Pop rap is a relatively new genre of music that has been around since mid-90. According to The Free Dictionary by Farlex, pop rap is “Rap music that combines traditional elements of rap with some melodic forms from pop music.” This style of music is very unique because it incorporates characteristics of pop and rap genres. It is one of the most popular styles, especially among teenagers in today’s world. I am sure that you have heard examples of pop rap on the radio, MTV, in the club, on friend’s ringtone, or elsewhere. It is hard to go to parties or night clubs without knowing much about pop rap culture. Knowing more about pop culture will help you to become more comfortable in casual environment; for example, when you and your friends are listening to music on a Friday night and someone starts a conversation about popular music that is “hot” today. I cannot recall how many times my friends at a party were talking about a song that I have never heard, and it made me feel very ignorant.
In order to thoroughly explain pop rap genre I will incorporate three examples of pop rap songs throughout this essay: Pursuit of Happiness (by Kid Cudi), Staying out all Night (by Wiz Khalifa), and Ride with Me (by Nelly). There are some characteristics that all or most pop rap songs have in common; others vary on the artist and a specific song. Almost all the pop rap songs usually have a unique hook that grabs listener’s attention. Hook is a catchy musical phrase in a pop song (The Free Dictionary). All of the examples that I found include such hook. My first example, Pursuit of Happiness, has a hook:
“I’m on the pursuit of happiness and I know / Everything that shines ain’t always gonna be gold / Hey, I’ll be fine once I get it, I’ll be good.”
My second example, Ride with Me by Nelly has a hook:
“If you want to go and take a ride with me / We 3-wheeling in the fo’ with the gold D’s /Oh why do I live this way? (Hey, must be the money!) / If you want to go and get high with me / Smoke a L in the back of the Benz-E / Oh why must I feel this way? (Hey, must be the money!)”
My last example, Staying out all night by Wiz Khalifa, has a hook:
“Now we rollin’ up, stayin’ out all night / Stayin’ out all night, stayin’ out all night / Getting drunk, stayin’ out all night / Stayin’ out all night, stayin’ out all night / Crashing a party, stayin’ out all night / Stayin’ out all night, stayin’ out all night / Getting this money, stayin’ out all night / Stayin’ out all night, stayin’ out all night.”
These hooks are simple and interesting, which makes it easy for the audience to remember. Also all of these hooks include themes of the songs in them. All of the examples that I analyzed also have verses that rhyme and chorus that repeats itself throughout the song.
Kid Cudi’s verses in Pursuit of Happiness include something like,
“People told me slow my roll, I’m screaming out: “F&ck that”/ I’mma do just what I want, looking ahead no turning back / If I fall, if I die, know I lived it to the fullest / If I fall, if I die, know I lived and missed some bullets.”
As seen in this part of the verse, he uses AABB Rhyme Scheme, which is usually a typical rhyme scheme for all rap genres. Nelly also has rhymed verses in his song, but he alternates from AAABBB to ABAB and few other rhyme schemes. For example, he starts off with rhymes:
“Saying she was peeping and I dig the last video / “So when Nelly, can we go?” How could I tell her no? / Her measurements were 36-25-34 / I like the way you brush your hair / And I like the way the light hit the ice and glare / And I can see you, boo, from way over there”
And then he ends with:
“Check, check – you, I know something you don’t know / And I’ve got something to tell ya / You won’t believe how many people straight doubted the flow / Most said that I was a failure”
Wiz Khalifa’s rhyme scheme is constantly changes throughout the song. For example, there is a part from his verse:
“Leaving all my problems at the door
Pouring up, soon as you think it’s enough they bringin’ more
Hanging onto what n$&&@s told me “get your paper up”
You work hard for what you got, they could never take it from you”
All three of these songs include a chorus, which is repeated throughout the song. Chorus is usually repeated 2-3 times in every pop rap song. All of these pop songs also have a certain idea that song is wrapping around. Theme of Pursuit of Happiness is Kid Cudi risking while chasing his goals. Nelly’s Ride with Me mostly focuses on his car and girls. While most Pop Rap songs are not as aggressive as other styles of rap, such as gangster rap, they still incorporate some subjects such as alcohol, illegal substances, girls, and partying. Majority of pop rap songs focus on freedom of life and living life to the fullest. Nelly talks about riding his ’64 Chevy Impala, going to the club, and dancing on the floor with a beautiful girl. Kid Cudi talks about pursuit of happiness, never giving up, risking for success, and dreaming. Themes in these songs develop just like in the regular stories, but the only difference is absence of logical conclusion.
While these pop rap songs have many similarities, they also differentiate from each other in several ways. First Kid Cudi, unlike Wiz Khalifa and Nelly, uses curse word only ones in the entire song. He sings,
“People told me slow my roll, I’m screaming out:”F$&k that” / I’mma do just what I want, looking ahead no turning back.”
Most of the audiences value this because it is expected of pop rap to not be obscure like some other genres of rap. Also Pursuit of Happiness seems to motivate the audience to charge in emotion and great use of figurative language. Kid Cudi uses phrases such as, “5AM cold sweats”, “waking up to the sky”, “trials of tomorrow”, “lay awake in a bed full of sorrow”, “missed some bullets”, and “everything that shines ain’t always gonna be gold”. As expected, many rappers include references to illegal substances and inappropriate activities in their text. Wiz Khalifa decided to follow the flow by constantly including Marijuana in Staying out all Night, but Nelly and Kid Cudi only talked about this subject few times in this text. This shows that many pop rappers prefer not to mention illegal drugs in their rap as this could change their audience.
Overall pop rap genre has many similarities, while at the same time each artist has their unique style that they follows throughout his career. All songs of this genre include interesting hook, chorus, verse, beats, and theme. Some songs might contain different theme, different rhyme scheme, and different quality of vocal performance, but regardless of the differences, pop rap remains as something that is popular among modern generation. Sometimes it takes time to get used to this style, so the best thing for you to do in order to understand this style is to listen to several pop rap artists and pick out the favorite. Then you can listen to the albums that this artist has produced and try to understand the points that he is getting across. Remember that there are hundreds of artists and each one of them contributes to pop rap culture in a different way. You might listen with hatred to some songs while truly enjoy the others. It is all about figuring out what you want and it is never too late to start listening to different genre!
Works Cited
“Hook.” Def. 13. The Free Dictionary. Farlex, n.d. Web.11 July 2015
“Pop Rap.” Def. 1. The Free Dictionary. Farlex, n.d. Web.11 July 2015.
“Pursuit Of Happiness.” Genius. Genius Media Group Inc, 2015. Web. 6 July 2015.
“Ride With Me.” Genius. Genius Media Group Inc, 2015. Web. 6 July 2015.
“Staying Out All Night.” Genius. Genius Media Group Inc, 2015. Web. 6 July 2015.