直到1979年，最早的说唱乐出现了，那便是Sugarhill Gang的《Rapper's Delight》.
由Sugarhill Gang三位成员表演的韵文般的歌曲引起了听众的共鸣，《Rapper's Delight》成为流行全美的金曲，并一举攻入了Billboard杂志流行音乐榜的第36位。歌曲内容主要是一些想象和自夸，这是早期的说唱歌手通用的素材。
其中的歌曲《Rapper's Delight》则是雇佣了录音棚的专业人员参与制作，复制（不同于采样）了当年的流行金曲，美国一个名叫Chic的迪斯科组合的歌曲《Good Times》。美国白人们对《Rapper's Delight》的新奇感也通过音乐表现出来，一系列灵感取自《Rapper's Delight》的流行音乐唱片发行了，比如新浪潮乐队Blondie 1980年发行的《Rapture》等。
接下来，Afrika Bambaataa 于1982年发行了第一张以电子合成器和电子鼓为伴奏工具的说唱专辑《Planet Rock》。这张专辑的意义在于，说唱艺人们可以自己制作伴奏，而并非只是一味的复制流行歌曲的节奏，说唱乐创作的天地一下广阔了起来。
by John Bush
Though the Sugarhill Gang inaugurated the history of recorded hip-hop with their single Rappers Delight, a multi-platinum seller and radio hit in 1979, the group was cooked up to cash in on a supposed novelty item. Music-industry producer and label-owner Sylvia Robinson had become aware of the massive hip-hop block parties occurring around the New York area during the late 70s, so she gathered three local rappers (Master Gee, Wonder Mike, and Big Bank Hank) to record a single. Infectious and catchy, Rappers Delight borrowed the break from Chics Good Times and became a worldwide hit, eventually selling more than eight million copies. Most industry people figured rap for a short-lived trend, and though they were dead wrong, the Sugarhill Gang certainly didnt carry the torch; despite several modest hits (8th Wonder, Apache) the trio faded quickly and was gone by the mid-80s, only returning in 1999 with Jump on It, a rap album for children.