Music genre
For the Bellamy Brothers album and song, see
Country Rap
.
Country rap
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Other names
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Stylistic origins
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Cultural origins
| Late 1990s, United States (
South
,
South Central
)
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Country rap
(
country hip hop
and sometimes
hick hop
) is a fusion genre of
popular music
, blending
country music
with
hip hop
?style
singing
or
rapping
.
[1]
[2]
History
[
edit
]
Prototypes
[
edit
]
Early influences on the emergence of country rap as a distinct genre include
talking blues
like "
Big Bad John
" (1961) by
Jimmy Dean
, "
A Boy Named Sue
" (1969) by
Johnny Cash
, the 1971 cover of
"Hot Rod Lincoln
" by
Commander Cody and His Lost Planet Airmen
, "
Convoy
" (1975) by
C.W. McCall
and "
Uneasy Rider
" (1975) and "
The Devil Went Down to Georgia
" (1979), both by
Charlie Daniels
. Black artists' works that may have been influential in the genre's development include Jamaican
ska
artist
Prince Buster
's "Texas Hold-Up" (1964), "Lil Ole Country Boy" (1970) by
Parliament
, and "Black Grass" (1972) by
Bad Bascomb
.
[3]
Music journalist
Chuck Eddy
traces the genre's roots back to
Woody Guthrie
.
[4]
Blowfly
's single "Blowfly's Rapp" (1980) drew on the influence of earlier
country
musicians like Charlie Daniels and C. W. McCall;
NPR
said the song is a "
Deliverance
-style encounter with
Ku Klux Klan
-accredited truck drivers to light funkbacking".
[5]
Spin Magazine
said Trickeration's "Western Gangster Town" (1980) (released four years before
Schoolly D
's "
Gangster Boogie
") is "cowboy rap's
Rosetta stone
, and probably the first 'gangster' rap".
[3]
Other early examples of country rap are
Sir Mix-A-Lot
's "
Square Dance Rap
" (1985) where he raps in the voice of a "white country boy". The lyric
"From L.A. to Carolina / Drop them suckers in
Aunt Jemima
"
in Sir Mix-A-Lot's "Buttermilk Biscuits" (1988) is a reference to what many consider a racial stereotype, trademarked after
Chris L. Rutt
heard a performance of the
minstrel
song "
Old Aunt Jemima
" (1876).
[3]
The song "
Rappin' Duke
" (1985) is a parody of western film star
John Wayne
: "Two hundred punks, well, what you gonna do?/I got two six-shooters that'll see me through". The song also contains a reference to "
Old Folks at Home
" (1851).
[3]
The genre-blending was not limited only to hip hop artists;
country
duo
Bellamy Brothers
released "
Country Rap
" (1987) with lyrics about
soul food
, church, turnip greens and black-eyed peas.
[6]
UGK
became pioneers of the hardcore
Southern rap
style that emerged after the success of the
Geto Boys
, which they started to call "country rap". At the end of "Let Me See It",
Pimp C
raps: "This ain't no muthafuckin' hip-hop records, these country rap tunes", originally a response to Northern hip hop artists who had criticized Southern rap for not being "real hip-hop".
[7]
The name of the song "Hay" (1996) by
Crucial Conflict
is a reference to
marijuana
.
[8]
1998?present: Emergence
[
edit
]
Kid Rock
's "
Cowboy
", released in 1999, reflects a cross-section of Kid Rock's
country music
,
Southern rock
and
hip hop
influences,
[9]
even quoting a piano riff from
the Doors
song "
L.A. Woman
".
[3]
[10]
Kid Rock has described the song as a cross between
Run DMC
and
Lynyrd Skynyrd
.
[11]
Kid Rock's former DJ,
Uncle Kracker
, was another pioneer of country rap in his solo career.
