Rap Metal

Rap Metal is a fusion of rap and metal. What, you want more? Fine. Rap metal's roots can be found in both of its parent genres. On the hip-hop side, you had artists such as the Run DMC, Beastie Boys, Cypress Hill and Esham sampling metal songs while on the metal/heavier rock front, bands such as Bodycount and Rage Against the Machine were being fronted by rappers.

However, the genre gained prominence with two songs released in the early 90's. The first was the legendary collaboration between Thrash Metal band Anthrax and the Political Rap group Public Enemy for a reworking of the latter's hit, "Bring the Noise". People first laughed at them for thinking they could pull something like this off, but fast forward half a decade later and everybody and their decrepit grandmother were eating up the genre. It's interesting to note that both Anthrax and Public Enemy tried fusing rap and metal before ever working with each other, with Anthrax recording the comedic and Beastie Boys-esque "I'm the Man" and Public Enemy rapping over "Angel of Death" for "She Watch Channel Zero?!".

What's the second song? "Epic", of course! Faith No More was no stranger to mixing different influences and this song was just another notch in their belt. However, the song exploded, putting FNM and rap metal in the limelight. Unfortunately, Faith No More became regarded as one hit wonders in America and whether you like it or not, the success of "Epic" paved the way for Nu-metal.

Herein lies the problem with the genre: the overlap with Nu Metal. While the latter genre was massively popular on the charts during the late 90's and early millennium, it eventually lost favor with rock audiences and hardly anybody wanted to combine the two genres again, possibly fearful of the derision they faced and comparisons to "fly" frat boys rapping over murky, down-tuned guitars.

This genre is often called Rapcore, which is incorrect. Rapcore is a subgenre of Punk Rap.


 * Biohazard (also Thrash Metal, Hardcore Punk, and Nu-metal)
 * Candiria
 * Clawfinger
 * Cypress Hill
 * Kid Crusher
 * Kush
 * Necro
 * Primer 55
 * Project 86
 * Puya
 * Reveille
 * SX-10
 * Stuck Mojo