5 Reasons Why You Should Be Listening to International Rap in Other Languages

italian rap artist Cristian Lazzara

Why limit yourself to hip hop in English, when you can open the Pandora’s box of international rap in every language on the planet?

There is plenty of hip hop outside of the English-speaking world to discover. Despite hip hop starting off in the US in the 1970s it has permeated global music culture. For example it spread to France in the 1980s and today has a massive influence on French urban culture.

Today you can find hip-hop everywhere in an infinite number of variations. For those who like rap music, this offers the opportunity to discover even more hip hop than ever imagined possible.

Defining hip-hop and rap

Before we jump in, what exactly is rap? Rap can be simply defined as a vocal delivery over a beat. This stands true whether it’s in English, French or Swahili.

While many readers may be used to hearing mainstream rap in English, it has its origins in Africa. In West Africa they have been telling stories to a rhythm over drums and other instruments for centuries.

Rap music is a part of hip hop, an urban culture that has proliferated globally. You will find unique versions of it in every country, and every language. Once you come to terms that rap is compatible with so many other languages, dialects and accents, you will never see the world the same again.

With this in mind, let’s have a look at how you can benefit from listening to international rap in different languages.

1. Discover international rap to strengthen the global human connection

breakdancers
Hip hop culture connecting people

Music is valued for being a universal connector between human being regardless of where we come from.

The same goes for rap – music is universal. Emotions and spirit are tangible when conveyed by an artist. For proof, go to a live show! If that is not possible, then put on a foreign language track, close your eyes and step out of your personal and cultural boundaries.

Hip-hop culture finds a home in every country. It reflects daily struggles and hardships such as poverty, violence, racial divides and socio-political issues. These are themes that are present everywhere, to varying degrees. On the other hand, themes like love, sex and partying are also common rap topics internationally.

2. Listen to foreign hip hop to appreciate new flows and cadence

Here’s one objection I often hear: how can you listen to rap if you don’t understand the lyrics?

The beauty of lyrical hip-hop is not only found in content matter. Many people listen to French rap artists, Russian gangster rap or Mexican hip hop and they hardly understand a word.

If rap is about vocals and lyrics, why listen if you don’t understand? What if the rap lyrics are crude, blatantly political or about something that goes against your morals?

The answer is that people find attraction to the musicality, flow and rhythm of the way people speak. Every language has its own cadence, or in other words, the inflection of the voice or flow of sounds. In other words, international rap can be appreciated without understanding a single word.

One great example I give is Brazilian song Rap Das Armas (the one that goes parapapapa). Have a look at the translation of the lyrics and find out that it’s not what you expect.

3. Listen to international rap to learn a foreign language

Shbash the Jordanian rapper
Shbash the Jordanian rapper

On the flip side, learning the meaning of foreign language rap can help you develop your language skills. It’s a great tool to remember new vocabulary.

I’ve personally studied several languages including French, Spanish, Arabic and Portuguese. Listening to hip hop has helped me attain a certain level of fluency in all of them.

Even if at first you don’t understand a single word, rap can be used to familiarize yourself with the sound of the language. As you listen, you will begin to logically arrange the pieces together to complete the puzzle of understanding.

Everyone learns differently. However, one way is to search for the translation of the lyrics in your mother tongue. Listening to the track and reading the lyrics helps you internalize new words faster. It’s a brilliant way to pick up new words naturally and learn to finally enjoy what the track is about.

Those who struggle with traditional methods of memorization may find solace here. Listening to rap lyrics is a great way for new words to stick in your memory.

4. Pick up foreign slang that the Duolingo owl won’t be teaching you

Album cover of Bad Copy, Serbian rap group
Album cover of Bad Copy, Serbian rap group

Vocabulary aside, listening to rap will introduce you to slang and accents. It’s not something you may necessarily learn in your standard high school or university classes.

Learning colloquial nuances is a good supplement to your classes. Picking up street talk will give you the opportunity to use that language in daily situations without sounding like you just walked off the plane. Think about it like glue sticking together the pieces of the language already in your head.

If you want to take it another level, we recommend that you put pen to paper. Write down lyrics in your new language, throw down a beat and give rap a try – you might surprise yourself.

5. Get inspired by new beats and instrumentals you’ve never heard before

rappers on stage
Instrumentals of rap tracks are fundamental for their global appreciation.

In this big wide world, there are so many international hip-hop producers that have mad skill for beats and production. The bump and sway alone of popular hip-hop tracks has guaranteed their widespread fame and popularity.

The instrumentals of international rap tracks are fundamental for their global appreciation. There are two considerations for loving a foreign beat.

The first consideration is that hip-hop is accessible. This means you don’t need a full production set-up to make a beat to rap over. Anyone can make a hip-hop beat from music production software or percussion instruments. You can even find the odd rap battle on YouTube held over the sound of tapping a pencil on a desk. When there’s no tools at hand, think beatboxing. Even your voice can be used as a tool for beat making.

A second reason is variation. In hip-hop the smallest variation on music that is already written can have a dramatic effect.

Take the Amen Break for example. It’s a widely popular sample of a beat derived from a drum break released on 1969 Amen Brother by the Winstons. Since it’s inception, the beat has been slowed down, edited and reformulated to make one of the most famous sounds in hip-hop. It has been used by Salt-N-Pepa, N.W.A. and numerous others.

With the concepts of accessibility and variation in mind, now open up the world of rap in other languages. Start incorporating sounds, instruments and samples from other cultures or nations. Only then you can start to imagine and be infinitely surprised by the possibilities of rap music.

After some digging, we found an online radio station playing only international rap.

6. Expand your music repertoire outside your mother tongue

There is a world of music waiting to be discovered, so why limit yourself to a single language?

We’ve asked around and pulled together our favorite non-English hip-hop tracks. Click here to enjoy our own curated playlist on Spotify or play directly below.

Looking for great underground hip-hop from the Middle East?

 Click here to read about Shbash the Jordanian rapper.

Written by Luc Rouffaud

Luc Rouffaud is the founder of Underground Sound and has six years of experience in the music industry, particularly running a music publication and marketing events.

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