rap⁴

 

or hip-hop, genre originating in the mid-1970s among black and Hispanic performers in New York City, at first associated with an athletic style of dancing, known as breakdancing. The word rap, derived from a 1960s slang word for conversation, generally consists of chanted, often improvised, street poetry accompanied by a montage of well-known recordings, usually disco or funk. Detractors have criticized most rap music as a boastful promotion of violence and misogyny; others have admired it as an inventive manipulation of cultural idioms and credit many rappers with an acute social and political awareness. Early rap groups included Grandmaster Flash, Afrika Bambaataa, and the Beastie Boys. Rap has influenced many forms of popular culture, particularly film, and has been increasingly incorporated into pop music. Some influential rap performers include Public Enemy, NWA, Run-DMC, Missy “Misdemeanor” Elliot, and Queen Latifah.

Bibliography

See M. Costello and D. F. Wallace, Signifying Rappers (1990); G. Nelson, Hip Hop America (1998).

Rapping is the rhythmic spoken delivery of rhymes and wordplay, one of the central elements of hip hop music and culture. Although the word rap has sometimes been claimed to be a backronym of the phrase "Rhythmic American Poetry", "Rhythm and Poetry", "Rhythmically Applied Poetry", or "Rhythmically Associated Poetry", use of the word to describe quick and slangy speech or repartee long predates the musical form.^[1]

Rapping, which is also known as Emceeing, Flowing, MCing, Rhyme spitting, Spitting, or Rhyming, can be delivered over a beat or without accompaniment. Stylistically, rap occupies a grey area among speech, prose, poetry, and song. Rap is derived from the griots (folk poets) of West Africa, Caribbean-style toasting, and American Blues and Jazz roots.

Rapping developed both inside and outside of hip hop since Jamaican expatriate Kool Herc first began doing his dancehall toasting in New York in the 1970s. In the 1980s, the success of groups like Run-DMC led to a huge wave of commercialized rap music. By the end of the 1990s, hip hop became widely accepted in mainstream music. Underground Hip-hop rapping from the 2000s has complex rhythms, cadences, an intricate poetic form, and inventive wordplay. Rap lyrics convey the street life from which hip hop originally emerged with references to popular culture and hip-hop slang. Although rap has become an international phenomenon, many types of rap deal with issues such as race, socioeconomic class, and gender.

History

Main article: History of hip hop

See also: African American music, Music of the United States, History of poetry, Jamaican music, and Caribbean music

Roots

See also: Roots of hip hop and Talking blues

Rapping hip hop music can be traced back in many ways to its African roots. Centuries before the United States existed, the griots (folk poets) of West Africa were rhythmically delivering stories over drums and sparse instrumentation. Because of the time that has passed since the griots of old, the connections between rap and the African griots are widely established, but not clear–cut. However, such connections have been acknowledged by rappers, modern day "griots", spoken-word artists, mainstream news sources, and academics.^[2][3][4][5]

Blues music, rooted in the work songs and spirituals of slavery and influenced greatly by West African musical traditions, was first played by blacks (and some whites) in the Mississippi Delta region of the United States around the time of the Emancipation Proclamation. Grammy-winning blues musician/historian Elijah Wald and others have argued that the blues were being rapped as early as the 1920s.^[6][7] Wald went so far as to call hip hop "the living blues."^[6]

Jazz, developed from the blues and other African-American musical traditions, originated around the beginning of the 20th century. 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."^[8]

During the mid-20th century, the musical culture of the Caribbean was constantly influenced by the concurrent changes in American music. In the 1950s through the 1970s, the descendants of Caribbean slaves in Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago were mixing their traditional folk music styles of mento and Calypso music with the jazz, soul, rock and blues of America.. In Jamaica this influenced the creation of Reggae music (and later Dancehall), while in Trinidad, this influenced the creation of Soca. As early as 1969, Deejays were toasting (an African tradition of "rapped out" tales of heroism) over dubbed Jamaican beats. It was called rap, expanding the word's earlier meaning in the African-American community— "to discuss or debate informally."^[9]

