Editing Rapping (section)

==Performance==
[[File:The Megaphone State at Sello library, Finland 2011 2.jpg|thumb|Ekow, part of The Megaphone State rap duo, performing at the [[Sello Library]] in [[Espoo]], Finland, in 2011]]
To successfully deliver a rap, a rapper must also develop vocal presence, [[enunciation]], and [[Vocal technique|breath control]]. Vocal presence is the distinctiveness of a rapper's voice on record. Enunciation is essential to a flowing rap; some rappers choose also to exaggerate it for comic and artistic effect. Breath control, taking in air without interrupting one's delivery, is an important skill for a rapper to master, and a must for any MC. An MC with poor breath control cannot deliver difficult verses without making unintentional pauses.

Raps are sometimes delivered with melody. West Coast rapper [[Egyptian Lover]] was the first notable MC to deliver "sing-raps".<ref name="r10" /> Popular rappers such as [[50 Cent]] and [[Ja Rule]] add a slight melody to their otherwise purely percussive raps whereas some rappers such as [[Cee-Lo Green]] are able to [[harmony|harmonize]] their raps with the beat. The Midwestern group [[Bone Thugs-n-Harmony]] was one of the first groups to achieve nationwide recognition for using the fast-paced, melodic and harmonic raps that are also practiced by [[Do or Die (group)|Do or Die]], another Midwestern group. Another rapper that harmonized his rhymes was [[Nate Dogg]], a rapper part of the group 213. Rakim experimented not only with following the beat, but also with complementing the song's melody with his own voice, making his flow sound like that of an instrument (a saxophone in particular).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.maximumfun.org/blog/2006/07/rakim-allah-interview.html|title=Rakim Allah Interview – Maximum Fun|date=July 7, 2006|access-date=June 30, 2015|archive-date=February 3, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160203101329/http://www.maximumfun.org/blog/2006/07/rakim-allah-interview.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

The ability to rap quickly and clearly is sometimes regarded as an important sign of skill. In certain [[list of genres of hip hop|hip-hop subgenres]] such as [[chopped and screwed]], slow-paced rapping is often considered optimal. The current record for fastest rapper is held by Spanish rapper Domingo Edjang Moreno, known by his alias Chojin, who rapped 921 syllables in one minute on December 23, 2008.<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/records/arts_and_media/music_feats_and_facts/fastest_rap_mc.aspx | title = Guinness World Records | access-date = August 27, 2010 | archive-date = October 24, 2006 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20061024041919/http://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/records/arts_and_media/music_feats_and_facts/fastest_rap_mc.aspx | url-status = live }}</ref>

===Emcees===
In the late 1970s, the term emcee, MC or M.C., derived from "[[master of ceremonies]]",<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.daveyd.com/historyemceegmcaz.html|title=The Emcee [MC] Master of Ceremonies to Mic Controller by Grandmaster Caz|access-date=June 30, 2015|archive-date=October 8, 2003|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20031008184830/http://www.daveyd.com/historyemceegmcaz.html|url-status=live}}</ref> became an alternative title for a rapper, and for their role within hip-hop music and culture. An MC uses rhyming verses, pre-written or ad lib ('[[Freestyle rap|freestyled]]'), to introduce the DJ with whom they work, to keep the crowd entertained or to glorify themselves. As hip hop progressed, the title MC acquired [[backronym]]s such as 'mike chanter'<ref>Hebdige, Dick, 1987, ''Cut 'n' Mix: Culture, Identity and Caribbean Music'', p. 105.</ref> 'microphone controller', 'microphone checker', 'music commentator', and one who 'moves the crowd'. Some use this word interchangeably with the term ''rapper'', while for others the term denotes a superior level of skill and connection to the wider culture.

