What is the distinction between a rapper and an emcee?

[EBK String]

When ppl try to break down the distinction between the two they always end up juelzing. It always ends up being an emcee is a lyricist and a rapper isn't a lyricist, which doesnt make sense because an emcee started off as hypemen for Djs to keep the crowd moving. so, how did that evolve into lyricists being the only true emcees and the nikkas making party music are the rappers? Is young jeezy not as much of an emcee as rakim? He isn't as lyrical or have the same technical abilities but he essentially does the same thing. I feel the distinction is an elitist tool making it seem as if the practioners who focus on the technical side of rapping are superior, and undermines what the guys who make crowd pleasing music do.

 

[Tommy Gibbs]

It's a tricky question that requires a lot of explanation. You can have very dope rappers and MCs that can't rap worth anything. Too Short is a dope MC. Lyrics aren't great, but he made great albums with great stories and songs. Had longevity. Then you have these guys like the smack battle dudes who are VERY DOPE lyricists, but I wouldn't call them MC's at all. Other than Lux and a select few because we know he can get down on songs and tracks. It's tricky. There is no right or wrong way to explain it fully.

 

[NaijaRich99]

I feel the distinction is an elitist tool making it seem as if the practioners who focus on the technical side of rapping are superior, and undermines what the guys who make crowd pleasing music do.
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Goes the other way around too. You have a lot of guys who shytty technical skills and will try side step that by arguing they are more "artistic" than people who have better technical/emceeing skills than them.

 

[Playaz Eyez]

To me, a rapper can just rhyme words together, and an MC knows how to put together a complete work and vision, but there's variations of both

 

[pointproven214]

to me a true mc can do it all he can spit super lyrical shyt when it calls for t but can also makes songs
a rapper is just somebody to me who can rhyme words but can' do much else.

 

[MR. SNIFLES]

A MC CAN HANDLE A CROWD. MC'S ARE PERFORMERS 1ST. YOU CAN BE A BETTER RAPPER BUT IF YOU STAND ON STAGE AND JUST SIT THERE YOU AIN'T NO MC. IN A BATTLE A MC CAN HAVE INFERIOR LINES BUT HE/SHE CAN MOVE THE CROWD TO BE ON THEIR SIDE AND THE OTHER ONE CAN'T COME BACK.

 

[SunZoo]

Being an MC is bigger than making rap music for cacs to profit off of. You aren't an MC just because you make rap music or call yourself a rapper. Now a lot of rappers are MC's just by the very nature of rap as an art form because it is speech-craft. What creates distinction between simply rappin and MC'ing is intention and purpose, IMO.

Think of all of your favorite orators outside of rap music...MLK, Malcom X, Richard Pryor, George Carlin...shyt Obama and other presidents that knew how to MOVE THE CROWD, these men are MC's, they have presence, magnetism, vision and purpose with their speech-craft.

If we try and contain this within rap music (something is distinct from Hip Hop as a culture, IMO) then it just becomes about preferences. It can be apart of it because it's an aspect of the ART of rap and thus supports the purpose and intent, but it's not the crux of the issue.



No music, no rhymes, but he's still moving the crowd. Pac woulda been an MC whether even if he had never cut a single record.

So I say If you really want to tell the difference between someone who is an MC and a rapper...remove the music out of the equation and see what you have left. It's not that it's "elitist" to deem rappers of the more poetic or lyrical variety to be MC's, it's just that if I were to turn the music off, is there still something there that is poignant, truthful, artistic or something that isn't strictly self serving being displayed? A lot of "rappers" are just utilizing rap to make money rather than trying to 'move' something, speak for somebody or invest in/elevate the art of rap.

 

[DoomzdayzV]

MC has always meant Master of Craft to me....the craft is rapping.....anyone can rap. those who master it are MCs

 

[Dafunkdoc_Unlimited]

Young Thug = Rapper

Sean Price = MC

"To me, MC means MOVE THE CROWD"
~ Rakim, Eric B. Is President, 1987​

 

[GPBear]

Emcee means Master of Ceremony. It's the person who leads a show with the microphone.
A lot of people can rap, but they don't have the charisma or energy to rock a party two turntables and microphone style.

And now we've entered an era, where people can't even rap, but are still making music. I don't know what to call those people.

There used to be more emcees, because hip-hop wasn't a wideley accepted musical genre, so most hip-hop acts were live, and party based. So by default you'd be an emcee, because you only rapped when there was a party to rock. Then after the late 80s, hip-hop albums started to become the norm. Which meant over time the people who were rapping weren't doing it at parties as much.

I don't think emcees are necessarily technically better lyricists, I think they just know how to read the energy of a crowd better. They're like veteran rappers.

tl;dr: if you can breakdance to it, they're an emcee. But a lot of "hip-hop" crowds these days look more like EDM raves than b-boy cyphers.

 

[Dotcom]

One has a soundcloud page and other one raps at poetry bars ... one has a album cover with a gun and the other has a album cover with a piece of chocolate

 

[mr x]

Krs breaks it down in "classic"