Gail Hilson Woldu

Although modern hip—hop culture and rap music as we know it emerged in New York City during the mid to late 1970s, both have their roots in the long history of the African diaspora. The music that served as a common language between disparate African peoples who had been separated from their lands, language groups, and cultures by the American slave trade led to diverse forms of African American music, including gospel, blues, and jazz. Contemporary rap is the offspring of a combination of musical and performance styles from blues and jazz (and, in turn, rock, soul, and funk), and hip—hop culture continues to be informed by the folkloric figures that suffuse these traditions. Gail Hilson Woldu is an assistant professor of music...