The immediate origins of rock and roll lie in the late 1940s and early 1950s through a mixing of the genres of blues, country, R&B, folk and gospel music. Alan Freed, a disc jockey based in Cleveland, Ohio is generally credited with first using the phrase rock and roll in 1951, though the phrase was in constant use at time in lyrics of R&B songs of the time. The phrase rocking and rolling has its origins in slang for dancing or having sex. Many early rock and roll hits were re-writes of earlier R&B or blues songs. Black music was still taboo on radio stations, so producers and artists began making white versions of black music. In 1955, Bill Haley’s Rock Around the Clock became the first rock and roll song to top the charts. The song became one of the biggest hits in history, and hordes of teenagers began flocking to hear Haley and his band The Comets. Blues would continue to inspire rock for decades with great acts like Cream, The Yardbirds and Led Zeppelin drawing their inspiration from musicians like Robert Johnson and Skip James.

Rock and Roll influenced lifestyles, fashion, attitudes and language. It also appeared at a time when racial tensions were coming to a head in the United States, the music contributed to the civil rights movement as both black and white teenagers followed the music. It was a fresh sound which spawned fresh ideas and approaches which paved the way for the swinging sixties.

The history of rap music would not be complete without a look at the performers who make it all possible – the rap artists. Most rap music typically includes one or more rappers who often rap about their own personal life stories, important events in their lives, or social problems they wish to make a public statement about. Rap songs can also represent romanticized or fictional themes. The sky is the limit. Musically, rap songs usually have a strong rhythmic aspect with the spoken lyrics emulating the intense rhythm of the beat. Rap songs are known to make use of many poetic techniques including simple word rhymes and alliteration.

The history of rap music also shows that the instrumental track or beat performed by the DJ often includes the rhythms and beat “samplings” from popular and/or well-known funk, rock, or soul songs. These sampled sounds and rhythms are synthesized, integrated, and reinvented with original twists by the performers.

Two other highly popular aspects of rap music that saw their rapid growth into the American mainstream are break dancing and tagging (graffiti). Break dancers and taggers are now stars in their own right with loyal followers and fans throughout the world. Annual break dancing competitions are now very popular even in countries throughout Europe and Asia. The history of rap music can be considered relatively new, yet it is clearly a powerful influence in today’s music world. Indeed, the musical influence of New York City African American and Latino culture is now as pervasive worldwide as fast food hamburger chains.