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| Rap opera | |
|---|---|
| Stylistic origins | Hip hop music, opera, concept albums, spoken word, musical theatre, rock opera (conceptual origins) |
| Cultural origins | Early 1970s South Bronx, New York City |
| Typical instruments | Turntable, vocals, drum machine, sampler, synthesizer, beatboxing, bass guitar |
| Mainstream popularity | Some hip hop artists have produced concept albums |
| Other topics | |
| Breakdance – Graffiti – Fashion – Subgenres – Notable albums – World hip hop | |
A rap opera or hip hopera is a series of hip hop songs in the form of an opera, inspired by the concept of rock opera.
Like its predecessor, rap opera tells a story through consecutive pieces of music involving the same character or characters. Rap opera may be a purely auditory experience, or it may be associated with a musical, comic book, or other art form. It is a relatively young, spontaneous form, performed more by amateurs and non-profit groups than by professional emcees.
When R&B singer R. Kelly was asked on IFC how he defines his "Trapped in the Closet" series, Kelly stated that he describes it as a hip hopera or musical opera, but that it's now too long to be called a song.[1] In 2001, MTV debuted a telefilm entitled Carmen: A Hip Hopera, directed by Robert Townsend and starring Beyoncé Knowles and Mekhi Phifer. Volume 10 also released an album called Hip-Hopera in 1994. Although it must be noted that the former is contemporary R&B, not hip hop music.
Examples
- R. Kelly's Trapped in the Closet series
- Lin-Manuel Miranda's In the Heights
- Public Enemy's He Got Game
- Carmen: A Hip Hopera
- Prince Paul's A Prince Among Thieves
- Deltron 3030 by Deltron 3030
- Sable and Batalion's J.O.B., the Hip-Hopera
- Rapper and producer Dr. Dre has stated that his third album, Detox, may be a rap opera.
- Michael Tippett's New Year uses rap in a number of scenes.
- Ugly Duckling's Taste the Secret
- Lupe Fiasco's The Cool
- "Libera Me From Hell" in the anime Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann
- Ciara's single "High Price" from her third album "Fantasy Ride"
- Kanye West's "Last Call" from "College Dropout"
- Des Bishop's Rap Éire
- Jay-Z's American Gangster
- Wyclef Jean's Apocalypse [1]
- Chris Goslow's Rapera
- Mariah Carey's "Betcha Gon Know"
References
See also
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