Rapping is an artistic form of vocal delivery and emotive expression that incorporates "rhyme, rhythmic speech, and [commonly] street vernacular". It is usually performed over a backing beat or musical accompaniment. The components of rap include "content", "flow", and "delivery". Rap differs from spoken-word poetry in that it is usually performed off-time to musical accompaniment. It also differs from singing, which varies in pitch and does not always include words. Because they do not rely on pitch inflection, some rap artists may play with timbre or other vocal qualities. Rap is a primary ingredient of hip hop music, and so commonly associated with the genre that it is sometimes called "rap music".
Old-school hip hop is the earliest commercially recorded hip hop music and the original style of the genre. It typically refers to the music created around 1979 to 1983, as well as any hip hop that does not adhere to contemporary styles.
Freestyle is a style of hip hop music where an artist improvises an unwritten verse from the head, with or without instrumental beats, in which lyrics are recited with no particular subject or structure. It is similar to other improvisational music, such as jazz, where a lead instrumentalist acts as an improviser with a supporting band providing a beat. Freestyle originally was simply verse that is free of style, written rhymes that do not follow a specific subject matter, or predetermined cadence. The newer style with the improvisation grew popular starting in the early 1990s. It is now mainly associated with hip hop.
Filipino hip-hop or Pinoy hip hop is hip hop music performed by musicians of Filipino descent, both in the Philippines and overseas, especially by Filipino-Americans.
Micheal David Larsen, better known by his stage name Eyedea, was an American musician, rapper, and poet. He was a freestyle battle champion and songwriter from Saint Paul, Minnesota.
The Bridge Wars was a hip hop music rivalry during the mid-to-late 1980s and early 1990s, that arose from a dispute over the true birthplace of hip hop music and retaliation over the rejecting of a record for airplay. The Bridge Wars originally involved the South Bronx's Boogie Down Productions, led by KRS-One, and Marley Marl's Juice Crew, hailing from Queensbridge. KRS-One and Marley Marl have since officially retired the feud, with the release of their collaborative 2007 album Hip Hop Lives.
Craig Curry, better known by his stage name Craig G, is an American rapper. He is perhaps best known as one of the members of hip hop producer Marley Marl's Cold Chillin' Records group Juice Crew.
Hip hop is one of the most popular music styles in Bulgaria, especially among young people.
European hip hop refers to hip hop music and culture originating from Europe. Emerging in the 1980s following the genre's popularity in the United States, European hip hop has evolved into a diverse and influential musical movement. It encompasses a wide range of styles and subgenres, reflecting the continent's varied cultural landscapes and the experiences of both ethnic nationals and immigrant communities. Notable regional scenes include British hip hop and grime, German hip hop featuring both ethnic German and Turkish artists, and French hip hop, which has undergone several distinct eras of development. Other countries such as the Netherlands, Italy, Poland, and Romania have also produced significant hip hop scenes, each with its own unique characteristics and prominent artists.
Keidje Torres Lima is a Portuguese language political hip hop artist, known professionally as Valete. that has enjoyed critical success in his home country of Portugal.
Freestyle: The Art of Rhyme is a 2000 American documentary film directed by Kevin Fitzgerald. The film depicts the art of freestyle rap.
Battle rap is a type of rapping performed between two or more performers that incorporates boasts, insults, wordplay and disses originating in the African-American community. Battle rap is often performed, or freestyled, spontaneously in live battles known as Rap battles, where participants will compete on the same stage to see who has the better verses.
Jonathan Owens, known by his stage name Casual, is an American rapper, producer, and one of the founding members of the alternative hip hop collective Hieroglyphics. He also reads and has been studying Egyptian Hieroglyphics for many years, makes videos on the subject on his YouTube channel Smash Rockwell as well writing about it on his blog Rap God. As a rapper Casual initially became known for his freestyle battle rhymes in the Bay Area hip hop scene and later developing into a solo artist. He is known for diverse lyrics, a complex multisyllabic East Coast influenced flow but with a distinctive Oakland accent. Casual's debut album Fear Itself released on Jive records in 1994 when he was 17 years old garnered both critical and commercial success. Along with Del the Funkee Homosapien Casual went on to become one of the most prominent and recognizable faces of the Hieroglyphics crew, releasing three albums all on the Hieroglyphics crew's own label, Hiero Imperium. He has released thirteen solo albums as of 2023.
Curtis Brown, better known by the stage names Grandmaster Caz and Casanova Fly, is an American rapper, songwriter, and DJ. He was a member of the hip hop group The Cold Crush Brothers from 1979 to the mid-1980s. He is best known as the (uncredited) main writer of Big Bank Hank's raps on the seminal 1979 hip hop single by The Sugarhill Gang, "Rapper's Delight".
Rami Matan Even-Esh, known professionally as Kosha Dillz, is an Israeli-American rapper.
Omar Rogelio Tull, better known by his stage name PackFM, is an American Underground hip hop artist and producer from Brooklyn, New York City. As a teenager in the mid-1990s, PackFM began his battle career, winning numerous prestigious freestyle titles. These wins include the 88HipHop MC Battle Champion, where he was inducted into their Hall of Fame after four undefeated months, Braggin Rites tournament in 1999, Everlast Harlem Lyricist Championship in 2003, and three undefeated months in the 24 Hour MC Battle sponsored by TDK.
Hip hop has been present in the "brasiliense" social and musical scene since the late 1980s. It is arguably the second biggest hip hop scene in Brazil. The first generation of rappers included GOG and DJ Jamaika. The second generation initiated with MC RAPadura in the 1990s. Nowadays, one of the most successful female rappers from Brasília is Flora Matos. Furthermore, the current generation, from the year 2000 onwards, has many groups and MCs who are releasing their projects and creating new events to expand the hip hop scene in Brazil's capital.
Michael Anthony Deering, known by his stage name Mikey D, is an American rapper. He is best known for being a lead member of the groups Mikey D & The L.A. Posse and Main Source. As a member of Main Source, he replaced Large Professor, who parted ways with the group due to business differences. In 1994, he appeared on Main Source's second album, Fuck What You Think, as the lead MC.
Terry Parker, known professionally as MC Juice, is an American rapper from Chicago, Illinois.
Harry McKenzie, commonly known as Harry Mack, is an American rapper, producer, drummer, and YouTuber from Portland, Oregon known for his viral freestyles done in public. He has a large social media following, with millions of followers on multiple platforms. His most popular series include Guerrilla Bars, where he raps on the streets, and Omegle Bars, where he raps virtually on the online chat service Omegle. Aside from freestyling, he has also released a full-length album, Contents Under Pressure.
