Programme notes
J.J. Fad - Supersonic (Official Music Video)
Summary
A 1988 single by a group of women from Rialto, California, built on fast, tightly interlocked verses and an electro-derived rhythm track. It was an early release associated with the label that would shortly become the centre of West Coast rap.
The appeal is technical: the verses are delivered at a clip that leaves no room for error, and the record is essentially a demonstration of that skill.
Why it matters
It was one of the first records by a group of women rappers to reach a mass audience, and its commercial performance helped fund the label at a moment that mattered. Its rapid syllabic delivery has also been sampled and quoted repeatedly since, most famously in a much later pop record built on the same cadence.