Album of the Day

Hard as it is to imagine now, hip-hop wasn't always ubiquitous; when “Rapper’s Delight” peaked at #36 on this day in 1980, it was the first hip-hop single to reach Billboard's Top 40. It was also the first release from Sugar Hill Records, an Englewood, New Jersey label founded by record business vets Joe and Sylvia Robinson that specialized in rap. Rhino's THE SUGAR HILL RECORDS STORY boxed set includes seminal sides from The Sugarhill Gang, Grandmaster Flash, Treacherous Three, The Sequence, West Street Mob and many other old-school pioneers. Rap's roots as urban party music ensure that these 56 tracks remain fun and inventive (as well as a treasure trove for samplers) - while a great history lesson, THE SUGAR HILL RECORDS STORY is so much more.