The Difference Between an Mc and a Rapper
The Hip-Hop Difference?
What is the difference between an MC and a rapper? To understand the answer you must first understand the question. First of off there are several types of MCs and rappers. Out of the two, rappers have more of a variety. Along with the declaration of MC or rapper comes techniques and skills that some have mastered and others have tried over and over to establish. There are many differences between to two but a lot stands out to help you differentiate. I will break down the stereotypes and also extra techniques that can make one unique.
First off I have to explain that there are types of rappers and MC's but an MC is more versatile as you can have Eminem rapping like Young Geezy but not Young Geezy rapping like Eminem. MCs even have the tendencies to easily change their style up and rappers mainly sound alike and are often hard to distinguish unless they have a distinctive voice or auto-tune their tracks. Rappers can change their style up too but that would be most likely due to the instrumental, the engineer fooling with the programming software used to record a song or a certain experience in life that may alter the way he sees life. An MC is divine because he does not have to materialize his life to entertain. A true MC doesn't even need a beat to move the crowd. Here's a breakdown of the MC.
Let's start with the MC
(Microphone Controller - Mic Checker - Master Of Ceremonies)
1. An MC mentions hip hop. Loves hip hop and lives to embrace the culture
2. An MC is versatile and can rap on any type of beat or instrumental from pop, rock, R&B to classical and so on.
3. An MC can freestyle and write songs and does not need a ghost-writer.
4. Is good with rhymes and not just words. This includes wordplay, using synonyms, compounds word, rhyming in syllables and just basically utilizing grammar for all its worth.
Here's a quick breakdown of types of rappers: (Just to be clear some of these rappers have switch, song to song, in some albums or singles to other categories but revert back to their main style.
1. A Gangster Rapper (lives a gangster lifestyle or pretends to be) - Eazy E, Snoop Dogg - Scarface
2. Trap Rapper (raps about drug dealing and the glorification that stems from it like cars, women, jewelry etc...) - Young Geezy, Birdman, Gucci Mane
3. R&B Rapper (raps mostly on R&B instrumentals and/or sings and is open to ghostwriters writing their songs) - Drake
4. Freestyle Rappers (a rapper who can only freestyle) - Jin - Lupe Fiasco - Common
5. Shiny Rapper (glamorous style) - Fabulous - P Diddy - French Montana
6. Conscious Rapper (raps in dialogue or story telling with view and at most times does so in 3rd person to reflect on the struggles of his people as oppose to rapping in 1st person about himself. - Game - Common -
7. Story Teller (as the title says) - Nas - Joyner Lucas
Now that you know what types of rapper there are then I'll let you in on one. If it's on the rapper list then it's not a MC. An MC can be glamorous, conscious and shiny but it's how you hold yourself to the music. The dedication, intellect, wisdom of the culture, style and grace are attributes attributed to the MC who would do a show for free. That's not to say that rappers don't love hip hop, I'm just saying that they don't acknowledge it in their music. There's not many songs that say I love hip hop. Their screaming get money, bitches and foreign cars and so forth but want the title of best MC though it's not applicable because they do not understand the culture if they make such a claim.
Here are some techniques that rappers and/or MC's can obtain
1. Tongue Twisting (the ability to rap fast)
2. Singing (ability to sing and rap)
3. Lyrical Skills (ability to use metaphors, similes, punchlines, etc..)
4. Story Telling (the skill of telling a story by sticking to the script whether 1st or 3rd person.
Now types of rappers are not to be confused with regions. The hip hop boundaries are no longer. You can get a NY rapper sounding like an Atlanta rapper easily, just put him on a beat produced by a producer from Atlanta. I can't categorized types of rapper by East, West, North or South because that's the music aspect and not so much the artist because I assure you if you put NY rapper on a Southern instrumental that his style will change up and vice versa.