Few styles of music have experienced an explosion in popularity as spectacular as that of rap . As late as 1979, rap was restricted to the African-American ghettos of New York, yet by the end of the following decade, the music formed the basis of a multi-million dollar industry, and was instantly recognisable across the globe.
The roots of rap lie in the sound systems of Jamaica, mobile discos that blasted reggae out across the slums of Kingston. Thousands of Jamaicans emigrated...