Chopper (rap)

music genre

Chopper is a style of hip hop music. It originated in the Midwest.[1] It is considered the main contribution to rap music by Midwestern hip hop artists. The style of rap first gained popularity in the mid-1990s with the emergence of hip hop in the Midwest and the rise of award-winning rap artists such as Cleveland rappers Bone Thugs-n-Harmony and Chicago rapper Twista. The rap style eventually spread to other regions as well. In the late 1990s, Tech N9ne, a former underground rap artist, popularized the Chopper style among his strong fan base and in 2011 released a series of collaborative songs with other Chopper artists exclusively in this fast-paced style of rap.[2]

Etymology

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The word "Chopper" can be used simply for any rapper who uses an up-tempo style in their lyrics.[3] The term was first used in street and hip hop slang to refer to the AK-47 assault rifle. The word has also been used as an informal word for helicopter. The link to AK-47 and helicopter and their fast response times regarding their functions may have an analogous relationship to fast-paced rap. One of the first rappers to popularize this style of rap, Twista, in a song with Tech N9ne titled "Worldwide Choppers" hinted at this in his lyrics, "I'm finna be usin it as energy, watch how radiant I'ma be. Like a helicopter when the words fly."[4]

Chopper used to loosely describe the fast-paced style of rap, but the use of the term became more official when rap artist Tech N9ne released a series of collaborative rap songs with other Chopper-style rap artists from around the world in 2007, 2009, and 2011 including Worldwide Choppers, Midwest Choppers, and Midwest Choppers 2.

References

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  1. "Midwest Hip Hop and Rap at RadioSparx".
  2. "Tech Nine Gathers the Fastest Rappers for "Worldwide Choppers" Track [audio]".
  3. Lyrics of "Midwest Choppers 2"
  4. Lyrics of "Worldwide Choppers"