a preface
I do not claim to be an authority on the topic, however I would like to prevent the spread of misinformation. I would encourage doing some brief reading on
Hip Hop before continuing.
The basic premise that 'Good Rap' should be called Hip Hop, while 'Bad Rap' should be called
Rap, is totally erroneous. It is understandable that the author wishes to make some distinction between the original forms of the
music and the subsequent
derivatives which it influenced, which in the eyes of some may be construed as 'tainted' and 'not true to the original spirit'. However, allowing the derivatives to appropriate the original name since they have supposedly fallen out of synch is ridiculous. As ridiculous as trying to 'cleanse' Hip Hop. Hip Hop is more than just the music, and there is no reason to muddy the term. It encompasses rap, whether it includes the good and the bad - that is a seperate discussion.
"
To understand the history of rap, you need to know two things:
1. Rap is talking in rhyme to the rhythm of a beat.
2. Hip-hop is a culture, a way of life for a society of people who identify, love, and cherish rap, break dancing, DJing, and graffiti.
" - kurtis blow
And, the idea that Hip Hop originated solely with black people is sidelining the other ethnic groups which contributed to its inception as well.