Beat Bop (Edit)

Recorded in Manhattan in 1983 for Jean-Michel Basquiat’s Tartown label, with Rammellzee and K-Rob fronting a session that also involved Al Diaz and other players from Basquiat’s downtown circle. Basquiat produced and arranged the record. The track became one of the defining documents of early downtown New York hip-hop, released as a rare independent single at a time when the scene was still forming. It has been repeatedly described as a landmark and a “holy grail” record. It remains one of the most celebrated and collectible early rap singles, with continuing visibility in museum collections and retrospectives. Its reputation has endured as a touchstone for the intersection of hip-hop, graffiti art, and avant-garde downtown culture.