“Rapper’s Delight” was released in 1979, 6 years after Afrika Bambaataa holds the first Hip-Hop

party. It is an example of early old school hip-hop and is characterized by its lack of structure, meaning
that it does not have a set structure for the verses, chorus, and bridges. It has a mid-tempo beat and
features The Sugarhill Gang conversating over a beat more than rapping or singing. The beat itself has
elements of funk, including a simple bassline with claps on the second and fourth beats. This song also
highlights the sampling culture of hip-hop, including a sample from Chic’s “Good Times”. Each rapper of
The Sugarhill Gang brings their unique timbre and personality to their part, adding to the song’s
danceable energy.

Many times, The Sugarhill Gang boast about their own rapping skills and ability to live an
extravagant lifestyle. Similar to hip-hop at its time, the lyrics of “Rapper’s Delight” are centered on
themes of partying, rapping, and having a good time. Each of the verses for the song features a rapper
adding on his humorous anecdotes. While there is not a deep narrative in the song, the song itself is
about the art of rapping and MCing, being competitive socially, and the joy of partying. “Rapper’s
Delight” is a testimony to the looseness and creativity of the early hip-hop scene, and to this day is still
played at parties (and as a part of my high school marching band show, rapping the chorus included).

This song holds great historical significance as an early hip-hop song, marking it as the
commercialization of rap and the “first death” of hip-hop as it was released. The Blackout of 1977 in New
York made expensive MCing and DJing equipment more accessible, which contributed to the rise in
popularity of hip-hop, making “Rapper’s Delight” a possibility. Previously, hip-hop was an art primarily
confined to parties. With the release of “Rapper’s Delight”, hip-hop entered the spotlight and was
introduced to a global audience. The sampling of “Good Times” introduced to the commercialized world
the ability to repurpose songs into new ones.

This song is of great significance to me because my dad loves to tell the story of his military
bunkmate playing “Rapper’s Delight” on repeat when it first came out. To this day, he can rap the song
from memory as a party trick. Additionally, my high school marching band performed this song during
our “I Love the 80s” halftime show, which featured popular songs from a variety of genres in the 80s. In
addition, many popular songs now sampled “Rapper’s Delight”, including “Apache”, “The Fresh Prince of
Bel-Air” theme song, and “La Di Da Di”. This song about partying became a milestone in hip-hop and rap
culture.