Rap metal
In 1987, the heavy metal band Anthrax released their extended play I'm the Man. This record fused hip hop with heavy metal for the first time on a major label. Scott Ian of Anthrax later claimed that Rage Against the Machine invented the genre, yet history shows earlier experiments. The Beastie Boys sampled heavy metal music in their early tracks. Cypress Hill and Run-DMC also incorporated rock riffs into their sound during the 1980s. Faith No More began blending funk metal elements with rap vocals around this same period. In 1988, rapper Sir Mix-a-Lot teamed up with Metal Church to release Iron Man. That single loosely based upon the Black Sabbath song of the same name appeared on his debut album Swass. Ministry added rappers The Grand Wizard and The Slogan God to their 1989 track Test. Ice-T formed Body Count in 1990 and performed sets that were half rap songs and half metal songs at the 1991 Lollapalooza tour. Stuck Mojo and Clawfinger both formed in 1989 are considered pioneers of the genre. Anthrax reunited with Public Enemy in 1991 to remake Bring the Noise. Tourniquet featured the hip hop group P.I.D. on Spineless from Psycho Surgery that year. Whitecross included a rap by Alton Hood of D.O.C. on In The Kingdom.
The summer of 1999 saw rap metal reach its height of popularity according to the Port Huron Times-Herald. Kid Rock released Devil Without a Cause behind Welcome 2 the Party on the 18th of August 1998. Sales started slow until the Vans Warped Tour in Northampton, Massachusetts stimulated regional interest. By April 1999, Devil Without a Cause achieved gold status and went platinum the following month. On the 24th of July 1999, Kid Rock became double platinum after his Woodstock performance. His single Cowboy made the Top 40 and became the theme song for WCW's Jeff Jarrett. The album sold 7 million copies before being certified 11 times platinum by the RIAA on the 17th of April 2003. Limp Bizkit's Significant Other climbed to number one on the Billboard 200 selling 643,874 copies in its first week. Chocolate Starfish and the Hot Dog Flavored Water set a record with over one million copies sold in the U.S. in its first week. That record broke Pearl Jam's Vs. which had held it for seven years. Papa Roach's Infest became a platinum hit selling over 3 million copies worldwide. Linkin Park released Hybrid Theory late in 2000. It remains the best-selling debut album by any artist in the 21st century. The album was also the best-selling album in all genres in 2001. Crazy Town reached mainstream success with Butterfly peaking at number one on many charts including the Billboard Hot 100 during March 2001.
Pop punk musician Jeff Brogowski told The Morning Call newspaper in 1999 that these macho rap-metal bands are just so mean-spirited. He pointed to the troubled Woodstock 1999 festival as evidence of something strange going on. The event featured many artists associated with rap metal such as Kid Rock, Limp Bizkit, Rage Against the Machine and Reveille. Brogowski noted all the violence, looting and fires happening at the festival. He compared the situation to the cockiness seen during the '80s when economic prosperity made people feel invincible. Critics argued that the genre promoted an ugly image linked to the chaos at the festival. The backlash grew as the style attracted negative public perception following those events. Some observers felt the music reflected a darker side of American culture during times of plenty. The association between the sound and the riots created lasting stigma for the genre. Mainstream media began focusing heavily on the controversy rather than the musical innovation itself.
Nu metal combines elements of hip hop with alternative metal, funk, industrial and groove metal. Bands drew influences from rap metal and other heavy metal subgenres throughout the late 1990s. Cypress Hill incorporated direct heavy metal influences into their 2000 album Skull & Bones. That record featured six tracks where rappers B-Real and Sen Dog were backed by Fear Factory members Christian Olde Wolbers and Dino Cazares. Rage Against Machine drummer Brad Wilk also played on those sessions. B-Real formed Kush with Wolbers, Fear Factory drummer Raymond Herrera and Deftones guitarist Stephen Carpenter. According to B-Real, Kush is more aggressive than other bands in the genre. SX-10 formed in 1996 by Sen Dog performs rap rock and rap metal. P.O.D.'s Satellite album went triple platinum in 2001 peaking at number six on the Billboard 200 chart. Saliva's Every Six Seconds debuted at no. 6 on the Billboard 200 that same year. The genre evolved through shared influences and the rise of bands like Korn and Papa Roach in the early 2000s. Artists began blending distorted beats with aggressive vocal styles while maintaining hip hop flows.
Proyecto Eskhata a Spanish band which debuted in 2012 has received much press coverage for its fusion of progressive rock and rap metal. Journalists have described their sound as progressive rap metal. Bones released tracks considered trap metal beginning around 2014 according to Kerrang! magazine. British rapper Scarlxrd is often associated with the genre and is considered a pioneer of trap metal. WQHT described OG Maco's 2014 eponymous EP as being part of the genre's early development. Other artists associated with trap metal include Dropout Kings, Bone Crew, Ghostemane, ZillaKami, Fever 333, Ho99o9, City Morgue, Kid Bookie, Kim Dracula, Backxwash, Banshee, Denzel Curry, and $uicideboy$. The stylistic influences vary widely with some drawing from hardcore punk while others explore gothic rock or industrial metal. XXXTentacion, 6ix9ine and Ski Mask the Slump God all had early careers linked to this style. Distorted beats define the modern iteration alongside harsh vocals and sampled guitar riffs. The genre continues to evolve through digital production techniques and live instrumentation.
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Common questions
When did Anthrax release the first rap metal record on a major label?
Anthrax released their extended play I'm the Man in 1987 which fused hip hop with heavy metal for the first time on a major label. Scott Ian of Anthrax later claimed that Rage Against the Machine invented the genre yet history shows earlier experiments.
What happened during the Woodstock 1999 festival regarding rap metal bands?
The summer of 1999 saw rap metal reach its height of popularity according to the Port Huron Times-Herald and featured many artists associated with rap metal such as Kid Rock, Limp Bizkit, Rage Against the Machine and Reveille. The event included violence looting and fires happening at the festival which created lasting stigma for the genre.
How many copies did Kid Rock's Devil Without a Cause sell before being certified 11 times platinum by the RIAA on the 17th of April 2003?
Kid Rock released Devil Without a Cause behind Welcome 2 the Party on the 18th of August 1998 and the album sold 7 million copies before being certified 11 times platinum by the RIAA on the 17th of April 2003. Sales started slow until the Vans Warped Tour in Northampton Massachusetts stimulated regional interest.
Which band formed in 1996 performs rap rock and rap metal according to Sen Dog?
SX-10 formed in 1996 by Sen Dog performs rap rock and rap metal. Cypress Hill incorporated direct heavy metal influences into their 2000 album Skull & Bones that record featured six tracks where rappers B-Real and Sen Dog were backed by Fear Factory members Christian Olde Wolbers and Dino Cazares.
When was Linkin Park Hybrid Theory released and what sales record does it hold?
Linkin Park released Hybrid Theory late in 2000 and it remains the best-selling debut album by any artist in the 21st century. The album was also the best-selling album in all genres in 2001.