Rapper's Delight
Encyclopedia
"Rapper's Delight" is a 1979
single by American hip hop
trio The Sugarhill Gang
. While it was not the first single to feature rapping, it is generally considered to be the song that first popularized hip hop in the United States and around the world. The song's opening lyric "I said a hip hop, a hippie, a hippie to the hip hop" is world-renowned. The song is ranked #248 on the Rolling Stone
magazine's list of The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time and #2 on both About.com
's and VH1
's 100 Greatest Hip-Hop Songs. The 15-minute song was recorded in a single take. There are three versions of the song: 14:36 (12" long version), 6:30 (12" short version), and 4:55 (shortened single version).
suggested that Chic
's Nile Rodgers
join her and Chris Stein
at a hip hop
event, which at the time was a communal space taken over by teenagers with boombox
stereos playing various pieces of music that performers would break dance
to. Rodgers experienced this event the first time himself at a high school
in the Bronx. A few weeks later, Blondie
and Chic were playing a residency of The Clash
in New York at the Bond's International Casino. When Chic started playing "Good Times", rapper Fab Five Freddy
and what were the members of the Sugarhill Gang
jumped up on stage and started freestyling
with the band. A few weeks later Rodgers was on the dance floor of New York club LaViticus and heard the DJ play a song which opened with Bernard Edwards
' bass line from Chic's "Good Times". Rodgers approached the DJ who said he was playing a record he had just bought that day in Harlem
. The song turned out to be an early version of "Rapper's Delight," which also included a scratched version of the song's string section. Rodgers and Edwards immediately threatened legal action over copyright
, which resulted in a settlement and their being credited as co-writers. Rodgers admitted that he was originally upset with the song, but would later declare it to be "one of [his] favorite songs of all time" and his favorite of all the tracks that sampled Chic . He also stated that "as innovative and important as "Good Times" was, "Rapper's Delight" was just as much, if not more so."
According to Oliver Wang, author of the 2003 Classic Material: The Hip-Hop Album Guide, recording artist ("Pillow Talk
") and studio owner Sylvia Robinson
had trouble finding anyone willing to record a rap song. Most of the rappers who performed in clubs did not want to record. It is said that Robinson's son heard a rapper in a pizza
place, and the rapper was persuaded to come to a studio and record someone else's words while "Good Times" was played.
Chip Shearin said in a 2010 interview that at age 17, he was visiting a friend in New Jersey
. The friend knew Robinson, who needed some musicians for various recordings, including "Rapper's Delight". Shearin's job on the song was to play the bass for 15 minutes straight, with no mistakes. He was paid $70 but later went on to perform with Sugarhill Gang in concert before backing up such artists as Janet Jackson
and Marion Meadows
as well as composing movie scores and teaching the business of music on the college level. Shearin described the session this way:
Wang said:
.
It was the first Top 40 song to be available only as a 12-inch extended version in the U.S. — no 7-inch, 45-RPM record was made. In Europe, however, it was released on the classic 7-inch single format on French pop label Vogue, with a shorter version of the song. It was this 7" single that reached number one in the Dutch chart.
The song ranked #248 on Rolling Stone
magazine's 2004 list of "500 Greatest Songs of All Time".
.
In an episode of Scrubs
the Sugar Hill Gang alarm clock JD gives Turk
for a wedding present plays a modified "wake up" version of "Rapper's Delight", later it is played in Turk and Carla's new car.
In episode 22 of season 4, One Tree Hill
used this song, as the only song that James Lucas Scott would stop fussing. It was then revealed that whenever Haley was sleeping, Nathan would play old school hip-hop to the womb.
Cole sang "Rapper's Delight" on an episode of Fox
's Martin
to audition for Biggie Smalls before being thrown out of Martin's apartment.
On an episode of Living Single
the entire cast rapped one verse from "Rapper's Delight". Khadijah started with the line "have you ever been over a friend's house to eat..." before the rest of the cast joined in to finish the verse.
In the 1998 feature film The Wedding Singer
(starring Adam Sandler
) in a clip towards the end, the elderly Rosie (played by Ellen Dow), whom Robbie (Sandler) has been teaching to sing, surprises everyone when she gets up on stage and starts performing this song.
