Rapper's Delight

by

The Sugarhill Gang

Album: Best Of Sugarhill Gang      Released: 1980

US Chart: 36     UK Chart: 3

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Songfacts:  You can leave comments about the song at the bottom of the page.

This was the first Rap song to enter the US Top 40. Rap was considered a fad at the time, and many people thought it would soon go away.

The beat that plays throughout the song was taken from "Good Times" by Chic.

The group was put together by Sylvia Robinson, owner of Sugarhill Records, to take advantage of the rap music that was gaining popularity at New York City block parties. She picked 3 local rappers for the group. None of them had much credibility, and weren't part of the "Crews" that were rapping and dancing at the block parties. Some members of the early Hip Hop scene thought the group was a sham, but it became very popular in clubs and had a huge impact. Robinson is the same Sylvia who had a hit in 1973 with "Pillow Talk," and was half of Mickey And Sylvia, who had the 1956 hit "Love Is Strange."

Many different mixes of various lengths have been released. Radio stations usually play the shortest version, which runs 4:55.

"Big Bank" Hank Jackson, one of the 3 rappers in the group, stole the Superman part from MC Grandmaster Caz, a rapper who was part of a crew called the Cold Crush. Hank worked as a manager for the Cold Crush and was a bouncer at a club where they played. He used the rap to get in the group, and even used the part where Caz spelled out his nickname - "Casanova," going so far as to rhyme that he's "The grandmaster with the 3 MCs" (The Sugarhill Gang had just 3 members, the Cold Crush had 4). Caz feels he was never given proper credit.

This was used in the 1998 Adam Sandler movie The Wedding Singer. It is sung by an old lady.

The 3 rappers in the groups each say their name in this. They are Big Bank Hank, Wonder Mike, and Master Gee.

In 2001, this was used in commercials for Dasani water.

At first, this was not released on an album, only as a 12" single, because Sugarhill Records did not think an entire album of rap music would sell. It has since appeared on numerous compilation albums.

The Sugarhill Gang was not able to follow this up with another hit. They faded away soon after this was released, returning in the '90s to play nostalgia shows. They released a children's rap album in 1999 called Jump On It.

In 1998, The Sugarhill Gang performed this for a Turner Broadcasting party. Turner used the performance in a commercial for The Goodwill Games, but did not have the group's consent and was ordered to pay the group almost $3 million in a 2001 judgment.

Kid Rock sampled this on his 1998 hit, "Bawitdaba."

This was covered by the Def Squad (Redman, Keith Murray, Erick Sermon(EPMD)) in 1998 on the El Nino album which was released on Def Jam. It was called "Def Squad Delite," and the verses were partly changed. It also appeared on the compilation In Tha Beginning...there was rap (1997 Priority), where different hip hop artists covered famous old hip hop hits. (thanks, Benjamin - Berlin, Germany)

The 2002 hit "The Ketchup Song" (known in Spanish as "Asereje"), is about a guy who loves this song but doesn't understand the lyrics, so he makes up his own. What he makes up translates into the lyrics of "The Ketchup Song."

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Comments:

The 2nd rap single ever released, after King Tim 3rd (Personality Jock) by Fatback Band. "Real" rappers love to criticize Sugar Hill Gang, but they don't mind making money because of what these pioneers began.
- Chris, Vancouver, BC

To Answer Tushan, the sample at the beginning was from the '79 dance hit "Here Comes That Sound Again" by Love De-Luxe
- Paul, Oceanside, NY

I have a copy of this on 7 inch 45. The label is stamped 1979. It was entered in Billboard Top 100 charts on November 10, 1979. Side 1 has a short version 5:02 & Side 2 has a long version 6:30. Recorded on Quality Records Q2357X. Clean copy anyone wanna buy it?
- Alf, Kingston, Canada

The "pool which really is on the wall" is a shower.
- Bob, Oakland, CA

Although "Rapper's Delight" was the first successful rap song, it was not the first rap record. That honor goes to "King Tim III (Personality Jock)" by the Fatback Band, which was released two months before "Rapper's Delight". "King Tim" was featured on the Fatback Band's "XII" album, and it was on the b-side of the first single from the album ("You're My Candy Sweet").
- John, Nashville, TN

Sugarhill Gang used 2 copies of the instrumental of Good Times to rap over, essentially a sample. Afrika Bambaataa played the melody from Trans Europe Express, not a sample. I would really like to know what track they sampled right at the beginning of Rapper's Delight, the bass, piano and cowbell lick?
- Tushan, London, United Kingdom

