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Slavery Period: black families in the south and former slaves were already using a primitive version of what would become the toast (toasting). 1776-1865 -
1930s/1940s: In those days, black crooner/singer Cab Calloway used to improvise on his songs what is known today as “free-style,” a center component of rap.
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James Brown and the constant onomatopoeic beat in songs like “I'm Black and Proud” and “Sex Machine” have had and still have today a grand influence on rappers.
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Afrika Bambaataa, a native of the South Bronx, the Godfather of Hip Hop, the first rappers and hip-hop deejays in the history, or at least the ones who helped rap music to enter the mainstream of America in the second half of the 1970s. -
"Ancestors” of rap are singers like Barry White in the early 70s with a sort of “lover rap,” words smoothly put on music.
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Sugar Hill Gang’s “Rapper's Delight.” 12 weeks on the charts (#36). -
Rap music broke into the mass media. That the concept of a DJ as an artist and cultural hero gradually became formulated. -
Grandmaster Flash & the Furious Five’s “The Message.” Gold single.
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“Rock it” by Herbie Hancock and DJ Grand Mixer DXT. Gold single.
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“Walk This Way” by Aerosmith featuring RUN-D.M.C. LP sold 3 million copies.
