Rap is one of the most popular genres of modern music. This direction gained mass popularity in the nineties of the last century and since then has firmly entrenched in the world of show business.
At the moment, rap is used in many other
musical styles, and songs annually occupy the first lines in the top lists of radio stations and music channels.
Description
Rap is a performance of verbal recitative with rhythmic music. The rapper reads the text to the beat, which can also be accompanied by electronic music. The subjects of texts are absolutely any, as well as the main message. There are several types of rhyming. The most complex are the so-called "square rhymes" (that is, double). The flow of double rhymes with a powerful emotional message is called the “punchline”. It is often used during battles - verbal competitions between two rappers. The style of recitative is called "flow" (from the English flow - to lay).
Different styles
The rap artist is also called "Emsi" (from the English MC - master of ceremony). Rap is not only an independent genre, it can also be part of a song in other styles. Rapcore is a mixture of fast, aggressive recitative for heavy music using guitars. One of the most prominent representatives of this genre is the French hardcore band Rise of the North Star.
The origin of rap culture
Rap songs appeared back in the seventies of the last century in poor areas of New York, inhabited by black Africans. Presumably, the fashion for quickly reading out rhymed text was brought from Jamaica. The first rappers were DJs and read their lyrics during discos. Gradually rap migrated to the streets.
Black poets demonstrated their skills to passers-by and did not even think about commerce, but made music for their pleasure.
The first rap battles also began to be held. Two people in turn read out peculiar pamphlets in order to insult the opponent or in another way show their superiority over him. Ten years later, the first paid songs began to appear on records. Rap began to conquer Europe. Until the mid-nineties, this music continued to be positioned as a genre for bandits and gangsters. However, in the US, the media began to pay great attention to the rap scene. In the late nineties there was a famous confrontation between the East and West coast. Musical battles took place between the leading performers of the two camps - Tupac Shakur and Notorius BIG. As a result, both were shot dead in a street showdown. The events of those days seriously affected the entire rap culture as a whole.
Since then, the question has often been raised about the so-called "trichism" (from the English word true - real) of rap artists.
Russian rap
In Russia, rap was first learned after the collapse of the Soviet Union. The first songs were recorded on pirate magnetic cassettes, less often on discs. Since at that time in the post-Soviet space there was almost no control over the observance of copyright, it was extremely unprofitable to sell their albums to foreign artists. However, after a short period of time, domestic performers appeared. The Russian rap, of course, succumbed to the huge influence of the foreign, therefore, the pioneers of this genre often simply copied famous artists like Dr. Dre or Eminem. But some features of specifically the Russian style were noticeable.
A serious place on the hip-hop scene was occupied by representatives of the Russian emigration to Germany and Great Britain. Under the auspices of the German rapper Kul Sawash, they released rap songs on the label "Optician rush". The main style was battle rap. Such groups as “Shock” and “First Class” gained immense popularity in the post-Soviet space and set the direction for the development of the genre for several years.
New time
However, over time, more and more artists appeared.
For the reason that rap music itself is unpretentious, and its creation does not require serious skills, this genre is the most common in a quantitative sense. In fact, only a microphone and a computer are required to create. The simplicity of information prompted young people to become more involved in rap culture. In addition to classic themes, beat songs have also become a means of conveying their political or social protest. Thus, the genre of hardcore rap was formed. It is often used by performers with radical political views. Usually, concerts of such groups are not advertised, and only representatives of a particular subculture are allowed to attend them.
Rap culture
Russian and foreign rap is also a kind of subculture. Rappers are usually distinguished by their style of behavior, clothing style and social identity. Spacious bright things are used as clothes, most often semi-sports. A special “trick” in the rapper’s wardrobe is sneakers and baseball caps. Also, the style of clothing is characterized by an abundance of various attributes such as watches, bracelets, chains, bandanas and other things.
Although this mainly concerns young people in Western countries. The post-Soviet space almost did not affect such trends.
Rap culture is also closely related to other elements of hip hop. For example, a passion for skateboarding or bicycles. Often events are held in which young people compete in the skills of cycling or skateboarding, and then in the ability to remove their opponents in rhyme. In Russia, the most famous show of this kind is Snickers Urbania. So rap is not only music, but also a lifestyle.