Robinson, Sylvia
1935-2011 · Contribution: 1979
Produced "Rapper's Delight" (1979), the first commercially successful rap single -- the first to reach the Billboard Hot 100 and to sell a million copies -- and "The Message" (1982); founded Sugar Hill Records and is known as the "Mother of Hip-Hop"
Portraits are AI-generated interpretations, not photographs.
Impact on the world
Produced 'Rapper's Delight' by the Sugarhill Gang in 1979, widely credited as the first commercially successful rap single, and built Sugar Hill Records into one of the first major hip-hop record labels.
Life & background
A singer, songwriter, and record producer, Robinson founded Sugar Hill Records and personally assembled the Sugarhill Gang after driving around New Jersey searching for rappers in 1979. Her production of 'Rapper's Delight' is widely credited as the first commercially successful rap single, helping launch hip-hop as a recorded music genre.
Sources
- Billboard; NPR (The Record); Rolling Stone
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