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.
