ABSTRACT
This chapter considers some of the linguistic and musical precursors of rap. Rap music consists of the rhythmic delivery of text over a looped beat. These two primary elements—MCing and DJing—arose from long traditions of figurative language and dance music that happened to coalesce in a unique way in the South Bronx during the 1970s. In African culture, the spoken word has power to influence the future. This power is called nommo, and it originates as far back as the 1200s with a class of historian/musicians known as griots. The transatlantic slave trade brought African aesthetics to the Americas: Jamaican musical culture, in particular, played an important role in the early days of rap. Signifyin(g) encompasses a wide range of African-American oral practices that have evolved throughout history. The Last Poets could be construed as a contemporary manifestation of the griots and are part of a Black Arts movement that started in the late 1960s. Funk and disco are the most obvious and immediate musical precursors to rap.
