Rap/hip hop music originated from the black community in the United States but has also been adopted by other cultures and races around the world. It has many attributes that easily make it a form of poetry however it has certainly turned into its own thing and does stand apart from traditional poetry. So, is rap/hip-hop poetry or is its own art form?

Rap and Poetry – What are they?

Rap has many associated words with it such as “MCing”, “spitting”, “rhyming”, “lyricism” and “flowing” among others. It is a form of art that incorporates aspects such as rhythmic speech and street vernacular to convey its message and purpose. The rapper speaks accompanied by music or beats.

Gil Scott-Heron is regarded as one of the key influences on early rap music. He was a poet,
performer, songwriter, and a novelist. DJ Kool Herc -a Jamaican immigrant- is also considered one of the pioneers of rap/hip hop music as we know it today. DJ Kool Herc started off his career by performing at parties. He drew inspiration from the Jamaican tradition of toasting.

Poetry on the other is one of the branches of literature. This artistic writing mostly attempts to stir the imagination and the emotions of listeners or readers. To make it more effective, the poet pays focus to aspects such as rhythm and sound. The most common types of poetry include the dramatic, narrative, and lyrical.

Common Distinctions between Rap and Poetry

It is not easy drawing a middle line between these two genres. But we will focus on similarities and differences and then make a verdict.

Rhythm is the cornerstone of both poetry and rap music. The lyrics of hip-hop are greatly
characterized by rhythm and that is the same case with poetry. Not all poems rhyme, but the rhythm has to be there always.

Rap began way back in the 16th century. Initially, the term “rap” was used to describe someone blurting out words suddenly. It is accompanied by facial expressions and body movements and gestures to be more effective which is consistent with oral and physical performance art forms.

On the other hand, a poet will always use language and words artistically. The words should come out in such a way that, they evoke thoughts and feelings. Just like rap, the poet or artist must use facial expressions, gestures and body movement during performances.

A rapper expresses his thoughts and feelings during performance too. A large number of
rappers usually focus on justice, self-esteem topics, and the general outlook at life. They choose their words prudently to deliver their message effectively.

On the other hand, poetry involves an author attempting to make sense of the world he or she lives in. Poetry makes it possible for the poet to express ideas that would have otherwise been impossible to bring out through prose. This is because poetry caters for the use of strong images to get the message home. A good poet focuses on using concrete, clear and memorable images in his/her delivery.

Both rap and poetry target capturing emotion regardless of their particular lengths. Metaphor, alliteration, assonance, simile, onomatopoeia, and rhyming happen to be some of the best building blocks for poems.

There are a few differences I must admit. However, the bottom line is that both genres bear many similarities in writing and performance and rap is the modern day poetic art form.