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What Is the Difference Between Hip Hop & Rap?
by Contributing Writer
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Overview
This is a question that is frequently asked not only by people who are unfamiliar with hip hop or rap, but also by hip hop practitioners and fans of rap music. While many people, including prominent figures within the hip hop community such as Afrika Bambaataa and KRS-One, might claim that both hip hop and rap have distinctions that separate them from one another, their definitions remain more philosophical within the broader musical world they encompass.
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Facts
Generally, "hip hop" is defined as a culture that consists of four elements: rapping, DJ-ing, breakdancing and graffiti. Over time, the definition has grown to include a multitude of other things, such as style, clothing, a way of talking, and so on, but those four elements are regarded as the foundation of hip hop culture.
"Rap" is the way in which an artist performs his or her lyrics. It is usually poetic and rhythmic.
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History
Hip hop music and rapping are thought to have started in the 1970s. One of the great innovators contributing to the genre was Kool Herc, who infused Jamaican-style reggae toasting with music that was more familiar to an American audience. Those beginnings spawned what became rap culture. It started out with rappers who voiced their lyrics over beats, DJs who provided the beats, b-boys and b-girls who incorporated a new style of dance (breakdancing) to match the music and culture, and graffiti artists who represented hip hop with spray painting and guerrilla art projects. That culture changed and grew, but lives on today. It can be found everywhere within American society, and to different degrees in countries all over the globe.
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Significance
The significance of hip hop and rap music is immeasurable. It is still growing and affecting not only American society but the rest of the world, as well. Recent evidence of the importance of hip hop includes a statement by President Barack Obama that he listens to rap music and that it has helped shape his worldview.
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Function
When speaking, the term "hip hop" can be used to talk about both the culture and the music. For instance, you can ask, "Do you like hip hop?"The person you're addressing could answer, "Yeah, I used to breakdance when I was a kid." But you could also say, "Do you listen to hip hop?" It means the same thing as, "Do you listen to rap music?"
When you use the term "rap," however, it means that you're talking about music specifically, as an element within hip hop culture.
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Misconceptions
The terms hip hop and rap are not static entities. They are dynamic, constantly changing and open to new forms and new interpretations. So feel free to use the terms loosely and inflect your own opinions or conceptions upon them.
