In the early 1980s, the song ‘Rapture’ by Blondie hit number one in the US Charts. It was unique in that it celebrated elements of graffiti, DJ culture and rap. It showcased the raw creativity of a subculture that was taking place in New York’s streets and subways.
Blondie’s Rapture
Blondie released “Rapture” in 1981. Written by Debbie Harry and Chris Stein. It was part of their fifth studio album, ‘Autoamerican‘ and the second single to be released. It made history as the first rap song to top the Billboard Hot 100 chart. The song and its accompanying music video offered a glimpse into the burgeoning hip-hop scene of downtown New York.
Trailblazer
As a song and a music video Rapture was a trailblazer. Not only because it topped the charts. It’s video was the first to feature rap on MTV. It featured key cultural icons of the time and celebrated the art at the heart of the subculture. “Rapture” became a visual and musical milestone for the hip-hop and graffiti movements.
Blondie Rapture Video
Rapture Music Video
Cultural References
In the lyrics Debbie Harry references and features people and slang in the scene at the time. Fab 5 Freddy has a key role. Dressed in a white suit and top hat he is the first person we see in the video. The line “Fab 5 Freddy told me everybody’s fly” immortalises him in the song. That was something that stemmed from Freddy himself. It references him having told Blondie about the “fly guys and fly girls” of the early hip hop scene.
Grandmaster Flash
Another of the artists name checked in Rapture was Grandmaster Flash. Freddy tells the story of how he first told Debbie Harry about him. “I’m telling her the slang, explaining how Flash was the fastest DJ, and that was a big thing”. All in reference to his innovative turntable techniques and his use of sampling. The line “DJ Spinnin’ I said my, my, Flash is fast, Flash is cool….” was used in the song. Initially Flash was due to appear in the video on some turntables. However, he didn’t show and so another cultural icon, Jean-Michel Basquiat took his place.
Fab 5 Freddy Interview
Fab 5 Freddy reflects on Rapture and the evolution of Hip Hop
Jean-Michel Basquiat
Basquiat was well known on the New York art scene at the time. Originally tagging under the name SAMO he had since developed from his early tagging days. Eventually transitioning into the eclectic artworks he is known for today. “He was putting up these like poetic phrases. Quotes that were not in any way like typical graffiti. But it was a part of graffiti”, remembers Fab 5 Freddy. Freddy also recalls that they all met at around the same time. Telling Charlamagne tha God that Blondie had taken the pair of them “under their wings”. The friendship having helped with introducing both Basquiats and Freddy’s artwork to new audiences.
Graffiti Backdrop
The backdrop of the video was inspired by New York’s downtown. Fab 5 Freddy and Lee Quinones (who wrote LEE) created a number of graffiti pieces. Basquiat too added a few tags. The intention being to make it look like a real New York wall. It wasn’t the first time that they’d done this! An earlier Blondie song ‘The Hardest Part‘ also used a heavily graffiti inspired backdrop. That was a release from their previous ‘Eat to the Beat‘ album. Though that song didn’t have anything like the cut through as Rapture.
Paint a Train
Freddy recalls how Chris Stein who was living in Brooklyn at the time “loved the graffiti on the train”. For many viewers the video would have been their first exposure to this style of art. Later with the publication of Subway Art, the idea of painted trains would travel around the world. At the time of Rapture though they were a regular sight in New York City. The line “Don’t strain your brain. Paint a Train. You’ll be singing in the Rain” being a direct homage to the graffiti scene.
Interview with Debbie Harry and Chris Stein
Debbie Harry and Chris Stein talk to the Consequence Podcast
South Bronx Rap Party
One of the main catalysts for Rapture came from a visit to a rap party in the South Bronx. Invited by Fab 5 Freddy it took place at the Police Athletic League in around 1977 or 1978. A date that for both Blondie and Fab 5 Freddy seems hard to truly pin down. Debbie Harry describes how it was “full of enthusiasm and drama” and how “it really made an impression on us”. The rappers were free styling often against the same rhythm backing tracks. It was “eye opening” said Stein. Saying that they “got very carried away and enthusiastic about seeing all these kids. You know, finding their voice and doing this.”