In 2002, Spanish group Las Ketchup
parodied this song in the chorus of their hit "The Ketchup Song
(Asereje)", which reached number one in the UK chart.
In 2003, the song appeared in the multi-award-winning Honda
television advertisement Cog. Later that year, a rendition was used in a scene in from the film Kangaroo Jack
. In July 2009, Evian
Water used the song in their roller-skating baby commercial, "Evian's Roller Babies (Live Young)" which is especially popular on YouTube
with over 3.7 million hits in a week. The song was produced by Dan the Automator
and features Chali 2na
(of Jurassic 5
) along with Casual and Domino
(of Hieroglyphics). Tepr, Van She Tech and The Bewitched Hands on the Top of our Heads did the remix.
Throughout The Verve's
2008 tour dates, they frequently tagged their "Life's An Ocean"
with a brief snippet of "Rapper's Delight."
It was the first song covered by Justin Timberlake
and Jimmy Fallon
in a bit called "The History of Rap" on Late Night With Jimmy Fallon
.
once managed Grandmaster Caz (Casanova Fly)
of The Cold Crush Brothers
. Hank's verse was originally written by Caz as evidenced by his first line: "I'm the C-A-S-A-N-O-V-A and the rest is F-L-Y". Sugarhill and Hank never gave any money or credits as a songwriter or co-writer to Grandmaster Caz.
1979 in music
See also:Record labels established in 1979* 1979 in music This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1979.-January–February:*January 1...
single by American hip hop
Hip hop music
Hip hop music, also called hip-hop, rap music or hip-hop music, is a musical genre consisting of a stylized rhythmic music that commonly accompanies rapping, a rhythmic and rhyming speech that is chanted...
trio The Sugarhill Gang
The Sugarhill Gang
The Sugarhill Gang is an American hip hop group, known mostly for their 1979 hit, "Rapper's Delight", the first hip hop single to become a Top 40 hit. The song uses the instrumental track from the classic hit "Good Times" by Chic as its foundation....
. While it was not the first single to feature rapping, it is generally considered to be the song that first popularized hip hop in the United States and around the world. The song's opening lyric "I said a hip hop, a hippie, a hippie to the hip hop" is world-renowned. The song is ranked #248 on the Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
magazine's list of The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time and #2 on both About.com
About.com
About.com is an online source for original information and advice. It is written in English, and is aimed primarily at North Americans. It is owned by The New York Times Company....
's and VH1
VH1
VH1 or Vh1 is an American cable television network based in New York City. Launched on January 1, 1985 in the old space of Turner Broadcasting's short-lived Cable Music Channel, the original purpose of the channel was to build on the success of MTV by playing music videos, but targeting a slightly...
's 100 Greatest Hip-Hop Songs. The 15-minute song was recorded in a single take. There are three versions of the song: 14:36 (12" long version), 6:30 (12" short version), and 4:55 (shortened single version).
Background
In late 1978, Debbie HarryDebbie Harry
Deborah Ann "Debbie" Harry is an American singer-songwriter and actress, best known for being the lead singer of the punk rock and new wave band Blondie. She has also had success as a solo artist, and in the mid-1990s she performed and recorded as part of The Jazz Passengers...
suggested that Chic
Chic (band)
Chic was an African American disco and R&B band that was organized during 1976 by guitarist Nile Rodgers and bassist Bernard Edwards. It is known best for its commercially successful disco songs, including "Dance, Dance, Dance " , "Everybody Dance" , "Le Freak" , "I Want Your Love" , "Good Times"...