1970s

The dubbed dancehall toasts of Jamaica, as well as the disco-rapping and jazz-based spoken word beat poetry of the United States set the template for the rapping in hip hop music. Gil Scott-Heron, a Jazz Poet and Bluesman who wrote and released such seminal songs as The Revolution Will Not Be Televised, H2OGate Blues Part 2: We Beg Your Pardon America and Johannesberg, has been cited as an influence on many rappers. One of the first rappers in hip hop was also hip hop's first DJ— Kool Herc. Herc, a Jamaican immigrant, started delivering simple raps at his parties in the early 1970s. As Herc would explain in a 1989 interview, "[t]he whole chemistry came from Jamaica. I was listening to American music in Jamaica, and my favorite artist was James Brown. When I came over here I just had to put it in the American style."^[10] Although rapping in hip hop began with the DJs, most rappers today don't DJ or produce on a regular basis; Coke La Rock is cited by Kool Herc as the first example of such a rapper.^[11] By the end of the 1970s, hip hop had spread throughout New York, and was getting some radio play. Rappers were increasingly writing songs that fit pop music structures and featured continuous rhymes. Melle Mel (of The Furious Five) stands out as one of the earliest rap innovators.

1980s

See also: Old school hip hop and Golden age hip hop

From the 1970s to the early 1980s, Melle Mel set the way for future rappers through his sociopolitical content as well as his creative wordplay. Hip hop lyricism saw its biggest change with the popularity of Run-DMC's Raising Hell in the mid-1980s, known especially for the rap/rock collaboration with rock band Aerosmith in the song "Walk This Way". This album helped set the tone of toughness and lyrical prowess in hip hop; Run-DMC were almost yelling their aggressive lyrics.

The 1980s saw a huge wave of commercialized rap music, that with it brought success and international popularity. Rap music transcended its original demographic and passed in to the suburbs. The first rap hit of the 80`s was Blondie's Rapture following on from Rappers Delight in 1979 from Sugarhill Gang. Rap music in this time kept its original fan base in the 'ghetto' while attracting interest from mainstream consumers. This decade also saw the emergence of what we now know as old school hip hop talented artists such as Run DMC, LL Cool J, Public Enemy and the first white rap band ^{[citation needed]} the Beastie Boys. This decade is also referred to as the Golden age hip hop by modern music historians. Rap in the early 1980s centered mostly around self promotion e.g. the amount of gold worn or one's prowess with females, however in 1987 Public Enemy introduced a more socio-political edge with their debut album Yo! Bum Rush the Show. Other artists such as The Jungle Brothers looked to Africa for inspiration. In 1987 the rap group N.W.A. released their first album entitled N.W.A. and the Posse, and included rap stars Dr. Dre, Ice Cube, Eazy E, and MC Ren. This release marked the first shift from the golden age to the ensuing ages of Gansta rap and G-Funk.

1990s

See also: Golden age hip hop and Gangsta rap

Rap in the 1990s saw a substantial change in direction in the style of rapping. Where the 1980s were characterized by verses mostly constrained to straightforward structures and rhyme schemes, rappers in the 1990s explored deviations from those basic forms, freeing up the lyrical flow and switching up the patterns to create a much more fluid and complex style. The style on the East coast became more aggressive, a style pioneered by Ghostface Killah and Notorious B.I.G., while West coast hip-hop became more laid-back, and smooth, as made popular by Dr. Dre and 2Pac.

In terms of subject matter, the 1990s saw a shift from personal promotion and glorification to narratives of street experience and darker social observation, although this shift was more pronounced on the East coast than it was on the West. Rappers like the Guru of Gang Starr and Raekwon the Chef of the Wu-Tang Clan wove a new hip-hop lexicon out of Five Percenter terminology and personal experience that continues to dominate the lyrics of many MCs to this day.

