Sugarhill Gang
Sugarhill Gang, forefathers of hip-hop, play The Village on the 20th of February.
The evolution of hip-hop over the last two decades has been from an underground phenomenon to the biggest selling musical genre in the world. One of the first major players in rap history is the Sugarhill Gang who were the first rap group to have a significant hit in the charts with “Rappers Delight” in 1979.
In the late '70s, hip-hop was evolving as a new music style in New York. Hip-hop parties featured DJs, dancing, art and rapping and was developed a whole new music language and culture. Sylvia Robinson, a music producer at the time collaborated with three rappers Master Gee, Wonder Mike and Big Bank Hank under the name The Sugarhill Gang and recorded the single, “Rappers Delight”. “Rapper's Delight” was recorded for $700 and sampled Chic's “Good Times” and introduced to the greater public the spontaneity and ingenuity of a rap party.
The single was a massive hit going on to sell an incredible eight million copies and subsequently put hip-hop on the map. For many of the modern era of rappers such as The Wu-Tang Clan, A Tribe Called Quest, Dr. Dre, L.L. Cool J and Ice Cube, “Rapper's Delight” was the first rap song they heard and was the inspiration that turned them all into massive hip-hop fan.
Not only were The Sugarhill Gang the first rap group to have a major international hit, they were also one of the first rap groups to release their own to record a full length record, The Sugarhill Gang when most of their contemporaries were releasing 12” singles. The band's next album, 8th Wonder featured the hit singles “8th Wonder”, “Apache”. While the album, Showdown: Sugarhill Gang Vs. Grandmaster Flash would see Sugarhill slug it out with their great rivals Grandmaster Flash.
The Sugarhill Gang were the founding fathers of rap music, they invented rapping over old soul classics and one of the biggest hip-hop hits of all time. So, if you want to like your hip-hop old skool and your hip to rap's origins, check out The Sugarhill Gang on the 20th of February.
Time : 8pm
Ticket : €24
Tickets are available from Ticketmaster outlets, www.ticketmaster.ie.
The Village
26 Wexford St
Dublin 2
