Rap

13 Pages 3162 Words

Rap Music; It s impact on society since it s birth. The Merriam Webster Dictionary defines rap as a rhythmic chanting of usual rhymed couplets to a musical accompaniment. The purpose of this paper is to show how rap music has come to be. Also, citing the many performers who have mad this form of music what it is today. Rap is a large part of our society and its evolution is proof that this personal style of music will be around for a very long time. Rap music as a musical form began among the youth of South Bronx, New York in the mid 1970 s. Individuals such Kool Herc and Grandmaster Flash were some of the early pioneers of this art form. Through their performances at clubs and promotion of the music, rap consistently gained in popularity throughout the rest of the 1970 s. The first commercial success of the rap song Rapper's Delight by the Sugar Hill Gang in 1979 helped bring rap music into the national spotlight. The 1980 s saw the continued success of rap music with many artists such as Run DMC (who had the first rap album to go gold in 1984), L.L. Cool J, Fat Boys, and west coast rappers Ice-T and N.W.A becoming popular. Today, in the late 1990 s rap music continues to be a prominent and important aspect of African- American culture. Rap music was a way for youths in black inner city neighborhoods to express what they were feeling, seeing, and living and it became a form of entertainment. Hanging out with friends and rapping or listening to others rap kept black youths out of trouble in the dangerous neighborhoods in which they lived. The dominant culture did not have a type of music that filled the needs of these youth, so they created their own. So, rap music originally emerged as a way "for [black] inner city youth to express their everyday life and struggles" (Shaomari, 1995, 17). Rap is now seen as a subculture that, includes a large number of middle to upper white class youths, has grown to support and appreciate rap music. Ma...