When I was growing up "to rap" had different meanings depending on where and when you were living.

This post concerns mid-Atlantic or east coast styling as defined by DJ's from some of my favorite radio stations from 1970 to 1972.

Rapping back then refereed to romantic singing or "pillow-talk". My friends called it, "baby I want you" music. A good example is the group "The Main Ingredient".

Listen to lead singer Cuba Gooding, Sr. on this song from 1972.
This is old school rap or "baby I want you" like I used to hear when I was a kid.

The Main Ingredient - "You've Got To Take It"

That's Cuba Gooding Jr's father.

They had rap in those days?

YEP! And I was so jealous, I wanted to sing like Cuba.

A lot of the guys I knew in school wanted to sing like Cuba, lol.

The Main Ingredient's biggest hit was "Everybody Plays the Fool", but the song I like was a song they did just for fun and laughs:

Main Ingredient - Just Don't Want To Be Lonely