Chap-Hop
Chap-Hop is a musical genre originating from England which combines rhythmic and musical elements from Rap and Hip-hop with Received Pronunciation and themes drawn from Edwardian England and the Steampunk subculture. Subject matters include stereotypically British obsessions such as high society, tea, cricket, drinking sherry, pipe smoking and men's fashion. Nostalgia for the The Edwardian Era plays a strong part in Chap-Hop as well, although less so now than in its earlier years.
Chap-Hop dates back to Mr. B The Gentleman Rhymer's first performances in 2007, but it only really broke into the mainstream circa 2010. Curiously, it was initially a deliberate Parody[1], but has since taken on a life of its own as other artists have embraced and extended the genre.
Oddly, there is a considerable overlap between Chap-Hop and Steampunk music, despite the differences between the two aesthetics.
- Mr. B The Gentleman Rhymer
- Professor Elemental
- Sir Reginald Pikedevant, Esquire (aka "Pikedevant") is frequently counted among Chap-Hop performers. Indeed, his premiere song, "Just Glue Some Gears on It and Call It Steampunk", is Chap-Hop and has been frequently misattributed to both Mr. B and Professor Elemental. But he is as much or more Barbershop and/or Victoriana in style, as well as pure Steampunk.
- Poplock Holmes & DJ WattsOn
- The Fellows
- The Gaslight Troubadours
- Master Dastardly
- 3Pac
- jmob
- Jarmean
- Theoretics are primarily Steampunk, but are often included in listings of Chap-Hop artists on general principle.
- Doctor Steel is sometimes characterized as including Chap-Hop in his style, but YMMV.
- ↑ The original Chap-Hop artist, Mr. B The Gentleman Rhymer, is the alter ego of rapper and parodist Jim Burke