Rap rock

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Rap rock is a musical genre that fuses the techniques of hip hop, gangsta rap, heavy metal, alternative rock, hardcore punk and sometimes funk. The genre is often referred to as rap metal^[1] or sometimes rapcore. These two terms could also be used as sub-genres referring to the more heavy-metal-oriented and hardcore-punk-oriented bands respectively. It has also influenced some of the more recent music styles such as nu metal.

Genre history

Rap rock developed in the mid to late 1980s alongside the similar fusion music genre funk metal. Music formed as rap meets rock, also it is the philosophy of genre. The roots of the style can be found in albums by bands such as The Clash,^[2] whose songs " The Magnificent Seven," and "Lightning Strikes (Not Once But Twice)" off their album Sandinista! are arguably the first attempts by a rock group to adapt a hip hop style. Other bands to influence rap rock include Anthrax, Stuck Mojo, Public Enemy, Run-D.M.C., Beastie Boys, Biohazard, 311, Boo-Yaa T.R.I.B.E., Disappearance, Suicidal Tendencies and Faith No More. Two of the first full-dedicated rap rock acts to obtain mainstream popularity were Urban Dance Squad and Rage Against the Machine.

Themes

The lyrical themes of rap rock range from politics (downset., Rage Against the Machine, Senser, Aztlan Underground) to frivolity (Limp Bizkit, Crazy Town, Kid Rock, Phunk Junkeez) to life in general (Zebrahead, Trik Turner) to personal struggles and pain (Linkin Park, Stuck Mojo).

See also

• Alternative rock
• Alternative metal
• Nu metal
• Funk metal
• Alternative hip hop
• Hardcore hip hop
• Horrorcore
• Ghetto rock

References