The Sugarhill Gang
| The Sugarhill Gang | |
|---|---|
 The Sugarhill Gang performing in 2007 | |
| Background information | |
| Also known as |
|
| Origin | Englewood, New Jersey, United States |
| Genres | Old-school hip hop, disco |
| Years active | 1979–1985, 1994–present |
| Labels | Sugar Hill |
| Members |
|
| Past members |
Henry "Big Bank Hank" Jackson (deceased) Joey Robinson Jr. |
The Sugarhill Gang is an American hip hop group, known mostly for their 1979 hit "Rapper's Delight," the first rap single to become a Top 40 hit on the Billboard Hot 100.
Formation and early years
The members, all from Englewood, New Jersey, consisted of Michael "Wonder Mike" Wright, Henry "Big Bank Hank" Jackson, 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.[1] The group and the record company are named after the Sugar Hill, Harlem, neighborhood.[2]
The Sugarhill Gang never had another US hit, though it had a slew of 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). In 1999, the trio reunited and recorded Jump on It! a hip hop children's album.
Later years
Following the departure of Wonder Mike and Hendogg from Sugarhill Records in 2005, the original members of the Sugarhill Gang (sans Hank) have performed as the Original Sugar and as Rapper's Delight Featuring Wonder Mike and Master Gee, largely due to a string of legal cases against them regarding the use of the name 'Sugarhill Gang'
On November 11, 2014, Big Bank Hank died at the age of 58 after a long battle with cancer.[3]
In 2016, the remaining living members of the original Sugarhill Gang, including Wonder Mike, Hendogg and Master Gee embarked on their first world tour in over a decade under the name The Sugarhill Gang. They performed as the Sugarhill Gang for the Art of Rap festival tour in 2016. They played at V Festival in Hylands Park and Weston Park in the UK as part of their world tour in 2016. On November 27, 2016 they played in Hong Kong at the Clockenflap Festival. On August 5 2017 they headlined the Depot in the Park Festival(Cardiff Wales)
Discography
| The Sugarhill Gang discography | |
|---|---|
| Studio albums | 5 |
| Compilation albums | 9 |
| Singles | 15 |
The discography of The Sugarhill Gang includes four studio albums, nine compilations and fifteen singles.
Studio albums
| Year | Title | Chart positions | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| U.S. top 200 | U.S. R&B | NZ | ||
| 1980 | Sugarhill Gang
|
— | 4 | — |
| 1982 | 8th Wonder
|
50 | 15 | 44 |
| 1983 | Rappin' Down Town[4]
|
|||
| 1984 | Livin' in the Fast Lane
|
— | — | — |
| 1999 | Jump on It!
|
— | — | — |
Compilation albums
- Sugarhill Gang Greatest Hits (1984)
- Rapper's Delight: The Best of Sugarhill Gang (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)
Singles
| Year | Single | Peak chart positions | Album | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| U.S. | 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) | — | — | — | — | — | |
References
- ↑ "Sugar Hill Gang bio". allmusic.com. Retrieved April 12, 2012.
- ↑ Perrone, Pierre (2011-10-04). "Sylvia Robinson: Hitmaker who co-founded Sugar Hill Records and became known as 'the mother of hip-hop'". The Independent. London. Retrieved 2013-09-15.
- ↑ Guse, Clayton (November 11, 2014). "Big Bank Hank from Sugarhill Gang dead at age 58". Suntimes.com. Sun Times National.
- ↑ Sugarhill Gang- Rappin Down Town @Discogs.com Retrieved 12-24-2011.
- ↑ Livin' in the Fast Lane (album?) at Discogs (list of releases)
External links
- Sugarhill Gang playlist on WaveCat
- "I Want My Name Back" documentary on the Sugar Hill Gang, Featuring Master Gee and Wonder Mike
- Master Gee interview