Hip hop means many things. For one, it’s a form of music characterized by rapid-fire rhymes and contagious beats. To another, Hip-hop is blunt form of expression conveyed through unfiltered content and fearless conviction. Historically, it transitioned from a form of music to a stoic movement, exhibiting talent in the pursuit of equality and societal recognition.
But overall, I think it’s safe to say we’d all agree that Hip-hop is one of the most popular genres inherent across the globe today. Why am I making such a big fuss about this? Well, because today marks 37 years of the song many consider to have put Hip-hop on the charts as a prominent form of music.
Today we celebrate the 37th anniversary of Sugar Hill Gang’s groundbreaking single, “Rapper’s Delight”.
While not the first pioneering force that introduced rapping, Rapper’s Delight is very well arguably the song that introduced Hip-hop to its initial US audience, and imminently to masses all around the world.
Since its release in 1979, the song has received numerous historic recognition, such as being ranked #251 on the Rolling Stone’s 500 Greatest Songs Of All Time, and won VH1’s #2 title on their 100 Greatest Hip-hop Songs.
Moreover, it wouldn’t come as a surprise to see them mentioned in future-generation history books, since “Rapper’s Delight” spurred induction into the NPR’s List of 100 Most Important American Musical Works of the 20th Century. The Library of Congress has also preserved it into the National Recording Registry since it well exceeds their qualifications as “culturally historically, or aesthetically significant”.
Sugar Hill Gang is a pioneering Hip-hop group, compromised of Michael “Wonder Mike” Wright, Henry “Big Bang Hank” Jackson, Guy “Master Gee” O’Brien, and assembled by Sugar Hill Records’ founder Sylvia Robinson.
Regarded by many as Hip-hop’s forerunning group, Sugar Hill Gang delivered the first rap single to become a Top 40 hit on the Billboard Hot 100.
By Jods Arboleda for RAPStation.com
