Sylvia Robinson Dies At Age 75
date September 29, 2011 at 4:00 pm
Sylvia Robinson, the co-founder of the historic rap label, Sugar Hill Records, died today from congestive heart failure. She was 75.
Prior to teaming up with her husband, Joe Robinson to start Sugar Hill Records, Sylvia was an artist in her own right. She wrote The Moments’ classic “Love On A Two Way Street” in 1968 and was one-half of the R&B duo Mickey & Sylvia, scoring a Top 20 hit “Love Is Strange.” As a solo artist she scored a hit record in 1973 with the song, “Pillow Talk.” But it was her time as a record executive that would become Robinson’s biggest claim to fame.
Known as the “mother of hip-hop,” it was Robinson’s brainchild to form the seminal rap group, Sugarhill Gang, who recorded and released the hit, “Rapper’s Delight.” The record began rap music’s ascent to the mainstream. By rapping over the instrumental of “Good Times” by Chic, which at the time was already a hit, “Rapper’s Delight” became a crossover hit like no other hip-hop record prior. In The Tanning of America, Steve Stoute credits Robinson for making the strategic decision to release the song as an almost fifteen-minute extended-play 12″ single, and says, “When ['Rapper's Delight'] was chose as the basis for Sugar Hill’s first rap record, it showed how well the label was paying attention.”
Robinson’s ear would also lead her in the direction of other talent she would sign to Sugar Hill Records. Most notable was the acquisition of Grandmaster Flash and The Furious Five, who under the Sugar Hill Records label, recorded and released the (at the time) controversial record, “The Message.” Unlike “Rapper’s Delight,” which celebrated the good life and a party lifestyle, “The Message” was arguably hip-hop’s first conscious record, discussing the plight of urban life in the big city. Under Robinson’s leadership, Sugar Hill Records would also go on to sign other groups, including The Sequence, Funky Four Plus One, Crash Crew, Treacherous Three, and the West Street Mob.
. Excellent activity, cheers.
Cheers!
