Toasting
verb TOHS-tin ˈtoːstɪn
Also spelled: toast, chatting, deejaying
Meaning
Chatting or half-singing rhythmically over a riddim — the Jamaican vocal style, dating from the 1960s sound systems, that is a direct ancestor of rap. To toast is to ride the beat with rhymed talk, boasts and commentary.
Examples
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“U-Roy did a legend at toasting.”
U-Roy was a legend at toasting.
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“Him start toasting pon di mic.”
He started chatting on the microphone.
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“Toasting turn into di deejay style.”
Toasting grew into the deejay style.
Origin
From 'toast' in the older sense of speaking words of praise or a boast to a crowd; the practice grew on Jamaican sound systems and influenced hip-hop through Jamaican migrants in New York.
How it's used
A historically important term. Modern deejaying is the descendant of toasting.