Unit 1: American Vibes (Terminale G6)

 History of Rap Music

The document under study is an extract of a web article, entitled history of rap music. It deals with the birth of rap music. We have learned that it was inspired by West African musician who used to tell stories rhythmically with the beat of a drum. Moreover, they were inspired by folk artists from the Caribbean Islands who would tell stories in rhyme.

In fact, rapping is defined as a form of singing and speaking with rhymes to a beat. In addition, it is also seen as sophisticated poetry. Usually, rap songs deal with countercultural topics such as sex, violence, social and political tensions.

In the 1970s, it became popular among African-American teenagers. Then, in 1979, producers started to consider this music style and promoted artists. This was when the music style started to rise and became more and more famous. Afterwards, in the 1980s, there were more and more artists, even female artists and white artists became more famous. Furthermore, in the 1990s the music style matured, indeed, it went from simple lyrics to more complex ones. It was seen as an old-school style, of music. Nowadays, rap music is a thought-provoking musical movement which still exists thanks Jay-Z, Ludacris, 50 Cent…

Homework: Learn the lesson.