What is often referred to as the “Golden Age of Rap” is all about an era when hip-hop introduced a fresh, new, and raw sound, before it broke into the pop charts and became a household name. This was a simpler time, when rappers held a grip on street cred, Hollywood-approved celebrity culture had yet to swallow music artists, and every hip-hop group had a DJ. Here’s a sample of the “golden age” crews and a few of the old school pioneers that influenced them.

• Sugar Hill Gang - Rappers Delight
• Run Dmc - sucker MCs
• Funky 4 1 - That's The Joint
• Boogie Down Productions - The Bridge Is Over
• N.W.A. - Gangsta Gangsta (Explicit)
• Jungle Brothers - I'll House You
• Grandmaster Flash - The Message
• Kurtis Blow - The Breaks
• EPMD - STRICTLY BUSINESS
• De La Soul - me myself and I
• A Tribe Called Quest - I Left My Wallet In El Segundo
• LL Cool J - I Can't Live Without My Radio
• Eric B & Rakim - I Know You Got Soul
• Salt-N-Pepa - Push It
• Biz Markie - Just A Friend
• Fab 5 Freddy (Beside) - Change The Beat (Original 12" French Version)
• Afrika Bambaata - Planet Rock (12" Version)