[floatboxright:
Primary Stylistic Influences:
+ HipHop, GangstaRap, PoliticalRap, HeavyMetal, AlternativeMetal, ThrashMetal, FunkMetal, HardcorePunk, HardRock
]

[floatboxright:
Secondary Stylistic Influences:
+ AlternativeRock, GrooveMetal, {{Reggae}}, {{Horrorcore}}, RapRock
]
->''"For a heavy metal band raps a different way\\
We like to be different and not cliché\\
They say rap and metal can never mix\\
Well, all of them can suck our..."\\
"...Sexual organ located in the lower abdominal area!"\\
"No, man, it's 'dicks'!"''
-->-- '''Music/{{Anthrax}}''', "I'm the Man"

Rap Metal is a [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin fusion of rap and metal]]. What, you want more? Fine. Rap metal's roots can be found in both of its parent genres. On the hip-hop side, you had artists such as the Music/RunDMC, Music/BeastieBoys, Music/CypressHill and Music/{{Esham}} sampling metal songs while on the metal/heavier rock front, bands such as Music/BodyCount and Music/RageAgainstTheMachine were being fronted by rappers.

However, the genre gained prominence with two songs released in the early 90's. The first was the legendary collaboration between ThrashMetal band Music/{{Anthrax}} and the PoliticalRap group Music/PublicEnemy for a reworking of the latter's hit, "Bring the Noise". People first laughed at them for thinking they could pull something like this off, but fast forward half a decade later and everybody and their decrepit grandmother were eating up the genre. It's interesting to note that both Anthrax and Public Enemy tried fusing rap and metal before ever working with each other, with Anthrax recording the comedic and Beastie Boys-esque "I'm the Man" and Public Enemy rapping over "[[Music/{{Slayer}} Angel of Death]]" for "[[Music/ItTakesANationOfMillionsToHoldUsBack She Watch Channel Zero?!]]".

What's the second song? [[Music/FaithNoMore "Epic"]], of course! Faith No More was no stranger to [[GenreBusting mixing different influences]] and this song was just another notch in their belt. However, the song exploded, putting [=FNM=] and rap metal in the limelight. Unfortunately, Faith No More became regarded as [[OneHitWonder one hit wonders]] in America and whether you like it or not, the success of "Epic" paved the way for NuMetal.

Herein lies the problem with the genre: the overlap with Nu Metal. While the latter genre was massively popular on the charts during the late 90's and early millennium, it eventually lost favor with rock audiences and hardly anybody wanted to combine the two genres again, possibly fearful of the derision they faced and comparisons to [[PrettyFlyForAWhiteGuy "fly"]] frat boys [[PissTakeRap rapping]] over murky, down-tuned guitars. Due to this the genre is very, very rarely done today; the closest thing that you'll generally find is [[DeathMetal slam]], which tends to utilize a lot of hip hop-flavored grooves, pseudo-rapped vocals (albeit totally unintelligible ones), and often involves hip-hop-inspired aesthetic choices. This trend was likely kicked off by the likes of Music/{{Suffocation}}, Music/DyingFetus, Pyrexia, Internal Bleeding, and Dehumanized, all of whom had noticeable hip-hop elements that later acts expanded upon. It has seen some use in TheNewTens, particularly by the nu metal revival bands, while Soundcloud rappers like Ghostemane, Scarlxrd, Music/{{Suicideboys}}, and [=Ho99o9=] blended trap and horrorcore with overt nu metal, hardcore punk, and death metal elements to create a style that is something of a new spin on the genre.

This genre is often called Rapcore, which is incorrect. Rapcore is a subgenre of HardcorePunk.

A more common version does not tie the band to the genre of Rap Metal but simply has one song like this (or one chorus in one song) or the like.
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!!Examples:

[[index]]
* Music/AttilaMetalcore -- also {{Metalcore}}
* Music/BodyCount -- also [[ThrashMetal Crossover Thrash]]
** 1992: ''Music/BodyCountAlbum''
* Music/{{Clawfinger}} -- also IndustrialMetal
* Music/{{DVSR}} -- also {{Djent}} and Nu Metal
* Music/FromAshesToNew -- also Nu Metal and AlternativeMetal
* Music/{{Hacktivist}} -- also Djent and Nu Metal
* Music/HollywoodUndead -- also Nu Metal
* Music/KidCrusher -- also DeathMetal and {{Horrorcore}}
* Music/LimpBizkit -- also Nu Metal
** 1997 - ''Music/ThreeDollarBillYall''
** 1999 - ''Music/SignificantOther''
** 2000 - ''Music/ChocolateStarfishAndTheHotDogFlavoredWater''
** 2005 - ''Music/TheUnquestionableTruth, Part 1''
** 2011 - ''Music/GoldCobra''
* Music/LinkinPark -- also AlternativeRock, NuMetal, AlternativeMetal, [[ElectronicMusic Electronic Rock]] and [[{{Pop}} Pop Rock]]
** 2000 - ''Music/HybridTheory''
** 2003 - ''Music/{{Meteora}}''
** 2014 - ''Music/{{The Hunting Party|2014}}''
* Music/ManWithAMission -- also Alternative Rock
* Music/{{Otep}} -- also Nu Metal and Alternative Metal
* Music/{{POD}} -- also [[ChristianRock Christian Metal]], Nu Metal and Alternative Metal
* Music/PapaRoach -- also Nu Metal, Alternative Metal and Hard Rock
* Music/ProyectoEskhata -- also ProgressiveMetal.
* Music/RageAgainstTheMachine
[[/index]]
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