Undiscovered stars?
If someone was dressing as a rapper in 1980 they would have been wearing a kangol and a track suit.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zapp_(album)
Although these guys were around is was 1982 that The Message hit "mainsteam" which meant you were likely in the inner city or at the skating rink to know these guys. You did not here this on the radio except in the early morning hours of the weekend.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grandmaster_Flash_and_the_Furious_Five
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parliament-Funkadelic
And they certainly weren't imitating George Clinton.
1982 Atomic Dog
Kurtis Blow circa 1980
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Afrika_Bambaataa
1982
If you go a bit more mainstream, into bands that were in da club, which was at the end of disco you find…
This was 1981 but no one ever saw these guys to know what they looked like.
Oh, snap
Andre Harrell aka Dr. Jeckyll is friends with Sean P. Diddy, Puffy Combs. Possibly gay lover.