The 1990s were marked by a tense rivalry between MCs of the East and West coast, including a feud between Sean "Puffy" Combs' Bad Boy Records in the East, including the Notorious B.I.G., and Dr. Dre and Suge Knight's Death Row Records (including 2pac and Snoop Dogg). Freestyling became a skill that demonstrates an MC's versatility and creativity, but also as a verbal "duel" or "spar". The mid 1990s were marked by the violent deaths of Tupac Shakur, Notorious B.I.G., Freaky Tah, and Big L (among others). By the end of the 1990s, hip-hop became widely accepted in mainstream music.

2000s

Main article: New school hip hop

The genre of rap and hip-hop in its modern iteration is increasingly influenced by other musical forms. Notably, remixes of existing hits with current notable rappers has become an increasing trend. The influence of rap has increased internationally, with independent styles, such as Grime, Trip Hop, and Hyphy. Southern, Northern, and midwestern rap has also gained increasing popularity and penetrated the coastal markets on a large scale for the first time. Along with the increasing commercialisation of rap and hip-hop culture, this has led to many artists such as Nas to claim that "hip-hop is dead", echoing the common ironic refrain from self-identified Punks that Punk is dead.

Writing

Rhyme styles

See also: Rhyme scheme

Aside from 'flow' (the voice and tone of a particular MC), and rhythmic delivery, the only other central element of rapping is rhyme. In classical poetry, rhymes that span many syllables are often considered whimsical, but in hip hop the ability to construct raps with large sets of rhyming syllables is valued. Rap can contain any and all forms of rhyme found in classical poetry such as consonance, assonance, half rhyme, or internal rhyme. Rappers are known for their style of rhyming. Juelz Santana often avoids full rhymes in favor of assonance, consonance, half rhymes, and internal rhymes. Eminem, on the other hand, often focuses on complex and lengthy multisyllabic rhyme schemes, while "flowas" like Rakim use metaphorical, emotional, rhyming, and story telling to communicate a message.

Literary technique

Main article: Literary technique

Rappers use double entendres, alliteration, and all other forms of wordplay that are also found in classical poetry. Similes and metaphors are used extensively in rap lyrics; rappers such as Fabolous and Lloyd Banks have written entire songs wherein every line contains a simile or metaphor.

Hip hop lyrics often make passing references to popular culture and other topics. An example is the song Wu-Tang Clan Ain't Nuthing Ta F' Wit by the Wu-Tang Clan, in which RZA rhymes,

"I be tossin', enforcin', my style is awesome
I'm causin more Family Feuds than Richard Dawson
And the survey said - you're dead
Fatal flying guillotine chops off your fuckin' head"

Such allusions serve to illustrate or exaggerate a statement, or are simply used for humour. Some of these reference are overtly political, while others simply acknowledge, credit, or show dismay about aspects of the rapper's culture and life.

Diction & Dialect

Many hip hop listeners believe that a rapper's lyrics are enhanced by a complex vocabulary. Kool Moe Dee claims that he appealed to older audiences by using a complex vocabulary in his raps.^[12] Rap is famous, however, for having its own vocabulary— from international hip hop slang to local/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 Area (Mac Dre, E-40), Houston (Chamillionaire, Paul Wall), Atlanta (OutKast, Lil Jon, T.I.), and Kentucky (Nappy Roots). The Nation of Gods and Earths, a religious/spiritual group spun off from the Nation of Islam, 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, where underground rapper MF DOOM is known for heaping similes upon similes. In still another variation, 2Pac was known for saying exactly what he meant, literally and clearly.

Subject matter

See also: Concept rap

Hip hop music originated in New York City in the 1970s, and continues to focus largely on metropolitan centers in the East and West coasts of America. Many rappers use urban culture as the backdrop for their raps, focusing on the hardships of inner-city life. One element that has always existed in rapped rhymes, dating back to hip hop's inception, is "the struggle". This struggle was originally financial or personal in nature; getting a girlfriend, or paying the rent. With "The Message", a concept rap written by Melle Mel and performed by Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five, the idea of "the struggle" was put in another context: the shared hardships of the ghetto.

