1979 is the year that Rap recordings were born and Rap as an industry was born. Talking over music predates the Rap recordings of 1979, with artists like Isaac Hayes, Millie Jackson, Gil Scott Heron, The Last Poets, Dewey "Pigmeat" Markham and talking DJs like Jocko ,Gary Byrd, and Frankie Crocker releasing recordings previous to '79. 1979 represents the release of the "modern day" rap record and the age of the MC, who is directly connected to the culture of Hip-Hop. Although those previous artists and DJs influenced the class of '79, in some cases, the cadences, vocabulary and attitudes reflected a new version of an ancient form of expression.

You'll notice that the 21 songs selected in our list have many similarities. Most of them are based on already existing disco songs. The majority of them have the word "Rap" in the title, which has always been a slang word for talking in urban communities. The songs are lengthy, sometimes approaching 17 minutes because they weren't formatted for radio play. Lastly, all but a couple are independent record label releases, as the music industry would take almost a decade to embrace Rap music and understand its potential and staying power. The representation of women MCs is very present in these recordings as well, from The Sequence, to Sha-Rock, Lady B, and The Winley Sisters.

21 Rap songs released in 1979