Humorous Rap vs. Street Rap
Today in class when we discussed the rise in popularity of humble and humorous brand of rap. I always wondered why raps were used as theme songs for TV shows, ways to study and memorize information and bad party music. As we brainstormed in class, I realized that this is a more synthetic version that has been commercialized for a specific purpose and market. One of the aspects of early rap music is its simple and catchy nature. That's why songs like the theme song for The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, Hannah Montana’s bone dance, and the Cha-Cha Slide are so popular. Evolving out of the early rap traditions, the beat is repetitive and energetic, the lyrics are catchy and easy to remember, and anyone can shout words to a beat. This form of party and humble rap is meant to bring everyone together, so it has to reach people of all kinds. Which makes sense that it’s appeal has spread to a multitude of other cultures.
As this form of rap has branch off and created its own category, street rap and gang rap culture has continued to dominate the rap industry. Some rappers choose to rap about money, drugs and hoes. Some rap about social injustice and changes that they would like to see in the world. But each of the paths that rap went down, were set in motion by the legendary figures that created the art.
