The Wordsmith's Forge

Did you know that rap and related genres have their roots in African poetry, which is declaimed rather than sung or spoken? It's why rap has that particular sound in between the two. You can listen to African poetry slams today, and compare that with tribal examples from history, and hear the commonalities. It's also why you hear so much call-and-response in both African-American poetry and churches -- it's out of Africa. :D