"Does she have any other songs?" .......... literally choked on my drink, man. literally choked on my drink. The band is Blondie, the woman is Debbie Harry and she's one of the GOAT. Welcome to another rabbit hole. Rock welcomes you to the warren.
Blondie is the name of the group. Her name is Deborah Harry. I believe the guy dancing in the white tux is Fab five. Freddy but don't quote me on that. It's been a while. Some of her main hits are hard of glass and one way or another and there are several more that I just can't remember right off hand
She was a woman that understood and frequented the underground art scene. She was a go-go dancer and Playboy bunny and a heroine addict. She has earned her artistic stripes the hard way. Hats off to her; a survivor and pioneer.
Blondie has so many great songs. Atomic, Heart of Glass, Call Me,The tide is High, Denis, Dreaming,Hanging on the telephone, One way or Another, to name a few of them.
Don't be fooled by her appearance, Debbie Harry (that's the singer's name, and the band is called Blondie) is a pretty badass lady. Blondie was in the new wave, pop rock / punk rock scene but their song catalogue is quite eclectic. She was also friend and hung around with hip-hop artists of the NYC scene and brought the genre into mainstream.
Fab 5 Freddy, Lee Quiñones and Jean-Michel Basquiat make cameo appearances. Basquiat was hired when Grandmaster Flash did not show for the shoot. He played the DJ. Fab 5 Freddy & Lee were the doing the graffiti. Actually it was Fab 5 that introduced Debbie to Grandmaster Flash. At her first hip-hop show in the Bronx, in 1979. She really liked what Flash was doing on the turntables. She told him she was going write a song about him. Then when he heard her rap about him, he was happy & shocked she kept her word.
From wikipedia Singer Debbie Harry and guitarist Chris Stein were friends with Brooklyn- and Bronx-based hip-hop artists such as Fab 5 Freddy (Fred Brathwaite) in the late 1970s. Brathwaite took Harry and Stein to a rap event in the Bronx one night in 1978, and they were both impressed by the skill and excitement as MCs rhymed lyrics over the beats of spinning records and people lined up for a chance to take the microphone and freestyle rap. Harry and Stein went to a few more such events, before deciding to write a rap song of their own in late 1979. They decided to combine what they had seen and heard in the Bronx with Chic-inspired disco music. Keyboardist Jimmy Destri found some tubular bells in the back of the studio, which added a haunting touch to the song. The title "Rapture" was a pun on "rap", according to Stein. Harry tried to capture the feeling of a crowded hip-hop dance floor in the Bronx: "Toe to toe / Dancing very close / Barely breathing / Almost comatose / Wall to wall / People hypnotized / And they're stepping lightly / Hang each night in Rapture." The rap section references Fab 5 Freddy ("Fab 5 Freddy told me everybody's fly"), as well as Grandmaster Flash ("Flash is fast, Flash is cool").... Fab 5 Freddy and graffiti artists Lee Quiñones and Jean-Michel Basquiat make cameo appearances. Basquiat was hired when Grandmaster Flash did not show for the shoot. Grandmaster Flash scratch mixed the lyrics "Fab 5 Freddy told me everybody's fly" from "Rapture" on his single "The Adventures of Grandmaster Flash on the Wheels of Steel" and also included the track on his DJ mix album Essential Mix: Classic Edition (2002), editing out all the rap parts. Many early rappers sampled the song. KRS-One used a tonally similar version of the intro to "Rapture" for the intro/chorus of his single "Step Into A World (Rapture's Delight)" with lyrics changed slightly to praise KRS-One's rap prowess.
I saw the premiere of the Film "Wild Style" at the ICA in London in '83..or 84 and Fab 5 Freddie was Mc'ing in the after party they head break dancers from the London Sidewalk crew as well
Yes,long time ago, she was hip for those days and became a big star in 80's with a many different styles, including reggae. Plus she was easy on the eyes.boys following her was her band.which was good.😊😊
Dude! Young people don’t know jack about music these days. My generation has lived through the greatest adventure in musical development ever. Debra Harry was one of the first women who was successful in rock/pop/rap music.
Debbie Harry is 78 yrs. old. The band Blondie has many other hits. The song Call Me was a huge success as it was featured in the 1980 movie American Gigolo
I'm always shocked how many hip hop/rap people don't know this song's pivotal place in the history of that genre. For the vast majority of people, this was the song that introduced them to rap. Blondie frequented New York's underground music scene. They were friends with Fab 5 Freddy who took them to a rap event in 1978. He's mentioned in this song. They went to a few more events then decided to make their own rap song. Btw, that's Jean Michel Basquiat on the turntables in the video.
The very first song in history to feature predominately rap that hit #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 at a time when rap was considered underground. This song introduced rap to the masses especially white suburban teenagers and the rest is history.
@@Polecat54941 Blondie was part of the NYC punk scene, but didn't start punk. The Stooges song " I Wanna Be Your Dog" is considered an early precursor to punk and The Stooges band are considered the godfathers of punk rock.
@@Polecat54941 they didn't exactly start punk in the US but were there near the beginning in NY doing their own thing. More avant-garde, artsy with an angry edge. When they went to the UK they were so different from the punk bands there, especially with a female lead. And because the Brit punk rock was so completely different to the US that they stood out. And then as they toured something just connected, I think the British punk music scene meshed with their originality and they honed their writing, playing and became the Blondie we know and love. There is a fantastic doc on RUclips with all original vids, interviews of how they made it. A purest view of a band making it in 80's Britain
Rapper's Delight was actually first, in '79..this was '80. They were huge mainstream, on the radio & to this day many of us GenXers can recite all the lyrics by heart, lol. Yes, Rapture went to #1 on top 100 while Rapper's Delight went to 36 (but was there for months), but Rapper's Delight went to #4 on Hot Singles chart in '79 & #3 in the UK, which is basically how rap started out in the UK.
I was 18 when I first heard this, it was f"ing brilliant. I heard "the message" a couple years later, loved that as well but didn't connect the dots until years later. Deborah Harry was HUGE in the late 70's early 80's, so give her props for helping to bring rap to the public so quickly. Not that she needs it, she was a superstar in many lanes.
Not only was she huge in the 70's and 80's, she still had a very impressive voice when I went to see her live at the age of 69, looked great for her age too....
She criticizes her rapping saying it was pretty cringe, but it was more about paying respect and homage to the New York budding hip-hop scene. As others have said, Blondie is the band Deborah Harry is the singer.
