Pre-Rap

I have a bunch of Picks that I put into my Rap section of picks (now updated). Stuff I was listening to way back when. But I was also a fan of music that wasn't at the time called rap, but now is seen as the precursors to rap. Artists such as Cab Calloway which my dad loved and played for me. But also bands like the Last Poets who as a valley boy in California should not be listening to. And Gil Scott-Heron who I thought was brilliant and saw live numerous times.And Umar Bin Hassan who I caught in a little club in NY, accidentally while visiting the city. These were not only East Coast people and music, but also divided by these racial tones that I felt I snuck into. Discovering Blowfly and cracking up. Following Grandmaster and discovering that Hustler's Convention came from Lightnin' Rod only happened because I was too OCD about finding out the history. Once you follow one, the others kinda fall into place. By no means is this all encompassing. It's just what I found when I followed. If you don't know this stuff, I'm glad you get to discover it. If you do, you're welcome to get it all here.

Pre-Rap

01 Joe Hill Louis - Gotta Let You Go

02 Cab Calloway - Minnie the Moocher

03 The Last Poets - Niggers Are Scared Of Revolution

04 The Last Poets - When The Revolution Comes

05 Gil Scott-Heron - The Revolution Will Not Be Televised

06 Umar Bin Hassan - This Is Madness

07 The Watts Prophets - Dem Niggers Ain't Playing

08 Rudy Ray Moore - Dolemite

09 Blowfly - Rap Dirty

10 Lightnin' Rod - Sport

11 Mr. Green with DJ Kool Herc - Throw Ya Hands Up

12 Kurtis Blow - The Breaks

13 Afrika Bambaataa & The Soulsonic Force - Planet Rock (Instrumental 12 inch version)

14 DJ Hollywood - Hollywood's World

15 Gary Byrd & The G.B. Experience - The Crown (Vocal)

16 Fatback Band - King Tim III (Personality Jock)