The first book of pre-rap "toasts" to be published was Roger Abrahams's "Deep Down in the Jungle" (1964):

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0202010929/ref=sr_11_1/104-0248320-1987116?ie=UTF8

Abrahams collected his material in Philadelphia in 1958-59.

The texts he collected show that some even deeper roots were ballads of "Stagolee" and tales of Jesse James.

Robert Service's once famous poem (1902) about "The Shooting of Dan McGrew" was parodied in bawdy form by the 1940s - in both versions something of a "toast."

The third basic collection of toasts from the '50 and '60s is Wepman, Newman, and Binderman's "The Life" (1976):

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/087067367X/sr=1-2/qid=1154900207/ref=sr_1_2/104-0248320-1987116?ie=UTF8&s=books

Great thread idea, Azizi!