Toasting

Toasting is the act of talking or chanting over a rhythm or beat. This was initially developed in Jamaica during the 1960s. MCs from sound systems employed the technique to further enhance their dub plates. As time progressed the MCs would become more creative in their chants, eventually overshadowing the tunes they were initally supposed to enhance. This led to the earliest forms of what is know known as dancehall in Jamaica and hip hop (rapping) in the US.