Several things happened in 1979, which, when combined, went a long way toward introducing rap to the mainstream. The sugarhill Gang released a record called "Rapper's Delight", Kurtis Blow released Magic's Rap Attack debuted on New Jersey radio station WHIBI. This was also the year that influential rappers the Cold Crush Brothers began performing around town.



Rapper's Delight

After its release, "Rapper's Delight" climbed as high as No. 4 on the R&B charts and even made an appearance on the Top 40, eventually selling more than two million copies becoming the biggest selling 12-inch single of all time. As such, it was the first rap record to be recognized by the mainstream. Ironically, "Rapper's Delight" was recorded by a bunch of unknowns from New Jersey who had "borrowed" many of the song's rhymes from other rappers like Grandmaster Caz of the Cold Crush

The Sugarhill Gang's Bank Hank had been managing the Cold Crush Brothers and would often listen to their tapes while working behind the counter at the pizza parlor where he was employed. It was while rapping along to one of these Col Crush tapes, in fact, Sugar Hill Records - Sylvia Robinson discovered that Big Bank Hank. But instead of hooking the Cold Crush Brothers up with the label, Big Bank Hank (under the guidance of Robinson) formed his own group and recorded "Rapper's Delight", a track that used rhymes created by Cold Crush's Grandmaster Caz, who never received any credit or compensation for his rhymes.

But while many of rap's real artists scoffed at the band, no one could argue with the fact that the Sugarhill Gang (and its record label) had successfully delivered rap to the mainstream consciousness. While for some the success of "Rapper's Delight" was galling, for others it was downright inspirational - finally, it began to seem like a career in hip hop was an actual possibility, and it galvanized them into action.



Kurtis Blow

Thanks to an impressive performance a an MC battle - as well as the persuasive personality of his manager (or so the story goes) - Harlem-born rapper Kurtis Blow was chosen to record "Christmas Rappin", a song written by two New York songwriters who were looking for someone who could bring it to life. At the time, Blow wasn't known much outside Manhattan - but the record's release quickly changed that. It was an immediate hit, and soon after, Blow was signed to Mercury Records, the first rapper who ever is signed to a major label.

Mr. Magic

The individual credited with bringing rap to radio, pictured at right, in a handbill that dates from 1985, is Mr. Magic of "Mr. Magic's Rap Attack" When his show, "Mr. Magic's Rap Attack" debuted on New Jersey's WHBI in 1979, it was groundbreaking. For the very first time, rap music was being regularly played on the radio, and rappers and Djs who had previously relied upon live performances and homemade tapes could now hear their music on the air - as could anyone else who turned in.

Cold Crush Brothers poster

The legendary Bronx-based Col Crush Brothers first began performing in 1979. Featuring JDL, Charlie Chase, Dj Tony Tone, Grandmaster Caz, Almighty KayGee and EZAD, the Cold Crush Brothers were incredible (along with crews like the Funky Four Pus One, Grandmaster Flash and The Furious Five) ruled the genre. The Cold Crush Brothers were well established in the local scene long before Rapper's Delight" by the Sugarhill Gang became a hug hit.