's Nile Rodgers
Nile Rodgers
Nile Gregory Rodgers is an American musician, producer, composer, arranger, and guitarist.-Biography:...
join her and Chris Stein
Chris Stein
Christopher "Chris" Stein is co-founder and guitarist in the New Wave band, Blondie. He is also a producer and performer for the classic soundtrack of the hip hop film Wild Style....
at a hip hop
Hip hop
Hip hop is a form of musical expression and artistic culture that originated in African-American and Latino communities during the 1970s in New York City, specifically the Bronx. DJ Afrika Bambaataa outlined the four pillars of hip hop culture: MCing, DJing, breaking and graffiti writing...
event, which at the time was a communal space taken over by teenagers with boombox
Boombox
Boombox is a colloquial expression for a portable cassette or CD player. Other terms known are ghetto blaster, jambox, or radio-cassette. It is a device capable of receiving radio stations and playing recorded music , usually at relatively high volume...
stereos playing various pieces of music that performers would break dance
B-boying
B-boying, often called "breakdancing", is a popular style of street dance that was created and developed as part of hip-hop culture among African Americans and Latino youths in New York City. The dance consists of four primary elements: toprock, downrock, power moves and freezes...
to. Rodgers experienced this event the first time himself at a high school
High school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
in the Bronx. A few weeks later, Blondie
Blondie (band)
Blondie is an American rock band, founded by singer Deborah Harry and guitarist Chris Stein. The band was a pioneer in the early American New Wave and punk scenes of the mid-1970s...
and Chic were playing a residency of The Clash
The Clash
The Clash were an English punk rock band that formed in 1976 as part of the original wave of British punk. Along with punk, their music incorporated elements of reggae, ska, dub, funk, rap, dance, and rockabilly...
in New York at the Bond's International Casino. When Chic started playing "Good Times", rapper Fab Five Freddy
Fab Five Freddy
Fred Brathwaite , more popularly known as Fab 5 Freddy, is an American Hip hop historian, Hip hop pioneer and former graffiti artist...
and what were the members of the Sugarhill Gang
The Sugarhill Gang
The Sugarhill Gang is an American hip hop group, known mostly for their 1979 hit, "Rapper's Delight", the first hip hop single to become a Top 40 hit. The song uses the instrumental track from the classic hit "Good Times" by Chic as its foundation....
jumped up on stage and started freestyling
Freestyle rap
Freestyle rap commonly refers to rap lyrics which are improvised through a acapella or with instrumental beats, i.e. performed with no previously composed lyrics, or "off the top of the head"...
with the band. A few weeks later Rodgers was on the dance floor of New York club LaViticus and heard the DJ play a song which opened with Bernard Edwards
Bernard Edwards
Bernard Edwards born in Greenville, North Carolina, was a bass player and record producer, both as a member of the Funk/Disco band Chic and on his own. He died of pneumonia while touring in Japan.-History:...
' bass line from Chic's "Good Times". Rodgers approached the DJ who said he was playing a record he had just bought that day in Harlem
Harlem
Harlem is a neighborhood in the New York City borough of Manhattan, which since the 1920s has been a major African-American residential, cultural and business center. Originally a Dutch village, formally organized in 1658, it is named after the city of Haarlem in the Netherlands...
. The song turned out to be an early version of "Rapper's Delight," which also included a scratched version of the song's string section. Rodgers and Edwards immediately threatened legal action over copyright
Copyright
Copyright is a legal concept, enacted by most governments, giving the creator of an original work exclusive rights to it, usually for a limited time...
, which resulted in a settlement and their being credited as co-writers. Rodgers admitted that he was originally upset with the song, but would later declare it to be "one of [his] favorite songs of all time" and his favorite of all the tracks that sampled Chic . He also stated that "as innovative and important as "Good Times" was, "Rapper's Delight" was just as much, if not more so."
According to Oliver Wang, author of the 2003 Classic Material: The Hip-Hop Album Guide, recording artist ("Pillow Talk
Pillow Talk (song)
"Pillow Talk" in 1973 song by American soul singer-songwriter Sylvia.-History:Sylvia had originally hoped the song would be recorded by Al Green, who turned it down as he thought it was too risqué and against his religion. She eventually recorded "Pillow Talk" and released it in 1973...
") and studio owner Sylvia Robinson
Sylvia Robinson
Sylvia Robinson was an American singer, musician, record producer, and record label executive, most notably known for her work as founder/CEO of the hip hop label Sugar Hill Records. She is credited as the driving force behind two landmark singles in the genre...
had trouble finding anyone willing to record a rap song. Most of the rappers who performed in clubs did not want to record. It is said that Robinson's son heard a rapper in a pizza
Pizza
Pizza is an oven-baked, flat, disc-shaped bread typically topped with a tomato sauce, cheese and various toppings.Originating in Italy, from the Neapolitan cuisine, the dish has become popular in many parts of the world. An establishment that makes and sells pizzas is called a "pizzeria"...
place, and the rapper was persuaded to come to a studio and record someone else's words while "Good Times" was played.
