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Home , Boom bap, Cardi B, Chance the Rapper, Darryl McDaniels, Freestyle rap, Joseph Simmons

Rap music By: chai jackson

Table of Contents

Table of Contents page 2 Introduction page 3 Chapter I: History of Rap page 4 Chapter II: Different Types of Rap Music page 7 Chapter III: Progression of Rap in the United States page 10 Chapter IV: Famous Rappers page 13 Chapter V: Raps Impact on Society page 17 Conclusion page 21 Bibliography page 22 Image Credits page 23

1 Introduction

I have always been interested in music, especially the genre of rap. My dad is a musician and a producer, so I have some experience with the music industry. Music's impact on the world is what made me want to explore further. My biggest questions are, what is the of rap, how has rap music impacted churches, and what can be done to stop the negative stereotypes of rap? Now that I am an expert in rap music, I would say that rap music has grown tremendously from the time that it started in West Africa to it becoming mainstream and now all over social media. Today, even gives many rappers awards and Grammys for their creations. Rap music is something that the whole world enjoys and it continues to play a major role in our society and in our culture. My interest in rap music and its impact is why I chose to become an expert.

2 Chapter I: History of Rap Music

Rap music began, or originated, in West Africa. In Africa, was essential to the culture. The two main elements people used in West Africa were the griot and the drum. A griot was a storyteller and the drum symbolized the heartbeat. “In Africa, the drum was a vital tool of communication for centuries,” said Sherry Ayazi-Hashjin in the book Rap and , the voice ​ of a generation. When rapping, the ​ drum always kept the beat, better known as the rhythm. When rap music started in West Africa, the people there lived in kingdoms. The griots would go from region to region to carry news about wars, births, deaths, and many other things. The Africans who were familiar with this form of communication brought rap with them to America by way of the North Atlantic slave trade. During slavery, the slaves adopted the religion of their masters, while the slave preachers became the griots of the new land. During their services, the preacher's delivery included call and response such as, “Can I get a witness?”, “Say Amen, somebody!”, “Tell it like it is!” The origin of rap had a big impact on what hip-hop is today, including the call and response that began in slave churches. For a long time in North America rap was not recognized as music because it was thought of as “kid stuff”. Rap music was thought to be a fad. However, in the 1970’s, things started to change. In City in the 1970’s, rap was an

3 underground sound. During this time, DJs started to recreate drum sounds on electric turntables. It is important to understand that DJs are a big part of rap. DJs are professional turntablists. In 1974, a very popular figure in the hip hop genre, DJ Kool Herc, even made his own sound called, “the Herculords.” DJs would often battle, in competitions, with their turntables. In the battles, they would call out or breaking. Those DJs were a major influence in rap because they were able to introduce rap and hip-hop to large crowds at parties. In fact, rap was considered to only be party music during this time by many Americans. The sounds that DJs created also replaced the drums, like the griots from Africa, and served as the soundtracks of rap. In the late 1970’s, Sylvia Robinson, a soul singer, started the first rap group called the Sugar Hill Gang. September 27, 1980, was the first time a rapper performed on national tv. In , in 1984, rap was allowed to be on the radio. The founding fathers of new age rap in the U.S. were DJ Hollywood and DJ Kool Herc. In the 1980’s, was introduced to the world of rap. Beatboxing is when a person makes different noises and beats from their mouth to replace the music that the drum made in West Africa, similar to the music that the DJs created. People who beatbox have deep throats. People would beatbox anywhere! They would beatbox in the streets, along cars, and in the subway. Some people would even beatbox for money. Beatboxing was very popular. During this time, rappers wore gold chains and hats that look like a big bucket with a rim all the way around, called hats. Beatboxxers’ influence on global hip-hop was huge. Hip-Hop has had an impact globally. Rap and hip-hop have influenced music, art, politics, culture, and fashion. It has become widely loved around the

4 globe. Hip-Hop is a form of art and an educational resource. Though hip-hop began as an underground sound now it is mainstream. Hip-Hop culture incorporates other activities in addition to rap. It includes break dancing, art, and as said before, DeeJaying. Breaking is a solo dance done to rap music. Graffiti is art done with spray paint on public property. And again, DJs are professional turntablists. Hip-Hop culture is not just rap. In 2006, the Smithsonian national museum agreed to put hip-hop artifacts in the museum. Rap is being more recognized now than it has ever been as rappers continue to rap about current events, comedy, and history.

