I’ve never been a big fan of rap, honestly. But yesterday I was watching this show that made me think about some of the early rap songs I grew up hearing in the 80s, pre-gansta rap, some of which was just plain fun. The show wasn’t about rap or even about music. It was a crime show, but one of the people on the show was a one-hit-wonder who recorded “Double Dutch Bus,” whose record label exec. was a drug dealer and murderer. Oh well, the song was fun. That got me started thinking, and a few downloads later, I had my very own collection of “old school rap.”
So, this is what’s on the MP3 for tomorrow’s metro ride to work:
- Rapper’s Delight – Sugar Hill Gang
- Double Dutch Bus – Frankie Smith
- The Breaks – Kurtis Blow
- Freaks Come Out at Night – Whodini
- The Show – Doug E. Fresh & Slick Rick
- Human Beat Box – The Fat Boys
- Roxanne, Roxanne – UTFO
- Roxanne’s Revenge – Roxanne Shante
- The Real Roxanne – Roxanne with UTFO
- It’s a Shame (My Sista) – Monie Love
- Push It – Salt-N-Peppa
- Around the Way Girl – LL Cool J
- Now That We Found Love – Heavy D
- OPP – Naughty by Nature
- The Humpty Dance – Digital Underground
- Let Me Clear My Throat – DJ Kool
Of course, afterwards I thought of other songs that would work as well. I didn’t know I knew that much about rap. Well, old rap anyway.