Instrumental

HipHop/Rap is a two-strand music where spoken chanted lyrics are presented over instrumental "beats". Although the genre is known for its lyrical content and colourful rappers, there is a sub-genre that drops the vocals to leave room for more complex and rhythmically varied instrumental sounds. Some of Kraftwerk’s later music was an inspiration, as was jazz legend Herbie Hancock’s 1983 hit "Rockit".

One of the leading releases in Instrumental HipHop was by DJ Shadow whose album Endtroducing..... shot to popularity worldwide and remains a highly sought after release. Other major players in the Instrumental HipHop scene are J-Dilla, Madlib & Nujabes, and MF Doom, all of whom have released widely acclaimed albums.