In addition to putting rap music into mainstream America's living rooms by way of television programs such as Soul Train, American Bandstand and Solid Gold, "Rappers Delight" set the template for the twelve-inch single being the primary medium that rap was delivered on for its first decade.
The song also sparked rap's first sample-based lawsuit stemming from the unauthorized "Good Times" interpolation. The success of "Rappers Delight" made it possible for The Sequence( of which Angie Stone was a member) Grandmaster Flash & The Furious 5, The Funky 4 + 1 and Spoonie Gee to later be signed to the label, which essentially made it rap music's Motown.
"Rappers Delight" has appeared in countless mainstream motion pictures, television commercials, and just about every facet of popular culture. Check out The Def Squad's 1997 remake below.