Rap opera

Infobox Music genre
name = Hip hop music
bgcolor = darkblue
color = white
stylistic_origins = Hip hop music, opera, concept albums, spoken word, musical theatre, rock opera (conceptual origins)
cultural_origins = Early 1970s South Bronx, New York City
instruments = Turntable, vocals, drum machine, sampler, synthesizer, beatboxing, bass guitar
popularity = Some hip hop artists have produced concept albums
other_topics = Breakdance – Graffiti – Fashion – Subgenres – Notable albums – World hip hop

A rap opera or hip-hopera is a series of hip hop songs in the form of an opera, inspired by the concept of rock opera.

Like its predecessor, rap opera tells a story through consecutive pieces of music involving the same character or characters. Rap opera may be a purely auditory experience, or it may be associated with a musical, comic book, or other art form. It is a relatively young, spontaneous form, performed more by amateurs and non-profit groups than by professional rappers.

R&B singer R. Kelly claims he coined the term "hip-hopera" for his "Trapped in the Closet" series of songs, the first of which debuted in 2005. However, in 2001, MTV debuted a telefilm entitled "", directed by Robert Townsend and starring Beyoncé Knowles and Mekhi Phifer. Volume 10 also released an album called Hip-Hopera in 1994.

Examples

*R. Kelly's "Trapped in the Closet" series
*Public Enemy's "He Got Game"
*""
*Prince Paul's "A Prince Among Thieves"
*"Deltron 3030"
*Sable and Batalion's "J.O.B., the Hip-Hopera"
*Rapper and producer Dr. Dre has stated that his third album, "Detox", may be a rap opera.
*Lil Dabby's debut, 'As Dabby As I Wanna Be' is believed to be a hip-hopera.
*Michael Tippett's "New Year" uses rap in a number of scenes.
*Ugly Duckling's Taste the Secret
*Lupe Fiasco's The Cool
*"Libera Me From Hell" in the anime "Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann"
*Ciara's single "High Price" from her third album "Fantasy Ride"
*Kanye West's "Last Call" from "College Dropout"
*Des Bishop's "Rap Éire"
*Jay-Z's American Gangster

See also

*A Night at the Hip Hopera