5 Chapter II: Different Types of Rap Music

Throughout the history of rap music, there have been many different types. These types have impacted the world in various ways in terms of both popularity and acceptance. The types of rap studied for this project were freestyling, lessons, and conscious. Freestyling is rapping the first thing that comes to mind when the beat is played. It is almost like creating a poem the moment that background music is heard. In the beginning phases of rap and hip hop in the U.S., freestyling was one of the only types of rap. Rappers loved freestyling so much that it became a popular pastime. In order to earn respect from an audience, rappers had to continue to practice to help perfect their skill. Once, a rapper named T-Love said, “It is scary to freestyle, to risk making a mistake in front of others.” The “others” that T-Love referred to were other rappers present when rappers competed against each other. Freestyling competitions took place in parks and other community spaces. These competitions started gaining popularity in the United States in the mid-1970’s. In the , the raps were full of fun boasts and disses which are essentially fun teases. Like sports, freestyling is competitive and it helps bring people together. Rappers go back and forth, battling against one another. While freestyling is a hard skill to perfect, it has done something good for many rappers and MCs and had them gain popularity. In fact, previously, when

6 rappers won freestyle competitions they could get record deals. Freestyling led to the next form of raps, lessons. Lessons is a type of rap music that relates to an audience. This style of rap was criticized because of the use of bad words and because the subjects of the raps were sometimes controversial. Rappers beagan to use harsh words and talked about their harsh living conditions as urban children. Lessons were responsible for exposing police corruption, verbally confronting institutional racism, and the legacy of slavery in the United States. Some audiences viewed lessons as negative and bad, but the rappers were simply telling their life story as they perceived it. This included the graphic depiction of violence which was too much for some audiences, but it was a survival tactic for the rappers. In other words, it was a way that they coped with their challenges and struggles. As time has passed and culture has changed, lessons now include more positivity which leads us to conscious rap. Conscious rappers are positive rappers and rap about clean things. A lot of conscious rappers use music for their beats which is created with bass drums and snare drums. Most conscious rappers are very spiritual and very aware of political things that are around them. Some things that conscious rappers rap about are politics, community activism, social equality, and spirituality. Conscious rappers provide a healthy alternative to that previously had more negativity. Freestyling, lessons and conscious rap are all still alive today.

7 Chapter III: Progression of rap in the United States

Rap is inspiring. People, like myself, have been touched by the message of rap songs knowing that they come from the heart. Rap started to become more accepted as different people started to crave a new sound. When music started to be rejected in the 1970’s, that was the beginning of the acceptance of rap in the U.S. When rap first started in America it was rooted in the Black American experience. This was in the 1970’s. Then, in the 1980’s the rap group Run DMC started performing their rap hits which further paved the way for this genre. During this time, many black rappers talked about their life experiences and had a strong response to politics. As rap progressed, a group called “The Punk Rockers” were the first non-black hip hop group that was not part of the urban community to acknowledge rap music. Rap continued to cross barriers when a white rapper by the name of became popular in the 90’s. After this acknowledgement and broken barriers, rap started to be featured in the media. For example, in 1988, MTV ( music television) introduced society to the rap show Yo MTV Raps. ​ ​

8 In the early stages of rap, rappers were all men. However, as rap grew, female rappers started coming out. Two of the more recent, famous, female rappers are and . Cardi B is truly a great rapper and this is demonstrated by the six music awards that she has won. Nicki Minaj has won eleven awards, including the best female artist for seven years in a row. Female rappers have proven to be just as talented as men. Over the past two decades, hip hop and rap have become popular enough to be considered mainstream. In fact, many people consider it to be an educational resource that encourages cultural advancement. This was demonstrated when, in 2003, the Oxford dictionary started adding hip hop terms. Similarly, in 2006, the Smithsonian agreed to put hip hop artifacts in the museum. These actions proved that rap music was being felt everywhere. At this point, rap has been on the radio for a significant amount of time, but there has recently been a new style of rap introduced. This style is known as conscious rap. The move towards conscious rap was a major shock to people. Much of the old school rap talked about the personal experiences of the rappers and their struggles. Much of the new school rap is geared towards becoming more politically aware. Conscious rappers also usually have lyrics that are not explicit. A rapper by the name of Lecrae is considered to be a conscious rapper and in 2011 he released his fifth . On April 4th, 2008, rap superstar Jay Z married R&B superstar, Beyoncé. Jay Z is in American rapper, songwriter, producer, entrepreneur, and recording executive. Beyoncé is an American singer, songwriter, and actress who achieved fame in the late 1990s as the lead singer of the R&B group Destiny's child. This

