How many types of rap are there?

It’s impossible to say exactly how many types of rap there are, but we could list dozens of different rap genres, from feel-good Old School to spooky Horrorcore to crossover Pop Rap and beyond. Rap is one of the most popular music genres of all time and has taken countless forms over its 50-year history. In this article, we will explore the 20 most important types of rap music.

What defines the rap genre?

Rap is a genre of music developed by black musicians in the United States, centered on rhythmic, spoken vocal delivery. Beyond this basic definition, there have been countless different types of rap throughout the years. Rap can be propulsive or laid back, aggressive or smooth, jazzy and sample-based or futuristic and synth-heavy. We will look at the diversity of rap genres in this article.

What makes rap a genre?

Rap is a genre because its key elements make it distinctive: rhythm, spoken word vocals, and hip-hop beats. These elements are so powerful and original that they have become recognized worldwide, making rap one of the most successful musical genres of all time.

What are the three main subgenres of hip hop?

Hip hop can be divided into countless subgenres, but the three largest relate to the three regions of the United States that are most prominent in rap: the East Coast, West Coast, and South. Each of these three subgenres can be subdivided into different styles of rap. For example: the East Coast is famous for the raw sound of boom bap. The West Coast invented smooth, sleazy G-funk. And the South brought us staple rap genres like Bounce and Crunk.