Chip Shearin said in a 2010 interview that at age 17, he was visiting a friend in New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
. The friend knew Robinson, who needed some musicians for various recordings, including "Rapper's Delight". Shearin's job on the song was to play the bass for 15 minutes straight, with no mistakes. He was paid $70 but later went on to perform with Sugarhill Gang in concert before backing up such artists as Janet Jackson
Janet Jackson
Janet Damita Jo Jackson is an American recording artist and actress. Known for a series of sonically innovative, socially conscious and sexually provocative records, as well as elaborate stage shows, television and film roles, she has been a prominent figure in popular culture for over 25 years...
and Marion Meadows
Marion Meadows
Marion Meadows is an American tenor saxophonist, soprano saxophonist, composer, and smooth jazz recording artist of Native American, African American and Caucasian descent. Meadows has released a total of 9 albums to date.-Upbringing:...
as well as composing movie scores and teaching the business of music on the college level. Shearin described the session this way:
The drummer and I were sweating bullets because that's a long time. And this was in the days before samplers and drum machines, when real humans had to play things. ... Sylvia said, 'I've got these kids who are going to talk real fast over it; that's the best way I can describe it.'
Wang said:
There's this idea that hip-hop has to have street credibility, yet the first big hip-hop song was an inauthentic fabrication. It's not like the guys involved were the 'real' hip-hop icons of the era, like Grandmaster Flash or Lovebug Starski. So it's a pretty impressive fabrication, lightning in a bottle.
History
"Rapper's Delight" hit #36 on the U.S. pop charts, #4 on the U.S. R&B charts, the #1 single and album of the year on the Canadian Singles Chart (entirely on Quebecian rentals and lets: it was barred in the rest of that country owing to home taping), #1 on the Dutch Top 40, #3 on the UK singles chart, and #2 on VH1's top 100 hip-hop songs of all time. (In Australia it sank without a trace.) Reportedly it became the first hip-hop single to go diamond (5 million copies), but it should be noted that Sugarhill was one of many small independent labels that were not willing to let outside accountants go through their books; thus, it has never been certified by the RIAA. In 1980 the song was the anchor of the group's first album The Sugarhill GangSugarhill Gang (album)
The album was released in 1980 for Sugarhill Records and was produced by Sylvia Robinson. The single "Rapper's Delight" was a #36 hit on the US pop chart and a #4 hit on the R&B chart...
.
It was the first Top 40 song to be available only as a 12-inch extended version in the U.S. — no 7-inch, 45-RPM record was made. In Europe, however, it was released on the classic 7-inch single format on French pop label Vogue, with a shorter version of the song. It was this 7" single that reached number one in the Dutch chart.
The song ranked #248 on Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
magazine's 2004 list of "500 Greatest Songs of All Time".
Other uses in media
"Rapper's Delight" is featured in the video game MLB 2K10 as one of 16 songs on the soundtrack and also in Tony Hawk's Underground 2Tony Hawk's Underground 2
Tony Hawk's Underground 2, also known as THUG 2, is the sixth installment in Neversoft's Tony Hawk's Series and sequel to Tony Hawk's Underground. Tony Hawk's Underground 2 was released on October 4, 2004 for the PlayStation 2, GameCube, Xbox, PC, and Game Boy Advance platforms...
.
In an episode of Scrubs
Scrubs (TV series)
Scrubs is an American medical comedy-drama television series created in 2001 by Bill Lawrence and produced by ABC Studios. The show follows the lives of several employees of the fictional Sacred Heart, a teaching hospital. It features fast-paced screenplay, slapstick, and surreal vignettes...
the Sugar Hill Gang alarm clock JD gives Turk
Christopher Turk
Christopher Duncan Turk, M.D., is a fictional character played by Donald Faison on the American comedy-drama Scrubs. Turk has appeared in every episode except three Season 8 episodes, "My Saving Grace", "My New Role" and "My Lawyer's in Love". Donald Faison is the only original cast member,...
for a wedding present plays a modified "wake up" version of "Rapper's Delight", later it is played in Turk and Carla's new car.
