespread public recognition outside of the African-American community with rapper
EminemMarshall Bruce Mathers III , known by his primary stage name Eminem, or by his alter ego Slim Shady, is an American rapper, record producer and actor. Eminem quickly gained popularity in 1999 with his major-label debut album The Slim Shady LP, which won a Grammy Award for Best Rap Album...
's movie,
8 Mile8 Mile is a American hip-hop drama film, directed by Curtis Hanson and starring Marshall Mathers , Kim Basinger, Brittany Murphy, and Mekhi Phifer....
.
The strongest battle rappers will generally perform their rap fully freestyled. This is the most effective form in a battle as the rapper can comment on the other person, whether it be what they look like, or how they talk, or what they wear. It also allows the rapper to reverse a line used to "diss" him or her if they are the second rapper to battle.
Derivatives and influence
Throughout hip hop's history, new musical styles and genres have developed that contain rapping. Entire genres, such as
rap rockRap rock is a music genre fusing vocal and instrumental elements of hip hop with various forms of rock. Rap rock is often confused with rap metal and rapcore, subgenres that include heavy metal-oriented and hardcore punk-oriented bands, respectively...
and its derivatives
rapcoreRapcore is a subgenre of rap rock fusing vocal and sometimes instrumental elements of hip hop with punk rock, often hardcore punk. Rapcore shares traits with rap rock and rap metal, and music often overlaps between the categories. These styles became the basis for nu metal.-History:Rapcore...
and
rap metalRap metal is a subgenre of rap rock fusing vocal and sometimes instrumental elements of hip hop with heavy metal. Rap metal is often confused with rap rock and rapcore. These styles became the basis for nu metal.-History:...
(
rockRock music is a genre of popular music that entered the mainstream in the 1960s. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, rhythm and blues, country music and also drew on folk music, jazz and classical music....
/metal/punk with rapped vocals), or
hip houseHip house, also known as house rap, is a musical genre that mixes elements of house music and hip-hop. The style rose to prominence during the 1980s in New York and Chicago...
have resulted from the fusion of rap and other styles. Many popular music genres with a focus on percussion have contained rapping at some point; be it
discoDisco is a genre of dance music that that had its roots in clubs that catered to African American, psychedelic and other communities in New York City and Philadelphia during the late 1960s and early 1970s...
(
DJ HollywoodDJ Hollywood is an American old school hip hop DJ and rapper. According to Kurtis Blow, Hollywood was the first rapper in the hip-hop style. His rhymes are from the top of the dome, he has never written anything down...
),
jazzJazz is a musical art form which originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States from a confluence of African and European music traditions....
(
Gang StarrGang Starr is an influential East Coast hip hop duo that consisted of MC Guru and DJ/producer DJ Premier and a former trio. The group was known mainly for their unique style, which combines elements of New York swing jazz and hip hop.-Background:...
), new wave (
BlondieBlondie is an American rock band founded by singer Deborah Harry and guitarist Chris Stein. The band was a pioneer in the early American new wave and punk rock scenes of the mid 1970s...
),
funkFunk is an American music genre that originated in the late 1960s when African American musicians blended soul music, soul jazz and R&B into a rhythmic, danceable new form of music. Funk de-emphasizes melody and harmony and brings a strong rhythmic groove of electric bass and drums to the foreground...
(
Fatback BandThe Fatback Band is an American funk and disco band. Most popular in the 1970s and 1980s, The Fatback Band is most known for their Top Ten R&B hits, " Spanish Hustle", "I Like Girls", "Gotta Get My Hands on Some ", and "Backstrokin'"...
),
contemporary R&BContemporary R&B is a music genre of western popular music. Although the acronym “R&B” originates from its association with traditional rhythm and blues music, the term R&B is today most often used to define a style of African American music originating after the demise of disco in the 1980s...
(
Mary J. BligeMary Jane Blige , more commonly known as Mary J. Blige, is an American recording artist, record producer and actress. She has sold more than forty eight million albums worldwide. She has received many Grammy Award nominations for her work, winning ten, and has been awarded the World Music Legends...
),
ReggaetonReggaeton is a form of urban music that became popular with Latin American youth in the early 1990s. After its mainstream exposure in 2004, it spread to North American, European and Asian audiences. Reggaeton's predecessor was originated in Panama as reggae en español...
(
Daddy YankeeRamón "Raymond" Ayala Rodríguez , known artistically as Daddy Yankee, is a Latin Grammy Award winning Puerto Rican reggaeton recording artist. Ayala was born in Río Piedras, the largest district of San Juan, where he became interested in music at a young age. In his youth he was interested in...
), or even Japanese dance music
Soul'd OutSOUL'd OUT is a Japanese hip-hop band that consists of three members: Diggy-MO' , Bro. Hi , and Shinnosuke . They did the second ending theme for Yakitate!! Japan, called "To All Tha Dreamers". Their name is a pun of "soul " and "sold out".-Diggy-MO':Diggy-MO' is the Main MC for Soul'd Out...
.
UK garageUK garage is an umbrella term that refers to several different varieties of modern electronic dance music generally connected to the evolution of house in the United Kingdom from early/mid-1990s....
music has begun to focus increasingly on rappers in a new subgenre called grime, pioneered and popularized by the MC
Dizzee RascalDylan Kwabena Mills , better known by his stage name Dizzee Rascal, is a British rapper, songwriter and record producer of Ghanaian and Nigerian descent. His music is a blend of garage MCing, conventional rap, grime, ragga, and electronic music, with extremely eclectic samples and more exotic styles...
