Rap metal
Encyclopedia
Rap metal is a subgenre of rap rock
which fuses vocal and instrumental elements of hip hop music
with heavy metal
.
, a genre fusing vocal and instrumental elements of hip hop
with rock
. The genre's roots are based both in hip hop acts who sampled heavy metal songs, such as Beastie Boys
, Cypress Hill
, Esham
and Run-D.M.C.
, as well as rock bands who fused heavy metal and hip hop influences, such as 24-7 Spyz
and Faith No More
.
In 1987, New York metal band Anthrax
fused hip hop with metal for their extended play
I'm the Man, and then were teamed up with Public Enemy for a remake of the latter's "Bring the Noise
" that fused hip hop with thrash metal
. The next year rapper Sir Mix-A-Lot
teamed up with Metal Church
for his 1988 single "Iron Man", loosely based upon the Black Sabbath
song of the same name
. In 1990, rapper Ice-T
formed a thrash metal
band called Body Count
, and while performing at the 1991 Lollapalooza
tour performed a set that was half rap songs and half metal songs. Stuck Mojo
, a metal band whose vocalist rapped, is considered to be another pioneer of the genre.
In 1993, the combination of rap and metal music was showcased on the soundtrack to the movie Judgement Night
. Each song on the soundtrack is a collaboration between a rock or metal artist and rap artist with song genres ranging from alternative rock to thrash and heavy metal.
Cypress Hill incorporated direct heavy metal influences into their 2000 album Skull & Bones
, which featured six tracks in which rappers B-Real
and Sen Dog
were backed by a band including Fear Factory
members Christian Olde Wolbers
and Dino Cazares
and Rage Against the Machine
drummer Brad Wilk
. B-Real also formed a rap metal group, Kush
, with Wolbers, Fear Factory drummer Raymond Herrera
and Deftones
guitarist Stephen Carpenter
. According to B-Real, Kush is more aggressive than other bands in the genre. SX-10
, formed in 1996 by Sen Dog, also performs rap rock and rap metal. The most successful bands in the genre are Limp Bizkit
, Rage Against The Machine
and Linkin Park
. Although the popularity of these styles has declined, some believe that rap rock may regain popularity, with younger music fans discovering bands in the genre.
Rap rock
Rap rock is a cross-genre fusing vocal and instrumental elements of hip hop with various forms of rock. Rap rock is often confused with rap metal and rapcore, subgenres that include heavy metal-oriented and hardcore punk-oriented bands, respectively....
which fuses vocal and instrumental elements of hip hop music
Hip hop music
Hip hop music, also called hip-hop, rap music or hip-hop music, is a musical genre consisting of a stylized rhythmic music that commonly accompanies rapping, a rhythmic and rhyming speech that is chanted...
with heavy metal
Heavy metal music
Heavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the Midlands of the United Kingdom and the United States...
.
History
Rap metal originated from rap rockRap rock
Rap rock is a cross-genre fusing vocal and instrumental elements of hip hop with various forms of rock. Rap rock is often confused with rap metal and rapcore, subgenres that include heavy metal-oriented and hardcore punk-oriented bands, respectively....
, a genre fusing vocal and instrumental elements of hip hop
Hip hop music
Hip hop music, also called hip-hop, rap music or hip-hop music, is a musical genre consisting of a stylized rhythmic music that commonly accompanies rapping, a rhythmic and rhyming speech that is chanted...
with rock
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
. The genre's roots are based both in hip hop acts who sampled heavy metal songs, such as Beastie Boys
Beastie Boys
Beastie Boys are an American hip hop trio from New York City. The group consists of Mike D who plays the drums, MCA who plays the bass, and Ad-Rock who plays the guitar....
, Cypress Hill
Cypress Hill
Cypress Hill is an American hip hop group from South Gate, California. Cypress Hill was the first Latino hip-hop group to have platinum and multi-platinum albums, selling over 18 million albums worldwide...
, Esham
Esham
Rashaam Attica Smith, better known by his stage name Esham , is an American rapper from Detroit, Michigan known for his hallucinogenic style of hip hop which he refers to as "acid rap", which fuses rock-based beats and lyrics involving subjects such as death, drug use, evil, paranoia and...
and Run-D.M.C.
Run-D.M.C.
Run–D.M.C. was an American hip hop group from Hollis, in the Queens borough of New York City. Founded by Joseph "Run" Simmons, Darryl "D.M.C." McDaniels, and Jason "Jam-Master Jay" Mizell, the group is widely acknowledged as one of the most influential acts in the history of hip hop culture.Run–D.M.C...
