This article will discuss where rap music is most popular. For those who do not know, the term “rap music” is a hip-hop music genre that originated from the United States.
I think it’s very appropriate for this topic, as this is an area that is often maligned and overlooked by people who really have no idea about the subject. So let’s get down to it.
To get this off of the ground, let’s define rap music. It is music that is predominately inspired by African American culture, predominantly from the United States.
The distinction of how this music genre is defined is important because the way a certain genre is defined will often change how people in that specific country will perceive the music. Let me be clear; I am not a music professor, so please let me know if you would like me to provide a complete definition at a later date.
The popular perception of rap music is what I want to discuss here, as this will help you to understand what I am talking about and why I say the following.
Contrary to popular belief, the most popular rap music in the United States is actually American hip hop and not African American based. This is important because many people don’t like the term “hip hop” because they are referring to a style of music that African Americans created and heavily influenced.
For example, last time I checked, I was still white. So, American-based rap music is the most popular.
This fact is extraordinary since African American music is more than just rap music. It is a large variety of music inspired by African American culture, including Soul, R&B, Gospel, Swing, and Rock.
This is especially evident in genres like hip hop and the smaller but growing genre of Post-Soul.
For me personally, hip hop is what I have always enjoyed listening to. If I had to pick one thing to listen to, I would definitely choose hip hop.
If I had to create a playlist for a party or a night out with friends, you would most likely find me jamming to a beat or dancing while I was DJing. However, I can definitely respect anyone who has an interest in soul or gospel music.
So for those out there who enjoy both of these genres and find something they like in each one, they can make a blended type of music and make it their own.
Urban rap
America’s favorite rap music genre is actually the urban genre. Urban is rap music primarily based on the music of urban America and is, therefore, urban-based.
So, in a general sense, Urban refers to a genre that is generally influenced by African American music and is, therefore, African American-themed.
To put this into context, an urban-themed music artist is an artist who is inspired by the culture of urban America and the themes of life in urban America. “Urban Music” is a term that has been coined for artists that are inspired by the American urban lifestyle.
In essence, this type of music is characterized by the fact that it is typically described by the universal themes of street life and drug dealing. So, as a concept, this term encapsulates the growing genre of Urban American Music.
Urban-themed music artists can include rappers, singers, beatboxers, and DJs. Urban music may be described as an up-tempo form of music that features hip-hop rhythms.
However, the lyrics of Urban music can be dark and violent. This violence is typically done in a derogatory way.
These lyrics can contain profanity, racial slurs, and sexual innuendos. In some cases, these lyrics may even contain violent acts against women.
Southern rap
Another category of rap music is Southern Rap. This is a genre that focuses on urban life in the south.
This includes a unique mixture of Southern music with a rap influence. I say unique because I feel like there is a lot of discussion about how hip-hop music has roots in African American culture.
However, what we don’t talk about as often is that, at its core, hip hop has roots in African American music. Therefore rap music is rooted in African American culture. Besides, it should be noted that Black culture has had a huge impact on American culture, and this influence has been unique to African Americans.
So, the combination of these influences has created some unique music.
If you would like to check out some of the music that this sounds like, check out; Drake, Gucci Mane, Nipsey Hussle, and countless others.
Rap hop
Another popular genre of rap music in the United States is Rap-Hop. As you may or may not be aware, I am a member of the hip-hop family.
The term “Rap-Hop” is a term coined to create a distinction between different sub-genres.
The first and most popular sub-genre of Rap-Hop is known as East Coast Rap. This is a specific part of the rap music genre because it focuses on lyrics that are “typical of the Southern region.”
Now, rap music can often be compared to the Southern Rhythm music style. Because rap-hop is a sub-genres, there is not just one “East Coast Rap.”
Thus, there is a wide variety of artists who have their own Rap-Hop.
It is important to note that just because this is a wrap style does not mean that it will necessarily be violent. Rap music is great, and it provides good music, but it is simply not a safe genre to listen to if you are a young, urban individual.
However, rap-hop has a different structure than the common beat-boxing or DJ genre, and therefore the music is more about rhythm and flow. For the most part, this music is not that violent. This style of rap has a lot of similarities to Break Beat Dance.
Breakbeat Dance and West Coast rap
Break-Beat Dance is a genre of electronic dance music that is very popular in places such as Germany. The name Break-Beat often describes it.
And, the best way to describe Break-Beat dance is to think of it as an Urban Rhythm.
The second sub-genre of Rap-Hop is known as West Coast Rap. This is also a sub-genre of rap music, but it is based out of California.
In my opinion, West Coast Rap is better than East Coast Rap because it sounds more accessible. The rhymes and beats of West Coast Rap are generally a lot more similar to Beat-Boxing.
