How Heavy Metal and Rap Music Collide

How Heavy Metal and Rap Music Collide is a blog that discusses the ways in which these two genres of music have come together.

Introduction

Since the early days of hip hop and heavy metal, these two genres have been intertwined. Influenced by the aggressive sounds of punk and rock, respectively, hip hop and heavy metal both emerged in the 1970s as rebukes to the mainstream. With their shared DIY ethos and rebellious streaks, it’s no wonder that these genres have found common ground.

Throughout the years, there have been many crossover hits, with songs like Public Enemy’s “Bring the Noise” and Anthrax and Public Enemy’s “Bring the Noise (Remix)” blending rap and metal to great effect. In recent years, we’ve also seen a new crop of bands bringing these two genres together, including Body Count ( Ice-T’s metal band) , Ho99o9, Powerflo (featuring members of Cypress Hill and Biohazard),and Turnstile (who are signed to Rise Records, home of hardcore punk bands like Rage Against the Machine and AFI).

With metal becoming increasingly experimental and hip hop continuing to push boundaries, it’s likely that we’ll see even more crossover hits in the years to come. So if you’re a fan of both genres, sit back and enjoy as these two worlds collide.

The History of Heavy Metal

The first metal bands began to emerge in the late 1960s and early 1970s. These bands were influenced by the blues-rock of the time and they cranked up the volume and the distortion to create a new sound. This new sound was then blended with the existing sounds of punk rock and New Wave to create what we now know as heavy metal.

Early Influences

The sound of heavy metal is created by electric guitars playing extremely loud and distortion. The first band to ever play heavy metal was Black Sabbath. Sabbath’s sound was so loud and new that it caught the attention of many other young rock bands at the time. In the 1970s, a new wave of British heavy metal bands such as Judas Priest and Iron Maiden started to gain popularity in the United States. These bands would go on to influence a new generation of Americanmetal bands in the 1980s, such as Metallica and Megadeth.

The 1990s saw a rise in the popularity of rap music, which led to a new genre of music known as “rap-metal” or “nu-metal”. This new style combined the aggressive sounds of heavy metal with the rhythms and rhyming lyrics of rap music. Some of the most popular rap-metal bands included Limp Bizkit, Linkin Park, and Korn.

Today, there are many different subgenres of heavy metal, each with their own unique sound. Some popular subgenres include power metal, death metal, black metal, and doom metal.

The Birth of Heavy Metal

Heavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the United Kingdom and the United States. With roots in blues rock and psychedelic rock, the bands that created heavy metal developed a thick, massive sound, characterized by highly amplified distortion, extended guitar solos, emphatic beats, and overall loudness. The genre’s lyrics and performance styles are sometimes associated with aggression and machismo.

In 1968, three British rock bands, Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath, and Deep Purple, released their debut albums. These were soon followed by other British groups such as Jethro Tull and Cream. The first American band to release an album in this genre was Blue Cheer with Vincebus Eruptum in 1968. Early European groups included Uriah Heep and Nazareth. In 1971, Judas Priest released British Steel which directly inspired a new wave of British heavy metal bands such as Iron Maiden , Diamond Head , Exciter , Angel Witch , Sapphirish , Tank , Raven Motörhead .

The History of Rap Music

Rap music has its origins in the African-American community, specifically in the ghetto neighborhoods of New York City in the 1970s. DJs would play funk and disco records at block parties, and MCs would rap over the instrumental tracks. This style of music gradually spread throughout the country and became known as hip-hop. In the 1980s, rap music became more commercialized with the release of rap singles and albums.

Early Influences

The roots of rap music can be traced back to the African griots, who were itinerant musicians and storytellers who recited poems and sang songs. These griots were often hired by African kings to entertain their guests and oversee important events. The griots were also responsible for passing down oral history from one generation to the next.

The music of the griots was a mixture of spoken word, clapping, drumming, and dancing. This musical tradition was brought to the Americas by African slaves, who adapted it to their own purposes. In the plantations of the American South, slaves would sing work songs while they labored in the fields. These songs often had a call-and-response structure, with one person singing a line and the others repeating it.

The blues is another genre that has its roots in African-American music. The earliest blues songs were created by black musicians in the Mississippi Delta region around the turn of the 20th century. These musicians combined elements of work songs, ballads, spirituals, and folk music to create a new form of expression.

The blues soon spread beyond the Delta region, thanks in part to black musicians who migrated to cities like Chicago and New York during the Great Migration of the early 20th century. These musicians brought their own unique style to the blues, resulting in different subgenres like Chicago blues and New York blues.

Rap music emerged from these diverse musical traditions in the 1970s. Early rap artists would often recite poetry or rhymed verses over instrumental tracks sourced from funk, soul, or disco records. One of the first rap songs to achieve widespread popularity was “Rapper’s Delight” by The Sugarhill Gang, which was released in 1979.

The Birth of Rap Music

Most people associate rap music with African American culture, but the history of the genre is actually quite diverse. Rap music can trace its roots back to the African griots, who were traditional storytellers. These griots would recite stories and poems while accompanying themselves on drums or other instruments. This tradition was brought to America by slaves, who adapted it to their own experiences and created a new form of music known as the blues.

The blues were a major influence on the development of rap music, as they provided a template for many of the musical and lyrical elements that would become characteristic of the genre. In the 1970s, a new style of music known as disco began to gain popularity. This new style incorporated elements of soul, funk, and pop, and it had a strong influence on the development of rap music. DJs began to experiment with disco tracks by adding their own percussion tracks and rhyming over them, which created a whole new sound that would eventually be known as hip hop.

How Heavy Metal and Rap Music Collide

When two genres of music that are seemingly worlds apart come together, it can create something unique and special. When metal and rap music collide, it can create a sound that is intense and powerful. It can also be a lot of fun. If you’re a fan of both metal and rap music, then you should definitely check out the following songs.

The Similarities

Though heavy metal and rap music seem to be complete antitheses of each other, the two genres actually have quite a bit in common. For one, both genres emerged in the 1970s as reactions to the what was popular at the time. Disco was on the rise in the early part of the decade, and both metal and rap were created as alternatives to that sound.

Both genres also tend to appeal to young, male audiences who are often misunderstood or marginalized by society. This can be seen in the way that both groups dress and in their overall aesthetic. Another similarity between the two genres is their use of explicit lyrics that often deal with dark or controversial topics.

Despite their many similarities, heavy metal and rap music do have some key differences. One of the most notable is their approach to instrumentation. Heavy metal bands typically make use of electric guitars, bass guitars, and drums, while rap groups often rely on sampling or turntables instead. Additionally, heavy metal lyrics tend to be more fantasy-based, while rap lyrics are typically more rooted in reality.

The Differences

Though both heavy metal and rap music are Public Enemy #1 for many concerned adults, the two genres couldn’t be more different. For one thing, heavy metal is primarily a guitar-driven music, with drums playing a secondary role. Rapping, on the other hand, is music based around percussion and rhyming lyrical content. But the biggest difference between the two genres is probably their respective fan bases. Metalheads are typically white and male, while rap fans are more likely to be black and male. This difference in demographics has led to different approaches to each genre’s live shows.

Conclusion

In conclusion, heavy metal and rap music have a lot in common. They are both aggressive, loud, and often contain obscene lyrics. They are also both popular among young people. However, there are some important differences between the two genres. Heavy metal is usually more guitar-driven, while rap is more focused on beats and rhyming lyrics. Metal is also generally faster and more aggressive than rap.