Rapping, the rhythmic delivery of rhymes, is one of the central elements of hip hop culture and music.
It can be delivered over a beat or a cappella — without accompaniment. Stylistically, rap occupies a grey area among speech, prose, poetry, and song. Derived from African and Jamaican roots,[1] rap has developed both inside and outside of hip hop since the early 1970s.
Modern rappers deliver stylized, rhythmic raps with complex cadences, rhymes, and wordplay. Rap lyrics cover a variety of subjects, from social struggle to monetary boasts to sex. Rappers may showcase their skills by competing in freestyle battles in which they ridicule their opponents with improvised rhymes. Although rap has become an international phenomenon through hip hop culture and music, issues concerning racial, class, and sexual disputes remain among rappers and their listeners.
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 rhyme schemes.
Literary devices
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 Paul Wall 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. Such allusions serve to illustrate or exaggerate a song's message. Some of these reference are overtly political, while others simply acknowledge, credit, or show dismay about towards aspect of the rapper's culture and life.
Word choice and slang
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.[3] 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), Atlanta (OutKast, Lil Jon), 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.
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,[13] while golden age rappers such as Rakim experimented extensively with cadence.[3] Present day popular rapper Snoop Dogg is considered to have a versatile cadence because of his ability to rap over disparate beats equally well.[3]
A rap's prosody, as in classical poetry, is the meter and the foot. The hardcore rapping style pioneered by Run-DMC and KRS-ONE is an inverse of iambic pentameter, in other words, trochaic pentameter. Iambic pentameter, which was Shakespeare's meter of choice, is known for its resemblance to natural, conversational speech. For this reason, rapping often sounds like talking "turned upside down."
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 beat's 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[citation needed]).
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.[14]
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."[12] Popular rappers such as 50 Cent add a slight melody to their otherwise purely percussive raps. 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.
Synchronization is common among rap groups. Synchronization refers to the organization of several rappers into one song either by overlapping or through call and response. Grandmaster Flash's MCs, the Furious Five, were the first to make five rappers sound as one through synchronization. Some rappers take the role of two different characters that are talking to each other in the song. Examples include "Warning" by Notorious BIG and "Stan" by Eminem.
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.[citation needed] 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
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 Mohammed 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.[3] 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. Eminem, like many other rappers, also releases "diss tracks" on his albums, meant to insult his enemies. The strongest battle rappers will generally perform their rap fully freestyled (not pre-written). 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.
It can be delivered over a beat or a cappella — without accompaniment. Stylistically, rap occupies a grey area among speech, prose, poetry, and song. Derived from African and Jamaican roots,[1] rap has developed both inside and outside of hip hop since the early 1970s.
Modern rappers deliver stylized, rhythmic raps with complex cadences, rhymes, and wordplay. Rap lyrics cover a variety of subjects, from social struggle to monetary boasts to sex. Rappers may showcase their skills by competing in freestyle battles in which they ridicule their opponents with improvised rhymes. Although rap has become an international phenomenon through hip hop culture and music, issues concerning racial, class, and sexual disputes remain among rappers and their listeners.
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 rhyme schemes.
Literary devices
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 Paul Wall 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. Such allusions serve to illustrate or exaggerate a song's message. Some of these reference are overtly political, while others simply acknowledge, credit, or show dismay about towards aspect of the rapper's culture and life.
Word choice and slang
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.[3] 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), Atlanta (OutKast, Lil Jon), 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.
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,[13] while golden age rappers such as Rakim experimented extensively with cadence.[3] Present day popular rapper Snoop Dogg is considered to have a versatile cadence because of his ability to rap over disparate beats equally well.[3]
A rap's prosody, as in classical poetry, is the meter and the foot. The hardcore rapping style pioneered by Run-DMC and KRS-ONE is an inverse of iambic pentameter, in other words, trochaic pentameter. Iambic pentameter, which was Shakespeare's meter of choice, is known for its resemblance to natural, conversational speech. For this reason, rapping often sounds like talking "turned upside down."
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 beat's 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[citation needed]).
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.[14]
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."[12] Popular rappers such as 50 Cent add a slight melody to their otherwise purely percussive raps. 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.
Synchronization is common among rap groups. Synchronization refers to the organization of several rappers into one song either by overlapping or through call and response. Grandmaster Flash's MCs, the Furious Five, were the first to make five rappers sound as one through synchronization. Some rappers take the role of two different characters that are talking to each other in the song. Examples include "Warning" by Notorious BIG and "Stan" by Eminem.
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.[citation needed] 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
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 Mohammed 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.[3] 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. Eminem, like many other rappers, also releases "diss tracks" on his albums, meant to insult his enemies. The strongest battle rappers will generally perform their rap fully freestyled (not pre-written). 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.
