In 1980 "Rapper's Delight" made Billboard's Hot 100. In 1990 Please Hammer Don't Hurt 'Em was Number One album of the year. McCoy cites the literature documenting the rise of rap music during that crucial decade. An annotated bibliography lists 1,070 articles, books, and reviews pertaining to rap music, artists, culture, and politics and published from 1980 through 1990. A 76-entry discography discusses rap albums released during those years that contributed to rap music's evolution or popularity, or to the development of popularity of a subgenre. The author includes albums nominated for major music awards, milestone albums, and most albums appearing on Billboard's year-end charts. A section of compilation albums includes early rap classic singles and tracks of rap's early stars. Date and subject indexes.