Each musical style appeared in response to an existing current. While disco was very fashionable in the 70s, rock took over in the 80s. Pop then dominated the market until recently. When rap appeared in the 90s, it developed in the United States and then spread all over the world. Today, rap is becoming more and more democratic.It is the most listened to musical style in France. 65% of total listening on streaming platforms is rap.
Who listens to rap?
Rap is now one of the favorite musical genres of the French population, especially popular among 18-35 year olds. Indeed, among 18-24 year olds and 25-34 year olds, rap is one of the major musical genres, which they are respectively 38.2% and 35.3% to listen to, in the same way as pop or French variety.
"A fairly recent fragmentation of musical tastes," explain sociologists Karim Hammou and Stéphanie Molinero, authors of Une Histoire du rap en France and Publics du rap respectively.
Until the end of the 1990s, it was the varieties (French or international) that dominated, including among young people. Music, like fashion, changes all the time and is an eternal beginning. Eachmusical style arose in response to an existing current. As for the gender of consumers, there is a rather surprising result: 25% of women listen to rap compared to 12% of men. In the 1997 study of "Cultural Practices of the French of the Ministry of Culture", women were three times less likely than men to report listening to rap regularly. There is a strong evolution here. This can be explained because rap is renewed and diversified over time. 
In terms of geographical location, we find Paris in first place, then Bordeaux. As for third place, Strasbourg and finally Rennes. Whether geographically or in terms of the richness of the city, rap is present everywhere. So there is a lot of diversity. Finally, regarding social category, rap has long been perceived as the music of neighborhoods or suburbs, as a genre with violent and sexist lyrics. Today we see that it is listened to by all and that it crosses social classes. In short, rap does not remain a box it evolves.
How is rap consumed?
Digital now accounts for more than 2/3 of the revenue generated by recorded music, not including concert tickets and other merchandising. In this sector, the download of titles or albums is declining. Music streaming platforms generate the majority of digital music revenue. In 10 years, digital has become the main source of revenue for the music industry in France. CD sales are declining every year. But they are not collapsing either. They still account for a third of the music industry's revenues. This is explained both by the attachment of part of the public to the material medium represented by the CD as well as by the place occupied by some physical resellers such as Fnac. 
Within the revenues generated by digital, subscriptions to music streaming platforms are in the majority. They are no longer considered by the actors of French music as enemies. On the contrary, they make it easier to make an album known and thus generate a crush that can turn into a purchase of a CD or a concert ticket. On the side of our consumers, who are mainly young, we see that they are important consumers of streaming. Moreover, rap dominates the platforms. We note that 65% of the listens are rap. One reason for this figure is that young people are important consumers of streaming. However, they listen many times to the songs they like. Especially since it is young people who listen to this musical style the most, so it is normal that this percentage is so high. 
Why is rap so popular?
When rap appeared in the 90s, it developed in the United States and then spread all over the world. Note that France is considered the second land of rap. It is the most listened to musical style in France, since more than 65% of total listening on streaming platforms is rap. But how to explain this omnipresence? The success of rap is based in particular on the proximity that the artist creates with his audience and fans. Rappers use common or even colloquial language, and this leads to better identification of the audience. In addition, rappers are often very connected and usually react unfiltered to many debates or current topics that interest them. In these cases, they seem to put aside their strategy to stay natural and communicate as they see fit. Note that rap has this ability to constantly renew its audience. This musical genre never seemed to belong to a technology or a type of instrument. It is certainly an electronic music, but it evolves in parallel with the innovations. It is also a very diverse musical style that can be adapted according to the state of mind or mood of the consumer. It offers many different rhythms and universes. 
Finally, consumers appreciate rap in relation to the lyrics and emotions they convey. It can sometimes be likened to poetry. In addition, one of the elements that makes rap successful in our time is the fact that many rappers choose to denounce social injustices or take sides on a current issue. Indeed, the new generation of rappers dares to talk about social issues such as racism, homophobia or abuse of power. These denunciations were already very present in the early days of rap. What also characterizes French rap is its multi-culturality. Indeed, artists of this musical genre come from multiple horizons. The latter collaborate a lot with each other and to the delight of their fans. 
Over the years, rap has evolved since it crosses all social classes, it does not fit into a box. So we saw the democratization and gentrification of rap. It has also diversified and that is why it reaches such a large audience. Note that women listen to a lot of rap, it's a very big evolution compared to the 2000s. Finally, we can wonder how rap will continue to evolve, because in recent years we are witnessing a gentrification of rap, just like rock at the time. Will it consolidate its place as number one in the French music industry and will it become more democratic…
