Sylvia Robinson, ‘the Mother of Hip-Hop,’ Dies at 75

NY TImes ^ | 09/29/11 | JAMES C. MCKINLEY JR.

[Borges]

Sylvia Robinson, the singer, songwriter and record producer who formed the Sugar Hill Gang and made the first commercially successful rap recording, died early Thursday morning at a hospital in New Jersey. She was 75.

Ms. Robinson had a notable career as a rhythm and blues singer long before she and her husband, Joe Robinson, formed Sugar Hill Records in 1979 and served as the midwives for a musical genre that came to dominate pop music.

She sang with Mickey Baker as part of the duo Mickey & Sylvia in the 1950s and had several hits, including “Love Is Strange,” which was a No. 1 R&B song in 1956. She also had a solo hit, under the name Sylvia, in spring of 1973 with her own composition “Pillow Talk.”

[Borges]

Someone you knew about?

[RexBeach]

Dat chile is oft dah mussel!

[Red Badger]

made the first commercially successful rap recording,

Nope. Johnny Cash, A Boy Named Sue was............

[Grunthor]

So I can blame “c-rap” on this woman? I’d have died of shame.

[PGR88]

My university years in DC - good times!

[South Hawthorne]

DONT MEAN TO BRAG, DONT MEAN TO BOAST, BUT I GOT SOME HUMMUS FOR THIS MINI-TOAST!!!

[wideawake]

Indeed. She was extremely well-hated by many an early hip-hop star.

[Buckeye McFrog]

you sure it wasn't Lorne Greene's Ringo?

[Red Badger]

Well, it could have been.......what year was it?........

[Red Badger]

Okay, here’s why it doesn’t fit. There are actual singers in the background singing “Ringo” in chorus during the song...........

[fatez]

A buddy of mine back in the early nineties ended up laying carpet with one of the Sugar Hill Gang (I don’t remember which one). I said to my friend, “Why is he laying carpet? He has to be doing well from the royalties.” My friend said Ms. Sylvia made all of the money and the rappers made nothing. He said the rappers were pretty bitter over it.

[Sicvee]

Here’s the song from 1956:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KpEA5QGYJFQ

[GodBlessRonaldReagan]

Trouble Funk! Saw them at the 9:30 Club many a time - best funk band ever!

[Borges]

There is plenty of singing (via samples) in Hip Hop.

[fieldmarshaldj]

RIP.

[aruanan]

Okay, here’s why it doesn’t fit. There are actual singers in the background singing “Ringo” in chorus during the song...........

Are you confusing hip hop with rap?

[Red Badger]

The article calls it ‘rap’, in the first sentence.........

[bleach]

Walter Brennan ‘Old Rivers?

[aruanan]

Here's the song in question: Rapper's Delight.

[re_nortex]

Lorne Greene's Ringo?

Victor Lundberg's An Open Letter to My Teenage Son was another "rap" release, circa 1967. The spoken word lyrics ended powerfully and patriotically:

And I love you too, Son.
But I also love our country and the principles for which we stand. And if you decide to burn your draft card, then burn your birth certificate at the same time.
From that moment on, I have no son!

[CincyRichieRich]

That stuff wasn’t hip hop; hip hop is crap and vulgar.Sugar Hill Gang in the late 70’s was quality and fun to listen to and move around...hip hop is crap and is a lot of anger and hate...same as the crap the Seattle grunge music puts out...whinny and angry, etc.

[IMR 4350]

JC wasn’t holding his crotch when he was singing so it doesn’t count.

[Red Badger]

But he was in a prison...........

[Iron Munro]

Click for Mickey and Sylvia - Love is strange

Mickey and Sylvia

Hip Hop and Rap

[Publius6961]

Good Riddance.

[Cicero]

“The Mother of Hip Hop.”

She mated with a rabbit?

[TangoLimaSierra]

Here's the song in question: Rapper's Delight.

Sounds a lot like Andy Sandler's "rap" skit on SNL.

[aruanan]

The article calls it ‘rap’, in the first sentence.........

Yeah, the terms were a lot more interchangeable back then or used in this way: on hip hop music people rapped. But now there seems to be more of a distinction between them as genres.

[tacticalogic]

I’m guessing nobody’s quite sure who the father of Hip-Hop is......

[ex91B10]

Check out this from Frank Zappa in 1966

[LibertyRocks]

This is one of the first songs I remember on the radio that made me want to dance... I was 6 years old. :) They played this song many-a-time in “House” Clubs in the late 80s/early 90s, too. Still makes me want to move! LOL

May she RIP...

[perfect stranger]

Sounds a lot like Andy Sandler's "rap" skit on SNL.

Technically, Adam Sandler's rap on SNL would sound like Rapper's Delight because it's 20+ years older than.

[perfect stranger]

The bass player for most, if not all of the Sugar Hill music has been playing with Living Colour since 1993. Doug Wimbish

[Revolting cat!]

Deck of Cards by T. Texas Tyler (1948) was the first rap record!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9OXLcUbkgFg

[TangoLimaSierra]

No, the new guy Andy Samberg. I know I said Sandler. Heres a linky. He comes in about halfway thru.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=czrALMcxp-s&feature=related