. Increased popularity with the music has shown more UK rappers going to America as well as tour there, such as
Sway DaSafoDerek Andrew Safo is a English hip hop artist of Ghanaian origins, who uses the stage names Sway DaSafo or simply Sway; he is also a full-time producer, establishing DCypha Productions.-Childhood:Sway was born in...
possibly signing with
AkonAliaune Badara Akon Thiam, better known by his middle and stage name Akon , is a Senegalese-American R&B singer-songwriter, record producer, businessman, and philanthropist. He rose to prominence in 2004 following the release of "Locked Up”, the first single from his debut album Trouble...
's label Konvict. Hyphy is the latest of these spin-offs. The style originated in Oakland
CaliforniaCalifornia is the most populous state in the United States, and the third largest by area. California is the second most populous sub-national entity in the Americas, behind only São Paulo, Brazil...
and gained national attention in 2006, beginning with
E-40Earl Stevens, better known by his stage name E-40, is an American rapper from Vallejo, California. He is also part of the Bay Area rap group The Click and the founder of Sick Wid It Records. His solo debut album, Federal, was released in 1993, and The Click's debut album "Down & Dirty" came out in...
's album
My Ghetto Report CardMy Ghetto Report Card is an album by long-time Bay Area rapper E-40. It was released on March 14, 2006. The album contains two of E-40's most well-known singles, "Tell Me When to Go" and "U and Dat."...
. It is typified by slowed-down atonal vocals with instrumentals that borrow heavily from the
hip hopHip hop as a cultural movement "manifest in B-boying , graffiti writing, DJing and eMCeeing/rapping – is an artistic commitment to seize freedom from oppressive social conditions...
scene and lyrics centered on illegal street racing and car culture. Another Oakland, California group, Beltaine's Fire, has recently gained attention for their
Celtic fusionCeltic fusion is an umbrella term for modern music which incorporates influences considered "Celtic," or Celtic music which incorporates modern music. It is a syncretic musical tradition which borrows freely from the perceived "Celtic" musical traditions of all the Celtic nations, as well as from...
sound which blends hip hop beats with Celtic melodies. Unlike the majority of hip hop artists, all their music is performed live without samples, synths, or drum machines, drawing comparisons to
The RootsThe Roots is an American alternative hip hop band from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are famed for beginning with a jazzy, eclectic approach to hip hop which still includes live instrumentals. Their debut album was released in 1993 and they have collaborated with a wide range of artists from...
and
Rage Against the MachineRage Against the Machine , is an American alternative rock band from Los Angeles, California, formed in 1991...
.
BhangraBhaṅgṛā Punjabi: ਭੰਗੜਾ, بھنگڑا is a form of music and dance that originated in the Punjab region of India and Pakistan. Bhangra began as a folk dance conducted by Punjabi people to celebrate the coming of Spring, or Vaisakhi...
, a widely popular style of music from
Punjab (India)Punjab is a state in northwest India. The Indian state borders the Pakistani province of Punjab to the west, Jammu and Kashmir to the north, Himachal Pradesh to the northeast, Haryana to the south and southeast and Rajasthan to the southwest. The total area of the state is 50,362 square kilometres...
has been mixed numerous times with reggae and hip hop music. The most popular song in this genre in the United States was "
Mundian to Bach Ke" or "Beware the Boys"Mundian To Bach Ke" , also titled "Beware of the Boys ", is a bhangra song performed by Punjabi artist Labh Janjua and remixed by Panjabi MC...
" by
Panjabi MCRajinder Singh , better known by his stage name Panjabi MC is a British Indian musician. He was born on 18 August 1969 in Coventry, England.-Career:...
and Jay-Z. Although "Mundian To Bach Ke" had been released previously, the mixing with Jay-Z popularized the genre further.
Though the majority of rappers are male, there have been a number of female rap stars, including
Lauryn HillLauryn Noel Hill is an American recording artist, musician, producer and actress. Early in her career, she established her reputation in the hip-hop world as the lone female member of the Fugees. In 1998, she launched her solo career with the release of the commercially successful and critically...
,
MC LyteLana Michele Moorer , better known by her stage name MC Lyte is rap artist who has scored several Rap and R&B hits. She has released several albums since 1988.-Biography:...
,
Lil' KimKimberly Denise Jones , better known by her stage name Lil' Kim, is an American rapper and singer who was part of the group Junior M.A.F.I.A....
,
Missy ElliottMissy "Misdemeanor" Elliott is an American recording artist, producer and actress. With record sales of over seven million in the United States, she is the only female rapper to have six albums certified platinum by the RIAA, including one double platinum Under Construction.Elliott is known for a...
,
Queen LatifahDana Elaine Owens , better known by her stage name Queen Latifah, is an American rapper, actress, singer, model, and CoverGirl...
,
Da BratShawntae Harris , better known by her stage name Da Brat is an American rapper and actress. Her debut album, Funkdafied, sold one million copies making her the first female rapper to have a platinum-selling album....
,
EveEve Jihan Jeffers , who performs under the mononym Eve, is an American recording artist and actress. Her first three albums have so far reached 7 million copies sold world wide. In 2003, she became the star of her own TV show, Eve, which lasted for 3 seasons...
, Trina,
KhiaKhia Chambers , better known as Khia , is an American rapper, songwriter, and record producer. Khia is best known for her song "My Neck, My Back ", which became a top five hit in the UK and pushed her album to gold-selling status in the U.S.Currently, Khia writes an advice column called "Tough...
, Foxy Brown, and
Lisa LopesLisa Nicole Lopes , better known by her stage name Left Eye, was an American rapper, singer-songwriter, teen idol, and member of the popular Grammy Award-winning R&B group TLC....
from
TLCTLC is a four-time Grammy Award-winning American R&B, pop, and hip hop group, consisting of Tionne "T-Boz" Watkins, Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes, and Rozonda "Chilli" Thomas....
.