From Rappers to Rockstars 

Ray Bellville 

Music Journalist 

Rock and Rap share many similarities and historical equivalencies, especially in the media. In the modern day, rap has produced modern-day rockstars from the likes of PARIS TEXAS to Playboi Carti and more. I will explore the connections between these two massive genres and highlight rock influences in rap. 

Connections between genres 

These genres have lived and aged together in close proximity, with many legends collaborating on projects, such as Jay-Z and Linkin Park, who released a collaboration album, Collision Course. Originating with scrutiny from powers of the social sphere, they were called reckless, disorderly, and often diminished as polluting the minds of the youth with a rebellious consciousness. In the modern day, rappers have become more intrigued by the “rage.” 

Rage-Rap 

What is the “rage”? It’s a concept, a recent subgenre that was started by the likes of Playboi Carti, Travis Scott, Lil Uzi Vert, and Trippie Redd. It’s a chaotic sound that’s meant for crowds with high-energy mosh pits. Oftentimes, I can look back at tracks like “Miss The Rage” by Trippie Redd and “R.I.P” by Playboi Carti and find the core on which this subgenre was built. Disorienting 808’s and synth loops, usually in front of the vocals, provide a nice layer of melodic rhyming to bring your emotions and most definitely the rage out. 

Rockstar 

Rockstars come in various forms, but in rap, Playboi Carti has embraced the persona with his all-black, alternative “vamp” aesthetic. His loud punk-influenced sound from his last albums with Whole Lotta Red and Music has inspired new generations to follow suit with his rock influence, mostly from his own label, Opium, as it continues to grow and explore the “rage”. He’s become the foundation for the future of the genre for rising artists such as Ken Carson, Destroy Lonely, and 2Hollis. 

Metal-Rap 

Metal Rap has been a subgenre for a while, gaining traction around the mid to late 2010’s. XXXTentacion and Ski Mask the Slump God make songs that carry the same feelings of anger and passion, as heard in their track “Take a Step Back.” There have also been numerous samples since then. JID and Offset sampled “Bodies” by Drowning Pool in their track “Bodies”. On their 2023 album Pink Tapes, Lil Uzi sampled System of a Down song “Chop Suey” in his track “CS” and WWE star Shinsuke Nakamura’s entrance song in his track “Nakamura”. Denzel Curry, an alternative rapper, has covered Rage Against the Machine and, on act 3 of his 2018 album Taboo, recorded four rage metal rap songs with the likes of ZillaKami, known for his screamo vocals, and JPEGMAFIA, known for his punk aesthetic. Paris Texas, Kenny Mason, and Rico Nasty have also progressed using electric guitars and live instrumentals, leaning more into rock.  

In summary, Metal and rock have had a significant influence on younger generations of rap, often inspiring them to emulate them. Whether it was from awesome WWE intros or just discovering music on their own, it’s a core influence for the rage. I’m excited to see this progression play out in the future and what more collaborations can happen between the two genres.

Note: The header image of Playboi Carti performing in November 2016 was taken by The Come Up Show and cropped by Realmaxxver. The image is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license.