In episode 22 of season 4, One Tree Hill
One Tree Hill (TV series)
One Tree Hill is an American television drama created by Mark Schwahn, which premiered on September 23, 2003, on The WB Television Network. After its third season, The WB merged with UPN to form The CW Television Network, and, since September 27, 2006, the network has been the official broadcaster...
used this song, as the only song that James Lucas Scott would stop fussing. It was then revealed that whenever Haley was sleeping, Nathan would play old school hip-hop to the womb.
Cole sang "Rapper's Delight" on an episode of Fox
Fox Broadcasting Company
Fox Broadcasting Company, commonly referred to as Fox Network or simply Fox , is an American commercial broadcasting television network owned by Fox Entertainment Group, part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation. Launched on October 9, 1986, Fox was the highest-rated broadcast network in the...
's Martin
Martin (TV series)
Martin is an American sitcom produced by HBO Independent Productions that aired for five seasons, from August 27, 1992 to May 1, 1997 on Fox...
to audition for Biggie Smalls before being thrown out of Martin's apartment.
On an episode of Living Single
Living Single
Living Single is an American television sitcom which aired for five seasons on the Fox network from August 29, 1993 to January 1, 1998. The show centered on the lives of six friends who share personal and professional experiences while living in a Brooklyn brownstone.Throughout its run, Living...
the entire cast rapped one verse from "Rapper's Delight". Khadijah started with the line "have you ever been over a friend's house to eat..." before the rest of the cast joined in to finish the verse.
In the 1998 feature film The Wedding Singer
The Wedding Singer
The Wedding Singer is a 1998 romantic comedy film written by Tim Herlihy and directed by Frank Coraci. It stars Adam Sandler as a wedding singer in the 1980s and Drew Barrymore as a waitress with whom he falls in love....
(starring Adam Sandler
Adam Sandler
Adam Richard Sandler is an American actor, comedian, screenwriter, musician, and film producer.After becoming a Saturday Night Live cast member, Sandler went on to star in several Hollywood feature films that grossed over $100 million at the box office...
) in a clip towards the end, the elderly Rosie (played by Ellen Dow), whom Robbie (Sandler) has been teaching to sing, surprises everyone when she gets up on stage and starts performing this song.
In 2002, Spanish group Las Ketchup
Las Ketchup
Las Ketchup is a Latin Grammy Award nominated 4-girl group composed of sisters Lola Muñoz, Pilar Muñoz, Lucía Muñoz and Rocío Muñoz from Córdoba in Andalucia, Spain. They are the daughters of Juan Muñoz, a flamenco guitarist known as Tomatito , which is not the same as famous and virtuoso flamenco...
parodied this song in the chorus of their hit "The Ketchup Song
The Ketchup Song
"The Ketchup Song" is the English title of the song "Aserejé", performed by the Andalusian-Spanish pop group Las Ketchup, which was an international hit in 2002. The song exists in three versions, Spanish, a version in a mixture of English and Spanish, described as "Spanglish", and a version in...
(Asereje)", which reached number one in the UK chart.
In 2003, the song appeared in the multi-award-winning Honda
Honda
is a Japanese public multinational corporation primarily known as a manufacturer of automobiles and motorcycles.Honda has been the world's largest motorcycle manufacturer since 1959, as well as the world's largest manufacturer of internal combustion engines measured by volume, producing more than...
television advertisement Cog. Later that year, a rendition was used in a scene in from the film Kangaroo Jack
Kangaroo Jack
Kangaroo Jack is a 2003 American comedy film directed by David McNally, produced by Jerry Bruckheimer, and starring Jerry O'Connell, Anthony Anderson, Christopher Walken, Estella Warren and Adam Garcia...
. In July 2009, Evian
Evian
Evian is a French brand of mineral water coming from several sources near Évian-les-Bains, on the south shore of Lake Geneva.Today, Evian is owned by Danone Group, a French multinational company...