The beat-box is an instrument used to create music using sounds that the human voice cannot make. Most rap artists do not use a beat-box in their songs. However, West Coast Rap is different.
In this sub-genre of rap music, a beat-box is used as an instrument. The beat-box helps create a defined, rhythmic sound.
Also, because the beat-box is often used as an instrument in most rap songs, the instrument will almost always be played in the background, not as the focus of the song. Thus,
West Coast Rap is the first sub-genre of rap that I have heard that actually sounds like hip-hop.
A lot of the other styles of Rap-Hop sound almost Soul-Jazz. In fact, the beats that these rappers are creating sound like the sounds created in the past.
Southern rap
The third sub-genre of Rap-Hop is Southern Rap. Southern Rap is the most “Hip Hop” of all the sub-genres.
This sub-genre of rap has more in common with the rest of the African American culture than any other style. Southern Rap is the type of music that is listened to by African Americans.
In most cases, the only people who listen to Southern Rap are African Americans. In fact, in my opinion, Southern Rap is the best example of what rap music should sound like.
Because Southern Rap is the most “African American” sub-genre of rap music, it is the most specific and unique. There is nothing that matches the Southern Rhythm beats that a Hip-Hop artist creates.
The Southern Rhythm beats give rap music a distinct sound that other musicians can never duplicate.
In fact, in my opinion, Southern Rap is a perfect example of what a true Hip-Hop artist should sound like. A true Hip-Hop artist can not be the guy who raps “Bad luck” at the beginning of every song.
There has to be something different about a Hip-Hop artist to make a true Hip-Hop song. Southern Rap and East Coast Rap are the only types of Rap that are supposed to sound like “Soul-Jazz” type music.
East Coast rap
The fourth sub-genre of Rap-Hop is East Coast Rap. This sub-genre of rap music is based out of the Northeast, or specifically New York City.
East Coast Rap is similar to Southern Rap in that it has a distinct sound, but it has a much more urban sound. For this style of Rap to sound like Hip-Hop, it has to have a distinct bass and drum beat.
East Coast Rap is the type of Hip-Hop that one would hear on the radio.
Many East Coast Rap artists play a beat-box, but most of the artists do not use it as the focus of the song. It sounds like East Coast Rap because it is different from all of the other sub-genres of rap music.
The best example of East Coast Rap is 50 Cent, one of the best-selling artists of all-time.
In my opinion, 50 Cent is the best rapper on the planet. He is known as the “King of New York,” and his music has sold millions of copies in the United States and abroad.
To be successful in Rap-Hop, a rapper must always stick with the current trends and always stay at the forefront of the music. If a rapper stays too long in the past, he will not be able to stay successful.
50 Cent has stuck with Rap-Hop’s current trends, and it has made him one of the most successful rappers on the planet.
New jack swing
The final sub-genre of Rap-Hop is New Jack Swing. New Jack Swing is the most generic of all the sub-genres.
New Jack Swing is based out of the South and has an obvious and consistent sound. New Jack Swing music was not meant to stand the test of time like the other types of Rap-Hop music.
It was meant to be the soundtrack to the life of a Baby-Boomer. Thus, New Jack Swing music sounds like “Soul-Jazz,” in the same way that Southern Rap sounds like “Hip-Hop.”
New Jack Swing was created to keep a certain sub-genre of Rap-Hop at the forefront of music. New Jack Swing was created by the people who worked for Motown and was created for the people born in the 1960s and ’70s.
In my opinion, New Jack Swing music is the least soul-filled of all the sub-genres of Rap-Hop. New Jack Swing is the music that’s almost like the Baby-Boomers’ music grew up listening to.
New Jack Swing music has to be consistent, no matter what kind of song the artists make. Because of that, New Jack Swing music is very predictable.
However, some really talented rappers work within the confines of New Jack Swing. The best example of this type of music is Jason Derulo.
Derulo is an extremely talented artist, and he is very successful with New Jack Swing music. His song “Wiggle” has over 32 million views on YouTube. “Wiggle” is a song that seems to keep changing in the way it is supposed to sound.
There is a definite bassline but, there are some sections that are a bit off. I think “Wiggle” is so “Soul-Jazz” because it is supposed to be a soulful song. Derulo has attempted to keep the song soulful by sounding very different each time he makes a new record.
I’m not saying “Wiggle” is the most soul-filled song, but it is the most unique.
Although New Jack Swing music seems very different from other sub-genres of Rap-Hop, there is some overlap in musical styles.
While it does sound different from other types of Rap-Hop, it does have many similarities with the other types of music.
I just wanted to give you an idea of the different sub-genres of Rap-Hop. It’s possible to choose from most of the types of Rap-Hop music.
You can also find a lot of information on Rap-Hop on a variety of web pages. I hope you enjoyed this article and learned a little bit about the various sub-genres of Rap-Hop.