@@Susie-j5i Hopefully your comment wasn’t sarcasm. Blondie was part of the New York City underground music scene, and once they became mainstream, they attempted and succeeded in helping their friends by bringing light to the mostly unknown genre. That’s why in this video there a few of those personalities in attendance. It was a different time.
DOES BLONDIE HAVE OTHER SONGS?!? Dude, you’re about to go on another rollercoaster. People think she was Blondie, but she’s not. Blondie is the name of the group, the lead singers name is Debbie Harry. And she’s badass! 💪♥️ Blondie helped bring rap into the mainstream with this song, introducing the world to Fab Five Freddy. “One way or another” is one of my faves by them.
Ah One Way or Another was my absolute favorite. I count myself very lucky to see them live a number of times when they toured in the 80's. Unbelievable band.
When you were freaked out as a 'hip hop head/rap rap person' to realize KRS One used this song we were all thinking how your mind is about to get blown a minute later when she starts rapping. Blondie was one of the very first (Rapture came out in 1980) to introduce rap to mainstream audiences. For millions, this song was the first time they'd ever heard rap. Like her rapping or not, Blondie deserve props. They were a big name in the music industry back then, pioneers, and trailblazers.
@@kekwayblaze3176This is definitely true in my case. I was a 14-year-old white kid in the suburbs when this was new and it was indeed the first rap I'd ever heard. I wouldn't hear "Rapper's Delight" for probably another 6 or 7 years after "Rapture". Hotel. Motel. Holiday Inn. 🙂
@@kekwayblaze3176back in the '70's and '80's you could hear all kind of music on 1 radio station. Rapper's Delight by The Sugarhill Gang was released in 1979, before Blondie's "Rapture". My friends and I would spend a lot of time trying to write the lyrics, lol! Pre-Google! They're both great songs.
She hung out with the rap scene of the day and liked it so much that she paid tribute to it in this song. As others have said, this was the first song with rap to reach #1 in the USA and to be played on MTV. She also introduced rap to many of us white kids who hadn't heard anything like it. I was in high school when this came out. Loved it and still do!!
FACTS..... I lived through it all. What you have to understand, Blondie opened the door. Blondie didn't pioneer rapping, they just opened the mainstream eyes of rap to the world. Rap fusion started with Run-DMC and Aerosmith with Walk This Way. Wasn't too long after, we're all singing Straight Out of Compton from NWA.
Rapper's Delight came out the year before in 79 but it never went to number 1. That was my first time ever hearing rap when my buddy bought the 12" record and we sat and listened to it trippin' out. If I remember the B side was just the instrumental version of the song.
Debbie Harry was one of the first true iconic ground breaking genre bending female artists. Still iconic and still respected. Punk and new wave mostly but Blondie dabbled here and there. I clicked this so fast! Do more!
Black P You ask...'how could the people that invented the culture not have the first #1 rap/record on the charts.' Because the masses didn't know about rap yet. Blondie brought rap to the main stream with this song. The first rap song on MTV. A song about Fab 5 Freddie on his turntables.
Yep. It almost comes across as "how dare she!"...she doesn't control the record buying community, it's a great song, and it pays tributes.. She/they were a great, creative band and well deserved every success.
Blondie is the name of the band. The singer is Debbie Harry. They were “New Wave” dance music in the mid 70’s. The were from NYC and friends with some hip hop artists who took them to some rap events and they were inspired. My favorite song is “The Tide is High” other popular songs are “Call Me”, “ One Way or Another” and “Heart of Glass.” ❤️🔥✌🏻🫶🏻
Like all of the ones you mentioned but I think my favorite is “The Hardest Part”. I also like “Sunday Girl”, “Shayla” and “Hanging on the Telephone”. Oh yeah, also “Eat to the Beat”.
nah, Blondie came out in the punk scene. Punk at that time (mid-70s to 81/82ish) covered a lot of different styles (police, the clash, sex pistols, Ramones, Blondie, etc.) but they were all in the umbrella of punk. There was no New Wave yet, or was still on its birth and the term wasn't invented yet.
When she recorded this, some of the people who were from the emerging rap scene have been quoted as saying something like, "we had no idea what she was talking about, but she was committed to trying so we just let her do her thing". She was maybe the first pop artist to incorporate rap in a mainstream song... which elevated the art. She gets credit for shining a light and embracing the culture, even if her rap was hacky.
Yes. This song is basically the band telling America to pay attention. This genre is going to explode to the forefront in the next decade. They recognized it before many record labels and the media did. Good eye(or actually, ear) for talent and potential. Rapping may not be Debra's strong suite but she tried her best, and the result praises rap as opposed to appropriating it.
WE like the 'hacky' rap, it fit her style (listen to "Rip Her to Shreds"), she wasn't trying to be something she wasn't, wasn't a poser, and wasn't biting someone else's style something a lot of modern rappers do.
Blondie is the name of the group . the singer is Debbie harry . the group started playing in cbgb's in manhatten as a punk group in the late 70's and drifted to a more pop/disco sound the song rapture was there own version of what they heard hanging out with fab 5 freddy in brooklynn clubs in 1979 . they even mention fab 5 freddy in the somng
Blondie started as punk band. They were from the streets of New York and Deborah Harry was already rapping on their first album in 1977. The song was Rip Her to Shreds.
Deborah Harry grew up in, graduated high school and attended college in New Jersey. She was a tomboy who like to play in the woods. She moved to New York sometime in the late 1960s. She herself wasn't from the streets of New York.
@@HagathaBroomstick OK. So maybe she can claim lineage from The Bowery Boys, back through The East End Kids, to The Little Tough Guys and The Dead End Kids.
@@HagathaBroomstick spot on. I believe they didn't like being pigeonholed and explored their creativity in NY in a more avant-garde with an edgy angry punk vibe. But they found their voice and style in the UK were they honed their originality when they toured and mixed with British Punk which was vastly different from US punk. And they became what we know and loved ...
"Rip Her To Shreds" is an awesome track. Because of my age in the 70s... I never owned the original albums but that one's definitely on "The Best Of Blondie" which I *did* own in high school. I got it from Columbia House back in '83.
Blondie is a band that grew out of the NY punk / new wave scene and blew up at the end of the 70"s / beginning of the 80s. Debbie Harry was the lead singer and is an epic woman. They're one of my favourites. You should also check out Atomic, Call Me, The Tide is High, Hanging on the Telephone, Dreaming and Denis. They're hall of fame for a reason.
