When rap came out 30 years ago I thought it was just a fad

Am I perhaps the only one to remember...  Kurtis Blow, on your stere-ereo ?
I want to say like 1980. 
For better or worse: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ZDUEilS5M4

Don't shoot the messenger; I'm not a fan. But I remember this guy hitting the scene and thinking, this is a very different genre of music -- with the entire vocal range of one-to-three notes.

Yup, Kurtis Blow was the man!  There is a movie called "Krush Groove" Stars Run-DMC, LL Cool J, Fat Boys, Beastie Boys, Kurtis Blow. Shiela E., New Edition. It shows some of the early years of Rap. Russell Simmons and Rick Rubin started Def Jam. Gives you a lot of history of the genre and how they overcame the people who hated it. There is a great song called "King Of Rock" by Run DMC. It has some great guitar riffs in it. I still know the song word for word 30 years later.

my old friend told that the word rap is actually misspelled...

tostadosunidos,
I have taken absolutely no position on whether rap is music or not therefore I feel no need to prove anything either way. If you feel that rap is not music that’s your prerogative. I really don’t care.

As far as me playing "the race card" I only stated my opinion that some posts in this thread are, to me, not so subtly racist. The posts in question mostly involve those who write and perform rap and those who enjoy it.

Rap has been around a long time so why all the angst now? Sorry but I just don’t see it as an indicator or cause of the decline of western civilization. I would be loath to attribute that much power to any form of music or non-music.

BTW: I never personally accused you of anything.

Synthfreek,

I have news for you. This is one of the more reputable sights. At least it not run by gorts or Nazi's.