Okay, so last night Ducky and I were watching VH1's top 100 hip hop songs and they had a lot of stuff that I didn't agree with in their top 100. So that got me to thinking. Is there a difference between rap and hip hop? Was there a difference between the two? Are they now the same thing? Have they always been the same thing? What are your thoughts on it all?
Hip Hop and Rap the same?
- Thread starter DJ J Mac
- Start date
I've always thought Rap was the hardcore ghetto stuff. Smacking bioches, capping your dealer, getting shot 9 times etc etc. Where as hip hop is more of the lighter, even fun rap music sometimes even with a positive message *gasp* 
To me, Rap is a subset of Hip Hop. You have Gangsta Rap (aka Gutter Rap, Angry Rap, or Hardcore Rap) and then what I call Rap Lite or Party Rap (the Will Smith, Tone Loc, and Sugarhill Gang variety). For the past couple of years I've noticed that Rap has tried to make itself somewhat more accessible by including elements of R & B and actual singing (go figure). I welcome the softening of Hardcore Rap.
Hip Hop is more of a fun, bouncy Urban style of music.
Hip Hop is more of a fun, bouncy Urban style of music.
HipHop is more of the soul and structure of the situation. Like Turntablists and MCs and Rappers and BeatBoxing and the ghetto cloths and all that. Rap is just a guy on a mic rhyming to a beat. Rappers will come and go but the pioneers of HipHop will always be remembered. Thats my interpretation at least
From what I understand, the main difference between hip-hop and rap as genres is that hip-hop features a refrain (the hook) and rap does not.
Hip Hop:
Chris Brown, Flo Rida, T-Pain, Akon, and some most recent TI
Rap:
50 Cent, Jim Jones, The Game
It's really a mix of artist, some rap artist make Hip Hop Songs, and some Hip Hop artist make rap songs.
I would say most of Lil Wayne's current singles are Hip Hop, but most of his album cuts are rap.
Chris Brown, Flo Rida, T-Pain, Akon, and some most recent TI
Rap:
50 Cent, Jim Jones, The Game
It's really a mix of artist, some rap artist make Hip Hop Songs, and some Hip Hop artist make rap songs.
I would say most of Lil Wayne's current singles are Hip Hop, but most of his album cuts are rap.
Hip hop is more of a style and culture. Rap is the style of music within the culture.
Hip hop = clothing, break dancing, grafitti, language, b boy, b girl, rap music, boom boxes, etc.
Rap= is the music, gangster, dirty south, crunk, east coast, west coast.
Hip hop = clothing, break dancing, grafitti, language, b boy, b girl, rap music, boom boxes, etc.
Rap= is the music, gangster, dirty south, crunk, east coast, west coast.
G
Guest
Guest
Nope, they are both done by no talent thugs who have no clue what real music is and just rip off real musicians beats and spit into a microphone and call it a talent.
come on guys....dont turn this into a rap bashing thread...
I agree with a lot of the previous comments, including:
Hip Hop
1. singing, has a chorus, hook
2. danceable, typically more then head bobbing
3. guys, gals, rhyming, singing, combination of all
Rap
1. more basic structure, rhymes, spoken word
2. basic drum beat, possibly samples, minimal instruments
3. sometimes less lyrical, more emphasis on the words
All of these lines have been blended the past 20 years, with Run DMC, Tone Loc, Tupac, Dr Dre, TLC, En Vogue, Mase, Eminem, John Legend, Outkast, etc...
I agree with a lot of the previous comments, including:
Hip Hop
1. singing, has a chorus, hook
2. danceable, typically more then head bobbing
3. guys, gals, rhyming, singing, combination of all
Rap
1. more basic structure, rhymes, spoken word
2. basic drum beat, possibly samples, minimal instruments
3. sometimes less lyrical, more emphasis on the words
All of these lines have been blended the past 20 years, with Run DMC, Tone Loc, Tupac, Dr Dre, TLC, En Vogue, Mase, Eminem, John Legend, Outkast, etc...
G
Guest
Guest
Hip-Hop is a culture comprised of Rappers, Taggers (graffiti artists), and B-Boys (Break Dancers). R&B predates Hip-Hop but today's R&B for the most part has more of a Hip-Hop influence so it could be lumped in with Hip-Hop on a song by song or artist by artist basis.
As a side not:
The closed mindedness on this board in regard to Hip-Hop is very discouraging to me. Especially being a DJ message board. This is an art form that is almost 30 years old and has gone through many phases (from Sugar Hill Gang to Hammer to B.I.G. to Kanye) just like Rock n' Roll has (from Chuck Berry to The Beatles to Led Zep to GnR to Nirvana etc...). Yet it is disregarded as "crap" by so many people who should have an open mind about music, because in this business it isn't about what you like, it's about what your client and their guests want.
