Remember the first rap song you heard? Some of your favorite rappers and DJs do. While hip-hop celebrates 50 years of life, The Associated Press asked some of the genre’s most popular artists — including Killer Mike, JT of City Girls, King Combs and Fat Joe — to recall their first memory of hearing a rap song and how it resonated with them.
In the second installment of a two part series, the AP highlights the stars who connected with rap music through a song other than “Rapper's Delight,” the 1979 hit that was the entry point for Chuck D, DJ Jazzy Jeff and many other artists. For some, the rap song that hooked them was the work of Run D.M.C., Tupac Shakur, the performance of a close family member and even (pre-Oscars) Will Smith.
