Jazz Rap is the subgenre that implements jazz elements such as solos, vocals, and instrumentation into hip-hop songs.

The early experiments date back to the 1960s and 1970s, when groups like The Last Poets rhymed over their R&B tracks. The first recordings appeared on the East Coast of the United States in the 1980s.

Jazz rap gained popularity in the early 1990s, with hits like Us3’s “Cantaloop (Flip Fantasia).” Nowadays the style stays relevant through artists like Kendrick Lamar.

Artists:

• Robert Glasper
• De La Soul
• Gang Starr
• The Roots
• Madlib