9 helped her launch her solo career. The marriage of this couple has further propelled rap into the limelight. Rap has had many different stages over its lifetime in the U.S. At first it was not widely accepted. But, by 1992 it had generated more than $400,000,000 in album sales. Now, hip hop terms are in the dictionary and rap is one of the most popular genres in the U.S.

10 Chapter IV: Famous Rappers

Raps first superstars were Run D.M.C. The names of the people in Run D.M.C. were Darryl McDaniels (D.M.C.), (Run), and Jayson Mizell (). Run D.M.C. used to rap tongue twisters and nursery rhymes like, “ Now Peter Piper Picked Peppers, but Then Run Rocked Rhymes. ​ Humpty Dumpty Fell Down, Now That Is His Hard Times.” On March 12, 1983, ​ Run D.M.C released their first single, “ It’s like that.” Run D.M.C. performed in street clothes like unlaced high top sneakers, black Kangol hats, and warm-up jackets. Other rappers copied their style and also wore this fashion. Run D.M.C. was a strong rap group with many accomplishments, including paving the way for rappers.

L.L. Cool J was a famous rapper in the 1980’s and is now an actor. His birth name is James Todd Smith but he took the L.L. Cool J which stands for ladies love cool James. When L.L. Cool J dropped his first single I Can’t Live ​ Without My Radio, he immediately became a star selling more than 100,000 ​ copies. L.L. Cool J was the first hip-hop artist to appear on Dick Clark’s which was a popular dance program. This appearance was a big accomplishment for rappers everywhere because it helped rap to gain exposure.

As rap grew, female rappers came to the forefront, beginning with Queen Latifa. Rapper, Illa Styles, noted during his interview that, “ Men dominate in front of the camera, but behind the scenes there are a lot of different women that impact the music entertainment business.” In the early 90s, Queen Latifa made a song called U.N.I.T.Y. That song talked about how men disrespect women. The song ​ ​ “Ladies first” by Queen Latifa talked about the accomplishments of women. ​ ​ ​ ​ ​

11 Queen Latifa was a famous woman rapper who later in her life stopped rapping and became an actress.

The Fresh started using his talent on a tv show called The Fresh Prince of Bel Air. Together DJ Jazzy Jeff and The Fresh Prince released the single Summertime, and got a Grammy for the song in 1991. The Fresh Prince ​ ​ rapped about dating in a way that was funny and not controversial. He wrote lyrics like this, “ I took her Overtown I wined and dined her she asked me did I like her I said: Well, kinda.” The Fresh Prince made raps that families could enjoy since all of the music was clean.

Jay-Z is loved by the world. He was and still is one of the world’s favorite rappers. Jay-Z has sold as many as Elvis Presley. He got even more famous when he married Beyonce. Jay-Z has received at least 17 music awards. He was and still is an astonishing rapper.

Drake is one of the world’s most loved rappers. He also is one of the most famous Canadian rappers. On April 29, 2016, released a “view” on the rapper Young Money. A view is when you make a review on a song. Drake’s first album was Thank Me Later. ​ ​

12 is a rapper who helps people in need. On April 3, 2012 Chance the Rapper self-released his debut . Chance went to a ​ ​ conference to help kids in need in New Jersey in 2016 and contributed a song to the musical in 2016. Chance has won three awards. Chance is an ​ amazing person based on all of the good things he does for the community.

J. Cole is an amazing rap artist who talks about more than himself. “J. Cole does not have any expectations,” said in the book, This Day in Rap and ​ Hip Hop History. J. Cole is a rapper from the east coast and is a great person. ​ J.Cole has been a rapper since 2007. DJ Khaled is not a rapper but he is a songwriter, producer, and a DJ. Even though he is a DJ, he is still important to rap. He is a resilient songwriter because he once served in jail but then came back as one of the biggest musical influences. DJ Khaled is now a good person who does great things to provide for his son. In some of his albums he even put the album cover as a picture of his son Asahd.