One of the greats of the 80s...Blondie was hugely popular and probably was a stepping stone for rap music in the later 80s. The Band is Blondie...they are pop rock and they broke barriers
As some of have already mentioned the band is Blondie, The singer is Debbie Harry. As a 56 yo music geek this was indeed ahead of it's time. Blondie came up in the underground punk scene in New York City around the time of the birth of hip hop. Both scenes where under appreciated at the time and on the fringes of the pop world ,so the collaboration of artists and genres is what makes it a classic.
Love Blondie. VERY talented and creative band. They made music in many genres as you'll find as you go down this rabbit hole (rap, reggae, punk, rock, pop, etc...). Groundbreaking. Plus, Debbie Harry is beautiful 👍🏻
Heart of Glass was another of their big hits. Debbie knew Fab Five Freddy, he gave her some tips on rapping for this, lyrics are a little corny but it helped get rap in front of the masses.
Blondie is a band so that was all the band members in the video. Blondie have experimented with many genres of music including reggae, rap, punk and disco. They have had numerous hit records such as Heart of Glass, Denis, Atomic, One Way or Another, The Tide is High, Maria, Hanging on the Telephone, Sunday Girl, Picture This.
Blondie (group of 5 guys and Debbie Harry) was friends in the New York Scene with everyone including the punk, graffiti, fashion, art, and rap communities. They helped make all those scenes accessible to places outside of New York. They are actually well respected by olskool rap heads. They have no genre status because they are open to everything. They've done Punk Rock, Pop, Rap, Rock, Reggae, Jazz, Movie themes... it goes on and on. Some artists steal culture, but Blondie shared it with everyone because they love it.
Very true! Blondie, especially when talking about Debbie Harry and her partner Chris Stein, embraced rap in its infancy because they were already friends with the early major rap artists in NY who took them to rap events where they got their inspiration to do this song. They actually introduced rap to Niles Rogers of Chic and Niles Rogers went on shortly after to produce Debbie's first solo album. When Debbie was the host on Saturday Night Live in 1981 she invited the rap group the Funky 4 + 1 to perform as musical guests, making it the first ever rap performance on SNL.
Ahhh you have to check out Blondie's documentary to really know and respect them. How they cracked the UK as an American band, so much so that everyone thought they were British when they went back to hit America. In NY they were seen as a more artsy punk avant-garde with an angry edge and when they went to the UK they were taken in by us completely as we love originality. I get that this is throwing you off as it doesn't hit the purest notes for rapping, but Blondie were always pushing the envelope. You have to see their earlier stuff, their creativity and who they are and you will understand more. And Blondie are HUGE...
Had a client that lived in the same building as Debbie Harry. This was 2010 NYC, and I rode the elevator with her and her 2 dogs a number of times. My heart was racing. She was so nice. Its amazing to hear her thick NY accent with that deep gruff voice and equate it to the gorgeous, high notes of her singing voice. She was NYC.
I would've had to take a deep breath to maintain frame if I ran into Debbie Harry. Lol!!! We used to party or asses off to Blondie's Rapture on the underground disco/house music scene. Here's the extended version of this track that's out of this world we actually partied to. ruclips.net/video/V_selRNj7OU/видео.htmlsi=u-1zi00B-tntMXSO
Blonde started as a rock band and did rock,pop rock, punk rock, New wave and disco! And in 1980 did the first hit rap single to hit the charts! Blondie was a pioneer!
Wow. This was my 1st exposure to rap in the 80’s!!! Had the cassette before CD’s came out!!! Ha, Ha, Ha!!! I couldn’t believe you never heard this! I’m 63 so a bit older.
Singer Debbie Harry and guitarist Chris Stein were friends with Brooklyn- and Bronx-based hip-hop artists such as Fab 5 Freddy (Fred Brathwaite) in the late 1970s. Brathwaite took Harry and Stein to a rap event in the Bronx one night in 1978, and they were both impressed by the skill and excitement as MCs rhymed lyrics over the beats of spinning records and people lined up for a chance to take the microphone and freestyle rap. Harry and Stein went to a few more such events, before deciding to write a rap song of their own in late 1979. They decided to combine what they had seen and heard in the Bronx with Chic-inspired disco music. Keyboardist Jimmy Destri found some tubular bells in the back of the studio, which added a haunting touch to the song. The title "Rapture" was a pun on "rap", according to Stein.
Blondie was technique classed as Punk and basically started at CBGB alongside bands like the Ramones etc. They were trend setters and had many great songs.
I love Maria… they broke up for 17 years and then came out with this song at the end of the 1998s. I even use the quote, “she acts alike she don’t care, walking on imported air” on occasion!
Welcome to the 80's and MTV. Your honesty is refreshing. And sometimes you make me laugh out loud. I really enjoy your journey on your musical history. Keep going!
Debby Harry (Blondie) was my first love, I fell head over heels for her in 5th grade after seeing her perform on a show called Solid Gold. She was 34 when I was 11, I really thought if we'd met her and I coulda made it work. lol. She's approaching 78 now and owns a huge wild horse rescue ranch/farm in California.
She WAS the first rap I ever heard at the time,I'm 64 and remember when Blondie showed up also this was the answer to first rap song on Jeopardy, which won me the bet with my gf.lol very talented t Group they are...
This is the stuff I grew up with. Saw Blondie in 1990 in the Escape from New York tour. The guy at the turntable is artist Jean-Michael Basquiat and the graffiti artist is Fab Five Freddy
At this point just assume your favorite rap song , especially back in the day, was sampled from a more familiar, popular song (mainly R&B, but Rock and all other genres too). That was the cheat code, the samples came with a built in audience. That's how Puffy made money, off of other musicians hits.
Blondie started out in 1974 at the start of the new wave genre. This came out in 1980, early on in the rap genre. Her first big hit was "Heart of Glass" in 1979.
I love that moment in your eyes and on your face when you legit started to recognize it and by the time she go to where it would be "as they build up their skiils..." you knew it.
I first saw BLONDIE live in concert on January 21st, 1979 when they opened for RUSH at the Philadelphia Spectrum. I still have the concert ticket / ticket stub. Just $6.50 back then.
Keeping in mind, I was only 10, but....I *do* remember interviews with Debra Harry (and the band) discussing the origins of the style and the song. It went mostly over my head at the time, but they *did* credit the street musicians who taught them the genre - loudly and proudly - when they were given the opportunity. (Also, my brother and I couldn't get enough of "the man from Mars eating cars and guitars" and all that. Anyone under the age of 13 could not. stop. chanting at the dinner table for six solid months. Our parents were barely sane, I'm sure.)
