By Kyra Kumar
Music is undoubtedly one of the most influential and significant parts of our identities. It molds our personalities and thought process into a string of beats and rhythms that not only entertain but also educate us.
Rap is a genre of music that has become increasingly popular over the last few years. Its intense rhythmic speed, street vernacular, colloquial diction and use of slang have made it one of the most prevalent forms of music in the current age. However, most people would be surprised to learn that it is severely influenced by the Jamaican music genre known as reggae.
Reggae is distinguished by its Rastafari nature, prominent use of the bass guitar and its lyric diction. In the 1930s, it played an important role in storytelling in Jamaica, and by 1975 Bob Marley popularized it abroad with his first international hit song “No Woman, No Cry”.
Reggae has been influential in the development of countercultural movements in Europe, USA, and Africa. It is most well known for having impacted western culture and inspiring the first rappers in the USA. The rapping technique of ‘scratching’ (the high-pitched sound of records used to create friction) was initially created as ‘dubbing’ in Jamaica. Furthermore, ‘toasting’ inspired the hip hop ‘emceeing’ which was later termed as rapping. These Jamaican music techniques and technological advances gave American hip-hop artists a platform and foundation to develop their own originality in music.
Moreover, there is a clear resemblance in the content of the lyrics. Jamaican folk music has always amalgamated entertainment and social commentaries to advocate for socio-political and economic causes. Rap content also primarily depicts the hardships of ghetto life, the gangster lifestyle and more recently, substance abuse and mental health.
If you're interested in exploring reggae, here are 5 of the most acclaimed reggae albums:
- Legend by Bob Marley and The Wailers
- Two Sevens Clash by Culture
- The Harder They Come Soundtrack Album
- King Tubby Meets Rockers Uptown by Augustus Pablo and King Tubby
- Screaming Target by Big Mouth
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