SOUND OFF Special Edition: Top 10 Raddest & Baddest Rap Songs In Broadway History
by Pat Cerasaro
- Aug 5, 2015
Musical theatre is not generally known for being an early adopter of up-to-the-minute trends in popular music, particularly since the advent of rock n roll and the great divide between popular music and theatre music began in the 1950s. Nevertheless, the presence of modern music idioms in contemporary musicals is a fascinating and often wildly entertaining element to assess when analyzing the great pantheon of scores that have graced the Great White Way. With the predominance of rap music in popular music for the majority of the last 30 years, it comes as no surprise that many musicals have employed the genre in the storytelling and song styling designed specifically for the shows, but the level of success as storytelling devices, character showpieces and as authentic rap music itself varies. Of course, with HAMILTON set to open on Broadway later this month, all of New York City is talking about the persuasive power of the scores of Lin-Manuel Miranda, he who was responsible for multiple rap showstoppers in his self-penned Tony Award-winning musical IN THE HEIGHTS as well as the hip hop tunes in the screen-to-stage adaptation of BRING IT ON, so now is a perfect time to take a look back at some of the most memorable and revolutionary uses of rap music on Broadway to date.
