The 50 Best Rap Singles of 1982
December 18, 2022
The year brought classics like “Planet Rock” and “The Message,” and hip-hop seemed to grow out of its prepubescent phase overnight.
ALL: Hip-Hop 1980s
The 50 Best Rap Singles of 1982: Wayne & Charlie
December 11, 2022
Wayne Garland and Charlie Chucks’ parody of Kurtis Blow’s “The Breaks” is largely notable for Jigsaw Inc.’s monster boogie-funk groove.
The 50 Best Rap Singles of 1982: Treacherous Three
December 11, 2022
The Treacherous Three’s single finds Clifton “Jiggs” Chase’s Jigsaw crew turning the Pointer Sisters’ 70s chestnut into an electro groove.
The 50 Best Rap Singles of 1982: The SD’s Featuring Sherry Richard
December 11, 2022
With Sugar Hill-style raps from soul singer Shelly Richard, this may be the first rap record to emerge from New Orleans.
The 50 Best Rap Singles of 1982: The Packman
December 10, 2022
This single finds Master Don and Frank Heller capitalizing on the first wave of video arcade madness with an impressive vocoder hook.
The 50 Best Rap Singles of 1982: Masterdon Committee
December 10, 2022
Today, Masterdon Committee is best known for a chant that Master P later made famous with “Make ‘ Em Say Uhh.”
The 50 Best Rap Singles of 1982: Sylvia
December 10, 2022
As the “queen” of Sugar Hill Records, Sylvia’s sense of musicality makes this disco-fried parody of Mel Brooks superior to the original.
The 50 Best Rap Singles of 1982: Sweety G
December 10, 2022
“We Want to Get Down” is a product of Queens artist Glenn “Sweety G” Toby’s alliance with famed Harlem promoters Mike & Dave.
The 50 Best Rap Singles of 1982: Micronawts
December 10, 2022
Before he earned fame for coining the phrase “New Jack Swing,” Barry Michael Cooper made this entry in the Smurf hip-hop canon.
The 50 Best Rap Singles of 1982: Malcolm McLaren & The World Famous Supreme Team
December 10, 2022
This classic single by Malcolm McLaren and the World Famous Supreme Team blends British pop and B-boy style.
The 50 Best Rap Singles of 1982: M.C. Chocolate Star
December 10, 2022
This post-disco curio from Gary Davis has appeared on numerous DJ mixes as well as Traffic Entertainment and Stones Throw compilations.
The 50 Best Rap Singles of 1982: AJ Scratch
December 10, 2022
On this rare, highly collectible 12-inch, New York DJ/producer AJ Scratch flows over an interpolation of Ohio Players’ “Skin Tight.”