What is rap? Meaning of the word

2024 Author: Leah Sherlock | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 05:25

Today we will tell you what rap is. This is a rhythmic recitative, which is usually read under the beat. Performers of this genre are called respectively rappers. The more general term "MC"

Quick reference

If we talk about what rap is, this phenomenon should be considered as the main element of the style of hip-hop music. It is for this reason that these concepts in everyday communication often act as synonyms. However, rap as a recitative is also used in a number of other genres. Many drum and bass artists use elements of this phenomenon. If you are interested in rap about love, this issue should be discussed separately. As a rule, such compositions go beyond this direction. They are often categorized under the pop rap genre. This phenomenon also occurs in rock music. R-n-B artists often use rap in compositions.

Meaning

Now consider what rap is in terms of the origin of this concept. This word originated from the English term rap, which can be translated as "hit", "knock" or "talk". Later, erroneous theories appeared, based on which rap was considered as an abbreviation. However, rap is not written in capital letters in English. In addition, the term has a number of cognates. Most of these fallacious theories originate in non-English speaking countries. Transcripts are offered in a variety of ways, but they are all wrong.

History

To fully understand what rap is, you should know that it originated in the Bronx, among African Americans, and it happened in the seventies. This direction originates from visiting Jamaican DJs. In particular, Kool Herc is considered one of the founders of rap. Rap was originally read for purposes far from commercial. They did it for fun, mostly DJs. It was about simple rhyming couplets addressed to the audience.

The spread of rap was facilitated by amateur Negro radio, which played music that was especially in demand among blacks, so it quickly picked up the young genre. The term itself is firmly entrenched in the style largely due to the composition of Rapper's Delight. Jack Gibson was among the first performers to be called "rappers". In everyday life, he was a radio host.

Reading rhyming slogans on the streets remains a tradition in black neighborhoods today. Rap battle or battle is also not uncommon in such places. In this case, we are talking about verbal fights in which two rappers “quarreled”, while maintaining the rhythm and rhyme. Battles do not always represent a variant of a scandal, they can also be in the form of submitting a rhymed text on a given topic.

Termhip hop originated in the 1980s. Its introduction is often credited to Grandmaster Flash and Africa Bambata. The hip hop culture and genre reached its peak in the 1990s. It should be noted that this phenomenon had a serious impact on R'n'B.

Hip-hop

Music of this genre is quite diverse. It is usually simple, yet melodic. The main role in this case is played by the beat, in other words, the rhythm of the song. Most often, every second measure is complemented by an accent - a single sound, similar to cotton. This is a short and clear beat of the lead drum. Percussion is often used for backbeats. An important element is the bass drum. If we talk about the part of musical instruments, in this case it is quite diverse. Its constituent elements can be keyboards, brass and numerous computer sounds.

Interesting facts

Speaking about what rap is, it should be noted that long before the emergence of this genre, a composition in this style appeared in the repertoire of Adriano Celentano, a famous Italian actor and singer. Back in the seventies, he came up with a musical number, which was called Prisencolinensinainciusol. In it, the singer recited phrases that were written in a fictitious language. It sounded like a mixture of Italian and English. Only ten years later, the "new rap" migrated to the United States. Celentano himself stated that through this number he was trying to convey the idea of the lack of communication skills of individuals.

UEiffel Tower

French rap emerged in the early eighties. The rise of this phenomenon occurs in the 1990s. Next, we will discuss French bands that have achieved particular success in this genre.

IAM is a band from Marseille. It was formed in 1989. The name IAM has received several interpretations, in particular, "Invasion of Mars". Under the metaphorical name of the planet in the songs of the group, Marseille should be understood. The band's first mixtape appeared in 1989 and was called IAM Concept. It was released a year after the recording. The group signed a contract with Virgin Records. Soon her debut album was released. He won mass recognition. In 1993, the next album appeared. He significantly influenced the growth of the popularity of the team. At the same time, a real breakthrough happened in 1997. It was then that another disc came out. It took her only two days to get the status of "gold", and later she was recognized as "platinum". Over one million copies sold.

