Hip Hop Songs: "Money (Dollar Bill Ya'll)" 1983
Jimmy Spicer (full name James Bromley Spicer, born May 12, 1958 – died September 27, 2019) was a pioneering old-school hip-hop rapper from Brooklyn, New York. He's best known as one of the earliest artists to release extended narrative rap records in the late 1970s and early 1980s, during hip-hop's formative recorded era.
His breakthrough came with the epic 1980 single "Adventures of Super Rhyme (Rap)" on Dazz Records—a 15+ minute storytelling track that outlasted even "Rapper's Delight" in length. It featured a funky, disco-rap style with Jimmy spinning wild tales (superheroes, outer space, everyday adventures) over groovy beats, making it a foundational piece for narrative rap. He claimed it influenced the scene heavily, and it's often cited as one of the first true "story rap" records.
Other key releases include:
"The Bubble Bunch" (1982, Mercury)
"Money (Dollar Bill Y'all)" (1983)
"This Is It / Beat the Clock" (1985, on Def Jam/Rush Productions—produced by Rick Rubin and managed by Russell Simmons)
His tracks have been sampled by heavyweights like Wu-Tang Clan, 2Pac, De La Soul, Busta Rhymes, and even Snoop Dogg. LL Cool J has credited Spicer with inspiring him to pursue rap.
Spicer was active in the parks and rec centers of NYC as hip-hop developed, started as a radio DJ at Medgar Evers College, and remained a respected figure in old-school circles. He passed away in 2019 after battling cancer.
Classic old-school gem—check out "Adventures of Super Rhyme" on YouTube if you haven't; it's a time capsule of early hip-hop storytelling. 🚀
