The Sugarhill Gang Explained

The Sugarhill Gang
Landscape:yes
Background:group_or_band
Origin:Englewood, New Jersey, U.S.
Genre:Hip hop
Associated Acts:The Furious FiveThe Sequence
Current Members:
Past Members:

The Sugarhill Gang is an American hip hop group formed in Englewood, New Jersey in 1979. 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,[1] reaching a peak position of number 36 on January 12, 1980.[2] This was the trio's only U.S. hit, though they would have further success in Europe until the mid-1980s. The trio reformed in 1994 and embarked on a world tour in 2016.

History

Formation and early years

The members, all from Englewood, New Jersey, consisted of Henry "Big Bank Hank" Jackson, Michael "Wonder Mike" Wright and Guy "Master Gee" O'Brien. The three were assembled into a group by producer Sylvia Robinson, who founded Sugar Hill Records with her husband, record producer Joe Robinson.[3] The group and the record company were named after the Sugar Hill, Harlem neighborhood.[4]

Their 1979 hit "Rapper's Delight" was the first rap single to become a top 40 hit on the Billboard Hot 100. "Rapper's Delight" is now considered one of the most important rap songs of all time. The group never had another top 40 U.S. hit, though it had multiple European hits, such as "Apache", "8th Wonder" (which was performed on the American music show Soul Train in 1981), "Rapper's Reprise (Jam Jam)", and "Showdown" (with the Furious Five). The trio wound down over the next five years and disbanded in 1985.[5]

Later years

In 1990, the group briefly reunited to perform during the "RapMania: The Roots of Rap" concert at the Apollo Theater in New York City.[6]

Joey Robinson, Sylvia Robinson's son, reformed the Sugarhill Gang in 1994.[7] The group recorded Jump On It!, a hip hop children's album, in 1999.[8] O'Brien had not rejoined the group, and at some point, Robinson started performing under O'Brien's stage name "Master Gee". This was much to the frustration of O'Brien and Wright, of whom the latter -as Robinson's bandmate- had tried to convince Robinson not to use the name. Later, Robinson trademarked both the names "Master Gee" and "Wonder Mike". O'Brien and Wright went to court to retrieve the rights to their names.[9] [10]

After Wright and Henry "Hen Dogg" Williams (a producer) left Sugar Hill Records in 2005, they reunited with O'Brien and started performing as "Rapper's Delight Featuring Wonder Mike and Master Gee". This was due to Joey Robinson performing with Jackson under the name "Sugarhill Gang" simultaneously, and Sugar Hill Records claiming copyright to that name.

Having reacquired the rights to the name "Sugarhill Gang", the group released Lala Song with French record producer and DJ Bob Sinclar in 2009.

On November 11, 2014, Jackson died at the age of 58 after a long battle with cancer.[11]

In 2016, Wright, O'Brien and Williams embarked on their first world tour in over a decade under the name The Sugarhill Gang. During this, they performed as the Sugarhill Gang for the Art of Rap festival tour in 2016, and at V Festival in Hylands Park and Weston Park in the UK as part of their world tour in 2016. Other places included, the Clockenflap Festival in Hong Kong on November 27, 2016, and they headlined at the Depot in the Park Festival in Cardiff, United Kingdom on August 5, 2017. In July 2019, they played the North Nibley Festival in England.[12] [13] [14] [15]

In 2019, the Sugarhill Gang celebrated the 40th anniversary of the release of "Rapper's Delight" and the group's formation. They went on a worldwide tour called Rapper's Delight 40th Anniversary World Tour. The gang made new music in early 2019. The tour lasted from May 24 to July 26, 2019.[16] [17] [18]

On October 25, 2019, the group performed "Rapper's Delight" on Jimmy Kimmel Live!.[19]

As of 2024, the group consists of Wonder Mike, Master Gee, Hen Dogg, DJ T-Dynasty and Ethiopian King.[20] [21] [22]

Discography

Artist:The Sugarhill Gang
Studio:5
Compilation:9
Singles:15

The discography of the Sugarhill Gang includes five studio albums, nine compilations and fifteen singles.

Studio albums

TitleAlbum detailsPeak chart positions
US
[23]
US
R&B
[24]
AUS
[25]
NLD
[26]
NZ
[27]
Sugarhill Gang 329217
8th Wonder
  • Released: 1981
  • Label: Sugar Hill
501544
Rappin' Down Town
  • Released: 1983
  • Label: Sugar Hill
Livin' in the Fast Lane
  • Released: 1984
  • Label: Sugar Hill
Jump On It!
"—" denotes releases that did not chart.

Compilation albums

Singles

TitleYearPeak chart positionsCertificationsAlbum
US
[28]
US
R&B
[29]
AUS
BEL (FL)
[30]
CAN
[31]
GER
[32]
NLD
NZ
SWI
[33]
UK
[34]
"Rapper's Delight"19793643721321823 Sugarhill Gang
"Rapper's Reprise"1980
"8th Wonder"82158th Wonder
"Apache"1981531333
"Showdown" (credited as The Furious Five meets The Sugarhill Gang)49
"The Lover in You"19825554Rappin' Down Town
"The Word Is Out"198371
"Be a Winner"
"Kick It Live from 9 to 5"50
"Livin' in the Fast Lane"198478Livin' in the Fast Lane
"Troy" / "Girls"
"The Down Beat"1985rowspan="3"
"Work, Work the Body"
"Lala Song" (credited as Bob Sinclar featuring The Sugarhill Gang)2009955768Born in 69
"—" denotes releases that did not chart.

