Revisiting some of these original rap classics from the early 1980s, it's hard to imagine how many Americans were shocked by the Sugarhill Gang and its most prominent artist, Grandmaster Flash.
Compared with the crudeness of Snoop Dogg today, Sugar Hill pioneered hip-hop's lyrical and sonic exploration, bringing rap into the mainstream, all while barely uttering a single expletive. This twin-disc compilation offers all the familiar classics, plus a bonus Scratch Perverts mix. Starting with their 1983 anti-cocaine polemic White Lines, it takes in the timeless Rapper's Delight (the short version sadly), The Message, Electric Boogie, and We Got The Funk. This package also represents a critical guide to early sampling and cutting: Flash essentially created the basic vocabulary of DJ-ing.
Updated: 09:01 Thursday, February 24, 2005
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