How many kinds of rap are there?
It’s impossible to say exactly how many kinds of rap there are, but we could list dozens of different rap genres, from feel-good Old School to spine-chilling Horrorcore, crossover Pop Rap, and beyond. Rap is one of the most popular music genres of all time, and it’s taken countless forms in its 50 year history. In this article, we’ll explore the 20 most important types of rap music.
What defines the rap genre?
Rap is a genre of music developed by Black musicians in the US, centered around a rhythmic, spoken vocal delivery. Beyond this basic definition, there have been countless different types of rap over the years. Rap can be propulsive or laid back, aggressive or mellow, jazzy and sample-based or futuristic and synth-heavy. We’ll take a look at the diversity of rap genres in this article.
What makes rap a genre?
Rap is a genre because its key elements make it distinctive: rhythmic, spoken vocals and hip-hop beats. These elements are so powerful original that they have become recognized worldwide, making rap one of the most successful music genres of all time.
What are the three main subgenres of hip hop?
Hip hop can be separated into countless subgenres, but the three most important relate to the three regions of the US that are most important in rap: the East Coast, the West Coast, and the South. Each of these three subgenres can be further subdivided into different rap styles. For example: the East Coast is famous for the raw sound of boom bap. The West Coast invented smooth, sleazy G-funk. And the South has brought us unmistakable rap genres like Bounce and Crunk.