Rap music is a genre that has become one of the most influential forms of music worldwide. It’s characterized by its rhythm, poetry, and the ability to tell a story through spoken word. Many people today associate rap with huge artists like Tupac Shakur, Notorious B.I.G., Eminem, Jay-Z, and others, but have you ever wondered who the first rapper was? Who laid the foundation for this genre that has now become a cultural movement, shaping music, fashion, and even politics? In this article, we will explore the origins of rap music and try to answer the important question: Who was the first rapper?
The Birth of Rap Music
Rap music didn’t appear out of nowhere. It evolved from different musical traditions and cultural influences, such as African American storytelling, jazz, and the spoken word poetry of the Harlem Renaissance. However, it wasn’t until the 1970s that rap, as we know it today, began to take shape in the South Bronx, New York City.
During the late 1960s and early 1970s, DJs began to experiment with ways to extend the instrumental parts of popular songs. This was done by “breakdancing” or repeating the instrumental “break” of a song — the moment where the vocals would stop, leaving only the music to play.
As the DJs kept looping the break sections, dancers would perform acrobatic moves. The crowd loved it. This created the space for “rapping” — a spoken form of rhythmic speech over the music.
But the first official use of rapping in recorded music came much later, during the 1970s, and it’s the pioneers of that era who are credited with shaping rap.
DJ Kool Herc: The First to Rap?
Many people credit DJ Kool Herc, a Jamaican-born DJ who moved to the South Bronx, as the first person to introduce rap music. In the early 1970s, Herc began to experiment with mixing and scratching records.
He discovered that by using two turntables and switching between identical records, he could extend the instrumental “break” and create a continuous rhythm. This became known as “breakbeat” DJing.
However, while DJ Kool Herc laid the groundwork for hip-hop with his innovative DJ techniques, he was not a rapper in the traditional sense.
He did, however, engage with the crowd by using his voice over the music. Kool Herc was known for using simple phrases like “B-Boy, B-Girl, get busy!” to encourage people to dance, but these were more like chants than full raps.
Despite this, DJ Kool Herc’s parties at 1520 Sedgwick Avenue in the Bronx in the early 1970s are considered to be the birthplace of hip-hop culture. It was in this environment that rap began to develop.
The First Known Rappers
While Kool Herc set the stage for the music itself, the first true rappers—people who used rhymes and rhythmic speech in a more structured way—are usually attributed to Coke La Rock and DJ Hollywood.
Coke La Rock: The First Rapper?
Coke La Rock was one of the earliest pioneers of rapping at these block parties. He is often credited as one of the first true rappers, primarily because he was one of the first to speak in rhyming, rhythmic sentences. While DJ Kool Herc was responsible for the creation of the breakbeat DJing style, it was Coke La Rock who began to “rap” over these breaks, creating the foundation for the verbal aspect of the genre.
La Rock, who worked with Kool Herc, was known for his call-and-response style of rapping. He would engage the crowd by shouting out lines and waiting for the crowd to repeat or respond. His style was heavily influenced by his Jamaican roots, where “toasting” (the practice of talking or chanting over a rhythm) was a common part of sound system culture. This connection between Jamaican music and early hip-hop is significant and helped shape the sound of rap.
However, it was not until a few years later, in the mid-1970s, that rap began to gain more widespread recognition, and other artists began to experiment with the art form.
DJ Hollywood: The First to Commercialize Rap?
While Coke La Rock’s contribution was essential in shaping early rap, DJ Hollywood is also considered an important figure in the development of the genre. Hollywood is often credited with the first “commercialized” rapping style, taking the call-and-response to a new level. He brought more rhyming and lyrical structure into his performances.
In the mid-1970s, DJ Hollywood became a popular figure on the New York City club scene. He had a smooth, slick style and a more polished approach to rapping. His style was influenced by both the party atmosphere of the Bronx block parties and the radio-style DJs of the time. Hollywood was the first to deliver rhymes and lyrics in a more melodic, controlled manner—something that would later become synonymous with modern rap.
The Sugarhill Gang: The First Major Rap Recording
In 1979, the Sugarhill Gang released a track called “Rapper’s Delight,” which became the first mainstream rap song. While this track was not the first rap recording (many others had been made
before), it was the first to hit the charts and bring rap music into the public consciousness. The song is credited with being the first to introduce rap music to a wider audience outside of the South Bronx.
“Rapper’s Delight” was performed by the Sugarhill Gang, a group formed by Sylvia Robinson, the founder of Sugar Hill Records. The song itself is a playful, energetic celebration of rapping, and the verses feature the rappers “Big Bank Hank,” “Master Gee,” and “Wonder Mike” engaging in what could be considered the first full-length raps.
Although Big Bank Hank of the Sugarhill Gang is often mistakenly credited as one of the first rappers, it’s important to note that Coke La Rock and DJ Hollywood had already laid the groundwork for the art form before the Sugarhill Gang achieved success. The Sugarhill Gang, however, played a key role in making rap popular beyond its local origins in New York.
The Legacy of Early Rappers
The contributions of early rap pioneers like Coke La Rock, DJ Kool Herc, and DJ Hollywood were critical to the genre’s birth. These artists did not just make music; they created an entirely new culture. This culture, which included elements like breakdancing, graffiti, DJing, and MCing (rapping), would go on to influence music, fashion, politics, and even language around the world.
By the early 1980s, rap music had gained traction in major urban centers, and more artists began to experiment with the form. Artists like Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five, Run-D.M.C., and LL Cool J helped turn rap into a commercial genre. But the foundations laid by early pioneers are still recognized and respected today.
Conclusion
While it’s difficult to pinpoint one single individual as the first rapper, it is clear that Coke La Rock holds a significant place in history as one of the first true rappers. His rhyming, rhythmic speech at DJ Kool Herc’s parties set the stage for what would become the art of rapping. At the same time, DJ Kool Herc, DJ Hollywood, and others helped to shape the cultural environment that made rap possible. And, of course, the release of “Rapper’s Delight” by the Sugarhill Gang in 1979 brought rap to the mainstream, making it a global phenomenon.
Today, rap music is a multi-billion-dollar industry, with artists from around the world using rap as a form of expression. While its early roots can be traced to a few visionaries in the South Bronx, rap’s reach today has expanded far beyond its birthplace.
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