Blondies sound is sooo NYC, especially the what once was the lower east side, walking down 8th street in the 80's is exactly 💯 this song!!! The underground clubs, the endless drink tickets, and entry to most clubs, because you're a regular. 🎉🎉🎉 I miss those times!!!
There was no rap or hip-hop category on the Billboard music charts in 1980. Rapture spent 2 weeks at #1 on Billboard's Hot 100 chart. Blondie was one of the top artists at the time and they started out in the punk rock scene at CBGBs with the Ramones and Talking Heads. They did songs from other genres like Heart of Glass (disco) and The Tide is High (reggae). Grandmaster Flash was supposed to be in the video but didn't show.
So glad you took the suggestion. Debbie Harry was groundbreaking. She does lots of hits from the 80s. Try Heart of Glass next. Blondie is the name of the band. Other great songs: One Way Or Another, Call Me, or The Tide Is High.
Yeah, you really could not escape this song. It definitely got the overkill treatment at the time. I hadn't heard it in several years until I watched this tonight so it was fresh again in my ears.
This was definitely the song that put rap into the mainstream culture. You have to realize that rap was still pretty new in those days, and it's not like they had hip hop charts or anything. I mean, obviously Sugar Hill Gang and Afrika Bambaata and stuff was out previous to this, but Blondie mainstreamed it with this song. Obviously it's a fairly crude, simplistic rap, but in reality a lot of rap was, back then. I remember back in the early 80's (81/82) as a 12 year old white kid, you didn't just hear rap on the radio much. I used to get tapes from my neighbor who was like 16 or 17 years old and he would go to Philly and record the radio station there that would play rap music and bring them back. I used to LOVE getting a new tape. As we got deeper into the 80's it became more accessible in other areas, and by the end of the decade you had Yo MTV Raps and all of that. But this song was absolutely a mark in hip hop history that helped put it on the map. It was a different time.
"Does she have any other songs?" .......... literally choked on my drink, man. literally choked on my drink. The band is Blondie, the woman is Debbie Harry and she's one of the GOAT. Welcome to another rabbit hole. Rock welcomes you to the warren.
Thank you! You saved me the comment!
Blonde greatest hits with dvd extra disc..has blonde merging a The Doors song RIDERS on the storm into mix is mind blown!
I know, this guy didn't do his homework.
@@trekofile Seriously? I had no idea such a thing exists. You have inspired me to seek it out...I have to hear this.
"Blondie's “Rapture” (1980) became the first single featuring a rap to reach number 1 in the USA, and the first rap video ever broadcast on MTV. "
I was gonna say that. Blondie were loved by punks and disco and all genre in-between.
Yes, It's history time here again. It's important Its mutations and orientations of raptor are learned🎉.
Blondie is the name of the group. Her name is Deborah Harry. I believe the guy dancing in the white tux is Fab five. Freddy but don't quote me on that. It's been a while. Some of her main hits are hard of glass and one way or another and there are several more that I just can't remember right off hand
That’s heart of glass I think…❤. She is also a former girlfriend of Freddie Mercury.
@@jasonregister4895It's FFF painting in the background not in the top hat, but that was a popular mis-conception at the time.
Blondie is in BOTH the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as well as the Rap Hall of Fame.
"Giving a shout out to some of the pioneers "...SERIOUSLY MY MAN.....She IS the pioneer.
👍👍👍
*Pioneer Peers.
She was a woman that understood and frequented the underground art scene. She was a go-go dancer and Playboy bunny and a heroine addict. She has earned her artistic stripes the hard way. Hats off to her; a survivor and pioneer.
Facts!!
White female rapper......ahead of her time
Finally at 53 I got to see Blondie last summer. She killed it at 79 yrs old. Awesome graphics show as well.
I saw them a few years ago. They were so good. Definitely one of the best concerts I’ve seen.
Blondie has so many great songs. Atomic, Heart of Glass, Call Me,The tide is High, Denis, Dreaming,Hanging on the telephone, One way or Another, to name a few of them.
I concur.
Blondie,not Blonde.
To be fair, most people don't realize that The Tide Is High and Hanging On The Telephone were covers.
I love The Tide is High. I like all pf her songs but that one maybe my fave
Tide is High is a cover of a classic
Don't be fooled by her appearance, Debbie Harry (that's the singer's name, and the band is called Blondie) is a pretty badass lady. Blondie was in the new wave, pop rock / punk rock scene but their song catalogue is quite eclectic. She was also friend and hung around with hip-hop artists of the NYC scene and brought the genre into mainstream.
I came here to say the same thing. 😊
Fab 5 Freddy, Lee Quiñones and Jean-Michel Basquiat make cameo appearances. Basquiat was hired when Grandmaster Flash did not show for the shoot. He played the DJ. Fab 5 Freddy & Lee were the doing the graffiti.
Actually it was Fab 5 that introduced Debbie to Grandmaster Flash. At her first hip-hop show in the Bronx, in 1979. She really liked what Flash was doing on the turntables. She told him she was going write a song about him. Then when he heard her rap about him, he was happy & shocked she kept her word.
Thank you for sharing this great piece of information I hope BP sees this along with many others. Sending happy vibes from the UK 🎶🧡🔥👩🦰
From wikipedia
Singer Debbie Harry and guitarist Chris Stein were friends with Brooklyn- and Bronx-based hip-hop artists such as Fab 5 Freddy (Fred Brathwaite) in the late 1970s. Brathwaite took Harry and Stein to a rap event in the Bronx one night in 1978, and they were both impressed by the skill and excitement as MCs rhymed lyrics over the beats of spinning records and people lined up for a chance to take the microphone and freestyle rap. Harry and Stein went to a few more such events, before deciding to write a rap song of their own in late 1979. They decided to combine what they had seen and heard in the Bronx with Chic-inspired disco music. Keyboardist Jimmy Destri found some tubular bells in the back of the studio, which added a haunting touch to the song. The title "Rapture" was a pun on "rap", according to Stein.
Harry tried to capture the feeling of a crowded hip-hop dance floor in the Bronx: "Toe to toe / Dancing very close / Barely breathing / Almost comatose / Wall to wall / People hypnotized / And they're stepping lightly / Hang each night in Rapture." The rap section references Fab 5 Freddy ("Fab 5 Freddy told me everybody's fly"), as well as Grandmaster Flash ("Flash is fast, Flash is cool").... Fab 5 Freddy and graffiti artists Lee Quiñones and Jean-Michel Basquiat make cameo appearances. Basquiat was hired when Grandmaster Flash did not show for the shoot.