Water used the song in their roller-skating baby commercial, "Evian's Roller Babies (Live Young)" which is especially popular on YouTube
YouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
with over 3.7 million hits in a week. The song was produced by Dan the Automator
Dan the Automator
Daniel M. Nakamura , better known by the stage name Dan the Automator, is a Japanese-American hip hop producer. He founded the record label 75 Ark, which was distributed by Tommy Boy Records during its short existence....
and features Chali 2na
Chali 2na
Charles Stewart , better known as Chali 2na is an American rapper and hip hop artist, formerly associated with the groups Jurassic 5 and Ozomatli.-Early life:...
(of Jurassic 5
Jurassic 5
Jurassic 5 was an American alternative hip hop group formed in 1993 from members of two previous groups, Rebels of Rhythm and Unity Committee by rappers Charles Stewart , Dante Givens , Courtenay Henderson , Marc Stuart , and disc jockeys Mark Potsic and Lucas Macfadden...
) along with Casual and Domino
Domino (producer)
Not to be confused with Domino , a different American rapper.Damian Siguenza, known by his stage name, Domino , is an American record producer, manager, DJ, and one of the members of the Oakland, California-based underground hip hop collective, Hieroglyphics.-Biography:Born in San Francisco,...
(of Hieroglyphics). Tepr, Van She Tech and The Bewitched Hands on the Top of our Heads did the remix.
Throughout The Verve's
The Verve
The Verve were an English rock band formed in 1989 in Wigan by lead vocalist Richard Ashcroft, guitarist Nick McCabe, bassist Simon Jones, and drummer Peter Salisbury. Guitarist and keyboardist Simon Tong later became a member. Beginning with a psychedelic sound indebted to shoegazing and space...
2008 tour dates, they frequently tagged their "Life's An Ocean"
A Northern Soul
A Northern Soul is the second studio album by English alternative rock band The Verve. The album was released in the United States on 20 June 1995 on the Hut label and in the United Kingdom on 3 July 1995 on Vernon Yard Records...
with a brief snippet of "Rapper's Delight."
It was the first song covered by Justin Timberlake
Justin Timberlake
Justin Randall Timberlake is an American pop musician and actor. He achieved early fame when he appeared as a contestant on Star Search, and went on to star in the Disney Channel television series The New Mickey Mouse Club, where he met future bandmate JC Chasez...
and Jimmy Fallon
Jimmy Fallon
James Thomas "Jimmy" Fallon, Jr. is an American actor, comedian, singer, musician and television host. He currently hosts Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, a late-night talk show that airs Monday through Friday on NBC...
in a bit called "The History of Rap" on Late Night With Jimmy Fallon
Late Night with Jimmy Fallon
Late Night with Jimmy Fallon is an American late-night talk show hosted by Jimmy Fallon on NBC. The show premiered on March 2, 2009, as the third incarnation of the Late Night franchise originated by David Letterman....
.
Charts
| Chart (1979/80) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Canadian Singles Chart | 1 |
Grandmaster Caz
Big Bank HankBig Bank Hank
Big Bank Hank is an American old school rapper. Also known as Imp the Dimp, he is a member of The Sugarhill Gang, the first hip hop act to have a hit single, "Rapper's Delight"....
once managed Grandmaster Caz (Casanova Fly)
Grandmaster Caz
Curtis Fisher , better known by his stage name Grandmaster Caz or Cassanova Fly is an American "Old Skool" rapper, MC, and DJ...
of The Cold Crush Brothers
The Cold Crush Brothers
The Cold Crush Brothers is a hip hop group that formed in 1979 in the Bronx, New York City, New York, alongside other early hip hop acts.-Formation:...
. Hank's verse was originally written by Caz as evidenced by his first line: "I'm the C-A-S-A-N-O-V-A and the rest is F-L-Y". Sugarhill and Hank never gave any money or credits as a songwriter or co-writer to Grandmaster Caz.
Cover versions
- The cast of the film CB4CB4CB4 is a 1993 comedy film directed by Tamra Davis, and starring Chris Rock. The film follows a fictional rap group named 'CB4', named after the prison block in which the group was allegedly formed...