MC can often be used as a term of distinction; referring to an artist with good performance skills.<ref name="autogeneratedxii">Edwards, Paul, 2009, ''[[How to Rap]]: The Art & Science of the Hip-Hop MC'', Chicago Review Press, p. xii.</ref> As [[Kool G Rap]] notes, "masters of ceremony, where the word 'M.C.' comes from, means just keeping the party alive" ''[[sic|[sic]]]''.<ref>Edwards, Paul, 2009, ''[[How to Rap]]: The Art & Science of the Hip-Hop MC'', Chicago Review Press, p. vii.</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://rapradar.com/2009/12/03/how-to-rap-kool-g-rap-foreword/ |title=How To Rap: Kool G Rap (Foreword) |publisher=Rap Radar |date=December 3, 2009 |access-date=June 10, 2010 |archive-date=February 27, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120227074709/http://rapradar.com/2009/12/03/how-to-rap-kool-g-rap-foreword/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Many people in hip hop including DJ Premier and KRS-One feel that James Brown was the first MC. James Brown had the lyrics, moves, and soul that greatly influenced a lot of rappers in hip hop, and arguably even started the first MC rhyme.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.amazon.com/MC-Why-We-Do/dp/B0006N2EKK/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1328642635&sr=8-1/ |title=The MC – Why We Do It: 50 Cent, Common, Ghostface Killah, Talib Kweli, Method Man, Mekhi Phifer, Raekwon, Rakim, Twista, Kanye West, Peter Spirer: Movies & TV |website=Amazon |access-date=June 20, 2012 |archive-date=March 7, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230307171533/https://www.amazon.com/MC-Why-We-Do/dp/B0006N2EKK/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1328642635&sr=8-1/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|author=J. Rizzle |url=http://kevinnottingham.com/2009/08/12/dj-premier-salutes-james-brown-the-foundation-of-hip-hop// |title=DJ Premier Salutes James Brown [The Foundation of Hip Hop&#93; &#124; The Underground Hip Hop Authority &#124; Hip Hop Music, Videos & Reviews |publisher=KevinNottingham.com |date=August 12, 2009 |access-date=July 6, 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111203234205/http://kevinnottingham.com/2009/08/12/dj-premier-salutes-james-brown-the-foundation-of-hip-hop/ |archive-date=December 3, 2011 }}</ref>

For some rappers, there was a distinction to the term, such as for [[MC Hammer]] who acquired the nickname "MC" for being a "Master of Ceremonies" which he used when he began performing at various clubs while on the road with the [[Oakland Athletics|Oakland As]] and eventually in the military ([[United States Navy]]).<ref>{{cite news| url=http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1077/is_n2_v46/ai_9177118/ | archive-url=https://archive.today/20120708013509/http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1077/is_n2_v46/ai_9177118/ | url-status=dead | archive-date=July 8, 2012 | work=Ebony | title='It's Hammer time!' M.C. Hammer: upbeat performer with high-voltage stage show broadens rap's appeal | year=1990}}</ref> It was within the lyrics of a rap song called "[[MC Hammer#Music and entertainment career|This Wall]]" that Hammer first identified himself as M.C. Hammer and later marketed it on his debut album ''[[Feel My Power]]''.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.amazon.com/Love-Education-Jon-Gibson/dp/B000008P2A |title=Love Education: Jon Gibson: Music |website=Amazon |year=1997 |access-date=June 20, 2012 |archive-date=July 9, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110709040752/http://www.amazon.com/Love-Education-Jon-Gibson/dp/B000008P2A |url-status=live }}</ref> The term MC has also been used in the genre of [[grime music]] to refer to a rapid style of rapping. Grime artist [[Jme (musician)|JME]] released an album titled ''Grime MC'' in 2019 which peaked at 29 on the [[UK Albums Chart]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.factmag.com/2019/11/14/jme-grime-mc-tease/|title=JME teases new album, ''Grime MC'', with YouTube video|publisher=FACT Magazine|date=November 14, 2019|access-date=November 15, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191115001841/https://www.factmag.com/2019/11/14/jme-grime-mc-tease/|archive-date=November 15, 2019|url-status=live}}</ref>

