sugar hill gang

Today In Hip Hop History: The Sugar Hill Gang Released ‘Rapper’s Delight’ 45 Years Ago

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On today’s date, 45 years ago, Hip Hop’s first Billboard Top 40 single, “Rapper’s Delight,” was released by Englewood, New Jersey’s Sugarhill Gang. As one of  Hip Hop’s earliest relics, this single, written by The Cold Crush Brothers’ own Grandmaster Caz, is credited with bringing the art of rap to a multicultural mainstream audience.

In the ’70s, disco and soul still reigned supreme in the clubs and lounges of the country’s urban centers. In its most primitive form, Hip Hop was still misunderstood (and exclusive to New York City and California). Breaking, tagging, rapping, and spinning records were widely recognized as the borderline criminal activities of whatever city’s urban youth. The culture’s cult following was majority made up of housing project residence, the type to not frequent the discos and bars of their respective downtown centers. Every once in and awhile, someone would drop a single that would break through and get some shine on the club scene but never make much of a splash nationally. “Rapper’s Delight” was a different story.

On September 20, 1979, new wave bands Blondie and Chic were playing a concert at New York’s renown Palladium with British punk rock band The Clash; Hip Hop’s earliest socialite (and soon to be television host) Fab Five Freddy was on the scene with Sugarhill Gang members Big Bank Hank, Mike Wright, and Master Gee. Having just released a single featuring Chic’s hit single “Good Times” from their recent international album Risqué, it was natural for the gang to hop on stage and start freestyling as soon as Chic dropped the bass line.

Sometime later, Chic’s Nile Rodgers was out at New York’s Club Leviticus and heard a recorded cut of the very song The Sugarhill Gang ever-so-delightfully interrupted his concert weeks earlier. Enraged, Rodgers immediately sought legal action and attempted to sue the Sugarhill Gang for using his band’s instrumental in their single. The lawsuit was settled out of court, and appropriate credit was given to Chic in their part of the song.

With the lawsuit and legal attention came a swarm of popularity. Disc Jockeys in clubs across the country began to spin this record every night of the week. The single gained so much play in the United States that clubs across the globe began to push this song like no tomorrow. Although the single may have peaked at #36 on the Billboard 200, it was #1 in Canada and the Netherlands, #2 in Belgium, France, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, and #3 in Germany and the UK. This single song sold platinum in both the United States and Canada, with over 5 million copies sold worldwide.

“Rapper’s Delight” may be the most important single of Hip Hop culture. It didn’t event style, it wasn’t the first to gain mainstream success, it wasn’t even from New York, but it was the biggest of its time. What “Rapper’s Delight” did was make it “ok” to listen to and support rap music out in the open. Before this single, Hip Hop was an urban taboo. Upon its release, the connotation transformed from one synonymous with the ghetto to a new and hip musical genre. In a way, “Rapper’s Delight” gentrified Hip Hop in a way that made it profitable. Without it, the culture would not be a powerful as it is today.

The post Today In Hip Hop History: The Sugar Hill Gang Released ‘Rapper’s Delight’ 45 Years Ago first appeared on The Source.

The post Today In Hip Hop History: The Sugar Hill Gang Released ‘Rapper’s Delight’ 45 Years Ago appeared first on The Source.

How “Rapper’s Delight” Helped Solidify Hip Hop

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In the crucible of the late 1970s Bronx, New York, a subculture was on its way to redefine music. Hip hop, with its roots in block parties and underground clubs, found its breakthrough moment with the 1979 classic “Rapper’s Delight,” a game-changing track by the Sugarhill Gang. Technically a one-hit-wonder in hip hop, the group would defy this reputation. Their song would play a pivotal role in influencing the culture, music, and future generations of artists.

Read More: 50 Beats That Will Never Get Old

“Rapper’s Delight” As A Commercial Success

The success of “Rapper’s Delight” was nothing short of revolutionary. In the late ’70s, disco ruled the airwaves, however, the Sugarhill Gang’s hit would defy trends and enter the top 40 on the Billboard Hot 100. The song would even go on to sell millions of copies, making it a commercial triumph highlighting a shifting musical landscape and a growing appetite for something fresh. With its danceable beat and catchy lyrics, “Rapper’s Delight” transcended the boundaries of musical genres. The Sugarhill Gang’s success would help pave the way for hip hop’s future crossover appeal.