Grandmaster Flash scratch mixed the lyrics "Fab 5 Freddy told me everybody's fly" from "Rapture" on his single "The Adventures of Grandmaster Flash on the Wheels of Steel" and also included the track on his DJ mix album Essential Mix: Classic Edition (2002), editing out all the rap parts.
Many early rappers sampled the song.
KRS-One used a tonally similar version of the intro to "Rapture" for the intro/chorus of his single "Step Into A World (Rapture's Delight)" with lyrics changed slightly to praise KRS-One's rap prowess.
I saw the premiere of the Film "Wild Style" at the ICA in London in '83..or 84 and Fab 5 Freddie was Mc'ing in the after party they head break dancers from the London Sidewalk crew as well
@@thecarloschp4784 I watched Wild Style back in the early 80's too. I used to break in Covent and at Pineapple in Soho back then. Happy times!
Yes,long time ago, she was hip for those days and became a big star in 80's with a many different styles, including reggae. Plus she was easy on the eyes.boys following her was her band.which was good.😊😊
Dude! Young people don’t know jack about music these days. My generation has lived through the greatest adventure in musical development ever. Debra Harry was one of the first women who was successful in rock/pop/rap music.
And soft punk amazing x
And Punk
I was just going to say soft punk❤ 😆.
Punk/Disco/and New Wave
and this guy aint that young
Debbie Harry is 78 yrs. old. The band Blondie has many other hits.
The song Call Me was a huge success as it was featured in the 1980 movie American Gigolo
I'm always shocked how many hip hop/rap people don't know this song's pivotal place in the history of that genre. For the vast majority of people, this was the song that introduced them to rap. Blondie frequented New York's underground music scene. They were friends with Fab 5 Freddy who took them to a rap event in 1978. He's mentioned in this song. They went to a few more events then decided to make their own rap song. Btw, that's Jean Michel Basquiat on the turntables in the video.
The very first song in history to feature predominately rap that hit #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 at a time when rap was considered underground. This song introduced rap to the masses especially white suburban teenagers and the rest is history.
Started punk too.
@@Polecat54941 Blondie was part of the NYC punk scene, but didn't start punk. The Stooges song " I Wanna Be Your Dog" is considered an early precursor to punk and The Stooges band are considered the godfathers of punk rock.
@@Polecat54941 they didn't exactly start punk in the US but were there near the beginning in NY doing their own thing. More avant-garde, artsy with an angry edge. When they went to the UK they were so different from the punk bands there, especially with a female lead. And because the Brit punk rock was so completely different to the US that they stood out.
And then as they toured something just connected, I think the British punk music scene meshed with their originality and they honed their writing, playing and became the Blondie we know and love. There is a fantastic doc on RUclips with all original vids, interviews of how they made it. A purest view of a band making it in 80's Britain
excuse me bro , but the godfathers of punk was the VELVET UNDERGROUND.........@@kekwayblaze3176
First person to take rap mainstream. Ahead of her time - genre busting girl and band - gorgeous girl to boot. Drummer one of the best as well.
Oh Clement Burke ain't no joke!! Dude is a badass drummer!!!
Rapper's Delight was actually first, in '79..this was '80. They were huge mainstream, on the radio & to this day many of us GenXers can recite all the lyrics by heart, lol. Yes, Rapture went to #1 on top 100 while Rapper's Delight went to 36 (but was there for months), but Rapper's Delight went to #4 on Hot Singles chart in '79 & #3 in the UK, which is basically how rap started out in the UK.
Her rap break reminds me of Q-Tip's on Groove Is In The Heart by Deee-Lite.
I can forgive Blondie for inflicting Rap onto the mainstream, their other songs make up for this mistake.
The Clash released 'Magnificent Seven' 6 months before this so that could be argued to be the first track that brought rap to the mainstream.
She also did a track call “The Tide Is High” “Call Me” and others.they were a Punk Rock group back in the ‘80’s
I was 18 when I first heard this, it was f"ing brilliant. I heard "the message" a couple years later, loved that as well but didn't connect the dots until years later. Deborah Harry was HUGE in the late 70's early 80's, so give her props for helping to bring rap to the public so quickly. Not that she needs it, she was a superstar in many lanes.
I was 8. In 1980.
@@kimberlycarrigan8824 I was 9 and damn sure knew Blonde and this song.
Blondie is a group. Debbie Harry is the lead singer. She saw people rapping and want to pay tribute.
Not only was she huge in the 70's and 80's, she still had a very impressive voice when I went to see her live at the age of 69, looked great for her age too....
She criticizes her rapping saying it was pretty cringe, but it was more about paying respect and homage to the New York budding hip-hop scene. As others have said, Blondie is the band Deborah Harry is the singer.
Everyone calls her Debbie, don't they?
@@josephgilbert3632 yes, I suppose that’s the more common use of her name.
Oh thats a nice story about her paying respect to up and coming rappers.
@@Susie-j5i Hopefully your comment wasn’t sarcasm. Blondie was part of the New York City underground music scene, and once they became mainstream, they attempted and succeeded in helping their friends by bringing light to the mostly unknown genre. That’s why in this video there a few of those personalities in attendance. It was a different time.
@@TheChristafershawn absolutely not. Pure praise and respect to Debbie Harry.
DOES BLONDIE HAVE OTHER SONGS?!? Dude, you’re about to go on another rollercoaster. People think she was Blondie, but she’s not. Blondie is the name of the group, the lead singers name is Debbie Harry. And she’s badass! 💪♥️
Blondie helped bring rap into the mainstream with this song, introducing the world to Fab Five Freddy. “One way or another” is one of my faves by them.
Agree
So many great pop records they were awesome
Yes!
Don't forget that the band had one of the most insane drummers ever. That would be Clem Burke.
Ah One Way or Another was my absolute favorite. I count myself very lucky to see them live a number of times when they toured in the 80's. Unbelievable band.
Blondie feat. Debbie Harry!🫶🏾👏🏾🤗
When you were freaked out as a 'hip hop head/rap rap person' to realize KRS One used this song we were all thinking how your mind is about to get blown a minute later when she starts rapping. Blondie was one of the very first (Rapture came out in 1980) to introduce rap to mainstream audiences. For millions, this song was the first time they'd ever heard rap. Like her rapping or not, Blondie deserve props. They were a big name in the music industry back then, pioneers, and trailblazers.
The song literally introduced white kids in the suburbs to rap at a time when rap was still considered underground.
