Abstracthiphop is a sub genre of hip hop that is lyrically and sonically much more complex, surreal, obscure and unorthodox. It is a great alternative to the mainstream sound that hip hop is known for.
It also focuses on conscious music that is socially/politically aware. This style of rap is very popular and has become a big trend lately.
Influences
Abstract hip hop is an experimental form of rap that incorporates avant-garde and unconventional production techniques, abstract lyrical content, and samples from a wide range of sources. It is a subgenre of hip hop and is closely associated with the underground hip hop scene.
In contrast to traditional rap, abstract hip hop often eschews much of the genre’s conventions and relies heavily on metaphor and symbolic word choice to convey its message. The genre also focuses on a broad range of themes, including existentialism and social institutions rather than braggadocio or everyday problems.
A few notable abstract hip hop artists include MF DOOM, Madlib, and Lord Quas. These MCs all have their own unique styles, but they all share one thing in common: an uncanny ability to turn simple, lurching beats into intricately-layered concept records.
The best examples of this type of album are Madlib’s “Lord Quas” and MF DOOM’s “The Unseen.” Both albums have the kind of richly textured, complex feel that only abstract rap can achieve.
Many of these albums use sampled music from a variety of sources to create their own unique style, and many of them are highly emotional and explore deep subject matters. Earl Sweatshirt’s Some Rap Songs, for example, utilizes jazz samples and other instrumentals to evoke extreme vulnerability in the song’s lyrics.
This is a very powerful and meaningful album, and it is a great example of how some abstract hip hop albums can have a profound impact on listeners. It combines elements of funk, soul, and jazz to create an overall sound that is uniquely its own.
The album also contains an incredibly complex flow and a heavy dose of humor, which can be very refreshing if you’re looking for something with more depth than the usual braggadocio found in most mainstream rap. It’s a truly excellent listen for fans of abstract hip hop, and is easily one of the most influential records in this genre.
Hip hop is a unique and popular culture that has influenced the world in many ways. It has made a significant impact on society, and it continues to do so each day.
Techniques
Abstract hip hop uses a wide variety of techniques and sounds to create its music. These range from sampling to unconventional production methods to more complex lyrical content and even abstract visuals. This can be intimidating at first, but after a while it can be extremely addicting and rewarding.
Abstracthiphop draws from a variety of different sources, including jazz, poetry, psychology and many other fields of thought. The ideas and influences that are present in these tracks can have an impact on how we perceive the world around us and our relationship with it.
Some of the techniques that are used in abstracthiphop include sung interjections, pitched rhythmic layers and pitch manipulation. The use of these techniques can have a huge impact on the overall sound and feel of the music.
Sung interjections are moments when a rapper interrupts the flow of their lyrics to sing a segment of the verse. This technique can be done to highlight specific parts of a rhyme, or it can be used to emphasize the underlying pitch pattern of the verse.
A sung interjection is sometimes performed by a rapper with a very high voice, such as Kendrick Lamar or Schoolboy Q. This can help the syllables stand out from the rest of the verse and help create a more intense effect for the listener.
Another technique that can be used in abstracthiphop is to emphasize different beats or layers of the song. This can be done in several ways, but one of the most common is to focus on the first and third beats of each bar. The use of this technique can make a rap track feel more regular, which contrasts with the usual irregularity of most rhyme schemes.
Other times a rapper will use this technique to emphasize certain parts of the song, but not others. This can be done to emphasize a certain sound or mood and create a sense of synchronicity between the song and the audience.
While it is possible to create a more abstract beat using only samples and sample-based instruments, the majority of abstract hip hop songs are made with a more traditional beat. Some of the most notable examples include the Neptunes’ minimalism, Swizz Beatz synth bangers and the Just Blaze soul beats of the 2000s.
Flows
Abstract hip hop is a subset of rap music that involves an array of techniques used by rappers to manipulate the rhythmic and melodic parameters of their flows. These techniques range from barely noticeable to purposeful, and all share an approach to pitch and vocal technique that differs significantly from the instrumental performance of Western art music.
In a pitched rhythmic layer, a rapper deliberately and markedly alters the pitch of their voice at specific points in their flow to create a separate rhythmic layer that is woven in with the composite rhythm of their flow. This is a similar technique to the way in which an instrumentalist can manipulate their tone, breath control, pedaling, and fingerings to create a melody or chordal sequence that isn’t recognizable at first listen.
Another type of flow is exaggerated declamation, wherein a rapper distorts or magnifies naturally occurring speech patterns in order to convey a more complex and densely-packed message. This type of flow is particularly common in rap verses with heavy social and political themes (e.g., Example 6), wherein the rapper often attempts to “finish” a thought or stanza with a dramatic drop in pitch.
However, this is a rare technique, and only rarely does it make a significant difference in the quality of a rap flow. Nonetheless, it’s a technique that is worth examining.
A more elongated form of this technique is found in the music of Kendrick Lamar, wherein he often sings a brief section from a larger featured verse over the song’s drumbeat. This is the most pronounced example of this technique, as it not only interrupts the tonally imprecise and speech-like pitch of his flow but also uses this disruption to distill a secondary rhythmic stream.
A sung interjection is the final category of flow technique in which a rapper interrupts their tonally imprecise and speech-like voice to sing a segment of their lyrics. This is a technique that Adams (2009) notes is “oddly reminiscent of psalmody,” a text setting that involves chanting. This is a technique that can be found in a variety of genres, including hip-hop, and represents one of the most advanced forms of pitch manipulation in rap music.
Lyrics
Abstract hip hop is a genre that eschews many of the conventions of traditional hip hop, and has become a fixture in the underground hip hop scene in the 2000s. Lyrically, these artists tend to focus on more abstract ideas such as existentialism or social institutions, rather than everyday problems or braggadocio. They also typically avoid the more upfront, visceral language of typical hip hop and prefer extensive metaphors and symbolic word choice.
This style of music uses vocabulary that is both creative and influential, fusing new words with traditional slang and using them in new ways to convey a message. This is a way of breaking down social barriers and making the messages more accessible to wider audiences.
The lyrics of abstract hip hop are usually more complex than that of gangsta rap, containing themes such as existentialism, existentialism in society, and social justice. These themes can be expressed in a variety of ways, including comparing different things and using them as symbols for emotions or ideas.
It is also common for abstract artists to use metaphors, which are statements that pretend one thing is really something else. For example, in a song about love, it is often said that “love is like a red heart cut from construction paper”. This is a metaphor because it is a statement that pretends the idea of love can be represented by something that is not physical.
In a similar way, abstract hip hop also uses a lot of slang to express emotions and ideas. This is a way of breaking down barriers between the listener and the artist, allowing the artist to speak directly to his audience without having to explain his emotions in an elaborate and overly complicated way.
Moreover, abstract rappers use unconventional beats to further their artistic message. They may include drums, bass, guitar, or synthesizers in their beats.
Abstract hip hop is a very interesting and unique type of music that can be very powerful. The lyrics are very thought-provoking, and the music has a very strong sense of rhythm. This style of music is very popular in the United States, and is a great way to introduce a younger audience to the world of hip hop.
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