Similarities
Both genres of music once became a symbol of the protest of their time (Gioia 23). They were created by African-Americans who faced daily oppression and struggled to survive in a hostile system.
Both genres were born as a way of entertainment (Gioia 20). Music became a language trough which people shared their experiences and expressed their emotions.
Improvisation plays a special role in the art of jazz, and it is often used to evaluate a musician’s skill. In rap music, freestyle is also an important aspect, which shows the ability of the artist to create the lyrics of the song on the go.
Difference
In the texts of the rap artists’ compositions, over time, more complex topics were touched upon, not only personal but also socio-political problems were revealed (Gioia 58). In jazz, music has always been in the first place, the professionalism of the performers and the complexity of their parts have developed.
Rap works with a clear, cyclically repeated beat, over which the text is superimposed. In jazz, the melody is built based on a rugged, irregular, and jumping rhythmic pattern with shifted accents, which the musicians play (Finkelstein 23).
Rap appeared on the playgrounds and school playgrounds of the Bronx in New York City in the 1970s. Jazz originates from New Orleans, and it first appeared in the nineteenth century (Finkelstein 15).
In hip-hop as a rule singers are more focused on verses and rhyme. In jazz improvisation is more focused on the music, and the singers often present variations each time, adding versatility.
Works Cited
Gioia, Ted. Music: A subversive history. Hachette UK, 2019.
Finkelstein, Sidney Walter. Jazz: A people’s music. Pickle Partners Publishing, 2018.