by Crystal White

Created on: June 18, 2009   Last Updated: June 19, 2009

Emcees are the artists formally known as rappers. Its tough to differentiate between an emcee and a rapper, but I think there are a few characteristics that separate the two. Rappers are who I consider the rhymers. The ones who artfully blend their phrases to mimic each others sound while at the same time, completing a thought or sentence. I think an emcee is more of a "spoken word" word artist. Emcees can freestyle to any beat and the rhyming doesn't matter because the voice smoothly conveys their message into the complete song. Emcees can also perform "acapella" because they create a melody with their words alone. A rapper is just a performer while an emcee is the announcer, host, and performer all in one. Emcee's hype the crowds while rappers just stand on stage and perform without much other crowd involvement. In fact, I believe any respectable "rapper" probably calls themselves an "Emcee".

As hard as it is to correctly label an "emcee", it is equally difficult to label a [ioneer. It is known, that as early as 1970, Jamaican-born artists were in America chanting over the instrumental breaks in popular songs. This included what we now call "shout outs" and the first ever "rap solos" in otherwise, non rap music. Before long, artists figured out that they could speak, recite, or rhyme over a continuous instrumental, creating their own genre of music that we now know as rap. It's unfortunate that few names are available to credit for inventing this, however, a younger generation upholds several artists as pioneering "emcees".

The most influentialeEmcees of my generation are the late Tupac Shakur and Biggie Smalls. Eminem, Nas, Jay-Z, DMX, and several others. These artists have each brought their own style to rap music and in the process invented their individual styles of emceeing. Tupac Shakur's music was and still is inspirational. Most of it is actual "written prose" that Tupac wrote in a poetry book. His delivery of lyrics over sampled or invented beats is nothing less than genius. Biggie Smalls was a phenomenal emcee based on his innovative abilities. He was quick witted and an even quicker talker. He epitomized the aspect of ad-libbing in emceeing. Eminem is well known for his music's "shock value". It fits in a category all its own and Eminem's message, whether it be hate or humor, is well related through his smooth dialect. Nas is what I call "deep". He raps about thoughts, feelings, and situations that his audience is familiar with. He draws listeners with the emotions in his voice, usually riding on an equally emotional beat line. Jay-Z, claims to be the best, and to many, he is. Jay-Z has a wide variety of topics that he covers in his songs but he amazingly rhymes and chimes one of the most blended and smooth sounds that rap music has to offer. DMX stands alone as an emcee because of not only the content of his lyrics but his common use of sounds other than his speaking voice like barking, growling, and yelling. Although it sounds ridiculous here, it sounds unique and real over the beats. All of the artists mentioned deserve to be called "pioneering emcees" to 21st century music. Who would have known that rapping or emceeing would become a true form of expression and entertainment ? One thing is for certain, now that "emcees" have been defined in the music world, none of the best will be forgotten.

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