The 50 Best Rap Singles of 1982: Chapter III

With help from DJ T-Ski’s Erotic Disco Brothers, Bronx teens Chapter III recorded two fun singles inspired by Cheryl Lynn and the Smurfs.

Chapter III
Real Rocking Groove (Rap & Breaks) (Grand Groove Records) (1981/1982?)

Chapter Three
Smurf Trek (Grand Groove Records)

Meanwhile, Chapter III’s second and final 1982 single has sci-fi funk vibes and vocoder voices that resemble Parliament’s “Aqua Boogie.” It’s all in tribute to the Smurf trend that swept through clubs that year. “In the great tradition of the monkey, the funky chicken, the dog, the jerk, the mashed potato, the bus stop, the hustle, the bump, and the freak, your children (perhaps even you) are crowding the dance floors to do the smurf dance,” wrote Nelson George in his November 20 column for Billboard. After the release of “Smurf Trek,” Chapter III split, heading off to different colleges. Golden Voice later formed Partners in Kryme. In 1990, Partners in Kryme released another song inspired by cartoon characters: “Turtle Power!” for the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles soundtrack.

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