STORY / ID 3755
The Sugarhill Gang and "Rapper’s Delight": Hip-Hop’s First Hit Single
"Rapper's Delight," the 1979 debut single by the Sugarhill Gang (Wonder Mike, Big Bank Hank, Master Gee), produced by Sylvia Robinson, interpolated Chic's "Good Times" and Love De-Luxe's "Here Comes That Sound Again," leading to Rodgers and Edwards being credited as co-writers after a legal dispute. Recorded Aug 2, 1979 and released Sept 16, 1979, it reached US Hot 100 #36, UK #3, Canada #1, and Netherlands #1, sold roughly 5 million copies worldwide, and was later preserved in the National Recording Registry (2011) and inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame (2014).
“Rapper’s Delight” is the 1979 debut single by the Sugarhill Gang, the trio of Wonder Mike, Big Bank Hank, and Master Gee, produced by Sylvia Robinson. It was recorded on Aug 2, 1979 and released on Sept 16, 1979.
The track interpolates Chic’s “Good Times” and Love De-Luxe’s “Here Comes That Sound Again.” A legal dispute with Chic’s Rodgers and Edwards resulted in the pair being credited as co-writers.
On the charts, the single reached US Hot 100 #36, UK #3, Canada #1, and Netherlands #1. It has been preserved in the US National Recording Registry since 2011 and was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2014. Reported worldwide sales stand at approximately 5 million.
Some of the song’s lyrics reportedly originated from Grandmaster Caz. Multiple mixes and lengths of the recording exist, and some personnel details are disputed across sources.