[Ads-l] Better Antedating of "Rap" (Musical Genre)

[Shapiro, Fred]

This is great stuff, Bill.  I think that your 26 Oct. and 3 Nov. citations are legitimate antedatings of the musical-genre name of "rap."  The 22 Oct. citation could also be considered as an antedating of the genre name, or, since it is clearly transitional, it might be included in the OED in square brackets.

Here is a slightly earlier citation, also transitional and also a square-bracket candidate:

1979 New York Amsterdam News 20 Oct. 34 (ProQuest)  (heading) 'Rap' disco record sweeps country.

Fred Shapiro

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From: American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU> on behalf of Bill Mullins <amcombill at HOTMAIL.COM>
Sent: Saturday, April 11, 2026 11:52 PM
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Subject: Better Antedating of "Rap" (Musical Genre)

>   rap (OED, n2, 8.c., 1980)
>
>   1979 Commercial Appeal (Memphis) 4 Nov. 12/2 (Newspapers.com)
>
>   The black music scene infected with nauseating "rap" songs by groups like the Sugar Hill Gang.


I could see arguments for each of these being slightly earlier:

1979 NY Daily News 22 Oct 27/2

It's the first "disco rap" record (eat your heart out Sugar Hill Gang).

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1979 Kingsport TN Times-News Weekender 26 Oct 12/1

As head of Sylvia, Inc., she made plans to record a rap record, but lost the artist who was to do the rap.

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1979 Billboard 3 Nov 64/3 [proquest]

Meanwhile, deejay "Hollywood" is reportedly assembling a rap record.

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