What is the history of rap in the hip-hop culture?
How does rap effect the hip-hop culture?
As years pass and generations grow from being teenagers to young adults they create their own style of slang, clothing, dance movements and music. Social issues influence youth causing them to not act the way their parents or elders did when they were of that age. In result, current social issues such as poverty, absents of the father in the household, drugs and high crime rates has created a new movement of music and style that is based on the voices who were raised in the ghetto. This movement is what we call the Hip-Hop culture. Webster’s defines hip-hop as a style of music and dance that was originated among inner-city youth of the 1980’s. While rap is defined as a kind of popular music in which rhymed verses are chanted or declaimed over repetitive rhythms. When we talk about hip-hop there are many different elements that make up this culture but the element in which I have decided to focus on is the influence that rap music has in this culture.
The history of rap goings back to the days of slavery when the slaves would sing spiritual songs without any music but instead they would find objects in which they could create a beat from and sing with the beats. Hip-hop has also taken an influence from the black church. In a black church there is a call and response period that goes on with the preacher and those in the congregation. This style is similar to the interact that a rap artist has with his audience at a live performance. But the true beginning of rap come from the toasting and dub talk over elements of reggae music in the early 70’s, by a Jamaican dj known as Kool Herc. He moved from Kingston, Jamaica to West Bronx, New York. He tried to blend his Jamaican style of dj over dub versions of his reggae records but at the time New Yorkers were not into reggae music. But he soon changed up his style and it wasn’t long after people began to like his sound. At this time rap was not known as that but instead called emceeing.
Rap became popular with the urban youth of New York because it offered them a chance to freely express themselves. It was one of the only art forms accessible to anyone because people didn’t need a lot of money to rhyme. Also people didn’t have to invest in lessons because rapping is simply a verbal skill that can be practiced with anytime. Rapping also held unlimited challenges because there are no set rules except to rhyme on time with the beat and to be original with your lyrics. The goal was to be perceived as being a good in front of one’s peers in order to get praise amounting up to those such as movie stars and sports players. Rap also had a way in which it could fit anyone’s personality. If you were more of a laid back person you could go at a slower pace than those who liked to rap a little bit faster. This would make no two rap artist have the same style.
During the mid-1980’s, rap moved to the mainstream American music industry as white Americans began to embrace the new style of music. While in 1986 rap reached the top ten on the Billboard pop charts with “ you Gotta Fight for Your Right To Party!” by the Beastie Boys and “Walk This Way” by Run DMC and Aerosmith. Since Run DMC where known for incorporating rock music into raps they became one of the first rap groups to be featured on MTV. Also during that time Salt-N-Pepa released single reached the top 20 on the Billboard’s pop charts.
Since the mid-1980’s rap music has been a great influence to both black people, white people and people of many different races and ethnicities. It has influenced people in countries such as Japan and England. This type of music has helped to break down many barriers that would keep people apart. Many rappers say that rap functions as a voice for a community without access to the mainstream media. Rap also serves to engender self pride, self help and self improvement, communicating a positive and fulfilling sense of black history that is largely absent from other American institutions.
While in the hip-hop culture rap is only one of the four elements. The other elements include deejaying, breakdanicing and graffiti. But because these elements have not been so widely spread hip hop and rap has been used interchangeably over the years. Rap’s imagery projects the emotions and feelings experienced by the rapper. Rap allows a person to call attention to themselves letting the audience understand their point of view.
In conclusion a lot would be missing out of the hip hop culture if there was not rap involved. People wouldn't be able to express their feelings through song. Rap is a major element in hip hop and without it in this culture the voices of the youth would not be heard.
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