The roots of these sociopolitical raps are in the beat poetry of The Last Poets and Gil Scott Heron. "The Message" pioneered the inclusion of political content in hip hop rhymes, expanding beyond basic personal issues and party raps. In the golden age of hip hop, Public Enemy emerged, with a focus on political and social issues. Modern East Coast hip hop artists such as Mos Def, Talib Kweli, Jay-Z, Nas, and dead prez are known for their sociopolitical subject matter. Their West-coast counterparts include Emcee Lynx, The Coup, Paris, and Michael Franti.

Other rappers take a less critical approach to urbanity, sometimes even embracing such aspects as crime. Schoolly D was the first notable MC to rap about crime.^[13] Several years later, he would go on to influence Ice T, who had more overtly "gangsta" lyrics. Gangsta rap, made popular largely because of N.W.A.. Early on KRS-One was accused of celebrating crime and a hedonistic lifestyle, but after the death of his DJ, Scott La Rock, 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.

Various politicians, journalists, and religious leaders, have accused rappers of fostering a culture of violence and hedonism among hip hop listeners through their lyrics.^[14][15][16] However, there are also rappers whose messages may not be in conflict with these views, for example Christian hip hop.

In contrast to the hedonistic approach of the gangsta rappers, some rappers have a spiritual or religious focus. Christian rap is currently the most commercially successful form of religious rap. Aside from Christianity, the Five Percent Nation, a gnostic religious/spiritual group, has been represented more than any religious group in popular hip hop. Hip-hop artists such as Rakim, the members of the Wu-Tang Clan, Brand Nubian, X Clan, Busta Rhymes, and Nas, have had success in spreading the theology of the Five Percenters. See the article on Hip hop and religion for a more in-depth discussion.

"Party rhymes", meant to pump up the crowd at a party, were nearly the exclusive focus of old school hip hop (with the exception of The Furious Five). Party raps 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 Gee! of the Treacherous Three, and later, in the golden age of hip hop, Big Daddy Kane, Heavy D, and LL Cool J would continue this tradition. 2 Live Crew, a Miami bass group, were among the first hip hop act to be temporarily banned in the United States, for the overtly sexual and profane content of their raps.

Performance

Flow

Rap delivery, or flow, is defined by prosody, cadence, and speed. Cadence deals with the dynamics and patterns of the rhythm. In addition to rubato (changes in tempo for the purpose of expression), cadence can also serve to reinforce song structure through ritardando (the gradual slowing down of tempo). Old school rappers generally maintained a simple cadence, without much deviation,^[17] while golden age rappers such as Rakim experimented extensively with cadence.^[12] Present day popular rappers like Method Man, Snoop Dogg, Busta Rhymes and André 3000 are considered to have a versatile cadence because of their ability to rap over disparate beats equally well.

A common way MCs judge how to flow in a verse is by writing a rhyme so that the most stressed words coincide with the beats percussion, in a way that makes the rhyming sound more musical (as opposed to spoken word) and that better combines the MC's voice with the musical backdrop. Rakim -- whom many credit with changing the way most rappers flow on a song -- experimented not only with following the percussion, 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.^[18]

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 screwed, slow-paced rapping is often considered optimal. The current record for fastest rapper is held by MC Ricky Brown, who rapped 723 syllables in 51.27 seconds (14.1 syllables per second) on his track "No Clue" at B&G Studios on January 15 2005.^[19].MC Delicate (Kenya) is also one of the African Rappers cashing on this speed flow rap due to his ability to roll over several syllables in a couple of seconds.

To successfully deliver a nicely flowing rap, a rapper must also develop vocal presence, enunciation, and breath control. 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 can't deliver difficult verses without making unintentional pauses.

Raps are sometimes delivered with melody. West Coast rapper Egyptian Lover was the first notable MC to deliver "sing-raps."^[13] Popular rappers such as 50 Cent and Ja Rule add a slight melody to their otherwise purely percussive raps whereas some rappers, such as Cee-Lo, are able to harmonize their raps with the beat. The Midwestern group Bone Thugs-N-Harmony was one of the first groups to achieve nation-wide recognition for using the fast-paced, melodic and harmonic raps that are also practiced by Do or Die, another Midwestern group. Another rapper to harmonize his rhymes is Nate Dogg, a rapper part of the group 213.

