The vocals in these songs are not rhythmic enough to be called rap. If you’re looking for a term to describe this vocal style, maybe Nightsky’s suggestion of ‘patter’ is more accurate.
The information that Alan Smithee recalls is correct, and I would not be surprised if I posted the information in the thread he refers to (as it’s not the first time I’ve responded to the erroneous assumption that rap derived from the talking blues). Of course, I would be eager to see a reliable cite establishing a link between rap and the talking blues, if Wumpus or anyone else can find one.
“Frat Boy” rock, what we called “Beach Music” when I was in college back in the 80s, is more recently incarnated as Hootie and the Blowfish, “Music to make the world safe for guys who wear Dockers.” Uncle Kracker is sort of in this lot, too; this type of music is immediately released to oldies stations and VH-1, totally bypassing hipper, youth-oriented venues.
Barenaked Ladies, Smash Mouth and the guys who did “Steal My Sunshine” are what I call “Canadian Beach Music.”