noun
-
something used for rapping, such as a knocker on a door
-
a performer of rap music
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of rapper
1605–15; 1970–75, rapper for def. 3; rap 1 + -er 1
Explanation
A rapper is a musician who drops rhymes to the beat. “Rapper’s Delight,” the first rap to hit the Top 40, starts with “…to the hip, hip hop, and you don't stop” and ends 15 minutes later. The story is that the first rappers were MCs who talked between songs to entertain the crowd while the DJs changed records, then the MCs started talking with the beat, and then boom: rap was born. It came together as a music genre in the late 70s in New York City, but “rappers” didn’t suddenly pop up — rap emerged from African American traditions that had been around. The first rapper to sign to a major label was Kurtis Blow, in 1980.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Duane “Keffe D” Davis was indicted three years ago, making him the first person to be charged in the 1996 death of the famous rapper.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 17, 2026
The rapper has released a total of nine studio albums in his career, gaining early co-signs from Louisiana legends including Boosie Badazz and Kevin Gates.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 13, 2026
“I’m going to tour one more time throughout my whole life,” the rapper said, “and that’s it.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 13, 2026
The rapper, who died at age 25, was a key figure in a hip-hop rivalry pitting the East Coast against the West Coast.
From Barron's ● Aug. 10, 2026
An American rapper had come to Hammanskraal, and it was the most epic thing they had ever seen.
From "Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood" by Trevor Noah
For three months, the two rappers slept, showered and worked there.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 12, 2026
Sheeran previously visited the city to meet young rappers and performers after the launch of his foundation in the rest of the UK.
From BBC ● Jul. 31, 2026
During a dance class for the prisoners, a crew of rappers took over the microphone and began freestyling.
From BBC ● Jul. 26, 2026
Earlier in the deposition, Cooper said he had previously intervened when the two rappers encountered each other outside a recording studio.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 25, 2026
“Who are your top five rappers, dead or alive?”
From "On the Come Up" by Angie Thomas
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
