Sugarhill Gang
ListenRapper’s Delight · 1979
Sugarhill Gang — “Rapper’s Delight,” official video.
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1979 · Sugar Hill Records
Rapper’s Delight
Sylvia Robinson went looking for one rapper and came away with three. Wonder Mike, Big Bank Hank and Master Gee became the Sugarhill Gang; their first single carried a long, exuberant exchange of rhymes into homes and clubs far beyond the New York hip-hop scene. [1]
| Accession | OMMA-0063 |
|---|---|
| Artist | Sugarhill Gang |
| Release | 1979 · United States |
| Label | Sugar Hill Records |
| Format | 12-inch vinyl single · 33⅓ rpm |
| Issue | US commercial single |
| Runouts | Not documented |
| Recorded grade | NM · company sleeve |
Release history and significance
Wonder Mike recalled auditioning at Robinson’s home late into the night. She could not choose between the three performers, so she made them a group. By Monday they were in the studio, where musicians laid down an extended backing before the rappers added their parts. [1]
For Mike, the breakthrough was also intensely personal. He had no stable place to live when they recorded the song. After a late playback, Robinson realized he intended to sleep in a nearby park and took him home with her. The record that soon seemed to be playing everywhere began while its opening voice was struggling to find somewhere to spend the night. [1]
The US twelve-inch gave the performance room to unfold: a long version occupies one side, with a shorter version on the other. Released in 1979, it reached number three in Britain. The familiar musical foundation drew on Chic’s “Good Times,” while the rappers’ voices and stories announced a different kind of hit record. [1] [2] [3]
Market context
For a widely collected US SH-542 twelve-inch edition, Discogs reports sales from US$1.80 to US$30.00, with a median of US$10.00, as consulted on 14 September 2026. [4]
Physical Description
A twelve-inch black-vinyl single on Sugar Hill Records, retained in a company sleeve. The documented US release pairs the long and short versions of “Rapper’s Delight.” [2]
Condition
The disc is graded Near Mint and is housed in a company sleeve.
Provenance
Acquired from eBay seller remark16 on 31 January 2026.
Sources
- Kyle Eustice interviews Wonder Mike, SPIN, 2 August 2023. First-person account of the group’s formation and recording.
- Library of Congress, Rapper’s delight. 1979 US twelve-inch, Sugarhill SH-542, long and short versions.
- Official Charts, Rapper’s Delight — Sugarhill Gang. UK chart history.
- Discogs, Sugarhill Gang — Rapper’s Delight, release 80263. Comparative US SH-542 twelve-inch edition and sales figures.
Catalogue text reviewed 14 September 2026.