Rap music has a long and storied history all its own, but it’s not until a recent vintage clip surfaced that the world saw what was possibly the first recorded rap of all time.

Sung by The Jubalaires, their gospel song Noah features clever lyrics about Noah and the Ark, and showcases a style of spoken-singing that was a predecessor to modern day hip hop or rap.

Made up of Orville Brooks, Theodore (Ted) Brooks, Caleb Ginyard and George McFadden, the group was active in the 1930s to 1950s, and were formed in Florida.

Take a look below at the group singing their song, Noah.

A screenshot from archival footage of the Jubalaires, the gospel quartet whose 1946 recording is credited as one of the earliest examples of rhythmic spoken-word performance over music — a style that would eventually become rap, though no one called it that at the time

Author

Ben VanderVeen is the founder and editor of Moss & Fog, one of the web’s longest-running visual culture destinations. Since 2009, he’s been finding and framing the most beautiful, surprising, and thought-provoking work in art, architecture, design, and nature — reaching over 325,000 readers each month. He lives in Portland, Oregon.

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