Sugarhill Gang

The Sugarhill Gang recorded 'Rapper's Delight' in 1979 after being brought together by Sylvia Robinson, who ran Sugar Hill Records. The track borrowed its bassline from Chic's 'Good Times' and stretched to over 14 minutes on the 12-inch single. It became the first hip-hop record to reach the Billboard Hot 100, introducing rap to radio stations and listeners who hadn't heard it before.

That song's success came with some immediate friction. Some in the Bronx scene saw the group as outsiders assembled for a commercial project rather than organic products of the neighborhood parties where rap was developing. There were also early copyright questions about the borrowed groove, though Chic's Nile Rodgers and Bernard Edwards eventually received songwriting credits.

Beyond 'Rapper's Delight,' the group released other singles like 'Apache' and '8th Wonder' on Sugar Hill. They didn't sustain the same level of commercial impact, but that first record kept circulating. Its extended verses about everyday life and partying became a template, and the track kept finding new audiences through samples, movie soundtracks, and oldies radio.