Fashion Mode

The differences in the rap and hip-hop music scene aren't rigidly defined. In many cases, a lot of people are likely to agree that rap is more a style of spoken rhythmic music, whereas hip-hop is more of a cultural phenomenon, which includes trends and fashions. Each of these genres has been able to establish a significant impact on our society and popular media. Originating in the 70s, the this music scene first established itself in New York City, and was influence at that time by the African-American community. By the late 90s, this type of music and cultural influences started to become more accepted, and became more widespread in mass media, including the increasing prevalence of rap and hip hop videos.

In general, it is often agreed that there are three mayor differences between the two types of music genres, which relate to the community message, the musical features, and the culture. It is these aspects that are often referred to in helping to separate the rap and hip-hop music scene from any other popular form of music. The influence of the hip-hop and rap scene, on politics to commercials, has significantly impacted many areas in our everyday lives.

In regards to the musical features, hip-hop is often cited as having a more rhythm and blues (R&B) feel, which generally has a more noticeable groove, and offers more in regards to crossover appeal. In relation to rap, this is often noted to have more hardcore edge to the lyrics, although either music type tends to deal with similar issues. Lyrically, the issues rapped about have changed quite considerably over the course of time, with rappers in the 70s and 80s often focusing on social issues, which were typically not popular in the media. While the more modern rap scene is often seen to focus on issues relating to relationships or consumer commercialism. And in relation to visual art, according to many the best rap music videos are those shot in black and white in the 90s.

Both of these music scenes are vastly popular in the music industry. In general, the rap artists are often seen to be predominately male, whereas in the hip-hop music scene, the artists are often seen to be more of a mixture of male and female. It is also the case that rap groups tended to be quite rare, with most artists performing as soloists.