Ray Charles - "Rap is not music"

@itsjustme 

I'm surprised at Ray' comment. I wonder what the context was.

Well, for starters, Mr. Charles passed away almost 20 years ago. Mr. Charles was also a product of his generation....big band, blues, covers. Rap/Hip hop was different back then...heck, alot of musicians who cut their teeth during the Count Basie/Duke Ellington songbook had a problem with the Woodstock/summer of love genre...until it came time to get paid. Then, get out of the way because the covers are coming! Anyone ever see the SInatra special where he was singing along with the Fifth Dimension??? OMG...every generation has a problem with the next generation....until they don't.

Luckily those who are horrified by new ideas and change in general don't get to decide do they? They are typically older, set in their ways, light complected and the beautiful thing about time and actuarial realities, it will take care of itself while the complainers are yelling at people to get off their lawn. I had a younger co-worker ask me the other day if I had ever heard of the Clash...absolutely loved it....it was a great day and there is hope for tomorrow!

The Clash were one of the first rock groups to crossover into rap for they predate Blondie by 6 months.  "The Magnificent Seven" was a hit on Black radio in NYC, particularly the "Dirty Harry" remix.  That was back in the day when you artists didn't get releases for original source material.

Of course Lou Reed was the original wrapper ....

Just out of curiosity I´d like to hear the OP´s or @stager´s take on Norwegian Black Metal. Their takes will be refreshing for sure.

@northman “Of course Lou Reed was the original wrapper ….”
Not sure if you’re joking.

1926: “Talking Blues” - Chris Bouchillon
1926: “Can’t You Wait Till You Get Home” - Frankie Jaxon
1929: “Atlanta Strut” - Blind Willie McTell (still one of the great ‘rap’ lines, ‘she look-a like a lump of laaaaawd-have-mercy’)
1929: “Automobile Ride Through Alabama” - Red Henderson
1931: “Frankie Jean” Memphis Minnie
To name a few from the ‘20s and ‘30s.

Of course there are a ton of rap-y songs by blues, gospel, and country artists in the ‘30s and ‘40s, there’s the majority of Woody Guthrie’s oeuvre, there’s “Who Do You Love” by Bo Diddley in ‘55, and a bunch of early-‘60s Bob Dylan songs, right up until ‘65’s “Subterranean Homesick Blues.”