Uncertainty over the [[Acronym and initialism|acronym]]'s expansion may be considered evidence for its ubiquity: the full term "Master of Ceremonies" is very rarely used in the hip-hop scene. This confusion prompted the hip-hop group [[A Tribe Called Quest]] to include this statement in the liner notes to their 1993 album ''[[Midnight Marauders]]:
<blockquote>
The use of the term MC when referring to a rhyming wordsmith originates from the dance halls of Jamaica. At each event, there would be a master of ceremonies who would introduce the different musical acts and would say a toast in style of a rhyme, directed at the audience and to the performers. He would also make announcements such as the schedule of other events or advertisements from local sponsors. The term MC continued to be used by the children of women who moved to New York City to work as maids in the 1970s. These MCs eventually created a new style of music called hip-hop based on the rhyming they used to do in Jamaica and the breakbeats used in records. MC has also recently been accepted to refer to all who engineer music.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.hiphoparea.com/rap/mcing.html|title=Rap: MCing|website=Hiphoparea.com|access-date=February 25, 2021|archive-date=February 10, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210210171306/http://www.hiphoparea.com/rap/mcing.html|url-status=live}}</ref>
</blockquote>

=== Female rappers ===
[[File:Nicki_Minaj_VMAs_2018_(portrait_cropped).jpg|thumb|Rapper [[Nicki Minaj]] is regarded as the "[[Honorific nicknames in popular music|Queen of Rap]]".<ref>Minaj cited as the "Queen of Rap":
* {{Cite web |date=August 10, 2018 |title=GQ Editors Pick the Best Nicki Minaj Verses |url=https://www.gq.com/story/these-are-the-best-nicki-minaj-verses |access-date=October 19, 2021 |website=GQ |language=en-US}}
* {{Cite magazine |date=February 4, 2022 |title=Nicki Minaj x Lil Baby, Mitski & More: What's Your Favorite Music Release of the Week? Vote! |url=https://www.billboard.com/music/pop/new-music-release-poll-nicki-minaj-lil-baby-mitski-1235027444/ |language=en |access-date=February 7, 2022 |magazine=Billboard}}
* {{Cite web |title=Nicki Minaj backs Texas councilman who gave her a birthday shoutout |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/nbc-out/out-pop-culture/nicki-minaj-backs-texas-councilman-gave-birthday-shoutout-rcna8569 |access-date=January 7, 2022 |publisher=NBC News |date=December 13, 2021 |language=en}}
* {{Cite magazine |last=Lang |first=Cady |date=March 14, 2017 |title=Watch Nicki Minaj Flawlessly Lip Sync to Celine Dion |url=https://time.com/4701402/nicki-minaj-celine-dion-lip-sync/ |magazine=Time |language=en |access-date=November 11, 2021}}
* {{cite magazine|title=Nicki Minaj Flaunts Her Best Adele, Gets Vulnerable, and Plays Clarinet on 'Carpool Karaoke'|magazine=[[Rolling Stone]]|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/nicki-minaj-james-corden-carpool-karaoke-1333825/|date=April 7, 2022|access-date=September 13, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230505025219/https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/nicki-minaj-james-corden-carpool-karaoke-1333825/|archive-date=May 5, 2023|url-status=live}}
