Chopper (rap)
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]
| Chopper (rap) | |
|---|---|
| Stylistic origins | Hip hop |
| Cultural origins | Mid-1990s, Cleveland, Chicago, Kansas City, Milwaukee |
| Typical instruments | Vocals |
| Regional scenes | |
| Midwest hip hop | |
| Other topics | |
Etymology change
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.