M.C. Ted Brooks (1915-1997), the grandfather of rap music made the first rap music video, “Noah,” in 1946. Although millions have viewed the video on YouTube, very little has been written about Brooks’ life and career. The obscure short film of “Noah,” featuring the gospel jubilee vocal group the Jubalaires  is part of the Prelinger Archives, an eclectic collection of films relating to “U.S. cultural history, the evolution of the American landscape, everyday life and social history.” Founded in 1982, the archives contain over 60,000 “ephemeral” films—all the movies we never saw—commercials, educationals, industrials, amateur movies, art films, shorts, and “soundies.” Their website explains, “Typically, ephemeral films were produced to fulfill specific purposes at specific times, and many exist today only by chance or accident.” Finally, these obscure and largely forgotten films in this extensive collection are seeing the light of day after languishing in the vaults for decades.“ In Continue Reading