Harlem World Presents A 3 Day Holiday Spectacular "A Rappers Reunion" at Harlem World, New York, NY, November 24 -26, 1981

Party flyers were a staple in the early years of Hip-Hop and hard-copy invitations were the main medium for communicating information and promoting an event. The flyers symbolized many key appearances, acts, conventions, DJ performances, and contests in the Hip-Hop scene. Many flyers were created by local graffiti artists such as Buddy Esquire and Phase 2. The flyers were often presented by Hip-Hop promoters, DJs, and MCs who hosted the parties. Money was given to the artist to draw creative art and graphics for about $40-$60 for around 1,000 party flyers. The parks’ open public spaces have provided the perfect venues for park jams, impromptu dance-offs, and rap battles that established the sound, fashion, art, and message of Hip-Hop. Most of the Hip-Hop parties were a space for positivity where many of the Hip-Hop community could escape the realities of racism that included police brutality, drug abuse, and gang violence in their surrounding communities.

Known as the Harlem World Cultural and Entertainment Complex everyone called it “The World.” Located at 116th and Malcolm X Boulevard (Lenox Avenue), from 1978 to 1985, it was the home of legendary Disco. Harlem World was a three-story club with a lighted dance floor, chandeliers, wall-to-wall gold shag carpeting, mirrored walls, and a one-of-a-kind, one-hundred-foot lightning bolt-shaped bar.  Chuck Foster was the co-owner of the Harlem World and was known as one of the men that were responsible for building Harlem World before becoming an owner. Harlem World hosted some of Rap music’s most historic M.C. battles and many of Rap’s earliest lyricists who birthed the idea to put Rap music on records were found at Harlem World. Anyone who was important came to perform at Harlem World such as Busy Bee, Love Bug Starski, Grand Master Flash & the Furious, Fantastic Romantic, Lady Smiley, Cold Crush, L. A. Sunshine, Treacherous Three, Doug E. Fresh, and Kool Moe Dee.

Cold Crush Brother’s original lineup consisted of DJ Tony Tone (Angelo King), Easy AD (Adrian Harris), DJ Charlie Chase (Carlos Mandes, b. 1959), Grandmaster Caz (Curtis Brown, b. 1960), Almighty KG (Kenneth Pounder), JDL (Jerry Dee Lewis) and Money Ray (Eric Hoskins). Whipper Whip (James Whipper) and DotA-Rock (Darryl Mason) were original members, but eventually, Whipper Whip and Dot-A-Rock left and joined the Fantastic Five, which they considered to be a more established group at the time. Soon, the group brought in Grandmaster Caz (formerly DJ Casanova Fly) who is known to be one of the top 50 MCs of all Time, and an inductee into the Technics DJ Hall of Fame and the Bronx Walk of Fame. The Cold Crush Brothers were known for their remarkable routines which included harmonies, melodies, and stage-stomping performances. The Cold Crush Brothers set the standard for emceeing. They built the reputation as the Rolling Stones of Hip Hop. Because of the attention they began to attract, many groups would try to battle them to gain rap credibility and Hip-Hop superiority.

Spoonie Gee (Gabriel Jackson, b. 1963), is one of the earliest Rap artists, and one of the few to have released rap records in the 1970s. some of the themes in his music were precursors of Gangsta Rap. Spoonie Gee received his 'Spoonie' nickname as a child because the spoon was the only utensil that he used to eat with. Spoonie's name was suggested, and he recorded "Spoonin' Rap", which was released on Brown's Sound of New York, USA imprint, featuring a lyric that included jailhouse references that would later become common in Gangsta Rap, and with echo applied to his vocals. Spoonie G was a founding member of the Treacherous Three, along with L.A. Sunshine and Kool Moe Dee. Spoonie Gee has been described as "the original gangsta rapper”. His career took off once again in 1987 with his debut album The Godfather of Rap, produced by Marley Marl and Teddy Riley, and issued on the Tuff City label.

The Force M.D.'s/Force MC's (MD stands for Musical Diversity) was a hip-hop/R&B group that was formed in 1981 in Staten Island, New York. The hip-hop/R&B hybrid group — which was foundational to the new jack swing movement of the 1980s — signed to Tommy Boy Records in 1984. They are best known for two classics, "Tender Love" and "Love is a House". They are considered major forerunners of the new jack swing movement. The group was composed of brothers Stevie D. (Stevie D. Lundy), T.C.D (Antoine Lundy, d. 1998), and Khalil (Rodney Lundy), DJ Dr. Rock (d. 1996), along with their uncle Jessie Lee Daniels (1962-2022). Later, friends Trisco (Trisco Pearson, d. 2016) and Mercury (Charles Nelson, d. 1995) from the Mariners Harbor housing projects joined the group.