[Ads-l] Further Antedating of "Rap Music"

[Bonnie Taylor-Blake]

This is an interesting or unusual case, I think. Here's the snippet in context,

https://www.genealogybank.com/doc/newspapers/image/v2%3A13D5DA85AE05A305%40GB3NEWS-14E828ED5F7D8F03%402444363-14E68AF5B3B99D9F%4013-14E68AF5B3B99D9F?clipid=cvdyykjreejsrzzoczxzlwutjzbdmhzs_ip-10-166-46-77_1747329028612

This may well be the first appearance of "'rap' music," but what
little I've discerned of Hodge's music doesn't fall within rap, even
rap as was emerging near simultaneously (ca. 1975-1980).

I didn't listen to all of "Eyewitness Blues," the album the writer was
describing, but the "blues-based melody" therein sounds more like
Southern (white) rock or blues rock in the style of the Allman
Brothers or Lynyrd Skynyrd.

So, to me, a collocation of "rap" and "music," but not rap (music).

-- Bonnie

On Thu, May 15, 2025 at 11:26 AM Shapiro, Fred <fred.shapiro at yale.edu> wrote:
>
> rap music (OED 1981)
>
> 1980 Washington Star 3 May B-2/4 (Genealogy Bank)
>
> ["Catfish"] Hodge's music is distinctive.  A good portion of it is "rap" music — Hodge talking in sing-song fashion over a wrenching, blues-based melody.
>
> Fred Shapiro

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