Rap opera

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A rap opera or hip-hopera is a series of rap songs in the form of an opera, inspired by the concept of rock opera. Like its predecessor, rap opera tells a story through consecutive pieces involving the same character or characters. Rap opera may be a purely auditory experience, or it may be associated with a musical, comic book, or other art form. It appears to be a relatively young, spontaneous form, with more amateurs and non-profits than professionals.

The rap opera was popularized by R. Kelly's Trapped in the Closet, but was probably invented by Shel Silverstein who 'translated' Shakespeare's Hamlet. Another early example is Public Enemy's He Got Game.

The 'genre' itself is fairly indistinct, as it appears to cover a range of approaches. The rap Carmen is actually just the story adapted to rap, not the music. Other examples merely seem to apply to rap songs which have a long running time.

R. Kelly's Trapped in the Closet
Shel Silverstein
Carmen: A Hip Hopera
Prince Paul's A Prince Among Thieves
Deltron 3030

[edit] Rap in mainstream opera

Michael Tippett's New Year uses rap in a number of scenes.

[edit] Trivia

In the BBC comedy series Two Pints of Lager and a Packet of Crisps Janet (Sheridan Smith) tells Jonny (Ralf Little) that no-one wants to hear the 'opera-rap' he has invented.