"The Rapper" is a song by

The Jaggerz The Jaggerz are an American rock band from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They came to national attention with their single " The Rapper" which was released on the Kama Sutra label. "The Rapper" was No. 1 in the Record World Charts and No. 2 in ...

, written by band member Donnie Iris. Released as a single, it reached No. 2 on the '' Billboard'' Pop Singles chart, behind Simon & Garfunkel's smash " Bridge Over Troubled Water" and it was certified Gold by the RIAA in 1970 (see

1970 in music List of notable events in music that took place in the year 1970. __TOC__ Specific locations * 1970 in British music * 1970 in Norwegian music Specific genres *1970 in country music * 1970 in heavy metal music *1970 in jazz Events *Janua ...

) for selling over a million copies.

Background

The song is addressed to a girl, or girls in general; it describes the method of a man who seduces women with untruths ("rapping"). The singer says, "You know what he's after"; he concludes by saying there comes a point at which the man has his target where he wants her, and the girl has to "face reality". The record ends with a small burst of applause heard in the studio. The "rapper" of the title and "rappin'" in the lyrics have only some coincidental resemblance to the vocal style of rapping.

Chart performance

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

Covers

"The Rapper" has been covered by two Jaggerz members. Since beginning his solo career, Donnie Iris has covered the song numerous times in concert. Additionally, live recordings of the song have appeared on his compilation albums. Also, "The Rapper" was covered by

Jimmie Ross Jimmie Ross is an American rock guitarist and vocalist who is best known for being a member of Pittsburgh band the Jaggerz, known for their 1970 hit " The Rapper". During the band's initial existence of 1965-1976, the bassist shared the duties o ...

during the time period when The Jaggerz weren't together. Additionally, the single was covered by

Wolfman Jack Robert Weston Smith (January 21, 1938July 1, 1995), known as Wolfman Jack, was an American disc jockey active from 1960 till his death in 1995. Famous for his gravelly voice, he credited it for his success, saying, "It's kept meat and potatoes ...

. Canadian hard rock trio Santers recorded the song for their 1981 debut album ''Shot Down In Flames''.

Album appearances

* ''

We Went to Different Schools Together ''We Went to Different Schools Together'' is the second album by Pittsburgh rock/pop band the Jaggerz, released in 1970. The album includes the group's only successful single, " The Rapper." Track listing # "I Call My Baby Candy" (Ierace) # " ...

'', 1970 (The Jaggerz) * '' Live! At Nick's Fat City'', 1998 (Donnie Iris) * ''20th Century Masters: The Millennium Collection: The Best of Donnie Iris'', 2001 (Donnie Iris) * ''

Re-Rapped by Request ''Re-Rapped by Request'' is the fifth album by Pittsburgh Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Allegheny County. It is the most populous city in both Allegheny County and Wester ...

'', 2001 (The Jaggerz) * '' Ah! Live!'', 2009 (Donnie Iris) * '' Full Circle'', 2010 (Jimmie Ross)

References

1970 singles 1970 songs Donnie Iris songs Kama Sutra Records singles {{1970s-single-stub