before you cry sacrilege and blasphemy, hear me out

Form what I understand (I wasn't there)
the Herc/Bam/Flash park jam era was about getting the party going
no lyrical content, no lyrical miracles, no social commentary
It was about looking and being fly, getting ass, being the man on the block, in the neighborhood, on the stage
A lot of exaggerating (everyone was broke but raps were full of I'm paid, I dress the best, all the girls love me, all the guys fear me, etc)
the street element was there, just like today (it's always been)
crews stayed beefin
It was known that Zulus and Herculords would fuck you up and take your equipment if they felt like it

Anyway point is that back then just as know it's all about a vibe, a scene
Crafting an image (the crew names, clothing, routines)
Lyrics were secondary, an afterthought
The DJ was the star, today some producers are more famous than rappers

The GOAT even alludes to how the audience wasn't prepared for lyrics:

"Back in 83 I was an MC sparking
But I was too scared to grab the mics in the park and
kick my little raps cause I thought niggas wouldn't understand"