Here’s a piece by cultural critic Nelson George on the pages of Billboard. – Though rap had been selling records and denting the lower reaches of the Billboard charts since 1979, it can be argued that Run-D.M.C.’s self-titled debut — which peaked at No. 53 on the Billboard 200 on June 23 — was the first time that real hip-hop was pressed to vinyl. Most rap hits until then (“Rapper’s Delight” by The Sugarhill Gang, “The Breaks” by Kurtis Blow) were R&B party records with rhymes flowing over them. [via Billboard]