The terms rap and hip-hop are often used interchangeably with one another; however, rapping is a separate style that was introduced into existing hip-hop music in the 1970s. This is why, if you listen to many early hip-hop tracks from the 1960s and 1970s, you’ll find vocals or absent or if there is vocals present they’re traditional harmonies and what you’d term ‘regular’ singing.

By the late 1970s, however, it was almost impossible to find hip-hop that didn’t have rap vocals included.

Gangsta Rap

While there was much experimentation when it came to rapping throughout the 1980s, it wasn’t until the end of the decade that Gangsta rap would come to the fore. Gangsta rap was initially a platform for the youth of America’s inner cities to speak about their upbringing, which would often be violent and involve exposure to guns, knives, and drugs, amongst other things. In later years, Gangsta rap would be heavily criticised for allegedly glamorising this lifestyle, and for making it seem like a choice rather than something individuals were born into.

Ice T’s 1986 track “6 in the Mornin’” is generally regarded as the first song of this genre, although Gangsta rap wouldn’t become huge until N.W.A released the “Straight Outta Compton” album two years later.

Rap in the 90s

The 1990s was the decade when rap music gained attention in mainstream music charts and on radio stations. The central theme in America at this time was the battle between east coast and west coast hip-hop, and specifically how the rap lyrics demonstrated differences between the two ways of life.

Later, these lyrics would become more threatening and hateful, and many started to turn their backs on the genre following the murders of Tupac Shakur and Notorious B.I.G, and the subsequent failure of rappers to move away from this type of music.

Later Rap

Although rap remains popular with fans of the genre, it is the softer rap and R&B sounds combined with pop styles that are seen in the mainstream today. While key rap figures like Dr. Dre and Jay-Z remain popular, up and coming rappers often have to contend with the poor reputation of the genre that has been earned in the past, meaning that modern day rap remains more of a niche rather than something that everyone listens to and enjoys.

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Flamenco guitars look similar to what most of us would recognize as a traditional acoustic guitar, but are known for their more distinct sound. The main difference in appearance is that the flamenco guitar will usually have an exaggerated pickguard, which is usually used for tapping to measure timing within music, although the actual reason it was originally invented was to prevent the guitar becoming damaged by players who use a pick. On the flamenco guitar, these are more commonly called tapping plates, golpeadores in Spanish.

Early Flamenco Guitar

While guitars were used in similar styles, such as salsa, before the 19^th century, the guitar wasn’t a huge part of flamenco during the early days of the genre. Flamenco songs would still be sung as people did flamenco dances, but the guitar wouldn’t be introduced until the 1850s. Antonio de Torres is credited as being the first to start developing the flamenco style guitar around this time, although he wouldn’t manufacture his own product until 1867.

The main differences were the materials used in creating the guitar, which would be Spanish cypress and rosewood owing to their relatively cheap cost. Traditionally, the flamenco guitar would also be slightly smaller than a traditional acoustic guitar. The lightweight nature of cypress is partly what gives the flamenco guitar such a distinct sound.

Why it was developed

It is believed that de Torres developed the flamenco guitar so that instruments would be accessible to those with little money. Flamenco guitarists have traditionally been from the lower classes of Spain and Latin American countries, although as the world has diversified over the last century wider demographics have started to play the instrument.

Modern Developments

It is a testament to the work of de Torres that there haven’t been many changes made to his original design. It has got a little bigger from its original size, and while there have been experiments with using different types of wood, such as maple, most continue to prefer cypress models.

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Blues is one of the most instantly recognisable and popular genres in music. Coming out of African-American communities in the American Deep South in the late 19^th century, the first Blues music would be published in 1908, at the same time the word ‘Blues’ was first used to describe the sound.

The early days of Blues music were characterised by the shift from country to urban Blues, although both would become popular and remain so to this day. Different types of Blues music would become synonymous with the city they generated from. “Memphis Blues” is the most famous example of this, but in the early says “Dallas Blues” and “St. Louis Blues” would also be popular.

Blues into the 50’s

Throughout the 1950’s, Blues would start to evolve further as different genres, and particularly the use of electronic instruments and recordings, would become influential. Blues would also reach across America, with the northern cities of Chicago and Detroit being particularly notable locations where sub-genres of Blues would thrive.

Blues was a huge part of mainstream music in 1950’s America, with Bo Diddley and Chuck Berry becoming two of the most popular musicians, going on to become two of the most influential of all time.

Electric Blues would also take off in England, mainly due to the live performances by Muddy Waters while touring there throughout the decade.

60’s and 70’s: Death & Resurgence

It is maybe going too far to suggest that Blues music died during the 1960’s, but it certainly affected by the popularity of rock & roll following the British invasion and the appeal of The Beatles and The Rolling Stones.

Blues would find a niche audience within the Civil Rights Movement, particularly during the 1960’s, but into the next decade the talent of those who would involve themselves with the genre brought it back to full strength.

B.B. King, Jimi Hendrix, The Animals, Santana, and Eric Clapton among them, the list of influential artists who used Blues music is like a who’s who of those decades. The Tulsa Blues sound, and a rockier Blues style from Texas, would emerge to become the leading sub-genres by the late 1970’s.

80’s to Today

Although Blues influences can be seen in almost every musical genre, it is among African-American people that traditional Blues remains strong and popular. While no popular modern day mainstream artists fit into the traditional Blues category, legends like Clapton are still recording and performing to huge audiences all around the world and remain immensely popular, while a number of record labels aim to nurture young artists who they hope will bring Blues back to pre-eminence in the near future.

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