The origins of rap music

Origins of « Rap » music

« Rap » is a music type from the “Hip Hop culture” this is “street art”. It was invented in the ‘70s with “the scratching”, “the beatboxing” … 

The first rapper was DJ Kool Herc who was doing some parties in the street of New York named “Block Parties”. 

At the beginning rap was like funk and jazz and the first rap hit was “rapper’s delight” by “sugarhill gang”. 

We can say that the founders of the “Rap” were DJ Kool Herc, “The Sugarhill Gang”, “Afrika Bambaataa” and “Grandmaster Flash” with his famous hit “The message”. 

They all talk about street, drugs, gang… Except Afrika Bambaataa who was rapping to help younger people to develop their creativity. 

Every single rapper had his own themes like politics (Public Enemy) or racism (Run DMC). Rap music is often criticized for the violence of  its lyrics, some people saying that this is not culture but this music type is one of the most listened around the world at the moment and some texts deal with life before rap music, poverty, street art and how they came out of all those problems. 

“Rap” music is a real story.

Grandmaster flash    

afrika bambaataa

Dj Kool Herc    

An article by Valentin B.