One prominent feature of the blues is the , which can be found in common day genres such as pop music, gospel, rock, rap and hip hop.

The African American influence in the form of Negro Spirituals.

Explanations:
Slavery was a cruel and difficult life for African Americans. Although they were denied many basic human rights, they were allowed to go to church and play music.
The negro spirituals developed to express the Biblical message of hope, in much the same way as some of the Biblical Psalms express the cruelty of anti-semitism.
Negro spirituals changed over time, but they formed the foundation for much of the gospel music, rock, jazz, rap and hip-hop music of today.