Pop rap is a loosely defined term that refers to the fusion of Hip Hop's rapping with Pop elements such as melodious vocals and light, catchy tunes. While tracks often vary in sound, most of them stick to simple verse-chorus pop structures and lyrics are often more lighthearted and radio-friendly than other hip hop genres.
Such fusions can be found as early as the early 1980s, like the successful single "Wot". Certain early pop rap artists made hip hop with pop appeal by telling humorous stories in their lyrics
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Pop rap is a loosely defined term that refers to the fusion of Hip Hop's rapping with Pop elements such as melodious vocals and light, catchy tunes. While tracks often vary in sound, most of them stick to simple verse-chorus pop structures and lyrics are often more lighthearted and radio-friendly than other hip hop genres.
Such fusions can be found as early as the early 1980s, like the successful single "Wot". Certain early pop rap artists made hip hop with pop appeal by telling humorous stories in their lyrics, notably DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince, and others, like Heavy D & The Boyz, brought hip hop's aggressive and macho lyricism to a more family-orientated place. Despite the presence of early examples, pop rap only became a prominent and established hip hop genre in the 1990s and towards the end of the millennium, with artists such as Vanilla Ice and M.C. Hammer becoming increasingly popular. As hip hop broke out into the mainstream, more artists turned to pop rap and started incorporating sung hooks and lighter lyricism, including Hardcore Hip Hop artists like The Notorious B.I.G., Ja Rule, and 2Pac. This turn resulted in plenty of rappers and hip hop acts in the 2000s, including Black Eyed Peas, Eminem, 50 Cent, and Missy Elliott enjoying extreme chart success and wide mainstream attention. Around that time rapping itself would increasingly become a common, regular element of popular music, often appearing in various genres even outside the context of pop rap and other genre fusions.
In the 2010s pop rap became more popular, with many pop artists collaborating and working with rappers to create hits. Other key factors in the growth and musical evolution of pop rap include the introduction of auto-tune, a production technique that corrects singing, and the influence of artists such as Kanye West and Drake who experimented and expanded the realms of pop rap. As a result, pop rap maintains prominence in both underground and mainstream scenes, where it's often combined with genres like Trap and Contemporary R&B. Many pop rap artists both sing and rap in their music. Pop rap would also diversify into specific, smaller niches characterized by distinct production traits and vocal stylings, as in Chicago's Bop and Atlanta's Futuristic Swag.
