How to distinguish between Hip-Hop and Rap?

[BigToque]

How do you classify an artist as either hip-hop or rap?

What genre would you stick the artist Akon into? I would put someone like Dre, 2pac, etc into rap. Akon doesn't sound like them as much.

I really wish MP3's (ID3 tag) would allow for multiple genre's and artsits, etc. I feel so limited to classify entire artists/albums into one single genre.

 

[andylawcc]

i would say he's more R&B. akon doesn't rap right?

 

[chambersc]

I don't distinguish.

 

[BigToque]

Originally posted by: andylawcc
i would say he's more R&B. akon doesn't rap right?

Most of his songs just don't seem to fit with R&B in my head. It doesn't really sound like rap either.

He's got a pretty different sound and I don't know how to classify it.

 

[Rip the Jacker]

Hip Hop = thought provocative, when the artist writes the song the only thing in mind is to share an idea, share a story, have a song with meaning..

Rap = when the artist writes the song with mainstream success in mind

The terms hip hop artist, rapper, and emcee could be switched around, but IMO...

Rap = Eminem, T.I, Jay-Z, and everyone else on MTV.
Hip Hop = Rakim, Nas, Black Thought, Ras Kass, GZA, Canibus, Big Daddy Kane, Slick Rick, Jedi Mind Tricks, Ice Cube, Gangstarr, Jeru the Damaja, etc.

However, the problem is that some hip hop artists tend to sway toward the 'hip pop' way.. (example: Ras Kass trying to make a mainstream song). And some rappers can make hip hop songs (such as Jay-Z on Reasonable Doubt)

I dunno... that's how I view it. Even though rapping and graffiti writing and break dancing is hip hop.. I tend to think of 'rappers' as the mainstream artists and 'hip hop artists' or 'emcees' as the underground, borderline mainstream.

 

[Inspector Jihad]

hip hop is a movement...rap is a type of music. rap is just one portion of hip hop culture

 

[WENEEDLIGHT]

He's more like hip-hop to me.

 

[mAdD INDIAN]

hip-pop is more like it as Binary Star have said in their songs.

Jurassic 5, Mos Def, Talib Kweli - thats hip hop!

 

[rocadelpunk]

save for the fact j5 has put out such horrible crap recently

 

[mAdD INDIAN]

Originally posted by: rocadelpunk
save for the fact j5 has put out such horrible crap recently

Their latest album isn't that bad.