Freestyle rapping

See also: Freestyle rap

There are two kinds of Freestyle rapping: 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.^[20] Rappers will often reference places, objects in their immediate setting, or specific (usually demeaning) characteristics of opponents, to prove their authenticity and originality.

Battle rapping

See also: Battle rap and Diss track

Battle rapping, 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 dozens, and was portrayed famously by Muhammad Ali in his boxing matches. The winner of a battle is decided by the crowd and/or preselected judges. According to Kool Moe Dee, a successful battle rap focuses on an opponents weaknesses, rather than one's own strengths.^[12] Television shows such as BET's 106 and Park and MTV's DFX host weekly freestyle battles live on the air. Battle rapping gained widespread public recognition outside of the African-American community with rapper Eminem's movie, 8 Mile.

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/her if they are the second rapper to battle.

Social Impact

Race & Class

See also: Race in hip hop

By the United States 2000 Census, three-quarters of the United States' population is white, while one-eighth is black. However, almost all popular rappers in the United States are black.^[21] Some believe this discrepancy is a good thing; popular rapper Kanye West has said: "I hate music where white people are trying to sound black. The white music I like is white".^[22]

Wealth and class are significant issues in hip-hop, a culture which was developed mainly among the lower and lower-middle class blacks of inner-city New York. Any view of money that can be seen in real life can also be seen in the lyrics of rap-- just as there are rappers who often brag about their extravagant wealth, or more specifically, their "rags to riches" stories, there are political militants who decry materialism. Although most of hip hop's famous and influential rappers have come from inner-city ghettos^[23] , hip-hop has always represented a variety of economic backgrounds. For example, Run-D.M.C., The Beastie Boys, Rakim, Black Sheep, and Kanye West^[24] were middle-class when they began rapping.

Race issues often intersect with class issues. Vanilla Ice, a white pop rapper, went so far as to lie about his place of origin, claiming that he came from the inner-city of Miami, Florida, when he was actually from suburban Texas. According to Vanilla Ice, he was encouraged to lie by his record company, to increase their profits.^[25] In juxtaposition to Vanilla Ice stand the Beastie Boys, a rap group composed of white Jewish teenagers. The Beastie Boys didn't lie about their middle-class and suburban upbringing, and managed to sell millions of records while maintaining the respect of the hip hop community.^[26]

House of Pain, an Irish-American crew with members from Los Angeles and New York, were downright assertive about their ethnicity, including footage of St. Patricks Day parades in the music video for their first hit single Jump Around and name-checking prominent Irish Americans in their lyrics. They also incorporated time signatures associated with traditional Irish Folk Music such as Jigs and Reels into their songs - a major deviation from mainstream hip hop where virtually every song is done in 4/4 time. Their first self-titled album went multi-platinum. The group split up after their third album and lead-rapper Everlast went on to pursue a solo career, releasing the multi-platinum Whitey Ford Sings the Blues in 1998 and the platinum Eat at Whiteys in 2000. He is currently a member of La Coka Nostra, along with Danny Boy, another original House of Pain member. DJ Lethal went on to be the DJ for Limp Bizkit, a rap-rock group that has repeatedly gone multi-platinum.

The most recent mainstream exception to the skin color trend in mainstream rappers is Eminem, who is of mainly English descent, who grew up in the primarily black city of Detroit.^[27] In his song "White America", Eminem attributes his selling success to his being more easily digestible by a white audience, because he "looks like them."

Other prominent American rappers of primarily European decent include Sage Francis, Paul Wall (who is 1/4 Mexican), Emcee Lynx, Mike Shinoda (who is half Japanese), El-Producto, Aesop Rock, and many others. Race, class, and ethnicity remain prominent themes in hip hop music in general, regardless of race. Emcee Lynx in particular is notable for addressing these issues in his music and referencing his Scots Irish heritage in his music as a point of pride.

