Rap-Sung Pop
tagStarted 2003Peak 2010-2018Last big hit still active
Pop records that toggle deliberately between rapped verses and big sung choruses, often pairing a rapper and a vocalist or a single artist doing both. Glossy, vocal-forward production with soulful or R&B-tinged hooks; the rap delivers narrative drive while the sung chorus carries the hook and the radio appeal.
History
Crossover duets like Nelly & Kelly Rowland's 'Dilemma' (2002) and Eminem & Rihanna's 'Love the Way You Lie' (2010) standardized the rap-verse/sung-chorus split. The structure became top-40's reliable formula, used by B.o.B, Wiz Khalifa and countless rapper-plus-singer collaborations through the 2010s. Cross-listed with Pop-R&B / Soul-Pop.
Defining artists
Essential listening
Sources
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pop_rap
- https://www.billboard.com/charts/hot-100/
- https://www.allmusic.com/style/pop-rap-ma0000004445