(including Chris RockChris RockChristopher Julius "Chris" Rock III is an American comedian, actor, screenwriter, television producer, film producer and director. He was voted in the US as the 5th greatest stand-up comedian of all time by Comedy Central...
) released a cover on the film's soundtrackCB4 (soundtrack)CB4 is the soundtrack to the comedy film, CB4. It was released on March 2, 1993 through MCA Records and was almost entirely hip hop music. The album did fairly well on the Billboard charts, peaking at #41 on the Billboard 200 and #13 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums. Blackstreet's "Baby Be Mine" was... - Def SquadDef SquadDef Squad is a rap supergroup consisting of Erick Sermon, Redman & Keith Murray. Mally G is considered an honorary member of the Def Squad. Before officially forming as a group to release an album in 1998, they had each been featured on tracks by each other...
(Redman, Erick SermonErick SermonErick Sermon , in Bay Shore, New York is an American rapper, musician, and producer.Sermon is best known as half of late-1980s/1990s hip hop group EPMD and for production work. He currently resides in Islandia, New York.- Career :...
, Keith MurrayKeith Murray (rapper)Keith Murray is an American rapper and a member of the rap trio Def Squad, which includes fellow rappers Redman and Erick Sermon.-Music career:...
) released a cover in 1998 on the album El Niño - Keller WilliamsKeller WilliamsKeller Williams is an American musician from Fredericksburg, Virginia, who began performing in the early 1990s. He is also known by the names K-Dub or just Keller, when performing. Williams' music combines elements of bluegrass, folk, alternative rock, reggae, electronica/dance, jazz, funk, and...
released a cover version of the song on his 2004 live album StageStage (Keller Williams album)Stage is a live compilation of Keller Williams's 2003 tour and is divided into 2 CDs. Stage Left, features songs from the west coast shows, and Stage Right containing songs from the east coast leg of the tour...
. - Southside Allstars (KanoKano (rapper)Kane Brett Robinson , better known as Kano and also known as Kane O, is an English rapper and actor. His grandparents came to England as immigrants from Jamaica. He was formerly a key member of east London’s N.A.S.T.Y...
, SwaySway DaSafoDerek Andrew Safo is a Ghanaian British musician who uses the stage names Sway DaSafo or Sway. He is signed to Akon's Konvict Muzik record label and he is also a producer, establishing DCypha Productions.-Childhood:...
, Skibbadee among others featured) released as a BBC 1Xtra exclusive. - Brazilian rapper Gabriel O PensadorGabriel o PensadorGabriel Contino, Gabriel o Pensador , is a Brazilian rapper.-Biography:Coming from a unique background among Brazilian rappers, Gabriel, the son of a well known journalist in Brazil, hit fame in 1992 with the song "Tô Feliz " the debut single from his first...
used the same beat in his song "2345meia78" in 1997. - Italian rapper and dj DJ Lugi used the same beat in his song "Boloboogie".
- Italian rapper Flaminio Maphia used the same beat in his song "Rapper do vai".
- The lyrics "hotel, motel, holiday inn" are used in TLCTLC (band)TLC is an American musical trio whose repertoire spanned R&B, hip-hop, soul, funk, and new jack swing. Originally consisting of singer Tionne "T-Boz" Watkins, rapper-singer Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes and singer Rozonda "Chilli" Thomas it found success in the 1990s while also enduring a series of spats...
's SwitchCrazySexyCoolCrazySexyCool is the second studio album by American R&B group TLC, released by LaFace Records on November 15, 1994 in North America...
, PitbullPitbull (rapper)Armando Christian Pérez , better known by his stage name Pitbull, is an American rapper, singer-songwriter and record producer. His first recorded performance was from the Lil Jon album Kings of Crunk in 2002, after which he released his debut album in 2004 titled M.I.A.M.I. under TVT Records...
's Hotel Room ServiceHotel Room Service"Hotel Room Service" is a song by rapper Pitbull released as the third single from his fourth album, Rebelution. The song samples "Push the Feeling On" by Nightcrawlers as well as "Rapper's Delight" by The Sugarhill Gang. It was released to both iTunes and mainstream radio on June 16, 2009...