Freestyle Rap
These early days of the songs origins are described in the Consequence podcast’s “The Story Behind the Song” series. Debbie Harry describes being struck by the performance. Describing it as a “freestyle rap thing” where the rappers were using the same foundational beats and samples. They would then build on them to build their improvised rhymes. What resonated most though was the way the young artists were saying things. “That you know hadn’t been said the way they were saying them”.
Good Times
It sowed the idea of writing a rap song. Chris Stein first creating a bassline and guitar riff. One that was itself was paying homage to the iconic Chic song ‘Good Times’. It harked back to the freestyle rap event they saw in the Bronx. There the same beat had been used as one of the samples the artists would rap against. Debbie Harry then worked up the melody and verses before a joint honing of the lyrics.
Pivotal Moment
When released Rapture would end up serving as a bridge between the underground hip-hop and the mainstream pop scenes. Its crossover appeal helped introduce rap, graffiti and an emerging hip hop scene to a wider audience. Fab 5 Freddy saw it as a pivotal moment. Not only for bringing hip hop culture to the mainstream but for him personally. The shout out in the lyrics helped to introduce him to a wider audience. Helping to solidify his own status as a key figure in the early movement.
Legacy
Blondie’s “Rapture” marks a groundbreaking moment in music history. A song that somehow bridged the worlds of punk, new wave, and the burgeoning hip-hop scene. The first number-one single to feature rap vocals. It didn’t just introduce hip-hop to a global audience! It opened the doors for the genre to thrive in mainstream culture. Its inclusion on MTV in the channel’s formative years, was equally important. It helped to establish the visual storytelling synonymous with hip-hop today.
Risk
Rapture could well have been seen as a risk. Blondie had been established for a while. Hits such as ‘Call Me’, ‘The Tide is High’ and ‘Heart of Glass’ all already having hit number one. They’d become known for their punk and new wave sound. Rap at the time was in its infancy. Popular in places like the South Bronx but certainly viewed as a passing fad by many music executives. If Blondie ever did consider it to be a risk (and it’s not clear that they did). Then it paid off. Artists like Fab 5 Freddy acted as a cultural bridge. Helping Blondie to navigate and appreciate the nuances of an emerging hip hop culture. Something that was still very much underground and certainly not widely known in mainstream circles.
Rapture Live in 1982 – Tracks Across America Tour
Blondie perform Rapture live in 1982
Connection
The band had a deep connection to the New York art and music scene. Chris Stein was originally from Brooklyn and Debbie Harry from North Jersey. The two had formed Blondie in 1974 after briefly being part of another band called ‘The Stilettos’. With the rest of the band they’d become well known on the New York music scene. Regularly playing iconic venues like CBGB’s and Max’s Kansas City. The latter being a place where Harry used to work as a waitress before her own musical success.
Energy
At its core, “Rapture” captures the energy of early 1980s New York City. A melting pot of creativity where musical genres collided. The song is a homage to this vibrant scene. Giving nods to key figures and exposing them to a larger audience. Blondie reflected the spirit of the time. One of experimentation and excitement. The city was a melting pot of different ideas. Even now more than four decades later. It’s influence on what we know as hip hop, rap and graffiti is undeniable.
Blondie released Rapture on 12 January 1981. It was part of their fifth album Autoamerican. Written by Debbie Harry and Chris Stein. The song spent two weeks at number one in the Billboard Hot 100.
For more Inspiring City articles you will like, take a look at…
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- Jean-Michel Basquiat Mural at the Barbican in London
- Art, Hop, Life – The World According to Shem
- How Wild Style Sparked a Global Graffiti Revolution
- Robert Del Naja, 3D and the Early Days of Bristol Graffiti
- A History of Tagging – From Subway Cars to Street Art
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