"Here Come the Judge," Pigmeat Markam (1968)

Frequently cited as possibly the first charting rap record. Certainly it's on a short list. Markam goes way back. Although you won't find him on the irrepressibly stellar collection, The Roots of Rap, Classic Recordings from the 1920's and '30's, Yazoo Records. Instead, Markam rose to fame touring with Bessie Smith, performed stand-up comedy in blackface, sparked dance crazes and played in the movies before making this record of his signature routine in his later years. He's a cultural bridge between 19th century minstrel music hokum and Hiphop.