THE FIRST CRUCIAL MOMENTS......

1978:

* Kurtis Blow, who was being managed by Russell Simmons, decides to hire Simmons brother, Run, as his DJ.
* Run was so-called because he could cut so fast between two turntables.
* Kurtis would later become the first rapper to be signed to a major record deal.
* Music industry coins the term "rap music", and shifts its focus toward emcees.
* Grandmaster Caz (aka Cassanova Fly) and Bambaataa engage in a battle at the Police Athletic League.

1979:

* Grandmaster Flash forms one of the most outstanding rap groups ever, The Furious 5 - Grandmaster Flash (Joseph Saddler), Melle Mel (Melvin Glover), Kidd Creole (Nathaniel Glover), Cowboy (Keith Wiggins), Raheim (Guy Williams), and Mr. Ness (Eddie Morris).
* Around the same time, another great rap crew – The Cold Crush Four was formed comprising of Charlie Chase, Tony Tone, Grand Master Caz, Easy Ad, JDL, and Almighty KG.
* The first rap record by a non-rap group King Tim III is recorded by the Fatback Band.
* Sugarhill Gang "Rapper's Delight" would go on to become the first known rap hit, reaching #36 on Billboard.
* Various obscure rap singles were also released: Grandmaster Flash & The Furious 5's "Super-rappin" and Spoonie Gee's "Spoonin Rap" both on Enjoy Records, Kurtis Blow's "Christmas Rappin" on Mercury Records, and Jimmy Spicer's 13-minute long storytelling track "Adventures of Super Rhymes" on Dazz Records.
* Mr. Magic's "Rap Attack" becomes the first hip-hop radio show on WHBI.

1980:

* Afrika Bambaata and the Zulu Nation release their first 12" called Zulu Nation Throwdown Pt. 1 on Paul Winley Records.
* Kurtis Blow, the first rapper to appear on national television (Soul Train), releases "The Breaks" on Mercury Records. The record goes on to sell more than a million copies. Hip-hop gradually evolves into big business.
* After meeting Fab 5 Freddy and others, Blonde releases "Rapture" featuring rap vocals by lead singer Debbie Harry.

1981:

* Grandmaster Flash releases "The Adventures of Grand Master Flash on the Wheels of Steel", the first record to ultimately capture the sounds of live DJ scratching on wax.
* On February 14th, The Funky 4 plus One More perform their classic hit, "That's The Joint" on NBC's Saturday Night Live becoming the first hip hop group to appear on national television.
* The Beastie Boys are formed. The group consists of Adam Horovitz (King Ad-Rock), Adam Yauch (MCA), Michael Diamon (Mike D).

1982:

* Afrika Bambaataa and the Soul Sonic Force release the techno-heavy "Planet Rock"; on Tommy Boy Records. The record sells over 600,000 units in the U.S. alone.
* Grandmaster Flash & the Furious 5 release "The Message" on Sugarhill Records.
* Kool Moe Dee humiliates Busy Bee in a spontaneous rap battle. Since then, emcee battling has become an inseparable part of hip-hop.
* Fab 5 Freddy and Charlie Ahearn co-produce Wild Style, a hip-hop film featuring Cold Crush Brothers, Grandmaster Flash, Grandwizard Theodore, DJ AJ, Grandmixer D.S.T, graf writers Lee, Zephyr, Fab 5 Freddy, Lady Pink, Crash, Daze, Dondi, and members of the Rock Steady Crew. Wild Style has since inspired several other hip-hop-themed movies.

1983:

* Ice T Pioneers West Coast hardcore rap with his singles "Cold Winter Madness" and "Body Rock/Killers."
* Grand Master Flash and Melle Mel (Furious 5) record the anti-cocaine single "White Lines (Don't Do It)", which becomes a rap hit.
* Grandmaster Flash later sues Sugarhill Records for $5 million in royalties. The dispute causes the group to break up, signaling the looming danger of corporate control in hip-hop.
* Run DMC releases "It's Like That" b/w "Sucker MC's."

1984

* Russell Simmons and Rick Rubin team up to form one of the most influential record labels ever, Def Jam Records. Def Jam releases their first record, "It's Yours" by T La Rock, followed by LL Cool J's "I Need A Beat."
* Hip-hop discovers that touring is a great way to generate income, as the Fresh Fest concert featuring Whodini, Kurtis Blow, Fat Boys, and Run DMC, reels in $3.5 million for 27 dates.
* Hip-hop returns to battle raps, as the rap group UTFO's "Roxanne Roxanne" diss song attracts over 100 responses.
* The most popular response came from a 14-year old female named Roxanne Shante. Shante's "Roxanne's Revenge" allegedly recorded in Marley Marl's living room sold more than 250,000 copies.
* Dougie Fresh (aka The Entertainer) releases The Original Human Beat Box (Vindertainment Records).
* Michael Jackson does the moonwalk at the Grammys, borrowing b-boy dance elements from LA breakers.

1985

* Sugarhill Records goes into bankruptcy and is forced out of business.
* Salt & Pepa make their first appearance on Super Nature's "The Show Stopper."