This single was released by a little known group called Brother D With Collective Effort.

While the song’s track — which utilizes Cheryl Lynn’s “To Be Real” — is nothing spectacular, the fact that it is one of the earliest examples of a “conscious” rap record makes it something special.

With lyrics like “You dippy dippy dive, so-socialize, but how we gonna make the black nation rise?”, “the Ku Klux Klan is on the loose, training their kids in machine gun use” and “my people, people, can’t you see what’s really going on? Unemployment’s high, the housing’s bad and the schools are teaching wrong,” Brother D With Collective Effort were ahead of their time, but the group faded into obscurity after this one blacknificent single.

It is also one of the earliest examples of a rap record, period. When this was released, it was one of thirty-two rap records in existence.

Originally released in 1980 on Clappers Records, it was re-released in 1985 on the now defunct 4th & Broadway label.

If you know anything else about this group feel free to leave it in the comments. I’m intrigued about what happened to this group, why they made this record, etc.