@@kekwayblaze3176This is definitely true in my case. I was a 14-year-old white kid in the suburbs when this was new and it was indeed the first rap I'd ever heard. I wouldn't hear "Rapper's Delight" for probably another 6 or 7 years after "Rapture". Hotel. Motel. Holiday Inn. 🙂
Facts!!! 😂
@@kekwayblaze3176back in the '70's and '80's you could hear all kind of music on 1 radio station. Rapper's Delight by The Sugarhill Gang was released in 1979, before Blondie's "Rapture". My friends and I would spend a lot of time trying to write the lyrics, lol! Pre-Google! They're both great songs.
She hung out with the rap scene of the day and liked it so much that she paid tribute to it in this song. As others have said, this was the first song with rap to reach #1 in the USA and to be played on MTV. She also introduced rap to many of us white kids who hadn't heard anything like it. I was in high school when this came out. Loved it and still do!!
Blondie are pioneers of rap, rock, punk, and disco. GOAT!!!!!!!!
FACTS..... I lived through it all. What you have to understand, Blondie opened the door. Blondie didn't pioneer rapping, they just opened the mainstream eyes of rap to the world. Rap fusion started with Run-DMC and Aerosmith with Walk This Way. Wasn't too long after, we're all singing Straight Out of Compton from NWA.
LoL!!...Yep, this!
Rapper's Delight predates both.
Blondie helped promote rap and black music.
Rapper's Delight came out the year before in 79 but it never went to number 1. That was my first time ever hearing rap when my buddy bought the 12" record and we sat and listened to it trippin' out. If I remember the B side was just the instrumental version of the song.
If you wanna talk fusion… look to… Ice T’s 90s project “Body Count”
Debbie Harry was one of the first true iconic ground breaking genre bending female artists. Still iconic and still respected. Punk and new wave mostly but Blondie dabbled here and there. I clicked this so fast! Do more!
Black P You ask...'how could the people that invented the culture not have the first #1 rap/record on the charts.' Because the masses didn't know about rap yet. Blondie brought rap to the main stream with this song. The first rap song on MTV. A song about Fab 5 Freddie on his turntables.
I wonder if BP ever watched Yo! MTV Raps
@@E-d1d3Even that was long after this came out.
Yep. It almost comes across as "how dare she!"...she doesn't control the record buying community, it's a great song, and it pays tributes.. She/they were a great, creative band and well deserved every success.
Th reason Blondie hit No1 with a ‘rap’ song is just because they were already huge and could sing almost anything and it was a huge hit.
Blondie is the name of the band. The singer is Debbie Harry. They were “New Wave” dance music in the mid 70’s. The were from NYC and friends with some hip hop artists who took them to some rap events and they were inspired. My favorite song is “The Tide is High” other popular songs are “Call Me”, “ One Way or Another” and “Heart of Glass.” ❤️🔥✌🏻🫶🏻
Like all of the ones you mentioned but I think my favorite is “The Hardest Part”. I also like “Sunday Girl”, “Shayla” and “Hanging on the Telephone”. Oh yeah, also “Eat to the Beat”.
Blondie was Never New Wave, Blondie started off as Punk, then Disco, maybe beginnings of Rap.
I love "The Hardest Part" so much, but "Dreaming" may be my favorite. "Atomic" is up there too@@Proud.American58
@@ecbenson98 classics!
nah, Blondie came out in the punk scene. Punk at that time (mid-70s to 81/82ish) covered a lot of different styles (police, the clash, sex pistols, Ramones, Blondie, etc.) but they were all in the umbrella of punk. There was no New Wave yet, or was still on its birth and the term wasn't invented yet.
"One Way or Another" is my favorite of hers. It's a little more badass than most of their songs.
She was on the Muppet show and it was so good cause Miss Piggy was insanely jealous.
OMG! lol I can't hear a Blondie song without thinking of the Muppets!!
Deborah & Kermit: Rainbow connection, a must hear.
LMAO 😂😂😂! I had forgotten all about that.
You just unlocked a hidden memory of my childhood! So funny! 😂😂😂😂
Oh thats funny.
First official rap video on VH1.
Hahaha. The look on your face when she starts spitting bars was priceless. 😂
I believe this was the FIRST rap/hip hop song to chart on Billboard EVER!
I was about 5 and was hooked on hip hop ever since!
She’s a legit legend.
Blondie's “Rapture” (1980) became the first single featuring a rap to reach number 1 in the USA, and the first rap video ever broadcast on MTV.
I feel so old anytime someone in music doesn’t know Blondie or her rap breakthrough in this song.
Great reaction. 👍
When she recorded this, some of the people who were from the emerging rap scene have been quoted as saying something like, "we had no idea what she was talking about, but she was committed to trying so we just let her do her thing".
She was maybe the first pop artist to incorporate rap in a mainstream song... which elevated the art. She gets credit for shining a light and embracing the culture, even if her rap was hacky.
Yes. This song is basically the band telling America to pay attention. This genre is going to explode to the forefront in the next decade. They recognized it before many record labels and the media did. Good eye(or actually, ear) for talent and potential. Rapping may not be Debra's strong suite but she tried her best, and the result praises rap as opposed to appropriating it.
Yeah, "pussy so wet I'ma need goggles" is definitely not "hacky".
WE like the 'hacky' rap, it fit her style (listen to "Rip Her to Shreds"), she wasn't trying to be something she wasn't, wasn't a poser, and wasn't biting someone else's style something a lot of modern rappers do.
Blondie is the name of the group . the singer is Debbie harry . the group started playing in cbgb's in manhatten as a punk group in the late 70's and drifted to a more pop/disco sound the song rapture was there own version of what they heard hanging out with fab 5 freddy in brooklynn clubs in 1979 . they even mention fab 5 freddy in the somng
Wide hey from the day😊
Whenever my 84 year old father heard her, he got up from his chair and danced - my children loved his movements !!!!!
Blondie:
"Heart of glass",
"Atomic",
"The Tide is high" (reggae flavor),
"Call me",
and many more huge hits!
Blondie started as punk band. They were from the streets of New York and Deborah Harry was already rapping on their first album in 1977. The song was Rip Her to Shreds.
Deborah Harry grew up in, graduated high school and attended college in New Jersey. She was a tomboy who like to play in the woods. She moved to New York sometime in the late 1960s. She herself wasn't from the streets of New York.
I didn't say she grew up there. But Blondie lived in an appartment on the Bowery in their early days. They were a product of that early punk scene.
@@HagathaBroomstick OK. So maybe she can claim lineage from The Bowery Boys, back through The East End Kids, to The Little Tough Guys and The Dead End Kids.
