Search - Various Artists :: First Generation Rap: The Old School, Vol. 1

You really had to be there for this!

Andre M. | Mt. Pleasant, SC United States | 11/28/2005

(4 out of 5 stars)

"You really had to be a teenager on the east coast that was into Black music to know about this underground stuff! These were the jams that we-the first generation that was into hip hop, eagerly rocked to in late 1979-early 1980. These were from Enjoy Records, which was at the time the rival of Sugarhill Records in early recorded rap.



This includes the legendary "Rapping and Rocking the House" by the Funky 4+1 More. Unfortunately, this is the b-side whichy is shorter and does not contain the energy of the a-side that rocked parties in the ghettoes of the east coast during the era (I've yet to find the wonderful a-side in complete form on CD, but it's available on some websites on vinyl).



This also contains SUPERRAPPIN by Grandmaster Flash and His Furious Five. This has the raw, sparse beat that was actually popular in New York at the time and the title lives up to its name (this includes Melle Mel's "Child is born..." rap tale that was later made famous on "The Message"). The instrumental is here too. That was a common practice at the time to have instrumentals on the b-side of rap records so that aspiring rappers and djs could do their thing at paries.



Then we have "The Love rap" with Spoonie G and the Treacharous 3. I remember hearing this in the Bronx in late 1979 and the sparse beat and "to the Beat y'all" lyrics truly represent the old school of early rap. The Disco 4 and Dr. Ice raps were also popular at parties at the time.



All of this was straight-up underground music that rarely aired on the radio, so if you are a HARD core oldschool hiphop fan who is interested in what the early years of this music REALLY sounded like, then take it form one who was there-this is for you!"