* {{cite web|title=Nicki Minaj's Tour Returns To The U.S., Fueling Her Album's Rise On The Charts|work=[[Forbes]]|url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/hughmcintyre/2024/09/11/nicki-minajs-tour-returns-to-the-us-fueling-her-albums-rise-on-the-charts/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240911140658/https://www.forbes.com/sites/hughmcintyre/2024/09/11/nicki-minajs-tour-returns-to-the-us-fueling-her-albums-rise-on-the-charts/|archive-date=September 11, 2024|date=September 11, 2024|access-date=September 13, 2024}}
* {{cite web|title=Nicki Minaj, in Las Vegas tour stop, solidifies reign as the Queen of Rap|work=[[Las Vegas Sun]]|url=https://lasvegassun.com/news/2024/mar/13/nicki-minaj-in-las-vegas-tour-stop-solidifies-reig/|date=March 13, 2024|access-date=September 13, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240914042909/https://lasvegassun.com/news/2024/mar/13/nicki-minaj-in-las-vegas-tour-stop-solidifies-reig/|archive-date=September 14, 2024|url-status=live}}
* {{Cite web |last=Mappoura |first=Lia |date=February 15, 2022 |title=This throwback picture of Nicki Minaj is proof that she ages backwards |url=https://www.cosmopolitan.com/uk/beauty-hair/celebrity-hair-makeup/a39088801/nicki-minaj-throwback-picture/ |access-date=February 17, 2022 |website=[[Cosmopolitan (magazine)|Cosmopolitan]]}}
* {{cite web|title=Nicki Minaj: See her award-winning rap career in pictures|work=[[USA Today]]|url=https://www.usatoday.com/picture-gallery/life/music/2018/08/22/nicki-minaj-queen-rap-royalty/1061645002/|date=August 22, 2018|access-date=September 13, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230424043855/https://www.usatoday.com/picture-gallery/life/music/2018/08/22/nicki-minaj-queen-rap-royalty/1061645002/|archive-date=April 24, 2023|url-status=live}}
* {{Cite web |last=Wang |first=Steffanee |title=Nicki Minaj & Lil Baby Pull Of A Heist On 'Do We Have A Problem |url=https://www.nylon.com/entertainment/nicki-minaj-lil-baby-do-we-have-a-problem-video |access-date=February 17, 2022 |website=[[Nylon (magazine)|Nylon]] |date=February 4, 2022 |language=en}}
* {{Cite web |date=September 16, 2021 |title=Nicki Minaj: every album ranked and rated |url=https://www.nme.com/features/nicki-minaj-every-album-ranked-and-rated-3047363 |access-date=November 1, 2021 |website=NME}}
* {{cite web|title=Nicki Minaj, the "Queen of Rap," bringing world tour to Baltimore in April|work=[[CBS News]]|url=https://www.cbsnews.com/baltimore/news/nicki-minaj-the-queen-of-rap-to-perform-in-baltimore-in-april/|date=December 11, 2023|access-date=September 13, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231212091432/https://www.cbsnews.com/baltimore/news/nicki-minaj-the-queen-of-rap-to-perform-in-baltimore-in-april/|archive-date=December 12, 2023|url-status=live}}
* {{Cite web |title=Nicki Minaj Pulled Out Of The 2021 VMAs For A Mysterious Reason |url=https://www.bustle.com/entertainment/why-nicki-minaj-wont-perform-at-2021-mtv-vmas |access-date=December 1, 2021 |website=Bustle |date=September 12, 2021}}
* {{cite web|url=https://thesource.com/2024/05/15/nicki-minaj-wraps-up-pink-friday-2-tour-with-record-breaking-success/|title=Nicki Minaj Wraps Up 'Pink Friday 2 Tour with Record-Breaking Success|date=May 15, 2024|access-date=October 11, 2024|work=[[The Source (magazine)|The Source]]}}</ref>]]
Female rappers with mainstream success have included [[Lauryn Hill]], [[Nicki Minaj]], [[MC Lyte]], [[Jean Grae]], [[Foxy Brown (rapper)|Foxy Brown]], [[Lil' Kim]], [[Missy Elliott]], [[Queen Latifah]], [[Da Brat]], [[Trina (rapper)|Trina]], [[Megan Thee Stallion]], [[Cardi B]], [[M.I.A. (artist)|M.I.A.]], [[CL (singer)|CL]] from [[2NE1]],  [[Iggy Azalea]], [[Eve (entertainer)|Eve]], and [[Lisa Lopes]] from [[TLC (band)|TLC]].