The Sugarhill Gang

直到1979年，最早的說唱樂出現(xiàn)了，那便是Sugarhill Gang的《Rapper's Delight》.
由Sugarhill Gang三位成員表演的韻文般的歌曲引起了聽眾的共鳴，《Rapper's Delight》成為流行全美的金曲，并一舉攻入了Billboard雜志流行音樂榜的第36位。歌曲內(nèi)容主要是一些想象和自夸，這是早期的說唱歌手通用的素材。
其中的歌曲《Rapper's Delight》則是雇傭了錄音棚的專業(yè)人員參與制作，復(fù)制（不同于采樣）了當(dāng)年的流行金曲，美國一個名叫Chic的迪斯科組合的歌曲《Good Times》。美國白人們對《Rapper's Delight》的新奇感也通過音樂表現(xiàn)出來，一系列靈感取自《Rapper's Delight》的流行音樂唱片發(fā)行了，比如新浪潮樂隊(duì)Blondie 1980年發(fā)行的《Rapture》等。
接下來，Afrika Bambaataa 于1982年發(fā)行了第一張以電子合成器和電子鼓為伴奏工具的說唱專輯《Planet Rock》。這張專輯的意義在于，說唱藝人們可以自己制作伴奏，而并非只是一味的復(fù)制流行歌曲的節(jié)奏，說唱樂創(chuàng)作的天地一下廣闊了起來。
by John Bush
Though the Sugarhill Gang inaugurated the history of recorded hip-hop with their single Rappers Delight, a multi-platinum seller and radio hit in 1979, the group was cooked up to cash in on a supposed novelty item. Music-industry producer and label-owner Sylvia Robinson had become aware of the massive hip-hop block parties occurring around the New York area during the late 70s, so she gathered three local rappers (Master Gee, Wonder Mike, and Big Bank Hank) to record a single. Infectious and catchy, Rappers Delight borrowed the break from Chics Good Times and became a worldwide hit, eventually selling more than eight million copies. Most industry people figured rap for a short-lived trend, and though they were dead wrong, the Sugarhill Gang certainly didnt carry the torch; despite several modest hits (8th Wonder, Apache) the trio faded quickly and was gone by the mid-80s, only returning in 1999 with Jump on It, a rap album for children.