Date: Fri, 2 Jun 1995 13:00:06 -0400

From: "Christopher R. Coolidge" ccoolidg[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]MOOSE.UVM.EDU

Subject: Re: Query about terms



On Thu, 1 Jun 1995, Bethany Dumas, UTK wrote:



Thanks, Christopher. What's your first recollection of "rap"?



Bethany



I'm not absolutely sure, but I seem to recall reading somewhere that The

Last Poets first referred to what they were doing as "rapping." I think Gil

Scott Heron referred to himself in that way too. Thus the first "street rap-

pers" in Harlem in the late 70's would have had a previous precedent to re-

fer to themselves as such. Hope this serves as a starting point.