Rap and Balladry

Paper Summary:

The paper compares these two genre's using the works "The Message" by Grandmaster Flash and a child's ballad entitled "The Trooper and the Maid" by Ron Clarke, in an attempt to propose the idea that rap songs are an extension and adaptation of ballads. It begins by defining the two genres and discussing their origins. It then explores the structure and the melodies associated with these art forms in relation to the aforementioned works. The focus then shifts to the purpose of the musical forms and the ways in which these musical traditions are handed down from generation to generation.

From the Paper:

"Over the past twenty years rap music and hip-hop culture have become a way of life. The music has become an art form that is often criticized for raunchy violent lyrics and described as garbage by many, but it has stood the test of time and crossed all racial and ethnic barriers.

"According to an article written by Curtis Blow, a forefather of the rap and the hip- hop movement, rap is conversing in rhyme to the rhythm of a beat. (Blow). Encarta explains further that rap is a genre of rhythm-and-blues music that consists of rhythmic vocals declaimed over musical accompaniment. ("Rap") In a rap song the musical accompaniment is characterized by electronic drumbeats, which are used in combination with samples taken from previous musical recordings."

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