@@HagathaBroomstick spot on. I believe they didn't like being pigeonholed and explored their creativity in NY in a more avant-garde with an edgy angry punk vibe. But they found their voice and style in the UK were they honed their originality when they toured and mixed with British Punk which was vastly different from US punk. And they became what we know and loved ...
"Rip Her To Shreds" is an awesome track. Because of my age in the 70s... I never owned the original albums but that one's definitely on "The Best Of Blondie" which I *did* own in high school. I got it from Columbia House back in '83.
Blondie is a band that grew out of the NY punk / new wave scene and blew up at the end of the 70"s / beginning of the 80s. Debbie Harry was the lead singer and is an epic woman. They're one of my favourites. You should also check out Atomic, Call Me, The Tide is High, Hanging on the Telephone, Dreaming and Denis. They're hall of fame for a reason.
One of the greats of the 80s...Blondie was hugely popular and probably was a stepping stone for rap music in the later 80s. The Band is Blondie...they are pop rock and they broke barriers
Sooo many incredible songs. Each entire unique from the other covering myriad genres.
Her voice is so cool. I love them. Heart of Glass is my favorite by them.
Technically Debbie Harry is the first white rapper on top of that female lol 😂😂😂
I think you meant woman.
Jean-Michel Basquiat was also featured in the video. He was at the turntables when Debbie started rapping.
Thank you. I was hoping someone would mention that. Basquiat was the reason I started painting.
Blondie is ICONIC all of their music is amazing.... First human ever to top the charts with a song containing Rap!!!!
Rapture is one of my fav Blondie songs. I sing it when I hear it word for word... Love it!
As some of have already mentioned the band is Blondie, The singer is Debbie Harry. As a 56 yo music geek this was indeed ahead of it's time. Blondie came up in the underground punk scene in New York City around the time of the birth of hip hop. Both scenes where under appreciated at the time and on the fringes of the pop world ,so the collaboration of artists and genres is what makes it a classic.
Love Blondie. VERY talented and creative band. They made music in many genres as you'll find as you go down this rabbit hole (rap, reggae, punk, rock, pop, etc...). Groundbreaking. Plus, Debbie Harry is beautiful 👍🏻
She was inspired by early underground rap shows in NYC and wrote this song.
Punk band from NYC, tons of hits.
"Heart of Glass", ", Atomic"..... great drummer.
When I was a kid, I loved the whole 'He shoots you dead, then eats your head. Now you're in the Man From Mars...'. It always struck me as funny.
First rap video played by MTV
Its a very sad day indeed when you come across someone in the Hip Hop Culture whi has never heard the song Rapture.
Heart of Glass was another of their big hits. Debbie knew Fab Five Freddy, he gave her some tips on rapping for this, lyrics are a little corny but it helped get rap in front of the masses.
She was a big fan of Fab 5 Freddie, Grandmaster Flash, and a lot of the early rap guys. She really wanted people to check them out.
Blonde bridged so many genres!!! Disco/punk/new wave/hip hop
.....reggae....
Blondie forever! Lot's of great albums from this band.
Just realize that it took a little while for rap to grow mainstream.
Blondie is a band so that was all the band members in the video. Blondie have experimented with many genres of music including reggae, rap, punk and disco. They have had numerous hit records such as Heart of Glass, Denis, Atomic, One Way or Another, The Tide is High, Maria, Hanging on the Telephone, Sunday Girl, Picture This.
Blondie (group of 5 guys and Debbie Harry) was friends in the New York Scene with everyone including the punk, graffiti, fashion, art, and rap communities. They helped make all those scenes accessible to places outside of New York. They are actually well respected by olskool rap heads. They have no genre status because they are open to everything. They've done Punk Rock, Pop, Rap, Rock, Reggae, Jazz, Movie themes... it goes on and on. Some artists steal culture, but Blondie shared it with everyone because they love it.
Very true! Blondie, especially when talking about Debbie Harry and her partner Chris Stein, embraced rap in its infancy because they were already friends with the early major rap artists in NY who took them to rap events where they got their inspiration to do this song. They actually introduced rap to Niles Rogers of Chic and Niles Rogers went on shortly after to produce Debbie's first solo album. When Debbie was the host on Saturday Night Live in 1981 she invited the rap group the Funky 4 + 1 to perform as musical guests, making it the first ever rap performance on SNL.
Ahhh you have to check out Blondie's documentary to really know and respect them. How they cracked the UK as an American band, so much so that everyone thought they were British when they went back to hit America.
In NY they were seen as a more artsy punk avant-garde with an angry edge and when they went to the UK they were taken in by us completely as we love originality.
I get that this is throwing you off as it doesn't hit the purest notes for rapping, but Blondie were always pushing the envelope. You have to see their earlier stuff, their creativity and who they are and you will understand more. And Blondie are HUGE...
First song to be #1 on the Rap/Hip-Hop list. I lived back then and saw it on MTV World Premier Video and saw it at the grammys that next year.
Had a client that lived in the same building as Debbie Harry. This was 2010 NYC, and I rode the elevator with her and her 2 dogs a number of times. My heart was racing. She was so nice. Its amazing to hear her thick NY accent with that deep gruff voice and equate it to the gorgeous, high notes of her singing voice. She was NYC.
I would've had to take a deep breath to maintain frame if I ran into Debbie Harry. Lol!!! We used to party or asses off to Blondie's Rapture on the underground disco/house music scene. Here's the extended version of this track that's out of this world we actually partied to. ruclips.net/video/V_selRNj7OU/видео.htmlsi=u-1zi00B-tntMXSO
The Entire Blondie Greatest Hits is just one banger after another......and i'd bet that you've heard one or two of them as well
This was great BP. Love 80’s music and would love to see you react to more of it. 🖤🎧
Blonde started as a rock band and did rock,pop rock, punk rock, New wave and disco! And in 1980 did the first hit rap single to hit the charts! Blondie was a pioneer!
Best of Blondie was my very first cassette tape as a kid. Absolutely love Blondie.
Loved Blondie growing up with 💙🏴👍
this is where original hip hop heads starting digging in the crates to find out where the samples and vocals came from
Wow. This was my 1st exposure to rap in the 80’s!!! Had the cassette before CD’s came out!!! Ha, Ha, Ha!!! I couldn’t believe you never heard this! I’m 63 so a bit older.
56 year old Brit here. Still know every single word to this. This was the song that brought rap to the charts.
