Pssst here is a secret for you, your wrong. Rap and hip hop, just like all non-instrumental music, has its roots in folk music, where as folk music is originally spoken word, a way of telling stories. Take a music histories class and you'll see what I mean. Picture music as a family tree sort of thing, And almost all of it leads back to folk/spoken word. And the shocker, country music is raps closest relative, both being originally and heavily based on story telling. I'm talking about the original stuff, not what is on the air today. Although there are still some that follow the roots of the genre.

Is that part of it? Yes. Is that the whole of the development and further nature of it? No. And why are you saying that Reggae artists are not artists? I listen to loads of early reggae and ska, and it's far more artistic than most modern 'black' music.

I trace the roots of Hip Hop in America from spirituals and field hollers to blues (specifically talking blues) to Soul to funk and then to Hip Hop. The first major artist to use rhythmic talking lyrics was John Lee Hooker in the late 1940's. His music is based off of Boogie Woogie, which is the most basic dance beat there is, and is still implemented in modern music.

Also, there are some analogues to Bebop as well(in the post-block party hip hop), specifically the music of Miles Davis, Charlie Parker, and Dizzy Gillespie. Dizzy Gillespie and Charlie Parker collaborated on several works in the late 40's, such as Salt Peanuts and Manteca that have talking lyrical breaks in the midst of them, and also rely heavily on afro-cuban rhythms, which are still quite common. In the late 1960's Miles Davis released Bitches Brew, which consists of the repetitive riffs characterized in many hip hop tracks.

Then you have Funk and Soul. I would say that musically speaking, the big 3 influences on Hip Hop are Sly and the Family Stone, Parliament/Funkadelic, and James Brown. I really shouldn't have to explain that one.

One more thing. Reggae itself is analogous to blues. The main difference is that it relies on what is called the Skank, which is a syncopated rhythm. That means the main riff comes in on the down beat in a staccato stroke. The progressions in early ska and reggae come from the same call and response format that is in blues, in fact the same call and response that is in all black music.

I really could go on, but I really don't need to. I am a musician, by the way. I actually study this stuff in depth.

Pssst here is a secret for you, your wrong. Rap and hip hop, just like all non-instrumental music, has its roots in folk music, where as folk music is originally spoken word, a way of telling stories. Take a music histories class and you'll see what I mean. Picture music as a family tree sort of thing, And almost all of it leads back to folk/spoken word. And the shocker, country music is raps closest relative, both being originally and heavily based on story telling. I'm talking about the original stuff, not what is on the air today. Although there are still some that follow the roots of the genre.

secondly, I have yet to see Cypress Hill on anyones list, might be just my opinion that they should be included though, I've followed them since they first made a debut.

^You should look 2 posts above you...

Yea, we already verfied that he was wrong. You need to look through the whole thread, otherwise you might end up looking stupid. Like now. But thats cool, everyone makes mistakes.

Does Home Made Kazoku count? I can't stand most American/English based rap.