13 Chapter V: Raps Impact on Society

As rap got popular, rappers began to notice that their music was a way for them to have a voice. People who lived in poverty thought their issues were being ignored as they related to politics. As a result rappers started to discuss political issues in their music. This expression sometimes can come off as very aggressive. Because of its aggression, many political leaders, including the president and vice president (George W Bush and Al Gore) were against rap music. One major political mark was in 1992 when there were race riots in LA. These riots were the result of rappers writing about the bad conditions in black neighborhoods. Another example of rap having a political impact was in 2016 in Cerant park. At this time, there was a free called “Parade to the Polls” which encouraged young adults to vote. The politics in rap music became so inspirational that some people listened to the politics of rap songs more than they listened to black political leaders. That also had an impact on social issues. Some of the social issues include urban lifestyles, poverty, racism, crime, and drugs. This issue was introduced through . Gangsta rap is known to be aggressive and controversial.

14 Some people thought gangster rappers were bad people, others thought of them as heros standing up for social issues and telling their communities what was really going on. One of the first rap groups to rap about social issues to mainstream media was . They represented life in the inner city like no one had ever done. As said earlier, there is a rapper named J. Cole who continues to tackle issues like mental health, racism, and the impact that media has on women's self image. These issues are important to young listeners because they get concerned about education, job opportunities, better police relationships, and criminal justice reform. Another rapper named Chance started a social works program in which focuses on arts and civic opportunities for kids. Rap has made an impact on our political system and our social issues.

15 Conclusion ​

Rap music has changed the world in many different ways. While no one can predict the future, it is evident rap continues to evolve for the better while becoming more and more accepted. As the rapper, Holy Smokes, said during his interview, “ The sky is the limit for the future of rap.'' During my research, I was very excited to learn about the impact that rap has had on churches. For example, to this day, rap impacts the way that many African-American preachers deliver their messages because of the call and response that was used in slavery times. As rapper, Illa Styles, said during his interview, “Rap music is the number one genre in the world and it drives our culture.” This is also true in many churches because they also allow gospel rappers to come in and share their messages. Lastly, I wanted to understand how the negative stereotypes of rap could stop. However, during my interview with studio owner, Tim Walker, he helped me to understand that “Negative stereotypes will be in any type of music.” Then, he goes on to say, “Hip Hop constantly changes for the good.” I also witnessed this as I researched conscious rappers. This research project was very enlightening, as I got to take a journey through the time machine of rap. I was able to explore its history, research famous rappers, and become familiar with the impact rap has had on society. Next, I would like to research r&b music ( ) to see what the two genres of music have in .

16 Works Cited

Ayazi-Hashjin, Sherry. Rap and Hip Hop: The Voice of a Generation. 1st ed, ​ ​ Rosen Pub. Group, 1999. Bailey, Diane. 2018. essential library , 2018. Burling, Alexis. Drake: Hip-Hop Superstar. Essential Library, 2018. ​ ​ Chuck D, et al. Chuck D Presents This Day in Rap and Hip-Hop History. First ​ ​ hardcover edition, Black Dog & Leventhal Publishers, 2017. Higgins, Dalton. Hip Hop World. Groundwood Books, 2009. ​ ​ Jones, K. Maurice. Say It Loud! The Story of Rap Music. Millbrook Press, ​ ​ 1994. Lüsted, Marcia Amidon. Hip-Hop Music. Essential Library, an imprint of Abdo ​ Publishing, 2018. Smokes, Holy. Holy Smokes, Christian Rap Artist. 10 Dec. 2019. ​ ​ Styles, Illa. Illa Styles, Christian Rap Artist. 10 Dec. 2019. ​ ​ Walker, Tim. Tim Walker, Producer. 10 Dec. 2019. ​ ​

17 Images Cited https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Griot https://www.smartrapper.com/how-to-freestyle-rap/ https://www.morrisonhotelgallery.com/photographs/O7yLho/Run-DMC-1987 https://pagesix.com/2018/10/12/queen-latifah-unable-to-accept-award-for-personal -reasons/ https://www.cnn.com/2013/09/18/us/los-angeles-riots-fast-facts/index.html

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