Rapping (or
emceeing,
MCing,
spitting bars,or
rhyming) is "spoken or chanted rhyming lyrics". The components of rapping include "content", "flow" (
rhythm and
rhyme), and "delivery". Rapping is distinct from
spoken-word poetry in that it is performed in time to a beat. Rapping is often associated with and a primary ingredient of
hip-hop music, but the origins of the phenomenon can be said to predate
hip-hop culture by centuries. It can also be found in
alternative rock such as that of
Cake,
gorrilaz and the
Red Hot Chili Peppers. Rapping is also used in
Kwaito music, a genre that originated in
Johannesburg, South Africa, and is composed of hip-hop elements.