The Sugarhill Gang
 |
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| The Sugarhill Gang | |
|---|---|
| Origin | Englewood, New Jersey, U.S. |
| Genres | Hip hop, old school hip hop |
| Years active | 1973–2007, 2010–present (minor touring) |
| Labels | Sugar Hill |
| Members | |
| Wonder Mike Master Gee Big Bank Hank |
|
The Sugarhill Gang is an American hip hop group, known mostly for its 1979 hit "Rapper's Delight," the first hip hop single to become a Top 40 hit. The song uses an interpolation of the instrumental track from the classic hit "Good Times" by Chic as its foundation.
The members, all from Englewood, New Jersey, called themselves Wonder Mike, Big Bank Hank, and Master Gee. The three were assembled into a group by producer Sylvia Robinson, who also founded Sugar Hill Records along with her husband, the record mogul Joe Robinson. "Rapper's Delight" used a track cut from a Sugar Hill house band called Positive Force with Chip Shearin on bass and Brian Morgan on guitar. The track interpolated "Good Times" by Chic. Big Bank Hank's verses were written by Grandmaster Caz. However, despite the record's success, Caz did not receive any royalties for his contribution.[1] Chic's Nile Rodgers and Bernard Edwards filed a lawsuit for copyright infringement over "Rapper's Delight," the first of many such legal battles for hip hop. It was settled out of court, leaving Rodgers with a large cut of all future royalties.
The Sugarhill Gang never again topped the charts, though it had a few minor hits, such as "Apache," Eighth Wonder" (which was performed on the American music show Soul Train in 1981), "Rapper's Reprise (Jam Jam)," and "Showdown" (with the Furious Five). In 1999, the trio reunited and recorded Jump on It! a hip hop children's album. The group continue to tour.
Bob Sinclar collaborated with Wonder Mike and Master Gee on his 2009 release "Lala Song". The Sugarhill Gang is also known as the Original Sugar.
Contents |
[edit] Discography
| Releases | ||
|---|---|---|
| ↙Studio albums | 4 | |
| ↙Compilation albums | 9 | |
| ↙Singles | 15 | |
The discography of The Sugarhill Gang includes four studio albums, nine compilations and fifteen singles.
[edit] Studio albums
| Year | Title | Chart positions | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| U.S. top 200 | U.S. R&B | NZ | ||
| 1980 | Sugarhill Gang
|
— | 32 | — |
| 1982 | 8th Wonder
|
50 | 15 | 44 |
| 1983 | Rappin' Down Town[2]
|
|||
| 1984 | Livin' in the Fast Lane
|
— | — | — |
| 1999 | Jump on It!
|
— | — | — |
[edit] Compilation albums
- Sugarhill Gang Greatest Hits (1984)
- The Best of Sugarhill Gang: Rapper's Delight (1996)
- Ain't Nothin' but a Party (1998)
- Back to the Old School 2 - Rapper's Delights (1999)
- Sugarhill Gang, The* Vs. Grandmaster Flash - The Greatest Hits (2000)
- The Greatest Hits of Sugarhill Gang (2004 Tour) (2004)
- The Story of Sugarhill Records (2005)
- Hip Hop Anniversary Europe Tour: Sugarhill Gang Live (2008)
- "Rhythm & Rhymes: The Definitive Collection" (2010)
[edit] Singles
| Year | Single | Peak chart positions | Album | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| U.S. Hot 100 | U.S. R&B | U.S. Club Play | NZ | UK | |||
| 1979 | "Rapper's Delight" | 36 | 4 | 14 | 18 | 3 | Sugarhill Gang |
| 1980 | "Rapper's Reprise (Jam Jam)" | — | — | — | — | — | |
| "8th Wonder" | 82 | 15 | 38 | — | — | 8th Wonder | |
| 1981 | "Apache" | 53 | 13 | 51 | — | — | |
| "Showdown" (credited as The Furious Five meets The Sugarhill Gang) | — | 49 | — | — | — | ||
| 1982 | "The Lover In You" | — | 55 | — | — | 54 | Rappin Down Town |
| 1983 | "The Word Is Out" | — | 71 | — | — | — | |
| "Be A Winner" | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| "Kick It Live from 9 to 5" / "The Lover In You" | — | 50 | — | — | — | Livin' in the Fast Lane | |
| 1984 | "Livin' in the Fast Lane" | — | — | — | — | — | |
| "Troy" / "Girls" | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| "The Down Beat" | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| 1985 | "Work, Work The Body" | — | — | — | — | — | |
| 1989 | "Rapper's Delight (Hip Hop Remix '89)" | — | — | — | 34 | 58 | |
| 2009 | "Lala Song" (credited as Bob Sinclar featuring The Sugarhill Gang) | — | — | — | — | — | |
[edit] Awards and nominations
- (1980)
- Best Rap Album – "The Sugarhill Gang" - Won
- Best Rap Single – "Rapper's Delight" - Won
- Best Rap Record – "Rapper's Delight" - Won
- Best Rap Single with Group – "Rapper's Delight" - Won
- Best Rap Single with Collaboration – "Rapper's Delight" featuring Nile Rodgers - Won
- (1981)
- Best Rap Single – "Apache" - Nominated
- Best Rap Single with Group – "Apache" - Nominated
- (1983)
- Best Rap Album – "8th Wonder" - Won
- Best Rap Single – "8th Wonder" - Nominated
- Best Rap Single with Group – "8th Wonder" - Nominated
- Lifetime Awards (1987) - Won
- Lifetime Awards (2008) - Won
[edit] References
- ^ "Grandmaster Caz Music News & Info". Billboard.com. http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/bio/index.jsp?pid=331365. Retrieved 2011-09-13.
- ^ Sugarhill Gang- Rappin Down Town @Discogs.com Retrieved 12-24-2011.
- ^ Livin' in the Fast Lane (album?) at Discogs (list of releases)
