Rap
Definition and
Origins: Rap is music that consists of
topical rhyme verses recited over a recorded or live instrumental background.
Developed by urban American blacks, its format originally consisted of a disk
jockey (D.J.) alternating and mixing small excerpts of recorded
music and adding rhythmical scratching sounds, while a “rapper” sings or
recites rhymed lyrics, that were often similar to poems. Rap first appeared in
the mid-1970s. Rap musicians sample a
wide range of street sounds, historical music, and spoken-word recordings in a
very powerful, musical format. The first rap came into existence in the Bronx,
a ghetto of NYC. African-American poets had started using drum beats and
instrumental music as a background for their lyrics. Later, a guy named J.
Saddler developed a more accurate way of mixing music from two turntables and
also had the idea of adding scratching to the three components of rap.
The rap music we know today was born. Rap music soon became a subject of
criticism and controversy because of sexually explicit lyrics and texts that
glorified violence or promoted controversial political views. The music was
also used to express feelings and criticize the government, life standards and
society. Gangs in the ghettos of big American cities stopped fighting with
weapons and started fighting with rhymes.
Scene from a “battle” of two gangs
History: Rap evolved from African people in general and
black people born in the U.S. in particular. Its origins can be traced to West
Africa where tribesmen worshipped "men of words". Later when
slaves were brought to America, they mixed American
music with the beats they remembered from Africa. Another origin of rap is a
form of Jamaican folk stories called
"toasts." These are narrative poems that tell stories in rhyme. Over a hundred years later, rapping
was a street art. Rap began in inner-city
schoolyards and street corners in the 1970's. Early raps were put-downs directed at other rappers. This became known as the
"battle style".
Rap was slowly growing in popularity among black teens in New York City,
Washington, D.C., and Philadelphia.
But
it wasn't until the commercial success of "Rapper's Delight" by the
Sugar Hill Gang in 1979 that major record labels took notice of this new sound.
But
the musical style is not without its critics. In the 80's many raps were
comments on ghetto life, warnings about drugs and about
teenage love or lust. Those topics led some parents to fear that rap encouraged
youths to turn to violence and drug abuse. The performers don't deny that
rap music speaks openly about harsh and controversial topics. But they argue
that audiences should be able distinguish between fantasy and reality, right
and wrong. As an answer to this argument, many rappers have brought out songs
that clearly define those borders.
Today,
there are many rappers who aren’t black. Because of artists like Kid Rock and
Eminem, African-Americans are not the only ones listening to rap anymore. Also,
the female audience has grown steadily with ladies behind the
microphone like Salt-n-Pepa, Queen Latifah, and Li'l Kim. Rap is nowadays
wide-spread and still popular. It is also one of the
most important kinds of African-American music (see also Jazz).
Types of Rap:
Old School (1979-1984):
The
first defined period in the history of rap became known as Old School. The most
important artists of this time were also the ones who shaped the rap music to
what it is today. These were among others: KOOL DJ HERC, GRANDMASTER FLASH
& THE FURIOUS FIVE, AFRIKA BAMBAATAA, JAZZY FIVE, SOUL SONIC FORCE, THE
TREACHEROUS THREE, SPOONIE G., KURTIS BLOW, GRANDMIXER DST, COLD CRUSH
BROTHERS, FAB FIVE FREDDY, GRANDMASTER CAZ, BEASY BEE, KOOL MOE D., DJ RED
ALERT, JAZZY JEFF, LIL RODNEY CEE, SHA ROCK, FANTASTIC FREAKS. In the years of
1983/84, rap had its first stylistic crisis; lots of the published songs that
were very similar as they worked all with the same limited beat boxes. The
selling numbers sank and it looked like rap would stop being popular. This was the reason why the artists searched for other styles. The new
style they came up with was the New School.
New School (since 1984/85)
In
the beginnings of the 80’s the digital samplers got cheap enough for everybody
to use. Now it was possible to sample complex drum loops and old
funk records without having to use syntactic beats. Rap music sounded now more natural
and got more musical complexity. It was during this time, that rap music got
its wide range that reached from the apocalyptic tracks by Public Enemy all the
way to love songs by LL COOl J. New School also came into life on the east
coast, and was, like Old School, mainly a phenomenon of New York.
one of the New School Rap legends:
RAKIM
West Coast (since 1980)
The
rap on the west coast took a completely different road of evolution. Its centre
was LA. The history of west coast rap started in 1980, when the SUGAR HILL GANG
had a major brake through with their song "Rapper’s Delight". In most of the text
from the west coast, the brutal life of blacks that live in ghettos
is described and that was what made this kind of rap popular, but it also cast
the light of criticism on the texts. The songs were always compared to the
rapper. One who talks about brutality, so people thought, must also be brutal.
Today,
the west coast rap is probably even more wide-spread than the old, or new
school style. It is richer and the rappers have made themselves a name: ICE T,
DR DRE, WARREN G., ICE CUBE, HOUSE OF PAIN, CYPRESS HILL, DIGITAL UNDERGROUND
YOUNG MC and many more.
2PAC
