Hip-Hop Single ‘Rapper’s Delight’ Turns 40
ENGLEWOOD, N.J. – Sugar Hill Records’ hit song “Rapper’s Delight,” the hit track that would forever shape hip-hop, produced by Sylvia Robinson and the Sugar Hill Gang (Michael “Wonder Mike” Wright; Henry “Big Bank Hank” Jackson, and Guy “Master Gee” O’Brien) in 1979, now celebrates its 40th birthday.
In 1980, the song peaked onto Billboard’s Hot 100 and managed to climb the charts to #1 in the U.S., Canada, and the U.K.
“I am excited to celebrate the birthday of a trailblazing record that put hip-hop on the map,” says Leland Robinson, Sylvia Robinson’s son and President of Sugar Hill Records. “This song changed the landscape of music forever.”
In 2014, the Sugar Hill Gang was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame and acknowledged as the driving force behind the creation of the genre of music known as hip-hop. “‘Rappers Delight’ is a viable part of our musical, cultural, and social history,” states Leland Robinson.
Rolling Stone has included “Rapper’s Delight” on its list of “Greatest Songs of All Time” and VH-1 has included “Rapper’s Delight” on its list as well.
The song has been included in films such as “Kangaroo Jack,” “The Wedding Singer,” “The Pest,” and more, as well as television shows such as The Simpsons, Scrubs, Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, Martin, The Get Down, and more.
Brands such as Honda and Evian have also featured the song in their advertising campaigns.
RAPPER’S DELIGHT
Fifteen (15) minutes in length. Check out some of the lyrics to “Rapper’s Delight”:
I said a hip hop
Hippie to the hippie
The hip, hip a hop, and you don’t stop, a rock it out
Bubba to the bang bang boogie, boogie to the boogie
To the rhythm of the boogie the beat
Now, what you hear is not a test I’m rappin’ to the beat
And me, the groove, and my friends are gonna try to move your feet
See, I am Wonder Mike, and I’d like to say hello
To the black, to the white, the red and the brown
The purple and yellow, but first, I gotta
Bang bang, the boogie to the boogie
Say up jump the boogie to the bang bang boogie
Let’s rock, you don’t stop
Rock the rhythm that’ll make your body rock
Well so far you’ve heard my voice but I brought two friends along
And the next on the mic is my man Hank
C’mon, Hank, sing that song, check it out
Well, I’m Imp the Dimp, the ladies’ *imp
The women fight for my delight
But I’m the grandmaster with the three MCs
That shock the house for the young ladies …
