I picked up my appreciation of rap and classic old school hip-hop music by assimilation – when your high school classmates bring in the latest 12-inch Sugarhill Records dance tracks, you learn quickly how to hip hop hip hop don’t stop that body rock.
And when I spent four years at Hamilton College, being one of the top disc jockeys at college station WHCL, I was able to bring that love of hip hop and rap into my radio show.
And without further adieu, let me play for you some great rap and hip hop and dance tracks from the early 1980’s. And if you don’t like these tracks, you can come back next time and there’ll be a brand new K-Chuck Radio subject.
So let’s start with –
LISA LISA AND CULT JAM WITH FULL FORCE
I Wonder If I Take You Home
This dance track was recorded on a shoestring budget. It could have been the last track that singer Lisa Lisa, the duo Cult Jam and the production team Full Force ever did. But it became a hit. A big hit. And it launched their careers. And how many girls out there shaved off half their hair after seeing Lisa Lisa rocking that style in this video?
JENNY BURTON
Remember What You Like
At one point in time, John Robie’s synthesizers and drum tracks and digital keyboards were all over hip-hop music. In fact, he recorded voices into his keyboard and then played the voices as notes. Although Jenny Burton’s voice is fully authentic, no auto-tune needed.
JELLYBEAN
The Mexican
The art-rock band Babe Ruth had a minor hit with this song in the 1970’s, but John “Jellybean” Benitez had a major dance hit with this track – and even got the lead singer of Babe Ruth to repeat his vocals for this track.
FELIX AND JARVIS
Flamethrower Rap
Yes, someone actually took a track from the J. Geils Band Freeze-Frame song and turned it into a rap song. I think we played this on WHCL around the same time that we played the J. Geils Band song as well.
PLANET PATROL
Play At Your Own Risk
Let’s see… take a leftover rhythm track from the hit “Planet Rock,” add some stereo separation, and build the lyrics around a repair note affixed to a pinball machine… and it becomes a major R&B and dance hit. Go figure.
SILVERFLASH
Funky Space Player
Keith Ferguson was a multi-instrumental genius who honed his craft as a member of the Parliament / Funkadelic band. This was his solo debut, and the 12-inch pressing now sells for about $150 among funk and freestyle music collectors.
GRANDMASTER AND MELLE MEL
White Lines (Don’t Don’t Do It)
This was released after the seminal hip hop group Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five broke up. The “Grandmaster” in this recording is not Flash, but the Melle Mel in this track is definitely Melle Mel.
SPOONIE GEE MEETS THE SEQUENCE
Monster Jam
You might recall the intro to this song as the intro for Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five’s “The Adventures of Grandmaster Flash on the Wheels of Steel” hit. But yeah, this was Sugarhill Records’ attempt to merge one of their rappers with one of their female rap trios. Big hit at my high school.
THE AWESOME FOURSOME
Funky Soul Makossa
Nothing like taking the classic “Soul Makossa” and turning it into a hip-hop Arthur Baker-John Robie dance track. I listen to this today and I can still feel the rhythm surging through my neck, arms and legs, wanting to groove once again.
JIMMY SPICER (as SUPER RHYMES)
Adventures of Super Rhymes
Back in the day… when raps were more about getting together in the boogie down Bronx and partying all day and night… jams like this packed the dance floor every single time.
This is part of my musical fabric. Love me or hate me, this is me. A product of the old school, who comes back to party in the new school.
So just throw your hands in the air
and wave them like you just don’t care
to the one blog post you always know
has the good stuff — K-Chuck Radio
To the beat!
Chuck The Writer 