Is their a diffrence between rap and hip hop?

**MAJOR METAL** · #1 02-05-2005, 08:24 AM

Just curious , thanks.

Against Will · #2 02-05-2005, 09:20 AM

Hip-hop is a urban, youth sub-culture. It consists of a myriad of 'elements'. People disagree how many and what exaclty these elements are, but the big four are: graffiti writing, breakdancing, DJing and MCing (rapping) which all came out of the club scene that spawned hip-hop. Rappers are just one element of hip-hop, and rap and hip-hop have been used interchangably, which isn't necessarily accurate. Rap is just one element of hip-hop and many rappers do not really advocate anything inherent in hip-hop, they just do it to make money.

In pop culture, rapping is the most identified element of hip-hop so a lot of people think they're synonymous. At the same time, there's a difference b/w rapping and MCing. Every MC is a rapper, but not every rapper is an MC.

OK, so long story short, I would consider any of the pop-rap songs flooding MTV as Rap music, because it's an incomplete version of hip-hop that only emphasizes one element. However, stylistically, there isn't anything concrete to differentiate the two.

**cheezewiz** · #3 02-05-2005, 09:41 AM

Against Will · #4 02-05-2005, 09:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cheezewiz

Wrong Robot · #5 02-05-2005, 10:03 AM

While the rundown given to you by Against will is probably pretty good, if you really wish to categorize and stuff... Ultimately I don't care about the difference between hip hop, rap, underground, old school, hardcore...etc. If I like it I like it. I have over 5 GB of Rap music on my computer, it's all organized under the genre "Hip hop/Rap"

As far as I'm concerned, from a practical standpoint, who cares? music is music. You can ask the same question for practically anything and to the unwashed everything is going to sound the same anyway, so why bother trying to delineate between the nuance, save for organizational purposes.

**cheezewiz** · #6 02-05-2005, 10:14 AM

I actually agree with Wrong Robot. If ya like it, who cares what "category" it's in? I listen to almost all genres (cept rap

)

Tim Cole · #7 02-05-2005, 10:20 AM

Cuz I hip hop and I dont stop so dont drop the boogie.

Wrong Robot · #8 02-05-2005, 10:25 AM

However, There is , as tim cole has graciously demonstrated, an enormous difference between good rapping and terrible rapping.

Folmeister · #9 02-05-2005, 10:49 AM

Against Will is correct. Hip hop is the culture and rap is the musical element at its center.

geoffkhan · #10 02-05-2005, 02:16 PM

I took an american music history class and we studied the genres and subgenres of music. Rap is considered a subgenre of Hip Hop. That's just what I've been taught and what's in the textbooks.

Chris J · #11 02-06-2005, 11:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cheezewiz

I actually agree with Wrong Robot. If ya like it, who cares what "category" it's in? I listen to almost all genres (cept rap

)

...what if you strongly dislike it.....then can you still divide them for those of us who aren't rap/hip hop fans?

**cheezewiz** · #12 02-06-2005, 11:26 PM

I guess I can't really say, since I strongly dislike it.

Bruce Lindfield · #13 02-07-2005, 01:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by geoffkhan

I took an american music history class and we studied the genres and subgenres of music. Rap is considered a subgenre of Hip Hop. That's just what I've been taught and what's in the textbooks.

Well they're wrong then...

As anybody who lived through the 70s/80s knows - rap is that actual act of rhyming, rhythmically, over beats - you're rapping - no matter what the musical genre. Hip hop is a kind of beat and became synonymous with a street culture - so Blondie and Pet Shop Boys records had "rapping" on them, but certainly weren't part of Hip Hop culture!

pyrohr · #14 02-07-2005, 04:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bruce Lindfield

Well they're wrong then...

As anybody who lived through the 70s/80s knows - rap is that actual act of rhyming, rhythmically, over beats - you're rapping - no matter what the musical genre. Hip hop is a kind of beat and became synonymous with a street culture - so Blondie and Pet Shop Boys records had "rapping" on them, but certainly weren't part of Hip Hop culture!

