Rap metal is a
subgenre of
rap rock fusing vocal and sometimes instrumental elements of
hip hop with
heavy metal, with influences of
hard rock [1]. Rap metal is often confused with
rap rock and
rapcore. These styles became the basis for
nu metal.
Rap metal originated from rap rock, a genre fusing vocal and instrumental elements of hip hop with rock.[1] The genre's roots are based both in hip hop acts who sampled heavy metal songs, such as Beastie Boys,[2] Cypress Hill[3] and Run-D.M.C.,[4] as well as rock bands who fused heavy metal and hip hop influences, such as 24-7 Spyz[5] and Faith No More.[6]
New York metal band Anthrax fused hip hop with metal for their 1987 extended play I'm the Man,[7] and were teamed up with Public Enemy for a remake of the latter's "Bring the Noise" that fused hip hop with thrash metal.[8] Sir Mix-A-Lot teamed up with Metal Church for his 1988 single "Iron Man", loosely based upon the Black Sabbath song of the same name.[1] Stuck Mojo, a metal band whose vocalist rapped, is considered to be one of the pioneers of the genre.[9][10] Detroit rapper Esham became known for his "acid rap" style, which fused rapped metal-influenced lyrics with a sound that was often rock and metal-based.[11][12] Thrash metal band Body Count referred to their 1992 debut album as a "rock album with a rap mentality".[13] The band was formed by rapper Ice-T, who did not rap on the band's debut album.[14] Rage Against the Machine fuse metal with hip hop, and is known for its politically-charged rapped lyrics.
Cypress Hill incorporated direct heavy metal influences into their 2000 album Skull & Bones, which featured six tracks in which rappers B-Real and Sen Dog were backed by a band including Fear Factory members Christian Olde Wolbers and Dino Cazares and Rage Against the Machine drummer Brad Wilk.[15] B-Real also formed a rap metal group, Kush, with Wolbers, Fear Factory drummer Raymond Herrera and Deftones guitarist Stephen Carpenter.[16][17] According to B-Real, Kush is more aggressive than other bands in the genre.[17] SX-10, formed in 1996 by Sen Dog, also performs rap rock and rap metal.[18]
