rap
what it is
Rap is a vocal style, usually coming together with hip-hop, the musical genre off-shoot of the hip hop culture. Rapping itself, also known as emceeing, MCing, spitting, or just rhyming, is the rhythmic spoken delivery of rhymes and wordplay. Rapping is one of the four pillars of the hip hop culture, along with DJing, graffiti, and breaking.
✦ start here: albums
✦ who's making it, level by level
level 1 · mainstream
the pop everyone knows
level 2 · the door
big names with a sharper edge
level 3 · one step out
cult favorites and indie darlings
level 4 · further
art pop, hyperpop, and the underground
✦ make rap a playlist
turn these 38 artists into something you can press play on.
✦ nearby genres
questions
What is rap?
Rap is a vocal style, usually coming together with hip-hop, the musical genre off-shoot of the hip hop culture. Rapping itself, also known as emceeing, MCing, spitting, or just rhyming, is the rhythmic spoken delivery of rhymes and wordplay. Rapping is one of the four pillars of the hip hop culture, along with DJing, graffiti, and breaking.
What are good rap albums to start with?
Try The Predator by Ice Cube, Slay-Z by Azealia Banks, Regional at Best by Twenty One Pilots, and Relapse by Eminem.
Who are some women making rap?
musicisforgirls.com/genres/rap/girls lists women, non-binary artists, and bands with women making rap, from mainstream to underground.
genre notes from last.fm listeners · artists and albums from last.fm, updated 2026-10-20