In a world where there are so many factors that have stood as a barrier separating people belonging to different cultures, races, genders, or sexualities, there is a single factor that has always kept people closer to one another. Well, for as long as one can remember, art has been the greatest unifying force bringing together people from various backgrounds. You must have heard people say that different forms of art, especially music, are not only used as a medium of healing but also to form a unique bond between people from all walks of life.

Many poets and philosophers believed and regarded music as the driving force that binds human beings together under one common ground, which is love for art forms. Poet Andersen once said, “Where words fail, music speaks.”

Music has always been universal, but in today’s age of technology, it has acquired a more global characteristic where it touches the hearts of millions across the world. This amazing art form has the power of reminding us that we all belong to one race, which is humanity. It breaks open the barriers of culture and language.

Among the different genres of music, there are a few that have become wildly popular over the past few years. Hip hop and rap music have now become mainstream not just in the United States, but even in other parts of the world, including India.

Rap or hip hop is a genre of music that was introduced in America in the 1970s by African-Americans. Slowly, hip hop started to emerge not just as a music genre but as a culture within the black communities. The popularity of this particular music genre emerged the most amongst the African-American youth residing in the Bronx, New York. This trend started at block parties, where DJs played popular songs using two turntables and a DJ mixer. However, hip hop is not just rap music; it also consists of break dancing, scratching, and graffiti. Amongst all these forms, rapping has gained the most widespread recognition in America as an art form of the African-American people.

Rise of rap music in America –

The rise of rap music in America started in the 1970s as a kind of street art amongst the young African-American population. DJ Kool Herc is known for introducing rap music in the 1970s at back-to-school parties. However, it was only in 1979 that people began to listen and associate themselves with this type of music. The first rap single to be featured on the list of the top 40 hits on the billboard was ‘Rapper’s Delight’ by a trio called The Sugarhill Gang. Soon, this music genre began to emerge as a socio-political empowerment movement.

Rap is a style of delivery that includes spoken language, rhythm, and rhyme delivered over a beat. In recent times, rap has evolved from simple lyrics to louder, bolder, and more complex lyrics. Over the past few decades, the hip-hop culture (which includes rap music, graffiti, and break dancing) has also evolved from being an art form to become the voice of the minorities in this country. Today, the hip-hop culture has become a platform for rappers to express their views on socio-economic issues, and particularly the way African-Americans are treated in our country. With the help of rap music, the minorities in America have found a new medium to express themselves, and it is also helping them to rebuild social attitudes and seek new opportunities. A few renowned artists who have popularized rap music to the world are DJ Kool Herc, Kanye West, Tupac Shakur, Jay-Z, Lil Wayne, Queen Latifah, Bobby Brown, Beyoncé Knowles, Rick Ross, Snoop Dogg, Travis Scott, and Offset.

The emergence of rap music in India –

India is known as a land of rich cultural heritage with a vast range of art forms. Over the recent years, there have been a number of dance, music, and art forms that have gained popularity in India. Today, for the first time ever, a music form started by a minority group in the United States has taken over the Indian music industry. Back in the olden days, this particular form of music was just confined to the African-American communities, but now rap music has become a global phenomenon. Rappers today are rapping not just in English, but even in their native languages.

The concept of hip hop culture was first introduced in India in the 1990s by a well-known Punjabi artist, Baba Sehgal. He created a new trend of rapping and became the first artist to rap in Hindi. Other artists who have played a key role in popularizing rap music in India are Yo Yo Honey Singh, Badshah, and Mika Singh.

Born in the streets dominated by African-Americans, hip hop revolutionized from a simple art form to a medium used to promote different cultures and languages. While a major chunk of rappers is from the African-American communities in America, even in India, many rap artists belong to a certain class of society. This music form originated from one of Asia’s largest slum areas, Dharavi in Mumbai. With the emergence of artists like Naezy and Divine, and movies like Gully Boy, the popularity of rap music in India has reached a whole new level, and people have started recognizing this particular genre of music. In recent times, there has been widespread recognition for Mumbai’s rap scene, which plays a crucial role in the rise of the Indian hip-hop culture.

The hip-hop culture, which began as a medium to express frustration, anger, poverty, joy, and spirit among black people, has spread to other parts of the world today and acquired a truly global outlook. Now, not only the African-American youth, but even Indians are relating to and taking inspiration from the lyrics that narrate struggles, experiences, and stories.