The Sugarhill Gang

The Sugarhill Gang is an American hip hop group, formed in Englewood, New Jersey in 1979. Their hit "Rapper's Delight", released the same year they were formed, was the first rap single to become a top 40 hit on the Billboard Hot 100;^[1] reaching a peak position of number 36 on January 12, 1980.^[2] This was the trio's only U.S. hit, though they would have further success in Europe until the mid-1980s. The trio reformed in 1994 and embarked on a world tour in 2016.

The members, all from Englewood, New Jersey, consisted of Henry "Big Bank Hank" Jackson, Michael "Wonder Mike" Wright and Guy "Master Gee" O'Brien. The three were assembled into a group by producer Sylvia Robinson, who founded Sugar Hill Records with her husband, record producer Joe Robinson.^[3] The group and the record company were named after the Sugar Hill, Harlem, neighborhood.

Their 1979 hit "Rapper's Delight" was the first rap single to become a top 40 hit on the Billboard Hot 100. "Rapper's Delight" is now considered one of the most important rap songs of all time. The group never had another top 40 U.S. hit, though it had multiple European hits, such as "Apache", "8th Wonder" (which was performed on the American music show Soul Train in 1981), "Rapper's Reprise (Jam Jam)", and "Showdown" (with the Furious Five). The trio wound down over the next five years and disbanded in 1985.

In 1990, the group briefly reunited to perform during the “RapMania: The Roots of Rap” concert at the Apollo Theater in New York City.^[6][7]

Joey Robinson, Sylvia Robinson's son, reformed the Sugarhill Gang in 1994.^[8][9] The group recorded Jump On It!, a hip hop children's album, in 1999.^[10] O'Brien had not rejoined the group, and at some point, Robinson started performing under O'Brien's stage name "Master Gee". This was much to the frustration of O'Brien and Wright, of whom the latter -as Robinson's bandmate- had tried to convince Robinson not to use the name.^[8] Later, Robinson trademarked both the names "Master Gee" and "Wonder Mike". O'Brien and Wright went to court to retrieve the rights to their names.^[8][11][12]

After Wonder Mike and Hen Dogg (who was a producer for Sugarhill Records) left Sugarhill Records in 2005,^[8] the original members of Sugarhill Gang (besides Jackson) have performed as the Original Sugar and as Rapper's Delight Featuring Wonder Mike and Master Gee. This is largely due to a string of legal cases against them regarding the use of "Sugarhill Gang" as their name.

Having reacquired the rights to the name "Sugarhill Gang", the group released Lala Song with French record producer and DJ Bob Sinclar in 2009.

On November 11, 2014, Big Bank Hank died at the age of 58 after a long battle with cancer.^[13]

In 2016, the remaining living members of the original Sugarhill Gang, including Wonder Mike, Hen Dogg and Master Gee embarked on their first world tour in over a decade under the name The Sugarhill Gang. During this, they performed as the Sugarhill Gang for the Art of Rap festival tour in 2016, and at V Festival in Hylands Park and Weston Park in the UK as part of their world tour in 2016. Other places included, the Clockenflap Festival in Hong Kong on November 27, 2016, and they headlined at the Depot in the Park Festival in Cardiff, United Kingdom on August 5, 2017. In July 2019 they played the North Nibley Festival in Gloucestershire.

 

In 2019, the Sugarhill Gang celebrated the 40th anniversary of the release of "Rapper's Delight" and the group's formation. They went on a worldwide tour called Rapper's Delight 40th Anniversary World Tour. The gang made new music in early 2019. The tour lasted from May 24 to July 26, 2019.^[18][19][20] They are still going on tours to this day.^[21]

On October 25, 2019, the group performed "Rapper's Delight" on Jimmy Kimmel Live!.^[22]

As of 2024, the group consists of Wonder Mike, Master Gee, Hen Dogg and DJ T-Dynasty.