Influences

Rap was mainly influenced by funk and disco in the beginning, but other musical influences started to make themselves felt in this style, such as jazz, rock and reggae. Rap was greatly influenced by other styles because in the beginning it was often sampled, that is to say that one took an existing music to make something more modern, the genres of Rap such as the boom bap were based on this practice.

Rap was also influenced by the experiences of the rappers and those who listened to them, the politics and culture of the African-American community, most of these artists used their music to address social and political issues, as well as their social background, poverty, hardships and origins.

Later

Over time, rap has become a mainstream genre, with many new artists becoming commercially successful and influencing other styles of popular music as a whole. We see more and more often the combination of a male or female singer who collaborates with a male or female rapper, which gives very varied and sometimes unexpected styles.

Rap is now one of the most listened to genres, popular and with artists coming from all over the world. Rap is becoming more and more commercial, quoting brands of cars, clothes etc. It often talks about money and the success of the rapper, whereas in the beginning of rap it was more about hardship and poverty.