This work brought the team international fame. In addition, after this, the general interest in French rap increased. After the success of 1997, the musicians created the soundtrack for the Luc Besson film Taxi. The members of the team took up solo careers, but the project did not break up.

Another French band from Marseille that deserves special attention is called Fonky Family. It includes four rappers. The first appearance on the stage took place in 1994. The band's debut album appeared in 1997. It was soon named gold.

Appearance in our country

Russian rap originated in the USSR and continued its active development in modern Russia. For the first time, we learned about this direction in 1984. It was then that the DJ of the student disco Alexander Astrov, together with the Rush Hour group, created a 25-minute program. Soon it was distributed throughout the country, like the Rap magnetic album. This work was inspired by Captain Sensible, Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five.

If you are looking for the best rap created according to all the canons of the genre in our country, you should pay special attention to the DMJ team. It's about a cult old school team and a pioneer of the genre. The future members of the team met in the capital of Russia. This happened in 1985. The band's first album was called Rap Of Power. It was released in 1993

Russian rap began to develop in full in the nineties. It was then that the group "Bachelor Party" announced itself. Soon the first tours of rap artists began. In 1994, Mr. Small releases a hit, which was accompanied by a video clip. This work is called "I will die young." The composition is successfully demonstrated on the air of TV channels, as well as radio stations of the country. Bogdan Titomir should also be included among the popular performers of this period. It is he who is the author of the expression "people hawala", which has become legendary.

Modernity

The Kasta group gained wide popularity in Russia and abroad in 1999 after winning a festival called Rap Music. The strongest surge in its activity was noted in 2002, afterbefore the release of the album "Louder than water, higher than grass." In 2000, a project was created that had no analogues in the Russian Federation.

In the recording of Decl's album called "Who are you?" many well-known rappers took part. This made the artist incredibly popular, but only for a short time.

In 2004, the album of rapper Smokey Mo called "Kara-Te" was released. The group Krec managed to achieve even greater popularity, which released the disc “No Magic”. In 2013, Basta became the country's main rapper, according to Afisha magazine.

The AK-47 team appeared in the Urals. In 2006, these rappers achieved incredible success throughout the Ural region and became the most popular group in their homeland for several years.

Theme

At the moment, rap has become a successful trend in Russian music, which goes beyond the borders of the country and spreads throughout the CIS. The work of the first rappers in the Russian Federation did not have a socio-political color. At first, "positive musicians" gained popularity, for example, Bogdan Titomir. A little later, the group "Bachelor Party" appeared with its very specific theme.

One of the iconic rappers should be called Delphine. Socio-political themes are inherent, in particular, in the Caste group. The work of the collective carries a protest context. The performer Bianca, a Russian and Belarusian singer, is also considered a representative of the genre. Hip-hop was also performed by Marusya.

Merge with rock

Especial attention should be paid to the growing popularity ofterritory of Russia and other CIS countries of alternative rap music. It arose after the merger of this genre with rock. The first musician who can be called a rapcore star is Noize MC. His songs are firmly on the air of famous radio stations. Rap clips of this musician are rotated on TV channels.

The Anacondaz group can be considered second in this row. The songs of the project regularly get on the radio and on television. Concerts are sold out.

A very unusual success story of the E. V. A. This group was created in 2013. Initially, it was conceived as an Internet project. At the same time, regular creative activity and live performances were not planned. However, the band took a mixture of alternative hip-hop and psychedelic rock as the basis of their music. This brought the project unexpected, but very impressive fame among young people. What is striking, however, is that despite their popularity, the band has not played a single full-fledged concert.

The phenomenal demand for these bands can be explained by several factors: the stable and traditional popularity of rock, the fashion for rap, informal and youthful lyrics. Often such groups touch upon political and socio-economic issues in their compositions.