I'm an absolute 'hater' of rap, especially what it has become today. But, I think the fact that this song is so radical and genuine is respectable. It's simply a cool beat for a couple guys to just rhyme to and thats cool. It's not, yoyoyoyoyo boobs, money, guns, drugs. It actually has a demeanor and it deserves much credibility, besides being the song that paved the way for the rap genre in whole.
- Age, C-Ville, PA

By the way. there is a slight error. This song is actually a 70s song, not an 80s song - It came out right at the end of 1979, so is often thought of as an 80s but is still technically 70s.
- Mjn Seifer, Not listed for personal reason, England

I see
- Mjn Seifer, Not listed for personal reason, England

The Chic song is called 'Le Freak' but they're not referring to that, they're referring to the dance called the Freak.
- Luke, Manchester, England

It's interesting to note that aswell as sampling a song from Chic ("Goodtimes") They also mention a song from Chic ("The Freak").
- Mjn Seifer, Not listed for personal reason, England

"Rap was considered a fad at the time, and many people thought it would soon go away." I laughed so hard when I first saw that Songfact! - I have nothing against rap but I know a lot of peLooks like they were wrong as rap is EVERYWHERE know ople wish it WOULD go away!!
- Mjn Seifer, Not listed for personal reason, England

don't think this would be a fave at a Karaoke night ....you'd be there all night doin the song
- pete, nowra, Australia

The first rap song, and as far as I can tell the only remotely good one to gain any popularity. Rap may not be a passing fad, but I often wish it were. There's no particular reason that a rap song can't be good, but it sure does seem like none of them are. So I don't hate rap, but I hate very nearly every rap song I've ever heard except this one. Well, Ton Loc was at least kind of funny. Most rappers are appallingly witless for guys who are working in a style that's supposed to be about being clever. But This one is fun. I was actually in a really bad band in high school that did this song - the two gutiarists were white, the drummer was Japanese, and we had a black guy on keyboards and his sister on bass as well as a black sax player and a couple of white horn players. Very odd racial mix, but we had a good time. I didn't rap; I just played the guitar lick. We actually started off by playing Good Times, which I sang (in a totally different, very white style) and then we segued into the rap. It was a lot of fun, even if it was about the only good thing we did. But I digress...
- Dennis, Anchorage, AK

kid rocks not sampling it as in using the beat but quoting it. "bawitda de bang de bang diggy diggy diggy said the boogie said up jump the boogie." as wonder mike says in each of his verses
- Obzcure, Auckland, New Zealand

The begining of the end.
- Ben, NYC, MS

This was the song that put rap on the map. The elderly woman who sang that song in The Wedding Singer was Ellen Albertini Dow.
- Howard, St. Louis Park, MN

Has anyone else noticed the similarity between the 'Good Times' beat that plays on RD, and the bass line in Sister Sledge's 'We Are Family?'
- Paul, Knoxville, TN

Kid Rock didn't sample this song on ''Bawitdaba''. He just repeated the phrase ''Bawitdaba, da-rang-a-dang, diggy-diggy'' and used it as the title. And even if he has sampled it, he'd actually be sampling ''good times''.
- Joey, Boston, MA

This song seemed to be used by EVERYONE, from Cassidy to Kid Rock to a 2002 honda advert. next time you listen to any song, chances are you'll find something taken from this rap masterpiece
- Paul, London, England

I love this song. I love the bang boogie part. Classic song. It is too bad bad this is their only good song. My friend's dad knew the guy who wrote this song. :)
- Dawson, Draper, UT

Okay, well I'm not into rap (random songfact), but I'm did something about it in Music Tech. They take the break of a song, not the bridge, and loop it over and over by dragging the record back to the beggining of the break. Hence the term breakdancing. Just a quick history lesson on rap for all those interested.
- James, Bransgore, England

Technically, this was not a "sample". The Sugarhill Records house band recreated the bridge of "Good Times" by Chic, and extended it. This song was made before sampling was even possible. If you compare the two songs, the bridge from "Good Times" (the bass and guitar lick) is tighter than "Rapper's Delight". Afrika Bambaataa & Soul Sonic Force's "Planet Rock" is the first sample from Kraftwerks's "Transit Express".
- Sylvan, Berkeley, CA

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