Difference between Rap and Hip Hop

The difference between rap and hip hop is that rap is one of the expressions of hip hop, while the latter is a whole culture that encompasses other aspects in addition to the musical part.

Rap It is a musical genre of American origin characterized by the use of vocal rhymes.

Hip hop it is a culture that includes various artistic expressions such as graffiti, dance, rhymes (rap) and music.

Rap is part of a larger cultural expression called hip hop.

Rap	Hip hop
Definition	Musical genre of American origin based on rhyme and recitation.	Cultural movement of American origin.
Characteristic elements	MC. Lyric or content. Beat. Flow. Delivery.	DJ. MC. B-boys and B-girls. Graffiti.
Most representative artists	The Sugarhill Gang. Afrika Bambaataa. Dr Dree. Snoop Dogg.	DJ Kool Herc. Rock Steady Crew (B-boys). The Roots.

What is the rap?

Rap music is a musical genre characterized by a melodic recitation with recurring rhymes, which are sung or recited on a basis called beat, that can be generated vocally or with instruments.

Although at first rap was associated with African-American culture, today it is possible to find expressions of the gender in other demographic groups, although their origin is essentially linked to racial minorities Americans.

About the origin of the word rap, there are many versions. For some, rap is an acronym for Rhythm And Poetry (rhythm and poetry). However, other specialists claim that it actually means Rage Against Police or rage against the police, referring to the police repression against Afro-American and Latino minorities that took place in the 60s and 70s.

On the other hand, it is affirmed that the word rap, more than an acronym, is a term that was used among the Afro-American population as a synonym for “talking”. It was later adopted to refer to a particular way of reciting accompanied by a beat.

Origins of rap music

Although the first expressions of rap as a commercial musical genre originated in the Midwest American in the 80s, this way of reciting phrases with vocal rhymes comes from African cultures Westerners. In many of these societies there was a figure called griot, in charge of transmitting oral tradition through recitation.

With the arrival of Africans to the United States as slaves, the tradition expanded, this time in of working edges, although in a very discreet way due to the multiple restrictions they had for Express oneself.

Centuries later, and in full effervescence of civil rights, rap (which had already begun to manifest itself in the blues and the jazz) evolved in the black and Latino neighborhoods of New York. Two decades later it would begin to become one of the key elements of African American culture.

Elements of rap

Rap has several essential elements:

• MC: is the "master of ceremonies", reciter or rapper (rapper). The one in charge of creating and reciting rap lyrics.
• Contents: the message that the rapper wants to convey.
• Beat: This is a rhythmic pattern played by a DJ, a beatboxer (a person who can vocally imitate sounds of musical instruments) or with percussion instruments.
• Flow: is the way the rapper or MC adapts to the beat to create rhythmic syllables, words, or phrases.
• Delivery: refers to the rapper's cadence.

Rap artists

Rap had many representatives who, anonymously or quite discreetly, helped this genre to grow and become a popular phenomenon.

The fact that rap originated in the streets makes it difficult to trace a pioneering figure of the genre. However, there are many artists who became key figures for the evolution and expansion of rap as a musical genre around the world. These are just some of the most influential representatives of rap, especially in American culture:

• The Sugarhill Gang.
• Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five.
• Afrika Bambaataa.
• LL Cool J.
• Public Enemy.
• N.W.A.
• Ice-T
• Lady B.
• Dr Dree.
• Snoop Dogg.
• Tupac Shakur.
• Busta rhymes, among others.

What is the hip hop?

The hip hop It is an urban subculture of African American origin that integrates different artistic expressions, among which is rap. For this reason, for many specialists the hip hop It should not be considered as a musical genre, but rather it is a larger movement that encompasses, yes, rap as its musical expression.

Origins of hip hop

There are multiple versions about the origin of the hip hop. One of them is that it is a socio-cultural movement that began to take shape in the poor neighborhoods of New York during the decade of the seventies, as an artistic response to the conditions of poverty and discrimination in which African Americans and Latinos found themselves, two population groups traditionally marginalized economically and socially in the United States United.

As rap became popular as a musical genre, other elements were incorporated that, finally, would give rise to what is now known as hip hop. And although there is no precise source on the origin of the term, apparently it is due to one of the members of Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five, who began to refer to this movement as hip hop.

Elements of the hip hop

The hip hop It has four fundamental elements:

DJ

He is the person in charge of the musical mixes and therefore, he is responsible for "creating" the environment for the audience to enjoy the session. It is the rhythmic element of the hip hop.

MC

He is the "master of ceremony" or rapper. Initially, his role in the scene was much more discreet, since he was only in charge of making announcements and animating the audience, but little by little he began to take center stage until he became, together with the DJ, two indisputable elements of culture hip hop. It is the lyrical element of the movement.

B-boys Y B-girls

They are the element that corresponds to movement, in this case, through dance. The term comes from Break boys or Break girls, who are the ones who dance during the break of the music track. Although the term is often used breakdancer as a synonym, it is actually a word created by the media, so it is not used in the field of hip hop.

Graffiti

It is the visual expression of hip hop. In the United States, the graffiti boom began in the 1960s with artists such as Pan de maiz, from Philadelphia and Taki 183, in New York and due to its affinity with the hip hop In terms of expressing disenchantment and social marginalization, little by little it was inserted into the movement until it became one of its characteristic elements.

Artists of hip hop

If you understand as artists of the hip hop to the Dj's, rappers, B-boys, B-girls and graffiti artists who take this cultural movement as a way of life. In that sense, these would be some of the most representative artists:

• DJ Kool Herc.
• Rock Steady Crew (group of B-boys founded in the seventies).
• Jay Z.
• Outkast.
• The Roots.
• 50 Cent.

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