1981 - Notable Releases
The most notable rap single releases of 1981 (alphabetical by artist name):Afrika Bambaataa & The Jazzy 5 - Jazzy Sensation
Black Super Man - Premium Black Super Man
Blondie - Rapture
Bo Kool - (Money) No Love
Bobby Deemo - Party Rap
Bobby Demo - More Ounce (Rap)
Bohannon - Let’s Start II Dance Again
Bon-Rock & The Rythem Rebellion - Searching Rap
Brothers Unique - School Daze
Bumble Bee Unltd. - The Bumble Bee Rap
Busy Bee - School Days
Capt. Crunch & The Funky Bunch - The Gigolo Groove
Captain Chameleon - Grab Them Cakes
Captain Sky - Station Brake
CatClaw & The Better Love Crew - The Golden Rule
Chatsworth & Burt - Preppy Rap (Do The Alligator)
Cholly Rock & Avenue B Boogie Band - Cash Money
Cotton Candy - Having Fun
Count Coolout - Rhythm Rap Rock
Debbie Harry - Backfired
Dennis Franks & The Liberty Bells - Eagles Battle Cry
Disco Daddy & Capt. Rapp - The Gigolo Rapp
Doctor Ice - Calling Doctor Ice
Dr. Jeckyll & Mr. Hyde - Genius Rap
Eddie D - Adlib
Europ Express - Rapp Call You
Five Points - Equality
Flakes - Take It To The Max
Flame & The Dynamite Three - Work Your Body
Fly Guy - Fly Guy Rap
Funkapolitan - As The Time Goes By
Glory - Let’s Get Nice
Grand Master Chilly-T & Stevie G - Rock The Message Rap
Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five - It’s Nasty (Genius Of Love)
Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five - The Adventures Of Grandmaster Flash On The Wheels Of Steel
Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five - The Birthday Party
Junie - Rappin About Rappin
Juny Boom - Rules Of The Game
Kool Kyle (The Starchild) - It’s Rockin Time
Kurtis Blow - It’s Gettin’ Hot
Kurtis Blow - Starlife
Liaisons Dangerous - Los Ninos De Parque
Little Starsky - Dancin’ Party People
Lonnie Love - Young Ladies
Lovebug Starski & Harlem World Crew - Positive Life
Mike T - Do It Any Way You Wanna
Missy Dee & The Melody Crew - Missy Missy Dee
Mistafide - Equidity Funk
Motorcycle Mike - Super Rat
Mr. Sweety G - At The Place To Be
Pee Wee Mel And Barry B. - Life On The Planet Earth
Pookey Blow - Get Up (And Go To School)
Russ Mason - Prep Rap
Sangria - To The Beat Y’all
Sinister Two - Rock It, Don’t Stop It
Smash - Blue Jeans
Solo Sound - Get The Party Jumpin
South Bronx - The Big Throwdown
Spanish Fly & The Terrible Two - Spanglish
Spoonie Gee - Spoonie Is Back
Star Quality & Class - Betcha Got A Dude On The Side
Sugar Daddy - One More Time
Sugarhill Gang - Apache
Sweet G - A Heartbeat Rap
T.J. Swan - And You Know That
T.J. Swann & Peewee Mel & Barry B - Are You Ready
T.J. Swann & Peewee Mel And Swann Controllers - Maximus Party
T.J. Swann And Company - Get Fly
The Afternoon Delights - General Hospi-Tale
The Boogie Boys - Rappin’ Aint No Thing
The Crash Crew - We Want To Rock
The Disco Four - Do It, Do It
The Evasions - Wikka Wrap
The Furious Five Meets Sugarhill Gang - Showdown
The Master Rappers - Poverty
The Mean Machine - Disco Dream
The Reen-Machine - Rap-A-Reenie
The Sequence - Funky Sound (Tear The Roof Off)
The Treacherous Three - Put The Boogie In Your Body
Times Square - You’re Hot
Tom Tom Club - Wordy Rappinghood
Toney Rome - On The Radio
Treacherous Three - Feel The Heartbeat
Trouble Funk - Holly Rock
Universal Two - Dancing Heart
Vaughan Mason & Krush - Breakers Anthem
Vin Zee - Funky Bebop
Wayne & Charlie (The Rapping Dummy) - Check It Out
West Street Mob - Let’s Dance
Yella - Yella!!
List produced with the assistance of Ego Trip’s Book of Rap Lists and Spitfire’s Hip Hop On Wax database.
For a comprehensive list of Rap and related releases from the year with label and release info, Rap History has a very comprehensive 1981 database.