rapper

American  

[rap-er] / ˈræp ər /

noun

1. a person or thing that raps or knocks.

2. the knocker of a door.

3. Slang. a person who chats or talks, especially freely.

4. a person who performs rap music, especially professionally.

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rapper British  

/ ˈræpə /

noun

1. something used for rapping, such as a knocker on a door

2. a performer of rap music

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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

She tells Newsbeat the Mr Fantasy situation is reminiscent of the months-long conspiracy around Liverpool rapper EsDeeKid and the theory that the masked performer was actually Oscar-nominated actor Timothee Chalamet.

From BBC • May 7, 2026

Adidas went through a difficult period after the end of a lucrative partnership with US rapper Kanye West in 2022.

From Barron's • Apr. 29, 2026

Other acts to receive money from the first pot from the FAC's UK Artist Touring Fund include Southampton rapper VIC, London soul singer Ego Ella May, and Manchester psych noise group Wax Head.

From BBC • Apr. 24, 2026

But he says his reputation as a battle rapper is the one that will always matter most.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 23, 2026

A typical story ended cruelly, “The once talented, vivacious and successful spirit rapper is now a total wreck.”

From "American Spirits" by Barb Rosenstock