Rhythm and blues (R&B) originated decades before hip-hop music. It first emerged in the mid-1940s, when it was known as "race music." The R&B music style was inspired by the jazz, gospel and blues music that was played in the 1930s and early 1940s in the United States.
Hip-hop music began in the early 1970s and was derived from funk, disco, soul, performance poetry and R&B. Jamaican immigrant Clive Campbell, known as DJ Kool Herc, is considered to be the father of hip-hop. The term hip-hop was first used by Keith "Cowboy" Wiggins in 1978.
Musical instruments such as piano and drums are common in both R&B and hip-hop music. R&B music also features saxophone, horns, organ, electric guitar and double bass, whereas typical hip-hop instruments are synthesizer, bass guitar, beat box, digital audio workstation and turntable. The selection of instruments may vary among different artists and bands of both R&B and hip-hop music, but the basic instruments are always included.
The vocals in R&B music are mostly focused on clarity of content with smooth flow; the lyrics are often about love, joy or failed relationships. The chorus often repeats during the verses throughout the whole song.
The singing style in hip-hop does not always focus on total clarity of words; singers often skip or trim words in order to fit them into the verse, as the content of the song represents personal experiences and cruel social realities. Backing vocals are used in both R&B and hip-hop music.
Just as both R&B and hip-hop music were influenced by earlier genres of music, there are many music genres that have been inspired by and derived from R&B and hip-hop. R&B music has influenced funk, rock 'n' roll, soul and reggae music, whereas electro, break-beat, grime, trip-hop and drum 'n' bass are the derivatives of hip-hop music. Both music genres continue to inspire other music styles.