Rap music is called "rap" because the term originally referred to a specific type of speech or oration.
Here's a breakdown:
-
Slang Origin: In the late 1960s, "rap" was a slang term used, particularly within protest movements and among the "hip" crowd, to describe a speech or oration. H. Rap Brown (formerly Hubert G. Brown) used the term as part of his name, reflecting this meaning.
-
Evolution of Meaning: While the term existed as slang for speech, it didn't become associated with a musical style until approximately a decade later.
-
Connection to the Music: Eventually, the rhythmic and often rhyming spoken-word delivery that characterizes rap music came to be known by the same term, "rap." The performers who engage in this style of delivery are called "rappers."
In summary, rap music adopted the term "rap" because the word was already in use as slang for a particular type of speech, and the style of spoken-word performance in rap music aligned with that existing meaning.