As a side not:
The closed mindedness on this board in regard to Hip-Hop is very discouraging to me. Especially being a DJ message board. This is an art form that is almost 30 years old and has gone through many phases (from Sugar Hill Gang to Hammer to B.I.G. to Kanye) just like Rock n' Roll has (from Chuck Berry to The Beatles to Led Zep to GnR to Nirvana etc...). Yet it is disregarded as "crap" by so many people who should have an open mind about music, because in this business it isn't about what you like, it's about what your client and their guests want.
Per wikipedia:
Hip hop music, also referred to as rap music, is a music genre typically consisting of a rhythmic vocal style called rap which is accompanied with backing beats. Hip hop music is part of hip hop culture, which began in the Bronx, in New York City in the 1970s, predominantly among African Americans and Latino Americans.[1][2] The term rap is often used synonymously with hip hop music.
Rapping, also referred to as MCing or emceeing, is a vocal style in which the performer speaks rhythmically and in rhyme, generally to a beat, recently, however, a difference has developed between "rapping" and "MCing". "MCing" has been used to describe those artists who possess and exercise superior lyrical ability and prowess. Beats are traditionally generated from portions of other songs by a DJ, or sampled from portions of other songs by a producer, though synthesizers, drum machines, and live bands are also used, especially in newer music. Rappers may perform poetry which they have written ahead of time, or improvise rhymes on the spot with or without a beat. Though rap is usually an integral component of hip hop music, DJs sometimes perform and record alone, and many instrumental acts are also defined as hip hop.
Hip hop arose in New York City when DJs began isolating the percussion break from funk, or rock songs for audiences to dance to. The role of the MC was originally to introduce the DJ and the music, and to keep the audience excited. The MC would speak between songs, giving exhortations to dance, greetings to audience members, jokes and anecdotes. Eventually, this practice became more stylized, and came to be known as rapping. By 1979, hip hop had become a commercially recorded music genre, and began to enter the American mainstream. It also began its spread across the world. In the 1990s, a form called gangsta rap became a major part of American music, causing significant controversy over lyrics which were perceived by some as promoting violence, promiscuity, drug use and misogyny. Nevertheless, hip hop continued to increase in popularity, and by the year 2000, it was a staple of popular music charts.
Hip hop music, also referred to as rap music, is a music genre typically consisting of a rhythmic vocal style called rap which is accompanied with backing beats. Hip hop music is part of hip hop culture, which began in the Bronx, in New York City in the 1970s, predominantly among African Americans and Latino Americans.[1][2] The term rap is often used synonymously with hip hop music.
Rapping, also referred to as MCing or emceeing, is a vocal style in which the performer speaks rhythmically and in rhyme, generally to a beat, recently, however, a difference has developed between "rapping" and "MCing". "MCing" has been used to describe those artists who possess and exercise superior lyrical ability and prowess. Beats are traditionally generated from portions of other songs by a DJ, or sampled from portions of other songs by a producer, though synthesizers, drum machines, and live bands are also used, especially in newer music. Rappers may perform poetry which they have written ahead of time, or improvise rhymes on the spot with or without a beat. Though rap is usually an integral component of hip hop music, DJs sometimes perform and record alone, and many instrumental acts are also defined as hip hop.
Hip hop arose in New York City when DJs began isolating the percussion break from funk, or rock songs for audiences to dance to. The role of the MC was originally to introduce the DJ and the music, and to keep the audience excited. The MC would speak between songs, giving exhortations to dance, greetings to audience members, jokes and anecdotes. Eventually, this practice became more stylized, and came to be known as rapping. By 1979, hip hop had become a commercially recorded music genre, and began to enter the American mainstream. It also began its spread across the world. In the 1990s, a form called gangsta rap became a major part of American music, causing significant controversy over lyrics which were perceived by some as promoting violence, promiscuity, drug use and misogyny. Nevertheless, hip hop continued to increase in popularity, and by the year 2000, it was a staple of popular music charts.
G
Guest
Guest
case in point.
Dan, this type of "music" (and I use the term very very loosely) is one of the main reasons I don't DJ anymore.
And using Nirvana in any argument to try to convince me that rap/hip-hop is a good thing is not your best move with me
Dan, this type of "music" (and I use the term very very loosely) is one of the main reasons I don't DJ anymore.
And using Nirvana in any argument to try to convince me that rap/hip-hop is a good thing is not your best move with me
then why do you still post on a DJ message board? Note; I didn't state an opinion on Nirvana, I listed them as a popular band from that defined a phase in Rock n Roll history. And I have never posted anything in an effort to impress you.
G
Guest
Guest
There was another board who took this same approach when I announced I was retiring from DJing 4 years ago, and should the staff here wish to cancel my membership because my thoughts and opinions are not deemed "worthy" enough since I am no longer a working DJ, I have no problem with that.
It seems a certain few people on here do have an issue with me posting since I am no longer "in the business", so I will be stepping back and contributing less from now on. I have enough battles I fight on a daily basis with people I have to deal with in real life, I don't need to have to deal with ones on here as well.