Singer Debbie Harry and guitarist Chris Stein were friends with Brooklyn- and Bronx-based hip-hop artists such as Fab 5 Freddy (Fred Brathwaite) in the late 1970s. Brathwaite took Harry and Stein to a rap event in the Bronx one night in 1978, and they were both impressed by the skill and excitement as MCs rhymed lyrics over the beats of spinning records and people lined up for a chance to take the microphone and freestyle rap. Harry and Stein went to a few more such events, before deciding to write a rap song of their own in late 1979. They decided to combine what they had seen and heard in the Bronx with Chic-inspired disco music. Keyboardist Jimmy Destri found some tubular bells in the back of the studio, which added a haunting touch to the song. The title "Rapture" was a pun on "rap", according to Stein.
Blondie was technique classed as Punk and basically started at CBGB alongside bands like the Ramones etc. They were trend setters and had many great songs.
Everyone seems to forget about her song Maria. Really liked her vocals on that one
I love Maria… they broke up for 17 years and then came out with this song at the end of the 1998s. I even use the quote, “she acts alike she don’t care, walking on imported air” on occasion!
More Blondie. Heart of Glass One Way or Another The Tide is High.
yes, yes and yes!
Atomic is my favorite
Welcome to the 80's and MTV. Your honesty is refreshing. And sometimes you make me laugh out loud. I really enjoy your journey on your musical history. Keep going!
She’s a pioneer! Many hits and all around awesome 😎
Debby Harry (Blondie) was my first love, I fell head over heels for her in 5th grade after seeing her perform on a show called Solid Gold. She was 34 when I was 11, I really thought if we'd met her and I coulda made it work. lol. She's approaching 78 now and owns a huge wild horse rescue ranch/farm in California.
Debbie Harry was every ones first love (if your aged over 50 lol) 78 or not I'm still in love with her 😂🥰
@@markpotter8280 You're not lying. 54 here and I wore a blue bandana on my wrist as a kid for her lol.
I was 17 when she was34 ....
@@markpotter8280 I always wanted to be Debbie Harry when I grew up. Almost 40 and still do! 😂
She WAS the first rap I ever heard at the time,I'm 64 and remember when Blondie showed up also this was the answer to first rap song on Jeopardy, which won me the bet with my gf.lol very talented t
Group they are...
This is the stuff I grew up with. Saw Blondie in 1990 in the Escape from New York tour. The guy at the turntable is artist Jean-Michael Basquiat and the graffiti artist is Fab Five Freddy
I think you may have the Dj and Artist names reversed?
nope @@mattblatchley2061
One of my favorite Debbie Harry songs is, I Want That Man, was on one of her solo albums. My favorite Blondie songs a vibe, Fade Away, and Radiate.
Blondie was the first female to bring rap to mainstream TV.
At this point just assume your favorite rap song , especially back in the day, was sampled from a more familiar, popular song (mainly R&B, but Rock and all other genres too). That was the cheat code, the samples came with a built in audience. That's how Puffy made money, off of other musicians hits.
Do a old man a favor. Led Zeppelin Whole lot of love. 🔥🎵🎶
Blondie started out in 1974 at the start of the new wave genre. This came out in 1980, early on in the rap genre. Her first big hit was "Heart of Glass" in 1979.
Yup! I was 17 in my first car playing my cassette copy of this till it wore out and had to get another! Still love her!
Blondie is a massive talent. And each song is totally different to the other. A testament to all of the bands talents. You’ll love them
Sugar Hill Gang, was around the same time. Love their music. Thanx for the title "Rappers Delight".
I memorized this rap back in 1980. Can still do it too ❤.
I love that moment in your eyes and on your face when you legit started to recognize it and by the time she go to where it would be "as they build up their skiils..." you knew it.
I first saw BLONDIE live in concert on January 21st, 1979 when they opened for RUSH at the Philadelphia Spectrum. I still have the concert ticket / ticket stub. Just $6.50 back then.
Love Debbie Harry and Blonde! Such good times and she put on great performances
THE masterpiece of the late 70's 🤩🤩
Blondie omg....she is legend!! HAVE FUN she is a pop goddess..
Keeping in mind, I was only 10, but....I *do* remember interviews with Debra Harry (and the band) discussing the origins of the style and the song. It went mostly over my head at the time, but they *did* credit the street musicians who taught them the genre - loudly and proudly - when they were given the opportunity. (Also, my brother and I couldn't get enough of "the man from Mars eating cars and guitars" and all that. Anyone under the age of 13 could not. stop. chanting at the dinner table for six solid months. Our parents were barely sane, I'm sure.)
Blondie were big in the UK, post punk, she is the female representation !!
Blondies sound is sooo NYC, especially the what once was the lower east side, walking down 8th street in the 80's is exactly 💯 this song!!! The underground clubs, the endless drink tickets, and entry to most clubs, because you're a regular. 🎉🎉🎉 I miss those times!!!
There was no rap or hip-hop category on the Billboard music charts in 1980. Rapture spent 2 weeks at #1 on Billboard's Hot 100 chart.
Blondie was one of the top artists at the time and they started out in the punk rock scene at CBGBs with the Ramones and Talking Heads. They did songs from other genres like Heart of Glass (disco) and The Tide is High (reggae). Grandmaster Flash was supposed to be in the video but didn't show.
So glad you took the suggestion. Debbie Harry was groundbreaking. She does lots of hits from the 80s. Try Heart of Glass next. Blondie is the name of the band. Other great songs: One Way Or Another, Call Me, or The Tide Is High.
Oh... SOO happy you've done this song. Love Blondie and this song is so good 😊
Much love from Maine. Keep doin what ya do ❤
She introduced us to rapping, this was on the radio all day every day.
Yeah, you really could not escape this song. It definitely got the overkill treatment at the time. I hadn't heard it in several years until I watched this tonight so it was fresh again in my ears.
This was definitely the song that put rap into the mainstream culture. You have to realize that rap was still pretty new in those days, and it's not like they had hip hop charts or anything. I mean, obviously Sugar Hill Gang and Afrika Bambaata and stuff was out previous to this, but Blondie mainstreamed it with this song. Obviously it's a fairly crude, simplistic rap, but in reality a lot of rap was, back then. I remember back in the early 80's (81/82) as a 12 year old white kid, you didn't just hear rap on the radio much. I used to get tapes from my neighbor who was like 16 or 17 years old and he would go to Philly and record the radio station there that would play rap music and bring them back. I used to LOVE getting a new tape. As we got deeper into the 80's it became more accessible in other areas, and by the end of the decade you had Yo MTV Raps and all of that. But this song was absolutely a mark in hip hop history that helped put it on the map. It was a different time.
I remember the first time this was on tv - I’d never seen anything like it. Definitely opened things up.