Hip-Hop Origins

I have discovered, while looking for something else, that I was far afield in hip-hop/rap origins. If I had been more familiar with Jamaican music in general, which had far more influence in Great Britain than in the US, I would have known that "toasting," with African origins that are positively ancient, is a quite direct influence on the American forms that emerged 30 years ago. In the US we get brief fads of ska or reggae, but their popularity is more continuous in England. UB40 had a long string of British hits before we heard of them here, for example. There is lots of pre-rap there if you stop to listen.

For a sound that is quite clearly an influence on Rap, Count Matchuki from the 50s & 60s is usually credited as first, as here.