, De La SoulDe La SoulDe La Soul is an American hip hop trio formed in 1987 on Long Island, New York. The band is best known for their eclectic sampling, quirky lyrics, and their contributions to the evolution of the jazz rap and alternative hip hop subgenres...
's BreakadawnBreakadawn"Breakadawn" is a 1993 single by hip hop group De La Soul, released from their third album Buhloone Mindstate. The song marked a slightly different approach from the group, who up until that point were still seen as the hippies of hip hop music and had tried to shake off the image with their second...
, Cassidy's HotelHotel (song)"Hotel" is the lead debut single from Cassidy's 2004 debut album Split Personality. The song was released as a single and charted in February 2004, reaching #4 in the U.S. Billboard Hot 100. The chorus is sang by R&B singer R. Kelly, and makes lyrical references to The Sugarhill Gang's "Rapper's...
, Dr. DreDr. DreAndre Romelle Young , primarily known by his stage name Dr. Dre, is an American record producer, rapper, record executive, entrepreneur, and occasional actor. He is the founder and current CEO of Aftermath Entertainment and a former co-owner and artist of Death Row Records...
's Housewife, The Wu-Tang Clan's "Starter" as well as in TweetTweet (singer)Tweet is an American R&B and soul singer-songwriter.-Early years:The youngest child of Tom and Shirley Keys, Tweet was born in Rochester, New York on January 21, 1972, and grew up singing in the church along with her parents and her four older siblings...
's Motel. A longer list can be found at Most referenced hip-hop lines. - The bass is sampled by Bergy in "Race Ya Home".
- Insane Clown PosseInsane Clown PosseInsane Clown Posse is an American hip hop duo from Detroit, Michigan. The group is composed of Joseph Bruce and Joseph Utsler, who perform under the respective personas of the "wicked clowns" Violent J and Shaggy 2 Dope. Insane Clown Posse performs a style of hardcore hip hop known as horrorcore...
& EshamEshamRashaam Attica Smith, better known by his stage name Esham , is an American rapper from Detroit, Michigan known for his hallucinogenic style of hip hop which he refers to as "acid rap", which fuses rock-based beats and lyrics involving subjects such as death, drug use, evil, paranoia and...
released a song "Wicked Rappers Delight" which appears on Forgotten Freshness 4. It takes inspiration from Rapper's Delight, but incorporates "Wicked" lyrics. - The rap group, Me & My Cousin used the opening lyrics from Rapper's Delight; "Now what you are hearing is not a test, because I'm rappin' to the beat...' in their 1996 hit, Smooth.
- Beastie BoysBeastie BoysBeastie Boys are an American hip hop trio from New York City. The group consists of Mike D who plays the drums, MCA who plays the bass, and Ad-Rock who plays the guitar....
samples the song in "Triple TroubleTriple Trouble (song)"Triple Trouble" is a song American hip hop group the Beastie Boys, released as the second single from their sixth studio album To the 5 Boroughs...
". - Italian rapper and superstar, JovanottiJovanottiLorenzo Cherubini, better known as Jovanotti, is an Italian singer-songwriter and rapper.The name Jovanotti derives from the plural form of the Italian word giovanotto , i.e. giovanotti. Lorenzo Cherubini originally auditioned a band with the name "I Giovanotti", but the record producer only was...
, covered the song for his live album Lorenzo Live - Autobiografia di una festa in 2000. - Jamiroquai sampled the bass in club citta live concert 1993, and the name of the song appeared as same
- Ol' Dirty BastardOl' Dirty BastardRussell Tyrone Jones was an American rapper and occasional producer, who went by the stage name Ol' Dirty Bastard or simply ODB...
uses lyrics from the song in Goin' Down from his solo debut album Return to the 36 Chambers: The Dirty VersionReturn to the 36 Chambers: The Dirty VersionReturn to the 36 Chambers: The Dirty Version is the solo debut album of American rapper and Wu-Tang Clan member Ol' Dirty Bastard, released March 28, 1995 on Elektra Records in the United States. It was the second solo album to be released from the nine-member Wu-Tang camp, following the release of...
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External links
- Official Music Video
- Silver jubilee for first rap hit — BBCBBCThe British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
article about the single on its 25th anniversary - The Story of Rapper's Delight by Nile Rodgers