[Ads-l] Antedating of "Freestyle" (Verb) (Rap)

[Ben Zimmer]

The 1986 Spin example uses "freestyle" as an attributive noun or adjective,
not a verb. OED dates the hip-hop usage of the noun to 1983.

The 1985 cite is the one I gave in a previous post, referring to
breakdancing, not rapping.
https://listserv.linguistlist.org/pipermail/ads-l/2025-December/168176.html

On Sat, Dec 13, 2025 at 7:20 PM mr_peter_morris at outlook.com <
mr_peter_morris at outlook.com> wrote:

>
> https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=772AV6upth4C&pg=PA12&dq=freestyle+rap&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjBhO2H47uRAxV0UUEAHYl4G3kQuwV6BAgJEAc#v=onepage&q=freestyle%20rap&f=false
>
> Spin, September 1986
>
> Whenever a posse of hip-hop gangsters turns a rap party into a freestyle
> clean-and-jerk chain-snatching competition, that's called a Brooklyn
> crowd.
>
> -------------------------------------------
>
>
> https://www.google.co.uk/books/edition/Fresh_Hip_Hop_Don_t_Stop/zBEWAQAAIAAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&bsq=freestyle+rap&dq=freestyle+rap&printsec=frontcover
>
> possibly 1985, usual caveats
>
> As the beat of the drummer came to the fore the music let you know
>   it was time to break down, to freestyle . The cadenced , rhyming ,
> fast - talking epic mode of rapping , with its smooth surface of sexual
> ...
>
>
> ------ Original Message ------
> From "Shapiro, Fred" <00001ac016895344-dmarc-request at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> To ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU
> Date 13/12/2025 02:33:37
> Subject Antedating of "Freestyle" (Verb) (Rap)
>
> >freestyle, v. (OED, 2., 1989)
> >
> >1988 Option 1 Sept. 35/1 (ProQuest)
> >
> >Shante is a supreme show woman ... she's renowned for her "freestyling,"
> quick-witted rhyming at the drop of a dime.
> >
>

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