Who was the very first rapper?

Ah, the origins of rap—where do we even begin? It's one of those topics that sparks countless debates, right? "Who was the very first rapper?" People have all sorts of opinions, and to be honest, it's kind of tricky to pinpoint just one person as "the first." The roots of rap are deep, stretching back into the African griot tradition and beyond. But let's try to untangle the question a bit.

The Early Days of Rap: A Cultural Evolution

Before we even start talking about individuals, we have to acknowledge that rap didn't just pop up overnight. It's the result of decades of cultural evolution. It’s a fusion of storytelling, poetry, rhythm, and music that has existed in various forms in African and African-American culture for centuries. So, calling someone the "first rapper" is, well, a little bit like calling someone the first person to use a hammer. It’s a tool that evolved over time, shaped by many influences.

Now, with that in mind, let’s fast forward to the 1970s in the Bronx. This is where things really start to take shape in the form that we know today as rap music. DJs were experimenting with breakbeats, and the art of hyping the crowd with rhythmic spoken word became a thing. It was a blend of poetry, rhythm, and a whole lot of personality.

The Very First Rapper? Let’s Talk About DJ Kool Herc

So, the first rapper? You’d probably expect me to say someone like Grandmaster Flash or even Tupac, right? But no, the title of "first rapper" is often thrown to a guy who didn’t necessarily make records but laid the foundation for what would become hip-hop: DJ Kool Herc.

DJ Kool Herc is widely credited as one of the pioneers of hip-hop. His unique approach was to take two copies of the same record and extend the instrumental "break"—you know, the part where the beat just kicks in—by switching between the two copies. And it wasn’t just the DJing that caught attention. Herc would hype up the crowd by speaking over the music, encouraging people to get hyped and keep dancing.

But let’s be real: Was he rapping in the sense that we know today? Not exactly. He was more of a "breakbeat DJ" who started speaking over the music, which is sort of like the first steps towards rapping. His chants and shout-outs were more rhythmic than lyrical, though. Still, the energy and the foundation were there.

So, Was There a "First Rapper"?

This is where things get murky. Technically, Herc was talking over beats, and it was more like calling out to the crowd, giving them energy. But the actual art of rapping—rhythmic speech with a flow and structured verses—evolved a little later.

Many people credit Roxanne Shante (a female rapper from the 1980s) with being one of the first true rappers in the sense we recognize today. But if you want to talk real, foundational "rapping," look at the early 1970s performances in the Bronx. Melle Mel, part of Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five, is often called the first person to really put rap into a structured form that we all understand. His verse on “The Message” (1982) is iconic and arguably the first true "rap" in its lyrical form.

Then there's The Sugarhill Gang, who in 1979 dropped “Rapper’s Delight,” which is considered the first mainstream rap song to make waves on the radio. The group definitely made rapping a more well-known and recognized art form, though some argue they weren't the true pioneers but more like the bridge to the mainstream.

The Griot Tradition: A Long-Standing Cultural Influence

But let’s not forget—long before Kool Herc and Melle Mel, African griots (storytellers) were using spoken word to entertain, inform, and inspire. The griots would use rhythmic speech to tell stories, and this influence is deeply embedded in hip-hop culture.

The point here? The art of rapping, the tradition of storytelling with rhythm, has roots that stretch back centuries, far beyond the 1970s in the Bronx. When we say Kool Herc is the "first rapper," we're talking about him setting the stage for what hip-hop would become in the modern sense. But in reality, the "first rapper" is a conversation about many people contributing to a living, evolving culture.

Conclusion: A Bit of a "First" and a Whole Lot of Roots

So, who was the very first rapper? Well, it depends on how you look at it. DJ Kool Herc set the stage in the 70s by talking over beats, and Melle Mel helped define rap as we know it today. But to truly understand rap, we need to look back to its African roots, where spoken word, rhythm, and storytelling have been central to the culture for centuries.

Rap, in its truest form, didn’t come from just one person—it came from a blend of influences, a mix of rhythms, and the voices of many. Whether you’re a fan of old-school pioneers or the modern wave of artists, it’s important to recognize the evolution of this art form. After all, every time you hear a sick verse, you're hearing echoes of the first rappers who ever picked up a mic. Cool, right?

Is 165 cm normal for a 15 year old?

The predicted height for a female, based on your parents heights, is 155 to 165cm. Most 15 year old girls are nearly done growing. I was too. It's a very normal height for a girl.

Is 160 cm too tall for a 12 year old?

How Tall Should a 12 Year Old Be? We can only speak to national average heights here in North America, whereby, a 12 year old girl would be between 137 cm to 162 cm tall (4-1/2 to 5-1/3 feet). A 12 year old boy should be between 137 cm to 160 cm tall (4-1/2 to 5-1/4 feet).

How tall is a average 15 year old?

Average Height to Weight for Teenage Boys - 13 to 20 Years

How to get taller at 18?

Staying physically active is even more essential from childhood to grow and improve overall health. But taking it up even in adulthood can help you add a few inches to your height. Strength-building exercises, yoga, jumping rope, and biking all can help to increase your flexibility and grow a few inches taller.

Is 5.7 a good height for a 15 year old boy?

Generally speaking, the average height for 15 year olds girls is 62.9 inches (or 159.7 cm). On the other hand, teen boys at the age of 15 have a much higher average height, which is 67.0 inches (or 170.1 cm).

Can you grow between 16 and 18?

Most girls stop growing taller by age 14 or 15. However, after their early teenage growth spurt, boys continue gaining height at a gradual pace until around 18. Note that some kids will stop growing earlier and others may keep growing a year or two more.

Can you grow 1 cm after 17?

Even with a healthy diet, most people's height won't increase after age 18 to 20. The graph below shows the rate of growth from birth to age 20. As you can see, the growth lines fall to zero between ages 18 and 20 ( 7 , 8 ). The reason why your height stops increasing is your bones, specifically your growth plates.