backpack rap

English

Etymology

In reference to the backpacks in which records might be carried.

Noun

backpack rap (uncountable)

1. (music, slang) Underground or alternative rap music.
   • 2014, Geoff Harkness, Chicago Hustle and Flow: Gangs, Gangsta Rap, and Social Class:

     The sound of backpack rap dates to rap music's origins, but was popularized in the late 1980s and early 1990s by “Native Tongue” acts such as De La Soul and A Tribe Called Quest.

   • 2018, Michael Berry, Listening to Rap: An Introduction:

     Backpack rap is often synonymous with underground rap, in which the focus is on lyrical craft. Backpack rappers tend to avoid topics that are common in mainstream commercial rap, such as money and expensive cars; […]

Related terms

• backpacker
• backpack rapper