Speaking rhythmically and rhyming over a beat, a style of music and performance that originated in hip-hop culture; also the present participle of 'rap' (to knock).
From Middle English 'rappen' (to strike or knock), the present participle form. The musical meaning emerged in the 1970s in the Bronx, New York, when DJs and performers started rhythmically speaking over music.
Rap started as a way for young people in the Bronx to tell their stories and have fun at block parties without needing expensive instruments—just their voices and someone's speaker system—which is why it's sometimes called the 'voice of the voiceless'!
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