| Sugarhill Gang | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | February 7, 1980[ citation needed ] | |||
| Recorded | 1979 | |||
| Genre | Old-school hip hop, disco, soul | |||
| Length | 39:17 | |||
| Label | Sugarhill Records | |||
| Producer | Sylvia Robinson | |||
| The Sugarhill Gang chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Sugarhill Gang | ||||
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Sugarhill Gang is the self-titled debut album by influential rap group the Sugarhill Gang. It is considered to be the first hip hop studio album, leading to more studio albums by other rappers.
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [1] |
| Smash Hits | 5/10 [2] |
The album was released in 1980 for Sugarhill Records and was produced by Sylvia Robinson. The single "Rapper's Delight" was the first rap single to become a top-40 hit on the Billboard Hot 100, reaching number 36 on the U.S. pop chart and number 4 on the R&B chart. Although "Rapper's Delight" was the only charting single, the album also included the minor hit, "Rapper's Reprise". Aside from the two singles and "Sugarhill Groove", the remainder of the LP consists of several down-tempo soul tracks and a disco instrumental, as Sylvia Robinson did not believe an album consisting entirely of hip hop music would be commercially viable in 1980.
| Chart (1980) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australian Albums (Kent Music Report) [7] | 92 |
| Dutch Albums (Album Top 100) [8] | 17 |
| US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard) [9] | 32 |
The Sugarhill Gang is an American hip hop group, formed in 1979 in Englewood, New Jersey. Their hit "Rapper's Delight", released the same year they were formed, was the first rap single to become a top 40 hit on the Billboard Hot 100; reaching a peak position of number 36 on January 12, 1980. This was the trio's only U.S. hit, though they did have further success in Europe until the mid-1980s. The trio reformed in 1994 and did a world tour in 2016.
"Rapper's Delight" is a 1979 hip hop track by the Sugarhill Gang, produced by Sylvia Robinson. Although it was shortly preceded by the Fatback Band's "King Tim III ", "Rapper's Delight" is credited for introducing hip hop music to a wide audience, reaching the top 40 in the United States, as well as the top three in the United Kingdom and number one in Canada. It was a prototype for various types of rap music. The track interpolates Chic's "Good Times", resulting in Chic's Nile Rodgers and Bernard Edwards threatening to sue Sugar Hill Records for copyright infringement; a settlement was reached that gave the two songwriting credits. The track was recorded in a single take. There are five mixes of the song.
Sylvia Robinson, known mononymously as Sylvia, was an American singer, record producer, and record label executive. Robinson achieved success as a performer on two R&B chart toppers: as half of Mickey & Sylvia with the 1957 single "Love Is Strange", and her solo record "Pillow Talk" in 1973. She later became known for her work as founder and CEO of the hip hop label Sugar Hill Records.
The Sequence was an American female hip–hop trio from Columbia, South Carolina, who formed in 1979. The Sequence is noted as the first female hip hop trio signed to the Sugar Hill Records label in the late–1970s and early–1980s. The group consisted of Cheryl Cook, known as "Cheryl The Pearl", Gwendolyn Chisolm, known as "Blondy", and lead singer and rapper Angie Stone, known as Angie B, who were all high school friends.
Henry Lee Jackson, known by his stage name Big Bank Hank, was an American old school rapper and manager. Also known as Imp the Dimp, he was a member of the trio The Sugarhill Gang, the first hip hop act to have a hit, with the cross-over single "Rapper's Delight" in the pop charts in 1979. He contributed to many documentaries based on the rap music industry. Lyrics to his verse from "Rapper's Delight" were allegedly plagiarized from rhymes written by Grandmaster Caz.
Erick Sermon is an American rapper and producer. He is best known as one-third—alongside PMD & DJ Scratch—of 1980s/1990s hip hop group EPMD and for his production work.
"Good Times" is a disco soul song by American R&B band Chic from their third album Risqué (1979). It ranks 68th on Rolling Stone's list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time, and has become one of the most sampled tunes in music history, most notably in hip hop music. Originally released with "A Warm Summer Night" on the B-side, it was reissued in 2004 with "I Want Your Love" on the B-side, a version which was certified Silver in the UK.
Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five were an American hip hop group formed in the South Bronx of New York City in 1978. The group's members were Grandmaster Flash, Melle Mel, Kidd Creole, Keef Cowboy, Scorpio, and Rahiem. The group's use of turntablism, breakbeat DJing, and conscious lyricism were significant in the early development of hip hop music.
Sugar Hill Records was an American record label specializing in hip hop music that was founded in 1979 by husband and wife Joe and Sylvia Robinson with Milton Malden and funding from Tony Riviera and Morris Levy, the owner of Roulette Records.
My Soul is the third studio album by rapper Coolio, released on August 26, 1997 and was his last album for Tommy Boy Records. Production was handled by Romeo, Vic C., Bryan "Wino" Dobbs and DJ I-Roc. The album has been certified gold by the RIAA.
"The Magnificent Seven" is a song by the English punk rock band the Clash. Released in 1981, it was the third single from the Clash's fourth album, Sandinista!. It reached number 34 on the UK Singles Chart.
Guy Anthony O'Brien is an American rapper known by the stage name Master Gee. He is a founding member of the hip hop group The Sugarhill Gang. On the band's signature song, "Rapper's Delight", he raps, "I said M-A-S, T-E-R, a G with a double E, I said I go by the unforgettable name of the man they call the Master Gee". He was 17 at the time of recording the song, alluded to by the lyric, "I guess by now you can take a hunch, and find that I am the baby of the bunch".
8th Wonder is the second album by the American rap group the Sugarhill Gang. The album was released in 1981 for Sugar Hill Records and was again produced by Sylvia Robinson and James Cullimore. Though not as successful as the group's previous album, the album did feature the minor hits "8th Wonder" and "Apache" and featured an appearance by another Sugar Hill Records rap group, Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five on "Showdown".
Jump On It! is a 1999 studio album by American hip hop group The Sugarhill Gang made of children's music and was the first hip hop album made by rap artists for children. The album was the only one recorded after the trio of Big Bank Hank, Master Gee, and Wonder Mike reunited in the 1990s and was promoted by a jump rope contest for children in coordination with the Boys & Girls Clubs of America, who received a portion of the proceeds from album sales. The album was devised by Rhino Records executive Richard Foos and was intended to be paired with a line of children's clothing, educational videos, and television programming.
Jarret Lloyd Vincent, better known by one of his stage aliases Bim Sherman, was a Jamaican musician and singer-songwriter.
"Apache" is a song written by Jerry Lordan and first recorded by Bert Weedon. Lordan played the song on ukulele to the Shadows while on tour, and liking the song, the group released their own version which topped the UK Singles Chart for five weeks in mid-1960. The Shadows' guitarist Hank Marvin developed the song's distinctive echo and vibrato sound. After hearing the Shadows' version, Danish guitarist Jørgen Ingmann released a cover of the song in November 1960 which peaked at number 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the US.
Curtis Brown, better known by the stage name Grandmaster Caz or Casanova Fly, is an American rapper, songwriter, and DJ. He was a member of the hip hop group The Cold Crush Brothers from 1979 to the mid-1980s. He is best known as the (uncredited) main writer of Big Bank Hank's raps on the seminal 1979 hip hop single by The Sugarhill Gang, "Rapper's Delight".
Rappin' Down Town is the third album from New York City-based rap/hip hop group The Sugarhill Gang. Released in 1983, this album includes the minor R&B hits "The Lover in You" and "The Word is Out."
Run-DMC was an American hip hop group from Hollis, Queens, New York City, formed in 1983 by Joseph Simmons, Darryl McDaniels, and Jason Mizell. Run-DMC is regarded as one of the most influential acts in the history of hip hop culture and especially one of the most famous hip hop acts of the 1980s. Along with Beastie Boys, LL Cool J, DJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince, and Public Enemy, the group pioneered new-school hip hop music and helped usher in the golden age of hip hop. The group was among the first to highlight the importance of the MC and DJ relationship.
The Sugar Hill Records Story is a 1997 compilation album compiling singles released by the Sugar Hill Records label. It was released by Rhino Records who had purchased the North American rights to the labels catalogue in 1995. On its release, it received positive reviews from Vibe, Spin and AllMusic.
