The word rap is a colloquial term that is used to designate that type of music generated by spoken sounds and words rather than by instrumental melodies. Rap is one of the most popular musical genres, especially from the 1980s onwards in America. It is considered that its origins are very varied since it takes contributions from various popular rhythms, some African, Jamaican or typical of the African-American community in the United States. For the most part, the great idols of rap have been belonging to this community since it is considered that rap is the only style of music that really represents them and expresses their interests, experiences, etc.
As with other styles of music at the beginning of the 20th century (for example, jazz), rap is a type of music that is rooted in rhythms and melodies informally created in Africa, those that would later be transferred to North America and modified progressively. These rhythms would probably be used in rituals, ceremonies or events in which the whole community gathered around the one or those who performed the interpretation through the use of words and mouth sounds. This is how rap is enjoyed today.
One of the main characteristics of rap is that its melody is not generated by musical instruments: although you can draw on some of them, they usually do not have a central place in the generation of music. In addition, these instruments are usually electronic devices that are intended to set the pace or add sound effects. Thus, the main source of music in rap is the voice of those who carry out the musical act: singers use their own voice not only to sing or speak but also to make sounds of all kinds.
Rap is also characterized by the fact that rhyme is especially important, rap singers seeking to establish verses in which there is a lot of information and lyrics to recite that should always sound in the form of rhyme to facilitate memory and sound.
