Chaka Khan First R&B Artist To Feature Rapper

In 1984, legendary singer (and current Dancing With The Stars contestant) Chaka Khan made history. Chaka had already had a career anyone would envy. Her first huge hit, “Tell Me Something Good” with Rufus, was written by superstar Stevie Wonder. And her self-titled album, Chaka Khan, won a Grammy for Best Female Vocal Performance. But then came Prince — and if you haven’t heard, Prince has a way of introducing a new dynamic.

[Tell You Something Good? Chaka Khan Galore at Amazon]

Prince wrote the masterly pop/R&B smash hit “I Feel For You” — which Chaka Khan inimitably made her own. “I Feel For You” won a Grammy and made history as the very first rap crossover song, being the first R&B song to feature a rap, which was styled by Grandmaster Melle Mel. (Today the song might be listed as “I Feel For You” Chaka Khan ft. Grandmaster Melle Mel.) “Chaka Khan let me rock you that’s all I wanna do /Chaka Khan let me rock let me feel for you,” raps Melle Mel. And anybody listening has to agree.