Not really,
As a person who grew up in NYC before and when hip hop started I can say all here are wrong so far. In the early 70's when gangwar was at it's peak funk music had just started to hit. gangs where also tied of all the bloodshed and the inability to travel to other parts of the Bronx (where it started) Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens because of turf battles. When music came out onto the streets (dj's use bass bottoms in the very beginning!) Gangs started a different way to battle which was freestyle dancing later givin the name "break dancing" by the media on the outside looking in. At first the party was on the dj to rock the house while the crews danced against each other, as years went on it became the mc who did that job with mc's battling each other. Rap music is the art of using ones lyrics to overide the music to rock the party where as hip hop is the direct culture or way of life associated with rap music.

Hip hop is:
A way to dress as in baggie clothers hanging off your body.
a way to freak your ride as in loud music, 90 inch rims and the biggest truck around.
A way to speak (lingo) as in "yo yo, wus up!"

The bling bling: speaks for it's self
The videos with the "booty girls" and hot tub chicks
The old restored Chevies boncing up and down with hydraullics

All that stuff is Hip Hop

Bruce Lindfield · #15 02-07-2005, 06:18 AM

I wasn't disagreeing with any of that - just pointing out that Rap is the vocal part and that Hip Hop is the culture - so Blondie could Rap, but it's not Hip Hop!!

I was just suggestig that the name Hip Hop comes from a kind of programed drum track -but of course it developed into a whole culture - but the name came from somwhere....?

My understanding was that the name started out as being about beats like those on Rapper's Delight etc. ?

Or what...?

**MAJOR METAL** · #16 02-07-2005, 08:04 AM

Thank you for your responses, i am not a rap or hip hop fan at all i actually find it very offensive but i was curious as to these interchangable words.

**MAJOR METAL** · #17 02-07-2005, 08:29 AM

I will make myself a littel more clearer as to what i mean m'kay, I do not find the mechanics of Rap offensive but the content of it that i have seen and heard on TV and radio i find highly offensive.

Brendan · #18 02-07-2005, 08:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Joshua

Offensive?

There is some truly noble art in the genre, just like in any.

Generalizing is bad, m'kay?

Throw down with some Blackstar, Dead Prez, Del, Public Enemy, and you'll be hard pressed to call it "offensive" unless you loath thoughtful, talented people speaking their minds.

I'd think it ironic if I were to say something like "All rock and roll sucks, because Creed sucks," and get a bunch of people coming in, "Wait, you can't judge all of rock by Creed. There's all sorts of other bands out there that are better, if you just listen to more than the radio."

Thanks for playing, we've got some lovely parting gifts.

Brad Johnson · #19 02-07-2005, 08:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Brendan

Throw down with some Blackstar, Dead Prez, Del, Public Enemy, and you'll be hard pressed to call it "offensive" unless you loath thoughtful, talented people speaking their minds.

I'd think it ironic if I were to say something like "All rock and roll sucks, because Creed sucks," and get a bunch of people coming in, "Wait, you can't judge all of rock by Creed. There's all sorts of other bands out there that are better, if you just listen to more than the radio."

Thanks for playing, we've got some lovely parting gifts.

It's a normal human response to make a judgement based solely on what you've personally experienced, regardless of how limited that might be. OTOH as with a lot of things in life, knowing what you don't know is key.

Bruce Lindfield · #20 02-07-2005, 10:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sundogue

Those who do not experience that culture will never be drawn to the styling of music that is derived from it. That is just human nature.

I disagree entirely !!

So -I was born in the South of England , but I feel drawn to a lot of different types of music.

Olivier Messiaen wrote music in a WWII camp - but I don't feel I (or anyone else) needs to experience this horror, to appreciate his "Quattor pour la fin du temps"....

Similarly, I honestly feel that anybody who wasn't moved by Grandmaster Flash's "The Message" when it first came out - just wasn't listening!!