Toasting, Chatting, or Deejaying is the act of talking or chanting over a rhythm or beat. The lyrics can be both improvised or pre-written. Toasting has been used in various African traditions, such as griots chanting over a drum beat, Jamaican music forms, such as dancehall, reggae, ska, dub, and lovers rock. Toasting's mix of talking and chanting may have influenced the development of rapping in US hip hop music. The combination of singing and toasting is known as singjaying.
