The Birth of Rap and Hip Hop

OK kids, time for a history lesson in music.  I know you guys like rap and hip hop.  But what you call rap today actually started in about 1980 with this song, "Rapper's Delight," by the Sugarhill Gang.  At that time, disco was still really popular.  Disco was short for discotecque, which were the dance clubs of that time.  Women wore lots of sparkles and sequins, and the men had tight pants.  The dancing was far different than what we see today.  As far away as it seems from today's hip hop, this song spread the idea of rapping lyrics instead of singing them, and that idea caught on with the young, poor kids in the street.  Rap as we know it was born.  Once again, the African-American community changed music for the rest of the world.