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.
ALL: Hip-Hop 1980s
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.”
The 50 Best Rap Singles of 1982: Just Four
December 10, 2022
On this somewhat anonymous single, three MCs flow hard over a ruddy but firm interpolation of Shalamar’s “Night to Remember.”
The 50 Best Rap Singles of 1982: Jalil Hutchins
December 10, 2022
Before Jalil Hutchins’ earned a major-label deal for his group Whodini, he linked with producer Kenton Nix for this solo single.
The 50 Best Rap Singles of 1982: Futura 2000
December 10, 2022
Graffiti legend Futura’s single is a historic union with The Clash’s Mick Jones, Dondi, and Fab Five Freddy.
The 50 Best Rap Singles of 1982: Extra T’s
December 10, 2022
This spin on youth fads like electro and E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial inspired Busta Rhymes’s 1998 hit “Dangerous.”