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The instrumentation of rap is descended from disco, funk, and R&B, both in the sound systems and records sampled, and session musicians and their instrumentation, used. Disco or club DJs use of mixing originated from the need to have continuous music and thus smooth transitions between tracks, while in hip hop Kool DJ Herc originated the practice of isolating and extending only the break, basically short percussion solo interludes, by mixing between two copies of the same record, as this was, according to Afrika Bambaataa the "certain part of the record that everybody waits for -- they just let their inner self go and get wild." (Toop, 1991) James Brown, Bob James , and Parliament -- among many others -- have long been popular sources for breaks. Over this one could and did add instrumental parts from other records, frequently as horn punches (ibid). Thus the instrumentation of early sampled or sound system-based hip hop is the same as funk, disco, or rock: vocals, guitar, keyboards, bass, drums and percussion.
A DJ needs turntables, a good sound system, and scratch fodder, which typically comes in the form of vinyl records in milk crates (Toop, 1991). Some early recorded rap music does not contain any sampling or DJing, however; for example, none of the members of the Sugarhill Gang were actually involved in the DJing scene in the Bronx and thus couldn't have done any, which explains the session player remake of "Good Times". More recently instrumental ability has become more valued as witnessed by multi-instrumentalists such as Outkast and The Roots.
Undoubtedly, the most important element of rap lyrics is rhyme. In other forms of poetry, rhymes that span many syllables are often considered whimsical but in hip hop, the ability to construct raps with large sets of rhyming syllables is considered a sign of intelligence and achievement. To accomplish rhymes of this sophistication, rappers can use single rhyming words ( intellectual/ineffectual) or they can use multiple words whose constituent syllables rhyme ( octoroon/ Doctor Dooom). Rap lyrics often contain long series of lines each of which rhyme with each other. Occasionally, entire songs are composed in this fashion where all lines rhyme with each other. Of course, the more intricate the rhymes are, the more abstract the song becomes. This is because the more focus given to impressive rhyming, the harder it becomes to write coherently.
Battle raps can be written with complex rhyming techniques easier than raps that tell a story or convey a messagebecause a battle rap can employee a vast array of metaphors to conjure images of rapper to rapper combat.
Rhyme is also integral to Freestyle battles. These contests pit two rappers together to lyrically insult and intimidate each other with impromptu lyrics. The ability to construct clever rhymes to insult the opponent "off the top of the dome" ("dome is slang for "head") is a critical skill to winning these contests
Originally rap records were 12 inch singles, but they quickly began to be released as albums. (Toop, 1991)
In many traditional cultures there exist lyrical forms that could loosely be described as rapping. Examples of these include:
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