Rapping began in the Bronx, New York, during the 1970s, with people rhyming over records at house parties.
Rap music's creation was influenced by West African griot music and Jamaican "toasting" traditions. Griot is a form of praise singing, and toasting is a form of talking over a rhythm.
In 1979, The Sugarhill Gang released "Rapper's Delight," which became rap's first chart success. "Rapper's Delight" cracked the Billboard Top 10.
Rap music has made its way around the world. Prominent rap groups came out of Africa and Europe in the 1990s, according to National Geographic.
Gangsta rap became popular in the late 1980s and the 1990s. This controversial form of rap mirrors the dangers of inner-city life.