Rap Meant to Talk Long Before It Meant to Perform
A rapper performs rhythmic spoken verse. The verb meant to talk casually decades before the music existed.
A rapper performs rhythmic rhyming verse over a beat. The word was already there: *rap* had meant to talk or converse in African American English since at least the 1960s, and the musical sense grew directly from that. An older and unrelated *rap* means to strike sharply, which gives *rap on the door* and *take the rap*.
- A performer of rap. *A veteran rapper.*
- Rap — the musical form. *Old-school rap.*
- To strike sharply. *Rap on the window.*
- Take the rap — accept blame. *He took the rap.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | rapper | A skilled rapper. |
| Plural | rappers | Two rappers. |
| Verb | rap | Rap over a beat. |
| Noun | rap | Conscious rap. |
| Related | hip hop | Hip hop culture. |
How it is used in a sentence
- Rap meant to talk before it meant to perform.African American English.
- Take the rap means accept blame.From the striking sense.
- Hip hop is the broader culture.Rap is one of its elements.
Elements of hip hop
- MCing or rapping — the vocal element
- DJing — turntable work and beat construction
- Breakdancing — the dance form
- Graffiti — the visual element
- Knowledge — sometimes named as a fifth element
From *rap*, of imitative origin for the striking sense. The conversational sense is African American English from the mid twentieth century.
Rap or hip hop?
Rap is the vocal style. Hip hop is the wider culture, including DJing, dance and visual art.
Where does *take the rap* come from?
From the sense of a rap as a blow or a criminal charge. To take the rap is to accept the punishment.