The Origins of Rap in 10 Unlikely Places

Pop quiz time: what was the first rap song? If you answered “Rapture” by Blondie or “Rapper’s Delight” by the Sugarhill Gang, you’re only partially right. Both songs were released in 1979, both charted, and both introduced the concept of rapping to a wide audience. The act of rapping itself, however, was invented neither by Deborah Harry nor the Sugarhill Gang. Because of its close association with the hip-hop genre and culture which was formed in the ’70s and rose to popularity in the 1980s, many non-fans think of rap as a fairly new form of music. In reality, its roots go back several decades.

Rapping by its very definition (speaking words and often rhyming them to a beat) most likely originated in West Africa, where griots (a word that means historian, storyteller, praise singer, poet, or musician) used rapping when performing songs and messages. By the 1960s, Jamaican DJs were incorporating rapping between records to keep dancers on the floor. It can be heard in some African-American blues songs from the 1920s and even in some older musicals (the “Ya Got Trouble” number from The Music Man, for example, is a loose precursor to rap’s rhythmic spoken word over a beat).

Purists will argue that rap music didn’t begin until the rise of hip-hop culture in the late ’70s and early ’80s, and indeed, many of the songs listed here can’t be categorized as true rap songs. There’s no denying, though, that the art of speaking words to music existed long before the era of excess, providing the building blocks for the genre. In many ways, these artists, many of whom are now considered either traditional or timeless (or both), used spoken word over a beat to break away from the norm — a statement the hip-hop movement would embrace and encourage.

Hip-hop MC Del the Funky Homosapien defines rap as “trying to convince somebody…that’s what rapping is, it’s in the way that you talk.” With that definition in mind, let’s take a fun look back at some of rap’s ancestors prior to the 1980s hip-hop boom.

1) “King Tim III (Personality Jock),” The Fatback Band (1979)

King Tim III was a Harlem rapper who would perform while the Fatback Band broke down their equipment, entertaining the crowd. Some sources believe he deserves the credit for making the first true, official rap record. Considering this 1979 song was released a few months before “Rapture” and “Rapper’s Delight,” I’d say they have a pretty strong argument.

2) “Me and Mr. Hohner,” Bobby Darin (1968)

Bobby Darin was a musical chameleon ahead of his time who dabbled in just about every genre of music including folk, gospel, and country, so it should hardly be surprising that he rapped his way through one of his own infectious compositions, “Me and Mr. Hohner.” Released in 1968 during his prolific hippie phase, where he ditched his “Mack the Knife” tuxedo for denim duds, it delivers a tale of discrimination against long-haired peace lovers. And who is this Mr. Hohner accompanying him throughout the song? Why, his harmonica, of course!

3) “Ska-Ing West,” Sir Lord Comic and His Cowboys (1963)

Many reggae and ska music fans claim that this jaunty melody by Jamaican group Sir Lord Comic and His Cowboys was the first rap song ever made — despite the fact that it contains few lyrics.

4) “Rock Island,” Cast of The Music Man (1962)

I would go as far to argue that Robert Preston’s rapid-fire delivery of “Ya Got Trouble” in the aforementioned film version of The Music Man qualifies as rap, at least at a purely textbook level. Songwriter Meredith Wilson considered scrapping the large piece of dialogue where con-man Harold Hill warns the parents of River City about the dangers of pool from the original play, but decided it would work if set to music… and it did.

5) “Gotta Let You Go,” Joe Hill Louis (1950)

Louis’ music career was short-lived — he died at the age of 35 after contracting tetanus — but the few recordings he did were a little bit ahead of their time. The spoken vocal style on “Gotta Let You Go” has been compared to more modern proto-rap and the B-side to the single, “Boogie in the Park,” has been credited with influencing early rock and later, heavy metal.

6) “That’s What I Like About the South,” Phil Harris (1947)

Phil Harris was a radio personality, singer, and comedian who is perhaps best known for contributing vocals to several Disney movies, most notably the voice for Baloo in The Jungle Book. Growing up in Nashville, he called himself a Southerner, and the quippy, quick song “That’s What I Like About the South” became his trademark. Just call him Dixie Mixmaster Phil.

7) “The Lady’s in Love With You,” Glenn Miller (1939)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SwzSsJc6fq8

Yes, even the big band king Glenn Miller did a bit of rapping back in the day, helped along by his bandmate Tex Beneke (who almost always preceded his vocals with whistling). A rare tune in the Miller songbook, I love that it uses the phrase “killer diller” and it was actually one of two Miller songs that featured rapping…

8) “The Little Man Who Wasn’t There,” Glenn Miller (1939)

Glenn and his buddy Tex repeat the rapped vocal introductory on “The Little Man Who Wasn’t There” (a great Halloween track if I ever heard one). The song is based on a poem by the same name that was published in 1899.

9) “Boum!” Charles Trenet (1938)

A lighthearted song by French singer Charles Trenet about joie de vivre that has popped up in many movies throughout the years (A Good Year and Something’s Gotta Give, for starters). Maybe it’s a stretch to lump it in the rap category, but it certainly has that vocal rhythm.

10) “Minnie the Moocher,” Cab Calloway and His Orchestra (1931)

Cab Calloway’s signature hit may have been one of the first songs to incorporate audience participation when it was performed, when Calloway would encourage attendees to repeat the refrain (“Hi De Hi De Hi De Hi”) and scat phrases. His rapid-fire delivery, seamless incorporation of vocal tricks and spoken word, along with his always effervescent stage presence all point the way to early hip hop. Could Cab Calloway be the father of modern rap? It’s quite possible.

Can you think of other examples of early rap? Do you disagree with our choices? Let’s talk about it in the comments!

Pamela Sosnowski

Pam Sosnowski's love of retro music and pop culture all started when she saw the Beatles cover band 1964 in concert in the early '90s. It wasn't long before her obsession with the Fabs led to an interest in all things 1960s, probably because she never actually lived in the decade. Today she is the author of Go Retro where she ruminates about the people, places, and things of the pop culture past and is also a freelance writer.