Despite the fact that the majority of American artists in the mainstream are Black, some statistics indicate that most hip hop record purchasers are white, reflecting demographics and economics. According to musicologist Arthur Kempton, "Today 70 percent of hip-hop is bought by white kids".^[28] Boots Riley has criticized these figures, pointing out that they only count sound-scan sales, which automatically excludes the mom-and-pop record stores located in majority Black and Latino neighborhoods that the major music chains tend to avoid, and thus dramatically under-represents the number of sales made in such communities.

According to political rapper Zion of Zion I, socially conscious hip hop has a mainly white audience: "...so many Black people don't want to hear it. They want that thug shit." In addition to Zion, several other underground rappers, such as Boots Riley of The Coup, report nearly all-white audiences.^[29]

Rebirth of Hip-hop

Though the hip-hop and rap community has been dominated by black artists in the past, hip-hop has become less militant and less about race and where you come from. Hip-hop music more recently has become more about conveying a message to who ever will listen. The artist is just the person that delivers it. The hip-hop community has come together to try and unite as artists for the sake of creating music, and relieving much of the stress of competition and rivalry amongst hip-hop artists and their listeners. Much rivalry, commonly called "beefs" in the hip-hop community, has been noted in the past, the most noted was between Tupac Shakur and the Notorious B.I.G and most recently between northern rappers Jay-Z and NAS. These rivalries within the hip-hop community have become an outlet for the artists to express their thoughts and feelings through the artistic expression of battle rapping. This form of expression sometimes boosts album sales and the creditability of the artist. The unification of hip-hop artists could have been seen more recently between New York rapper, 50 Cent and Chicago rapper, Kanye West, when both had decided to release their albums on the same day. Both had stated that they are not in competition with each other and each rapper respects the other rapper as an artist.

Much recently, hip-hop has taken a new turn. Hip-hop music has taken a less serious approach, in a sense that it has become more about the entertainment aspect, having fun, and letting loose. New artists such as, Hurricane Chris, Huey, Soulja Boy, and D4L have created music that is fun to listen to with its catchy lyrics and its hypnotic beats. Some even come packaged with its own unique dance, such as with the song "Laffy Taffy" by D4L, a dance that may have been seen in black or white dance clubs across the country in which you sway from side to side. Some hip-hop artists and listeners deeply rooted in the hip-hop community and its "true" meaning find this form of music disrespectful and not at all on the same level as other hip-hop music created by the founding fathers in the past or artists that have made an impact on the hip-hop community such as Tupac Shakur, the notorious B.I.G., NAS, and KRS 1. Though it has turned mainstream and pop oriented, there are still artists making positive contributions to the culture.

Gender and sexuality

See also: List of female rappers

Almost all popular rappers identify themselves as heterosexual.^{[citation needed]} Homophobia is both prevalent and blatant throughout hip hop culture;^{[citation needed]} however, some heterosexual rappers like Kanye West^[30] are continuing to fight against homophobia in hip hop.

Though the majority of rappers are male, there have been a number of female rap stars, including Lauryn Hill, MC Lyte, Lil' Kim, Missy Elliott, Queen Latifah, Da Brat, Eve, Foxy Brown, and Lisa Lopes from TLC.

Derivatives and influence

Throughout hip hop's history, new musical styles and genres have developed that contain rapping. Entire genres, such as rapcore (rock/metal/punk with rapped vocals) and hip house have resulted from the fusion of rap and other styles. All popular music genres with a focus on percussion have contained rapping at some point— be it disco (DJ Hollywood), jazz (Gangstarr), new wave (Blondie), funk (Fatback Band), contemporary R&B (Mary J. Blige), Reggaeton (Daddy Yankee), or even Japanese dance music, such as (Soul'd Out). UK garage music has begun to focus increasingly on rappers in a new subgenre called Grime, pioneered and popularized by the MC, Dizzee Rascal. Increased popularity with the music has shown more UK rappers going to America as well as to tour there, such as Sway DaSafo possibly signing with Akon's label Konvict. Hyphy is the latest of these spin-offs. The style originated in Oakland California and gained national attention in 2006 starting with E-40's album My Ghetto Report Card. It is typified by slowed-down atonal vocals with instrumentals that borrow heavily from the Rave 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 Fusion 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 Roots and Rage Against the Machine.