[12]
In the early 2000s, producer Shannon "Fat Shan" Houchins and
Bubba Sparxxx
released Sparxxx's 2001 debut album
Dark Days, Bright Nights
as an independent release. The blend of country and
trap
caught the attention of producer
Jimmy Iovine
who re-released the album on
Interscope
.
[13]
[14]
Houchins soon after created
Average Joes Entertainment
with
Colt Ford
.
[15]
With songs like "No Trash in My Trailer" (2008) and "
Drivin' Around Song
" (2013), Ford has sold over one million albums.
[16]
[17]
[18]
The trend continued in 2005 when country music stars
Big & Rich
introduced
Cowboy Troy
and his album
Loco Motive
. Troy has said he uses "country instrumentation" that includes a banjo, fiddle, and acoustic guitar blended with "shredding rock guitar riffs and a rap delivery."
[19]
Hal Crowther
has written that "I Play Chicken with the Train" (2006) by Cowboy Troy was "scandalous
not
because it mixes 'black' rap with 'white' country, but because, through the sheer force of unlikely-but-seamless juxtaposition, it forces us to acknowledge that those two musical styles, at least when they whoop it up, are brothers under the skin".
[20]
In the late 2010s, country rap returned to prominence as part of the "Yee Haw" movement, a trend characterized by hip hop producers incorporating country music into their own recordings.
Young Thug
's 2017 song "Family Don't Matter" is credited with popularizing the movement. Artists within "Yee Haw" include
Lil Tracy
and
DaBaby
.
[21]
Other country rap artists include
Ryan Upchurch
,
Jawga Boyz
, Bottleneck,
Moonshine Bandits
and
Big Smo
.
[22]
Cowboy Troy,
Lenny Cooper
and
The Lacs
were three of the top country rap artists of 2013 each with an album on
Billboard
's
Country Chart.
[16]
In 2020,
Niko Moon
's "
Good Time
" peaked at number 20 on the Hot 100
[23]
? with the track being a hip hop song with country influence, or vice versa.
[24]
The same year, country singer
Billy Ray Cyrus
released a heavily rap-inspired country song from his
Mama Kush
project titled “Ballad of Jed,” while also world-premiering an
animated
music video, which debuted on
Weedmaps
in celebration of
4/20
.
[25]
Country trap
[
edit
]
In 2019, 20-year-old rapper
Lil Nas X
's "country
trap
" single "
Old Town Road
" achieved mainstream international success.
[26]
Assisted by several subsequent versions, including a remix featuring Billy Ray Cyrus, the song broke multiple U.S. streaming records and charted at number one on the
Billboard
Hot 100
for a record nineteen weeks.
[27]
[28]
In June 2019,
Blanco Brown
's "
The Git Up
", also described by
USA Today
as a "trap-country" song, also achieved viral success.
[29]
Other notable country trap songs include "
Rodeo
" by Lil Nas X and
Cardi B
and "
Rascal
" by
RMR
.
Collaborations
[
edit
]
The
Mo Thugs Family
single "
Ghetto Cowboy
" (1998) is noted for featuring a harmonica.
[30]
Rolling Stone
said of "
Cruise (Remix)
" (2012) by
Florida Georgia Line
featuring
Nelly
, that the track "ushered in the wave of escapist fantasies set to
syncopated
drum loops that became known as '
bro country
'.
[31]
[30]
Florida Georgia Line has said that Nelly's part "just connected", helping to make the "Cruise" remix reach the No. 1 and No. 4 positions on the
Billboard
Hot Country Songs and Hot 100 charts respectively; it also became the first country single to ever gain a
RIAA
diamond
certification
.
[32]
B.o.B
and pop singer
Taylor Swift
collaborated on "
Both of Us
" (2012). The track features Swift's country vocals and a blend of hip-hop with banjos. It became a top 10 hit in Australia and New Zealand and a top 20 hit in the US.
[33]
Country singer
Brad Paisley
and rapper
LL Cool J
recorded the controversial song "
Accidental Racist
" for Paisley's 2013 album
Wheelhouse
.