, as well as rock bands who fused heavy metal and hip hop influences, such as 24-7 Spyz
24-7 Spyz
24-7 Spyz are a band from the South Bronx, New York, formed in 1986, originally consisting of Jimi Hazel , Rick Skatore , Kindu Phibes , and P. Fluid . The band is best known for mixing soul, funk, reggae, and R&B with heavy metal and hardcore punk...
and Faith No More
Faith No More
Faith No More is an American rock band from San Francisco, California, formed originally as Faith No Man in 1981 by bassist Billy Gould, keyboardist Wade Worthington, vocalist Michael Morris and drummer Mike Bordin. A year later when Worthington was replaced by keyboardist Roddy Bottum, and Mike...
.
In 1987, New York metal band Anthrax
Anthrax (band)
Anthrax is an American heavy metal band from New York City, formed in 1981. Founded by guitarists Scott Ian and Danny Lilker, the band has since released ten studio albums and 20 singles, and an EP featuring Public Enemy. The band was one of the most popular of the 1980s thrash metal scene...
fused hip hop with metal for their extended play
Extended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
I'm the Man, and then were teamed up with Public Enemy for a remake of the latter's "Bring the Noise
Bring the Noise
"Bring the Noise" is a song by the hip hop group Public Enemy. It was included on the soundtrack of the 1987 film Less Than Zero and was also released as a single that year. It later became the first song on the group's 1988 album It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back...
" that fused hip hop with thrash metal
Thrash metal
Thrash metal is a subgenre of heavy metal that is characterized usually by its fast tempo and aggression. Songs of the genre typically use fast percussive and low-register guitar riffs, overlaid with shredding-style lead work...
. The next year rapper Sir Mix-A-Lot
Sir Mix-a-Lot
Anthony Ray , better known by his stage name Sir Mix-a-Lot, is an emcee and producer based in Seattle, Washington. The founder of the Nastymix record label, he debuted in 1988 with Swass...
teamed up with Metal Church
Metal Church
Metal Church was an American heavy metal band. They originally formed in Seattle, Washington as Shrapnel in 1980. Their first album was released in 1984, and the band's most recent work, This Present Wasteland, was released in 2008....
for his 1988 single "Iron Man", loosely based upon the Black Sabbath
Black Sabbath
Black Sabbath are an English heavy metal band, formed in Aston, Birmingham in 1969 by Ozzy Osbourne , Tony Iommi , Geezer Butler , and Bill Ward . The band has since experienced multiple line-up changes, with Tony Iommi the only constant presence in the band through the years. A total of 22...
song of the same name
Iron Man (song)
"Iron Man" is a song by British heavy metal band Black Sabbath from their second studio album Paranoid released in 1970. It was later included on their initial greatest hits compilation We Sold Our Soul for Rock 'n' Roll , as well as all subsequent greatest hits compilations.-Writing and...
. In 1990, rapper Ice-T
ICE-T
* Ice-T, an American rapper and actor* ICE T , a tilting model of the German InterCityExpress series of high-speed trains...
formed a thrash metal
Thrash metal
Thrash metal is a subgenre of heavy metal that is characterized usually by its fast tempo and aggression. Songs of the genre typically use fast percussive and low-register guitar riffs, overlaid with shredding-style lead work...
band called Body Count
Body Count
Body Count is an American heavy metal band formed in Los Angeles, California, in 1990. The group is fronted by rapper and actor Ice-T, who founded the group out of his interest in heavy metal music, taking on the role of vocalist and writing the lyrics for most of the group's songs. Lead guitarist...
, and while performing at the 1991 Lollapalooza
Lollapalooza
Lollapalooza is an annual music festival featuring popular alternative rock, heavy metal, punk rock and hip hop bands, dance and comedy performances, and craft booths. It has also provided a platform for non-profit and political groups. The music festival hosts more than 160,000 people over a...
tour performed a set that was half rap songs and half metal songs. Stuck Mojo
Stuck Mojo
Stuck Mojo is an American heavy metal band from Atlanta, Georgia. Formed in 1989 by guitarist Rich Ward, Stuck Mojo is considered to be one of the pioneers of rap metal. Touring alongside bands such as Machine Head and Slapshot. Stuck Mojo's most successful album, Rising, peaked at #48 on the...
, a metal band whose vocalist rapped, is considered to be another pioneer of the genre.
In 1993, the combination of rap and metal music was showcased on the soundtrack to the movie Judgement Night
Judgment Night (soundtrack)
Judgment Night is the soundtrack to the film of the same name. It was released on September 14, 1993 through Epic Records and was produced by many of the album's performers. Every song on the soundtrack was a collaboration between hip-hop artists and rock / metal artists...
. Each song on the soundtrack is a collaboration between a rock or metal artist and rap artist with song genres ranging from alternative rock to thrash and heavy metal.
