#early rap

Now what you hear is not a test I’m rapping to the beat

from the album Sugarhill Gang

Where do you even begin when talking about ‘Rapper’s Delight’? It’s very easy to point to revered, groundbreaking singles and say that they “changed the world”, but there is no doubt that the Sugarhill Gang’s 1979 recording, the first hip hop track to gain widespread attention, actually did alter the way culture progressed across the next four decades. ‘Rapper’s Delight’ opened the door for new generations of black artists, gave black youth a unique voice, and allowed the records that followed in its wake to address social and political issues that, without this platform, would likely have remained unspoken and obscured.

Nobody could have known all that in 1979, of course, and this newfangled rap style was seen by some as a fad - so how does ‘Rapper’s Delight’, a fifteen-minute epic that could have easily descended into novelty as its minutes wore on, hold up today? From the Chic sample, to the iconic opening declaration, right on down to Wonder Mike’s verse about going over to a friend’s house to eat, ‘Rapper’s Delight’ is still a joy, incorporating humour, braggadocio, scenes from everyday life, pop culture references, and calls to the dance floor. With so much ground covered so skilfully, ‘Rapper’s Delight’ succeeds as both an artistic blueprint and as pure entertainment - it’s not just one of the most important recordings of the twentieth century, it’s tons of fun, too, regardless of whether you’re listening in 1979 or 2019.

‘Rapper’s Delight’ audio:

Chart peaks: UK #3, US #36, AUS #37

So this is one of the last of the really low-quality songs on the album. It's really just Iron maiden’s fear of the dark in midi but I say duck instead of dark. Also, a few of the lyrics are changed to be about like veganism and shit.

Here are the lyrics

I am a man who walks alone

And when I'm walking a dark road

At night or strolling by the lake

When the light begins to change

I sometimes feel a little strange

A little anxious when it's dark.

Fear of the duck, fear of the duck

I have a constant fear that quakings always near

Fear of the duck, fear of the duck

I have a phobia that something's always there

Have you run your fingers down the wall

And have you felt your neck skin crawl

When you're searching for the light?

Sometimes when you're scared to take a look

At the corner of the lake

You've sensed that the ducks watching you.

Fear of the duck, fear of the duck

I have a constant fear that quackings always near

Fear of the duck, fear of the duck.

I have a phobia that the ducks always there

Have you ever been alone at night

Thought you heard waddles behind

And turned around and no-one's there?

And as you quicken up your pace

You find it hard to look again

Because you're sure there's something there

Fear of the duck, fear of the duck

I have a constant fear that quackings always near

Fear of the duck, fear of the duck.

I have a phobia that the ducks always there

Watching PETA films the night before

Debating chickens and rooster

The unknown troubles on your mind

Maybe your mind is playing tricks

You sense, and suddenly eyes fix

On dancing shadows from behind.

Fear of the duck, fear of the duck

I have a constant fear that quackings always near

Fear of the duck, fear of the duck

I have a phobia that something's always there.

When I'm walking a dark road

I am a man who walks alone

you should listen to some early 80s rap instead of this. I recommend some fuckin ice t or something