The Conventions of the Rap Genre

Conventions of the Rap Genre

The rap music genre consists of many things that other genres do not, which makes it unique and recognisable by almost everybody.
Usually ‘rap artists’ are seen as black African/Americans because the genre itself was created by an African American. Nowadays there are many White rappers including Eminem.

Rap songs are sang or “rapped” at a fast pace. Which is iconic of the genre, it is how everybody recognises it is a rap. The beat itself has heavy/deep bass.
Artists in the rap genre tend to use more explicit lyrics than any other genres. One of the most popular explicit terms used is “Nigger(s)”. This term is used because it used to be used by White people back when racism was a big issue in society. Nowadays the term is controlled by Black people not as a sign of racism but more to show their roots and how they were brought up.

The rap genre also consists of baggy clothing and exaggerated jewellery. The clothes show that the people of the black communities will never let go of nor forget how they started, having to buy big clothes which they could grow into because they could not afford to keep buying new ones. The jewellery shows that they now have the money to spend on what they could now afford to buy many a year ago. The same concept is shown through the use of cars in the music videos.
Many rap songs have the rapper as a protagonist and the society, along with the police force, as the antagonist.

Some rap songs are about relationships and girls. Girls along with the cars and jewellery are a sign of respect and success. Rap songs are usually based around a theme this could be; violence, drugs, sex etc. These themes are made clear through the use of acting and the lyrics used. The tone of voice is also a factor which can indicate the theme of the song.

Wealth is portrayed in every rap song through the use of Jewellery and cars as mentioned above and also through the use of branded clothes. Not only are the branded clothes shown in the music videos but also mentioned during the song itself, E.g. Giggs “True Religion jeans matching the Ralphs”.

Violence is also one of the conventions for rap songs as nearly all rap songs mention fighting and weaponry. The violence from the genre is again linked back to life lived by African Americans when racism was a big issue in society. It shows that people had to fight for freedom and to have rights.

Overall, the conventions of the rap genre are there to represent the life, as it was, for Black people in comparison to how they are living now. How everything has changed for them and they are free to live their lives as they wish to. Still though, the rappers have chosen to respect their roots and keep wearing their baggy clothes as a sign rap and Hip Hop.