The success of "Rapper's Delight"
by the Sugarhill Gang proved that hip-hop was no longer confined
to clubs, neighborhood block parties and homemade tapes. Several
New York-based record labels popped up, including Enjoy and
Disco Fever, which offered some competition to Sugar Hill
Records and their roster. While these smaller labels had support
from within the rap community, it seemed the outside world
wanted a slicker sound. 1980 releases such as "The Breaks"
and "Rapture", by Kurtis Blow and Blondie, respectively,
were hugely successful. 1980 was also the year that all female
crew Sequence hit the charts.
The Breaks
In September of 1980, Kurtis Blow released "The Breaks"
on Mercury Records. A joyful party jam full of shout-outs,
whistles and crowd sounds, it sported a call-and-response
lyrical style and slamming beat. The record quickly became
hugely popular, and went to sell more than a million copies.
The Breaks Lyrics
These are the original handwritten lyrics for "The Breaks"
by Kurtis Blow. Written on notebook paper, the right edge
of the page is rough where the sheet was torn from its binding.
However, while there is some creasing and slight wear at corners
and edges, the page is remarkably intact, and Blow's catchy
lyrics (written in his sprawling hand) are still legible.
Rapture single
In 1980, new wave/pop group Blondie released "Rapture",
in which vocalist Deborah Harry rapped about hip hop pioneers
Grandmaster Flash and Fab 5 Freddy. The song reached No.1
on the pop charts and received massive airplay, thereby introducing
rap (albeit a new wave, poppy version) to mainstream music
listeners around the world.
The Sequence
From the heretofore male-dominated (and New York - centric)
world of rap, South Carolina crew Sequence (the trio behind
songs like "Funk you up" and "Monster Jam")
made a name for themselves on the Sugar Hill label, releasing
the first-ever rap record by an all-female group. As this
handbill demonstrates, female rappers such as Sequence (and
Sha-Rock of the Funky Four Plus One) were already making their
mark on hip hop, paving the way for others to come, such as
Roxanne Shante, Salt-N-Pepa and MC Lytle.
