This post gives a quick look into a few of the many sub genres of the Rap music genre. It talks about widespread ones as well as some that many people may have never heard of. – PowerPoint PPT presentation
It's not shocking that Rap music has so many different styles within its own style. Some are mainstream styles but a lot of them don't reach the general public. A lot of the sub styles don't get radio play and may sound like a different genre of music altogether to some listeners. In this piece, I will give you a small glimpse into some of the many styles in the Rap genre.
3 OH Hip Hop
Regional influence in the Rap industry has produced many of the current sub genres in the genre. The four that are notable are West Coast, East Coast, Dirty South, and the Midwest. The West Coast is responsible for such sub genres like Hyphy, Chicano Rap, G-Funk, and Jerkin'. Mafioso Rap and Underground Rap are mostly connected to the East Coast. The Dirty South brought many popular sub-styles to the game, such as Crunk, Snap Music, and Chopped and Screwed music. The Midwest region, while still fairly new to the scene, has brought uniqueness into the sub styles. Horrorcore, Ghettotech, and Ghetto House can be traced back to the Midwest. Going into detail about each of the details would be more fitting for a book than this article.
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Alternative Rap is almost big enough to be its own major music genre. It is basically Hip Hop music that doesn't fit into the general forms of Rap, like Gangsta Rap, Party music, and anything else heard on the radio. This sub genre has risen to the top in the last couple of years. Lupe Fiasco is seen by many as the face of this sub style, but Mac Miller, OFWGKTA, and Asher Roth definitely deserve mentions.
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If you are a fan of Hip Hop and have never heard of Gangsta Rap, then you must not pay very good attention. As you can tell from the name, it is mostly about violence and criminal activity. It has lost some of its appeal since its peak in the 90s. That was the era of Gangsta Rap, introducing such artists as Tupac, Notorious B.I.G, Eazy E, Ice Cube, Snoop Dogg, Mobb Deep, and many more. Now, many people believe that The Game, 50 Cent, and Young Jeezy are at the front of the Gangsta Rap race, according to record sales and general popularity.
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Nerdcore is a sub genre that many people may think is a joke before that actually realize that it is a legit music style. Just like Gangsta Rap, the name says it all. Many of the Nerdcore albums and mixtapes that come out are free for everybody. Many of the top artists in this sub style release and publish their own music as well. The point of this style is to have lyrics that are smart and pertain to nerd-like issues. Some notable artists include High-C, MC Frontalot (credited for coining the term), MC Lars, Optimus Rhyme, and ZeaLous1.
7 OH Hip Hop
As you can see from this article and the small percentage of genres listed, Rap is a lot more than the radio makes it seem. What other genre in the world has so many different sub-styles? In my opinion, there isn't a single one. Rock music is the only genre that could even come close to the versatility shown by a complete music genre.