[34]
Other collaborations include "Po' Folks" (2002) by
Nappy Roots
with
Anthony Hamilton
, "Country Folks" (2012) by Bubba Sparxxx featuring Colt Ford & Danny Boone, "
Dirt Road Anthem
" (remix) by
Jason Aldean
and
Ludacris
, and "Try Harder Than That" by
Meghan Linsey
with Bubba Sparxxx (2014).
[30]
[33]
Popularity
[
edit
]
Physical sales of country rap albums are higher in more rural areas where country rap fans do not have the Internet services required to stream or download music.
[35]
There are numerous country rap festivals where artists gather to play their music for upwards of 7,000 fans.
[35]
Politics
[
edit
]
The term "hick-hop" is often criticized by some southern artists, with Struggle Jennings saying, "I love the country, I love the South, I've been fishing and hunting, but I'm not a hick. I'm not hick-hop".
[35]
The political ideology of country rap artists is perceived as being
right-wing
or
conservative
, due to some right-leaning politics expressed by artists like Upchurch and
Forgiato Blow
;
[35]
however the political ideology of country rap artists ranges the full spectrum of political beliefs.
[35]
References
[
edit
]
- ^
Lawrence, Keith (May 28, 2008).
"Bluegrass meets hip-hop at Kentucky school"
.
Chicago Tribune
.
- ^
"Podcast: Country In HipHop"
.
New York Times
. Retrieved
September 21,
2013
.
- ^
a
b
c
d
e
"59 Hay-Ya! Moments in Rap and Country's Uncomfortable History"
.
Spin Magazine
. March 7, 2019
. Retrieved
August 3,
2019
.
- ^
Eddy, Chuck (1997).
The Accidental Evolution of Rock 'n' Roll
. Da Capo Press. pp. 126?27.
ISBN
0-306-80741-6
- ^
"Remembering Blowfly, Black Music's Filthiest Legend"
.
NPR
. January 19, 2016
. Retrieved
August 3,
2019
.
- ^
"A History of Hick-Hop: The 27-Year-Old Story of Country Rap"
.
Rolling Stone
. June 27, 2014
. Retrieved
August 3,
2019
.
- ^
Sarig, Roni (2007).
Third Coast: Outkast, Timbaland, and How Hip-hop Became a Southern Thing
. Hachette Book Group. p. 57.
ISBN
978-0306816475
. Retrieved
August 4,
2019
.
- ^
"Before "Old Town Road": The Evolution of Country Rap Tunes"
. No. Complex. April 11, 2019
. Retrieved
August 3,
2019
.
- ^
"Kid Rock - C&I Magazine"
. July 1, 2015.
- ^
Brackett, Nathan; Hoard, Christian David (2004).
The New Rolling Stone Album Guide
. Simon and Schuster. p. 450.
ISBN
9780743201698
.
- ^
"15 Best Kid Rock singles, from 'Bawitdaba' to 'First Kiss'
"
.
amp.azcentral.com
.
- ^
Staff (November 25, 2015).
"Country-rap pioneer Uncle Kracker brings his pure country-rock shine to Royal Oak Friday, Nov. 27"
. Metro Times
. Retrieved
December 20,
2022
.
- ^
"Hick-Hop Gets Down and Dirty"
.
The Tennessean
. Retrieved
September 21,
2013
.
- ^
"The Guide to Getting into Country Rap, from Bubba Sparxxx to Lil Nas X"
.
VICE News
. April 22, 2019
. Retrieved
August 4,
2019
.
- ^
David Jeffries.
"Colt Ford biography"
.
Allmusic
. Retrieved
July 1,
2009
.
- ^
a
b
"The Unlikely Rise Of Hick-Hop"
.
The Wall Street Journal
. July 5, 2013
. Retrieved
June 23,
2016
.
- ^
Caramanica, Jon (May 23, 2014).
