Hip Hop Vs Rap Music

Words: 1668
Pages: 7

The origins of hip-hop and rap began over 300 years ago, when the enslavement of Africans began in America. The first African slaves were brought to the United States in 1619, throwing a culture into the pit of sadness, hardship, and struggle. Instruments were banned or unaffordable, which gave the use of song as a way to express. Through singing, messages could be passed on to others while in the field, railway, docks, chain gang and all other areas the Africans were forced to suffer. In a slave’s life, there were very few escapes or moments of relief in their lives, and singing was one of them that they were allowed.
The subjects that slaves had sung about varied, and it all depended on who it was that sang at the moment. There was no format
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The hip hop and rap music of today has the same beats that keeps the pace and tempo of their ancestors. Without the blues, repetitive and hypnotic rhythm would not be a thing, and there would be no hip hop or rap. Also, they are quite similar, sad stories that are told in both genres. Both speak of hardship, struggle, the need for freedom and justice. Whether it be escaping from the master, or escaping the ghetto, the same harassment seems to be felt through both styles. In addition, blues musicians really had a way about them that is very chilled, laid back and deep. Many artists today that are in hip hop and rap that show themselves in a similar fashion. While nowadays, it is all about style and money, there is still a very solid, relaxed and soulful feel about many hip hop artists. That being said, it is very similar to the blues …show more content…
His fame continued to grow and in 1975 he got his dream job working at the Hevalo in his hometown Bronx, New York. Different people attempted to steal his material, but he would take the labels off of the records so that no one could see what beats he was playing. His career began to tumble in 1977 as other artists began to polish their styles and surpass him. In addition, at one of his parties he was stabbed three times. He never regained the same musical career, but went on to star in a movie called “Beat Streets” in 1984.
Gil Scott-Heron is known as the “Godfather of rap”. He was born April 1, 1949 and he died on May 27, 2011. He was a musician and songwriter born in Chicago, but moved to Tennessee early on. He was a prolific writer and finished his first book of poetry when he was 13. He moved and attended high school in Bronx, New York, which gave him much of his inspiration for the songs he went on to write. He only went to college for one year, then he ended up quitting so that he could focus his energy on writing. He was known for his direct, assertive street poetry and spoken word