RAPPING ABOUT RAP Essay

Rap is a genre in music that consists of rhyming or being poetic over a certain unique beat. The origin of rap is significantly different from any other form of music. The flow, change, subject of the music, and the instrumentals behind the rapping has all changed with time. Most people would underestimate the complexity of the music and the evolution it has undergone. The real roots of rap music began in the late 1980’s with the “Golden Age.” It was innovative and mostly based around the party scene. Gangsta Rap followed the Golden age and was very impactful on the young culture. After the Gangsta Rap era came the time in rap referred to as Crunk Rap which combined the country sound with the party lifestyle. Conscious

When rap started, it didn’t have a name. West African musicians in Africa “griots” and folk artists in the Caribbean Islands would tell their stories and current events to the rhythm of a drum or any other handmade instrument. It was also used as a coping method when Africans were captured and forced into slavery. They would sing to try and cover the pain and heartbreak they experienced while being imprisoned.

Rap music has African roots just like jazz, the blues and rock ‘n’ roll. African slaves sang songs to tell stories about the pain and struggles experienced during slavery. However, music was also a way to celebrate life, love and share tales about the life they had before slavery (Lommel 10). Rap music began in the slums of New York in

This genre dates back hundreds of years ago, when African-Americans were enslaved, when rap and hip-hop were known as the same thing. This has always been a part of African American culture and they had always made it they’re own. They used this form of music to express the pain and abuse they went through; it was used as an escape from they’re daily struggle they called “life”. “Thousands of years ago in Africa “griots” where story tellers who played handmade instruments while they told stories about family and current events…Griots were captured against their will and forced into slavery” (Mize, 2014).

The music of Puerto Rico has evolved as a heterogeneous and dynamic product of diverse cultural resources. The most conspicuous musical sources have been Spain and West Africa, although many aspects of Puerto Rican music reflect origins elsewhere in Europe and the Caribbean and, in the last century, the USA. Puerto Rican music culture today comprises a wide and rich variety of genres, ranging from essentially indigenous genres like bomba to recent hybrids like

The beginnings of rap are believed to based on African rhythms which were used as a form of communication by the native peoples. The lyrical component of rap music is thought to have been greatly influenced by Cab Calloway with his repetitive chants and scats, along with his call-and-response technique with the audience.

Latino Music in the International World Beat Industry While increasing circulation of world music within the U.S. were made possible by economic and cultural globalization The new aesthetic and commercial spaces created by the world beat industry made non-english language dance music for the first time since Latin music had declined and virtually disappeared. Spanish Caribbean music’s uneasy relationship to world music can also be attributed to the region’s history of doubt toward its own darker skinned

With time, the Caribbean’s artistic culture moved on to express its African Influences in Puerto Rico with a style known as Bomba. Bomba is widely it known as the Puerto Rican counter part to the Cuban Rumba. Another music style that is popular in Puerto Rico is Seis Zapateado. Seis Zapateado is popular with lower socioeconomic classes and while it does contain some African influence, it contains stronger Spanish ties due to its large use of string instruments rather than percussion. Interestingly enough when comparing the two music styles, it is evident that the Bomba never gained as much traction amongst high-class citizens like Rumba did. The Rumba and the Bomba have their similarities, but a final distinction worth noting is that in the Bomba dance, the partners never actually touch.

Archives left by Hernado de la Parra give a glimpse into the early years of Cuban music, reporting that instruments such as the clarinet and violin were combined with the sounds of African percussion to create a unique sound (Fernando, O. 1952). Whilst the roots of Cuban music are European and African, the music over time has seen changes and growth with the influence of different cultures such as the United States. The influence of Cuban music over time has been strong around the world, as it has seen the growth of not only other musical styles but also dance; these being rumba, salsa, cha-cha and

Puerto Ricans are an important piece in hip hop culture and in its evolution since 1970. The contribution of Puerto Ricans to hip hop have been ignored many times and when they are being noticed “it has been misinterpreted as a defection from Puerto Rican culture and identity into the African American camp.” For example, making a version of a song and adding it Spanish or Spanglish words. Puerto Ricans stories are marginalized because similarities between Puerto Ricans and Africa American are not properly understood. Hip hop history is formed by cultural parallels, adaptations, connections and interactions between Africa Americans and Caribbean people including Puerto Ricans. “Hip hop is a pattern woven out of some common threads.” For example,

Puerto Rico generated a variety of music that uses both native instruments, accompanied by traditional western instruments, to create a distinct sound. Folk Music is a key element to Puerto Rican culture. On the word of “Music” (n.d.), this music is based on the traditions from Spanish romantic ballads, as well as native influences. “The most popular songs in this genre come from jibaros, rural islanders who live in the mountains. The use of string instruments in Folk Music, like the cuatro, and several types of percussion set the backdrop for these lyrical performances” (“Music”, n.d.).

As well all know, music is known and heard all around the world! Throughout a variety of different music genres, artists develop ideas from each other and work together to create many different styles of music. Originating with African American cultures, Hip-Hop music became an offshoot of Jazz music during the 1970s. These two genres are most popular amongst younger and ¬¬older generations of African Americans. Despite the fact that both Hip-Hop and Jazz music genres confluence sharing many similarities that identify hip-hop as the younger generation of jazz, they also bump apart due to many differences with changes in modern technology.

Before hip hop was introduced into the American culture, the black community felt as if their place of origin was Africa. This was the time

Furthermore, African Americans were stripped of so much growing up, that music was one of the languages that helped the black community find time to appreciate life and the purpose behind it no matter what. Now,hip hop in the 90’s was the year of all the “ popping” [hot] and “jumping” [awesome]

People have always wondered what exactly African music is. African music is labeled as “African music” but it has never been defined. African music is a form of music that came from indigenous people of Africa. Indigenous people are those who settled in a region from the beginning of time. These people have cultural and historical background tied to Africa. Most importantly they are the original people of Africa. Most indigenous people originated from South Africa. The kind of music that Africans created was their own musical style that has been transformed into many other genre. When people listen to blues, rap, ragtime, jazz, and so many other genres, they are listening to a music form based off African music and African Americans. Early African music has paved a way for American music styles.