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: 29 Black Music Milestones: Sugarhill Gang . April 22, 2021 . Billboard.com.
  2. Web site: Sugarhill Gang . June 28, 2021 . Billboard.com.
  3. Web site: Sugar Hill Gang bio . April 12, 2012 . AllMusic.
  4. News: Perrone . Pierre . October 4, 2011 . Sylvia Robinson: Hitmaker who co-founded Sugar Hill Records and became known as 'the mother of hip-hop' . . London . live . subscription . September 15, 2013 . https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220620/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/obituaries/sylvia-robinson-hitmaker-who-cofounded-sugar-hill-records-and-became-known-as-lsquothe-mother-of-hiphoprsquo-2365098.html . June 20, 2022.
  5. Web site: John Bush . The Sugarhill Gang Biography . AllMusic.
  6. Web site: Sugar Hill Records: "Rapper's Delight" Hip Hop, Disco, Music History Britannica . February 15, 2024 . www.britannica.com . en.
  7. Web site: February 12, 2024 . The Sugarhill Gang Reminisce on 'Rapper's Delight' & 50 Years of Hip-Hop . February 13, 2024 . The Aquarian . en-US.
  8. Web site: Jump on It! – The Sugarhill Gang – Songs, Reviews, Credits – AllMusic . AllMusic.
  9. Weingarten . Christopher R. . July 14, 2015 . Joseph Robinson Jr., Sugar Hill Records Exec, Dead at 53 . February 13, 2024 . Rolling Stone . en-US.
  10. Web site: Sugar Hill Gang's Master Gee and Wonder Mike Talk Finding Loopholes . February 13, 2024 . BET . en.
  11. News: Guse . Clayton . November 11, 2014 . Big Bank Hank from Sugarhill Gang dead at age 58 . Suntimes.com . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20141111234647/http://nyc.suntimes.com/nyc-entertainment/7/86/34712/big-bank-hank-sugarhill-gang-best-songs/ . November 11, 2014.
  12. Web site: Line up for Nibley 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190115023246/https://nibleyfestival.co.uk/lineup/ . January 15, 2019 . November 9, 2019 . Nibleyfestival.co.uk.
  13. Archived at Ghostarchive and the Wayback Machine: Web site: August 21, 2016 . Sugarhill Gang "Rappers Delight – V Festival, UK, 20.08.2016 . March 28, 2020 . YouTube.
  14. Web site: January 16, 2017 . The Sugarhill Gang // Rappers Delight // Kendal Calling 2016 . March 28, 2020 . YouTube.
  15. Web site: December 26, 2016 . The Sugarhill Gang (1) @ Clockenflap 2016 . March 28, 2020 . YouTube.
  16. News: January 10, 2019 . Hip-Hop Icons the Sugarhill Gang Celebrate the 40th Anniversary of 'Rapper's Delight' . . March 28, 2020.
  17. Web site: April 17, 2019 . Sugarhill Gang 40th Anniversary Tour . March 28, 2020 . Diplomatofsound.org.
  18. Web site: The Sugarhill Gang: Live! . October 13, 2021 . Eventbrite.co.uk.
  19. Web site: October 25, 2019 . SugarHill Gang – Rapper's Delight . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20191102182729/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sLf4i078eDc&gl=US&hl=en . November 2, 2019 . March 28, 2020 . YouTube.

    The group played the halftime show at the Arizona Cardinals vs Baltimore Ravens game on October 29, 2023

  20. Web site: Ju . Shirley . January 23, 2024 . How The Sugarhill Gang's Lives Changed After "Rapper's Delight" - The Source . February 13, 2024 . en-US.
  21. Web site: September 13, 2023 . Legendary rap group Sugarhill Gang discuss their impact on 50 years of hip-hop . February 13, 2024 . rollingout.com . en-US.
  22. Web site: 2023-09-06 . The Sugarhill Gang on music Walk Of Fame honour: It is a mind-blowing experience . 2024-07-15 . The Argus . en.
  23. Sugarhill Gang Chart History, Billboard 200 . Billboard . September 28, 2021.
  24. Sugarhill Gang Chart History, Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums . Billboard . September 28, 2021.
  25. Book: Kent, David . Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 . Australian Chart Book . 1993 . 0-646-11917-6 . illustrated . St Ives, N.S.W. . 299 . David Kent (historian).
  26. Web site: Discografie Sugarhill Gang . September 28, 2021 . Dutch Charts . Dutch.
  27. Web site: Discography Sugarhill Gang . September 28, 2021 . Charts NZ.
  28. Sugarhill Gang Chart History, Hot 100 . Billboard . September 28, 2021.
  29. Sugarhill Gang Chart History, Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs . Billboard . September 28, 2021.
  30. Web site: Discografie Sugarhill Gang . September 28, 2021 . Ultratop Flanders . Dutch.
  31. RPM singles chart positions:
  32. Web site: Discographie von Sugarhill Gang . September 28, 2021 . Offizielle Deutsche Charts . German.
  33. Web site: Discographie Sugarhill Gang . September 28, 2021 . Swiss Hitparade . German.
  34. Web site: Sugarhill Gang full Official Chart History . September 28, 2021 . Official Charts.
  35. Web site: Sugarhill Gang – Rapper's Delight . January 15, 2022 . bpi.co.uk.