Bhangra, a widely popular style of music from Punjab (India) 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" by panjabi mc and Jay-Z. Although mundian to bach ke was already a song inspired by knight rider,the mixing with Jay-Z popularized the genre further.

Regional variations

France

Main article: French hip hop

Outside of the United States the largest hip hop scene is in France and artists such as MC Solar and Les Nubians have even crossed over into the American market. As with early American hip hop social and political issues figure strongly in much of french hip hop and the majority of performers come from the country's ethnic minorities, notably the Arab population. See the article on French hip hop for a more in depth discussion.

Portugal

Main article: Hip hop Tuga

Portuguese hip hop (Hip hop português) mostly known as Hip Hop Tuga is the Portuguese variety of hip hop music, although different because it is mixed with African music from Lusophone Africa and reggae. Popular Portuguese rappers include Clã da Matarroa, Valete, Da Weasel, Boss AC, Sam the Kid (rapper & producer), Dealema, Mind Da Gap, Bonus, Adamastor and DJ Bomberjack.

UK

Main article: British hip hop

The UK scene has also gained international prominence, especially since the fact that the performers rap in English makes them more marketable to American audiences then their French counterparts. The UK sound incorporates extremely fast flows and strong electronica and drum n bass influences. The Bristol Sound in particular was influential in the creation of Trip Hop, which combines slowed-down hip hop beats with sung vocals. UK artists are beginning to achieve crossover into the American market, notable Mcee Kano was featured on the Def Jam Icon Xbox 360 and Playstation 3 game, the only UK rapper featured there, with a wide selection of popular American rappers. Lady Sovereign has signed with the American Def Jam label. Popular UK rappers include Ty, Klashnekoff, Skinnyman, Blak Twang, Stig Of The Dump. JME and Skepta of Boy Better Know are grime Mcee's but have been called rappers many times and have worked with top American producer Just Blaze. Visit the page on UK Hip Hop for more.

Greece

Main article: Greek hip hop

Greek hip hop refers to hip hop music originating in Greece, either in Greek or English. The earliest Greek hip hop groups date back to 1987, though native language albums did not appear until the mid-1990s.Some of the most important early hip-hop groups in Greece were Imiskoumbria, Terror X Crew (members: Artemis, Efthimis, DJ ALX), FF.C (members: Ruthmodamastis, DJ Everlast, Skinothetis, plus many guests) and Active Member.This differentiation caused a lot of tension among the Greek hip-hop fans. Between 1995 and 2000, there was a lot of conflict, relatively speaking. Things escalated from there when the Battle rap era in Greece begun with the group ZN (Living Dead) that started dissing Active Member and other hip hop groups. ZN was composed of 5 members. They followed the Wu-Tang style and have been influenced from the Wu-Tang Clan. They first released an EP and then a group album, followed by releasing solo albums. Their one and only album (due to feuding) as a group was "O Protos Tomos" (The First Volume) in 1997.As American hip hop lyrics became more widely violent, so did international hip hop lyrics, and Greece was no exception. Rapping about guns, drugs, violence and sex became the norm. Hardcore Greek rap had swept the genre, and commercial hip hop followed suit.Commercial hip-hop in Greece has become hugely successful, with acts like Imiskoumbria, Terror X Crew and Goin' Through blazing the trails.Imiskoumbria and Terror X Crew both were the first to have their records going gold. Goin' Through became a massive success after their last album, La Sagrada Familia, was granted gold status as of 2006. Their follow-up, Vendetta, achieved gold sales within three months of its release.Goin' Through has also established Greece's big name hip-hop label, Family, where some other acts are signed. Some of the more noted acts of Family are Taraxias, Thirio, NEVMA, Ominus & DJ "S", TNS. It should be noted that the group Imiskoumbria, is widely credited as one of the Greek rap acts that made Greek hip hop a household thing. Before this, Greek hip hop was considered to be a fad or a novelty of sorts.

Sources