Album of the Day

On this day in 1979, The Sugarhill Gang released “Rapper's Delight”; if not the first record to feature rapping, it was the single that brought hip-hop to the world beyond New York. It's the closing track on the trio's 1980 self-titled debut album for Sugarhill Records, which in addition to rap (“Rapper's Reprise (Jam, Jam),” with guest vocals from female hip-hoppers The Sequence) features slow jams (“Here I Am”) and disco-funk (“Sugarhill Groove”) to offer a comprehensive look at the dawning of a new musical age. Wonder Mike, Master Gee and Big Bank Hank are in fine form throughout SUGARHILL GANG, a Top 40 R&B album that remains a treat for old school fans.