Rap metal

Rap metal is a subgenre of rap rock fusing vocal and sometimes instrumental elements of hip hop with heavy metal, with influences of hard rock ^[1]. Rap metal is often confused with rap rock and rapcore. These styles became the basis for nu metal.

History

Rap metal originated from rap rock, a genre fusing vocal and instrumental elements of hip hop with rock.^[1] The genre's roots are based both in hip hop acts who sampled heavy metal songs, such as Beastie Boys,^[2] Cypress Hill^[3] and Run-D.M.C.,^[4] as well as rock bands who fused heavy metal and hip hop influences, such as 24-7 Spyz^[5] and Faith No More.^[6]

New York metal band Anthrax fused hip hop with metal for their 1987 extended play I'm the Man,^[7] and were teamed up with Public Enemy for a remake of the latter's "Bring the Noise" that fused hip hop with thrash metal.^[8] Sir Mix-A-Lot teamed up with Metal Church for his 1988 single "Iron Man", loosely based upon the Black Sabbath song of the same name.^[1] Stuck Mojo, a metal band whose vocalist rapped, is considered to be one of the pioneers of the genre.^[9][10] Detroit rapper Esham became known for his "acid rap" style, which fused rapped metal-influenced lyrics with a sound that was often rock and metal-based.^[11][12] Thrash metal band Body Count referred to their 1992 debut album as a "rock album with a rap mentality".^[13] The band was formed by rapper Ice-T, who did not rap on the band's debut album.^[14] Rage Against the Machine fuse metal with hip hop, and is known for its politically-charged rapped lyrics.

Cypress Hill incorporated direct heavy metal influences into their 2000 album Skull & Bones, which featured six tracks in which rappers B-Real and Sen Dog were backed by a band including Fear Factory members Christian Olde Wolbers and Dino Cazares and Rage Against the Machine drummer Brad Wilk.^[15] B-Real also formed a rap metal group, Kush, with Wolbers, Fear Factory drummer Raymond Herrera and Deftones guitarist Stephen Carpenter.^[16][17] According to B-Real, Kush is more aggressive than other bands in the genre.^[17] SX-10, formed in 1996 by Sen Dog, also performs rap rock and rap metal.^[18]

Rap rock and rap metal would become the basis for the nu metal genre.^[19] Although the popularity of these styles has declined,^[20] some believe that rap rock may regain popularity, with younger music fans discovering bands in the genre.^[21] Drew Simollardes of the band Reveille states that "I feel like lately it’s more appropriate. People are sick of a lot of the stuff that’s out there right now."^[21]

Notable Rap Metal artists

• 24-7 Spyz
• 311
• Biohazard
• Body Count
• Deftones
• Disturbed (early)
• Faith No More
• Hed PE
• Incubus (early)
• Insane Clown Posse
• Kid Rock
• KoЯn
• LAPD
• Linkin Park
• Limp Bizkit
• Papa Roach
• P.O.D.
• Rage Against the Machine
• Reveille
• Slipknot
• Soulfly (early)
• Taproot

References