"Country Music Opens Its Ears"
.
The New York Times
. Retrieved
May 23,
2014
.
- ^
"Bubba Sparxxx Bio"
.
8/4/2012
. BackRoad Records. January 11, 2019. Archived from
the original
on October 13, 2014
. Retrieved
September 21,
2013
.
- ^
Stark, Phyllis.
"Cowboy Troy's Wild Ride"
.
Billboard
.
- ^
Crowther, Hal (2010).
Southern Cultures: Winter 2010
. University of North Carolina Press. p. 60.
ISBN
978-0807899717
. Retrieved
August 4,
2019
.
- ^
Michael Saponara (March 22, 2019).
"5 Things to Know About 'Old Town Road' Rapper Lil Nas X"
.
Billboard
. Retrieved
March 29,
2019
.
- ^
Peisner, David.
"Rhymes From the Backwoods: The Rise of Country Rap"
.
Rolling Stone
. Retrieved
August 4,
2019
.
- ^
"Niko Moon ? Chart History"
.
Billboard
.
- ^
"Makin' Tracks: Niko Moon Blends Country, Hip-Hop and Apple Pie Moonshine in 'Good Time'
"
.
Billboard
.
- ^
"AVAILABLE NOW: BILLY RAY CYRUS DROPS NEW MUSIC AND ANIMATED VIDEO ON 4/20 "BALLAD OF JED" FROM HIS NEW PROJECT: MAMA KUSH | Broken Bow Records"
.
promo.bbrmusicgroup.com
. Retrieved
May 23,
2023
.
- ^
Fink, Jenni (July 29, 2019).
"Lil Nas X's 'Old Town Road' Breaks Record Set by 'One Sweet Day,' 'Despacito'
"
.
Newsweek
.
Archived
from the original on July 29, 2019
. Retrieved
August 1,
2019
.
- ^
Unterberger, Andrew.
"17 Weeks of 'Old Town Road': A Week-by-Week Look Back at Lil Nas X's Historic Run at No. 1 on the Hot 100"
.
Billboard
.
Prometheus Global Media
.
Archived
from the original on July 29, 2019
. Retrieved
August 1,
2019
.
- ^
Trust, Gary.
"Lil Nas X's 'Old Town Road' Leads
Billboard
Hot 100 for 19th Week, Ariana Grande & Social House's 'Boyfriend' Debuts in Top 10"
.
Billboard
.
Archived
from the original on August 12, 2019
. Retrieved
August 12,
2019
.
- ^
McDermott, Maeve.
"The next 'Old Town Road?' Trap-country goes viral again with Blanco Brown's 'The Git Up'
"
.
USA Today
. Retrieved
July 14,
2019
.
- ^
a
b
c
McDermott, Maeve.
"It's not just 'Old Town Road': 20 best country-rap songs of the past 20 years"
. usatoday
. Retrieved
August 4,
2019
.
- ^
Bernstein, Jonathan (February 13, 2019).
"Review: Florida Georgia Line Sound Awfully Defensive on 'Can't Say I Ain't Country'
"
.
Rolling Stone
. Retrieved
August 4,
2019
.
- ^
"You'd Never Say They Weren't Country: The Brand That Built Florida Georgia Line"
.
Vice News
. March 13, 2019
. Retrieved
August 4,
2019
.
- ^
a
b
"Yee-Haw: 12 Hip-Hop/Country Collaborations"
.
Vibe
. April 5, 2019
. Retrieved
August 4,
2019
.
- ^
Tim Nudd (April 9, 2013).
"Brad Paisley Defends Controversial 'Accidental Racist' Duet with LL Cool J"
.
People
. Retrieved
April 9,
2013
.
- ^
a
b
c
d
e
"Country Rap: Inside a Genre Full of Big Dreams and Contradictions"
.
rollingstone.com
. January 24, 2018.
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Genres
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Regional scenes
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Related
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