The genre of hip-hop existed mostly as an underground phenomenon before “Rapper’s Delight.” Even though the Sugarhill Gang came from New Jersey, their song would introduce hip-hop to audiences around the world. Suddenly, the rhythmic and poetic stylings of MCs would become a cultural phenomenon that would transcend geographic and cultural boundaries. Artists such as Run-DMC, The Beastie Boys, LL Cool J (and more) would further define what the Sugarhill Gang achieved.

Read More: Top 15 “Apache” Samples: The Evolution Of One Of Hip Hop’s Most Well Known Instrumentals

Artistic Showcase & Long Length

I said-a hip, hop, the hippie, the hippie
To the hip hip hop-a you don’t stop the rock
It to the bang-bang boogie, say up jump the boogie
To the rhythm of the boogie, the beat

This small excerpt from “Rapper’s Delight” represents some of the most well-known lyrics in hip-hop. Such simple and catchy wordplay would inspire future rappers to develop more complex rhyme schemes heard in contemporary hip-hop. A defining feature of “Rapper’s Delight” is its extended rap verses, clocking in at over 14 minutes, as well as no main hook. This departure from conventional song structure provided a platform for MCs to showcase their lyrical abilities and rhythmic mastery. Groups like Wu-Tang Clan would continue this tradition with songs like “Protect Ya Neck” and “Triumph.” Although not necessarily 14 minutes, these records show the demand for compositions that challenge preconceived notions about any limitations of the genre.

“Rapper’s Delight” Influences Sampling & Production

Hip-hop uses sampling to weave together musical elements from various genres that form the instrumental. Marley Marl, Kool Herc, Grandmaster Flash, Afrika Bambaataa, as well as the Sugarhill Gang, helped make sampling become mainstream. The art of sampling is now a hallmark of hip-hop production and is used by producers such as RZA, Kanye West, and Dr. Dre. These producers would take sampling to a whole new level by including intertwining multiple samples in each song. Dre’s “California Love” is a good example. It includes samples of Joe Cocker’s “Woman To Woman,” Kleeer’s “Intimate Connection,” and Ronnie Hudson’s “West Coast Poplock.”

The hit “Rapper’s Delight” is also in samples and remixes in dozens of songs, too. MCs like the Beastie Boys used the beat in their song “Triple Double,” 50 Cent did a sort of remix with “Gangsta’s Delight,” and Father MC and Jodeci used the sample in “Everything’s Gonna Be Alright.” These are just a few examples as hundreds more exist.

Cultural Impact

Beyond its musical influence, the success of “Rapper’s Delight” would have a profound cultural impact. The song would contribute to the rise of hip-hop as a powerful force in music, fashion, and art. People of every age and background would try to embody the dance moves that went along with the song. A notable rendition of the song is included in the ’90s hit movie The Wedding Singer, which features iconic music of the ’80s. The Sugarhill gang’s hit would also become a voice for marginalized communities and spark a creative revolution. “Rapper’s Delight” is an anthem for a generation pivotal in changing the culture.

Decades after its release, the legacy of “Rapper’s Delight” endures. The song continues to inspire new generations of artists, serving as a foundational text in the hip-hop canon. Its impact is global in terms of popularity in hip-hop today. The Sugarhill Gang’s only mainstream hit, “Rapper’s Delight” paved the way for artists to pursue careers in hip-hop and became an essential piece in creating musical and cultural diversification.

The post How “Rapper’s Delight” Helped Solidify Hip Hop appeared first on HotNewHipHop.

Today In Hip Hop History: The Sugar Hill Gang Released Their Self Titled Debut LP 43 Years Ago

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This particular passage takes us on a journey all the way back to February 7, 1980, when The Sugarhill Gang, comprised of Michael “Wonder Mike” Wright, Guy “Master Gee” O’Brien, and the late Henry “Big Bank Hank” Jackson – all of whom hailing from Englewood, New Jersey – dropped their self-titled debut album, Sugarhill Gang, which is widely regarded as the very first full-length Hip Hop album to ever be released.

Distributed via Sugar Hill Records – founded by husband and wife Joe and Sylvia Robinson along with Milton Malden – and at 39:17 in length, the project featured six records, including “Rapper’s Delight.” Ranked No. 251 on Rolling Stone Magazine‘s “The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time” list, while not exactly the first track to feature rapping – Fatback Band‘s “King Tim III (Personality Jock),” released six months prior, is actually credited for such – “Rapper’s Delight” is however typically considered to be the first song that popularized Hip Hop, and was also the first to become a Top 40 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.

The post Today In Hip Hop History: The Sugar Hill Gang Released Their Self Titled Debut LP 43 Years Ago appeared first on The Source.