Cypress Hill incorporated direct heavy metal influences into their 2000 album Skull & Bones
Skull & Bones (album)
*Rolling Stone - 3.5 stars out of 5 - "A bipolar breakdown…proving hip-hop is more like T2…capable of morphing into anyone they wanna be."*CMJ - "Proves rather convincingly that Cypress Hill still packs a mighty punch."...
, which featured six tracks in which rappers B-Real
B-Real
Louis Freese, better known by his stage name B-Real, is an American rapper of Cuban and Mexican heritage, and a film and TV actor...
and Sen Dog
Sen Dog
Sen Dog is a Cuban-American rapper, and member of rap group Cypress Hill. He is the older brother of fellow rapper Mellow Man Ace.Sen Dog has been developing his own solo career in addition to his work with Cypress Hill...
were backed by a band including Fear Factory
Fear Factory
Fear Factory is an American industrial metal band. Formed in 1989, they have released seven full-length albums and a number of singles and remixes. Over the course of their career they have evolved from a succession of styles, as well as steadily pioneered a combination of the styles death metal,...
members Christian Olde Wolbers
Christian Olde Wolbers
Christian Olde Wolbers , is the guitarist of the metal band Arkaea. He is the former bassist and guitarist of the industrial metal band Fear Factory, and is now in Beowülf.-Biography:...
and Dino Cazares
Dino Cazares
Dino Cazares, born in El Centro, California, is a Mexican-American musician and the guitarist for Los Angeles-based industrial metal group Fear Factory. He also plays in the metal bands Divine Heresy and Asesino.-Biography:...
and Rage Against the Machine
Rage Against the Machine
Rage Against the Machine is an American rock band from Los Angeles, California. Formed in 1991, the group's line-up consists of vocalist Zack de la Rocha, bassist and backing vocalist Tim Commerford, guitarist Tom Morello and drummer Brad Wilk...
drummer Brad Wilk
Brad Wilk
Brad Wilk is an American musician, best known as the drummer of the American rock bands Rage Against the Machine and Audioslave.-Family and early life:...
. B-Real also formed a rap metal group, Kush
Kush (band)
Kush is an American rap metal band formed in 2000 by rapper B-Real, Deftones guitarist Stephen Carpenter and former Fear Factory members Raymond Herrera and Christian Olde Wolbers.-History:...
, with Wolbers, Fear Factory drummer Raymond Herrera
Raymond Herrera
Raymond Herrera is the drummer for industrial metal band Arkaea. He is a former member of the industrial metal band Fear Factory and Mexican death metal band Brujeria.-Biography:Herrera has been an avid gamer all his life...
and Deftones
Deftones
Deftones are an American alternative metal band from Sacramento, California, founded in 1988. The band consists of Chino Moreno , Stephen Carpenter , Chi Cheng , Frank Delgado , and Abe Cunningham . Currently Sergio Vega is standing in on bass while Cheng recovers from a car accident...
guitarist Stephen Carpenter
Stephen Carpenter
Stephen Carpenter is an American musician known as the co-founder and lead guitarist of the alternative metal band Deftones. His guitar technique makes use of both ringing open strings and dissonant chord voicings, as well as stock power chords in polyrhythms...
. According to B-Real, Kush is more aggressive than other bands in the genre. SX-10
SX-10
SX-10 is an American rap metal band formed in 1996 by rapper Sen Dog.-History:SX-10 was formed in 1996 in Los Angeles, California by Cypress Hill member Sen Dog. According to Sen Dog, SX-10 was formed because he had wanted to perform a different style of music. SX-10 released its debut album, Mad...
, formed in 1996 by Sen Dog, also performs rap rock and rap metal. The most successful bands in the genre are Limp Bizkit
Limp Bizkit
Limp Bizkit is an American rock band from Jacksonville, Florida. Formed in 1995, the group's lineup consists of Fred Durst , Wes Borland , Sam Rivers , John Otto and DJ Lethal . The band achieved mainstream success with their second studio album Significant Other, released in 1999...
, Rage Against The Machine
Rage Against the Machine
Rage Against the Machine is an American rock band from Los Angeles, California. Formed in 1991, the group's line-up consists of vocalist Zack de la Rocha, bassist and backing vocalist Tim Commerford, guitarist Tom Morello and drummer Brad Wilk...
and Linkin Park
Linkin Park
Linkin Park is an American rock band from Agoura Hills, California. Formed in 1996, the band rose to international fame with their debut album, Hybrid Theory, which was certified Diamond by the RIAA in 2005 and multi-platinum in several other countries...
. Although the popularity of these styles has declined, some believe that rap rock may regain popularity, with younger music fans discovering bands in the genre.