1946 Raps? The Jubalaires: Pioneers of Gospel Music & Influences on Hip-Hop

The Jubalaires were a gospel quartet group that originated in Houston, Texas, in the 1930s. They were known for their close harmonies and dynamic vocal arrangements, and their music was heavily influenced by African American spirituals, which they combined with traditional gospel music to create a distinctive and powerful sound. They may have also inadvertently been the first hip-hop group.

The Jubalaires consisted of Orville Brooks, Ted Brooks, Caleb Ginyard, George McFadden, and later on Willie Johnson.

They became famous for their energetic and expressive live performances, and their music became an important part of the gospel and R&B canon. Unbeknownst to them, The Jubalaires would go on to influence gospel music and hip-hop and had a major impact on the music industry.

The Jubalaires were one of the first gospel groups to perform on television, appearing on shows like “The Ed Sullivan Show” and “The Arthur Godfrey Show.” They released a number of successful albums throughout the 1940s and 1950s.

Some of the Jubalaires’ most well-known songs include “Praise the Lord and Pass the Ammunition,” “Noah,” “The Preacher and the Bear,” and “God Almighty’s Gonna Cut You Down/Go Down Moses,” which was later popularized by the late Johnny Cash.

The Jubalaires were not directly involved in the development of hip-hop as a music genre, as they were active several decades before hip-hop emerged. However, their influence on gospel and R&B music, which were key precursors to hip-hop, cannot be understated.

Many of the musical elements that The Jubalaires helped popularize, such as close harmonies and dynamic vocal arrangements, were later adopted by gospel and R&B artists. For example, artists like James Brown and Ray Charles, who were heavily influenced by gospel and R&B, helped to shape the sound of early hip-hop and were significant influences on later hip-hop artists.

They had a somewhat flowy cadence to some of their songs with the first instance being in “Noah.”

 

It is not accurate to say that “Noah” by The Jubalaires was the first rap song. While the song does contain elements that are similar to modern rap music, such as a rhythmic and spoken delivery of the lyrics, it is important to note that these elements were also present in other forms of music that predate rap, such as blues and jazz.

Additionally, it is difficult to pinpoint a single song or artist as the origin of rap music, as the genre emerged gradually over time and was influenced by a wide range of musical and cultural factors. Some historians trace the origins of rap to the spoken-word traditions of African American griots and the call-and-response structures of African American gospel music, while others point to the influence of Jamaican sound systems and the rise of disco and funk music in the 1970s.

However, this is one of the earliest instances that is readily accessible.

“The Preacher and the Bear” is another instance of what would now be considered “rapping.”

So are The Jubalaires the first rap group? It is tough to say, but perhaps take solace that the original hip-hop may have come from a group of men singing to the Lord.

Listen to The Jubalaires Below:

Justin Sarachik
Justin Sarachik
Justin is the Editor-in-Chief of Rapzilla.com. He has been a journalist for over a decade and has written or edited for Relevant, Christian Post, BREATHEcast, CCM, Broken Records Magazine, & more. He's written over 10,000 articles, done over 1,000 interviews, and is in post-production for documentaries on Danny "D-Boy" Rodriguez & Mario "Machete" Perez. He's the project manager of the upcoming video game Run the Court and of the media brand Crimefaces. Justin likes to work with indie artists to develop their brands & marketing strategies. Catch him interviewing artists on Survival of the Artist Podcast & creating videos on his social media channels.
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