All Night With the Sugarhill Gang

So I just saw the Sugarhill Gang last night!  I'm really not a concert guy; I've basically been to three shows before in my life: Partners In Kryme at Great Adventure, the SOHH show when we won an award (with performances by Naughty By Nature, The Arsonists, King Sun and others) and Dose One and Mr. Dibbs at the Chelsea Piers.  I'm just not one for spending all night standing in packed crowds to hear music in worse quality than I would at home on my record player.  But this was a free event, in my home town, when I wasn't doing anything else anyway, and the original Sugarhill Gang?  Even I'm not that much of a curmudgeon.

The main thing I was curious about was what the actual Sugarhill line-up would be.  Big Bank Hank, of course, is no longer with us.  RIP.  But there had been those years of drama where the group split, and Joey Robinson Jr. was touring using the group name, and Wonder Mike and Master Gee had to tour under a new name.  There had been a whole documentary about the legal battle called I Want My Name Back.  So, who was actually going to show up at my town event?  How many original members?  Was Kory O - the guy who joined the group when Master Gee quit in 1985, but stuck with them through the 90s - still down?  Was some new guy going to be calling himself Big Bank Hank, like how The Three Stooges got a replacement Curly?

On top of that, C+C Music Factory was going to be opening for them, which raises an almost identical set of questions.  I was never a C+C fan, but aren't they like another KLF situation, where C and C were two British guys who'd disbanded the group in the 90s or something?  And it was just the one temporarily affiliated rapper (in that case Wanda Dee, or in this case Freedom Williams) touring as them in recent years?  I'm not gonna look it up.  But who would we see now - maybe him and some dancers?  Speaking of the Arsonists, I would've been excited if one-time C+C MC Q-Unique showed up, but obviously I wasn't holding out a lot of hope for that.

Well, the plaza was packed, with a big crowd of all ages; and to give you a sense of where I'm from, they were playing Bon Jovi over the speakers as I walked in.  The show started late, but eventually our mayor came out and introduced a DJ... didn't catch his name, but he was from Long Island.  And he was pretty good.  I was happy to see him actually scratching and not just starting his Apple Playlist and then nodding his head behind a laptop.  But he made some weird choices, like playing the theme song to The Golden Girls, a Backstreet Boys song and even an Elmo (from Sesame Street) acapella.

Then C+C came out, and yes, it was Freedom Williams and a singer.  I don't think she was one of the originals from the actual records, but she was talented, and she rapped a little, too.  I'm not hugely familiar with their catalog, but I certainly recognized "Things That Make You Go Hmm" and "Gonna Make You Sweat."  Surprisingly, they got the biggest reaction when they did a cover of "Here Comes the Hot Stepper."  I don't think they did any of Freedom's solo stuff; I certainly would've recognized that George Michael "Freeeeedom" chorus if I'd heard it.

Anyway, they played an introductory video before The Sugarhill Gang stepped on stage, with tributes from guys like Big Daddy Kane and Flavor Flav.  Then the answer to my big question was finally revealed: one original member.  It was Master Gee (that's him in the white t-shirt in the top photo), who told us Wonder Mike could no longer travel.  But he had two guys with him, including Hen Dogg, who basically did Hank's parts (in "Rapper's Delight," he spelled his own name, not Grandmaster Caz's).  He's the guy who stood in for Hank during the that split with the Robinsons and everything.  And the other guy is the one who's credited as a member on their Wikipedia and everything, The Ethiopian King, plus they had their own DJ, T-Dynasty.  They did their biggest hits, of course, including "8th Wonder," "The La La Song" and here's a little video I took of them doing "Apache:"

They closed out with a major rendition of "Rapper's Delight," of course, with the crowd rapping the "macaroni's soggy" verse ourselves.  But that was it for actual Sugarhill Gang songs.  Instead they a surprising amount of medley stuff, including the Furious Five's "The Message" (yes, they left in the "fag" lyric) & "White Lines," and a tribute to Prince.  Since Master Gee was the only original member, I thought it might've been a good opportunity to perform "Do It," but that didn't happen.  I have to say, though, Master Gee really went all out, getting off stage to rock with the audience, doing a James Brown impression and really giving 110%.

So yeah, that's what a Sugarhill Gang show is like in 2024.  Good times.

Kool Moe Dee vs. The Sugarhill Gang

(Who wore it better?  Kool Moe Dee or The Sugarhill Gang?  You Decide!  Youtube version is here.)

The Sugarhill Gang's Message

In some ways, this is The Sugarhill Gang's last record.  Strictly speaking, it's not the last record released under the Sugarhill Gang monicker. I mean, even if you discount all those represses, compilations and foreign remixes, there were a couple more singles on released by the group in 1985, the year after this one. But by those '85 records, Kory O had already come in and replaced Master Gee. And of course, for their 1994 record, Joey Robinson had inserted himself into the group, making the famous trio a quartet. So "Troy" was the last new record released by the full, original trio.

And it's one of their best. By 1984, both the Sugarhills - the Gang and the Records - were no longer the hip, new thing in hip-hop. The next generation was taking over the genre and all the guys were breaking up and/or out. Melle Mel split from Grandmaster Flash, The Treacherous Three broke up and Kool Moe Dee reinvented himself as a solo artist on Jive, The Sequence broke up, etc etc. The records were no longer selling; it was over for those guys. So, no matter how good a record the Sugarhill Gang made at that point, it was going to get slept on. It's just unfortunate timing that they took so long to create "Troy."

One thing to note is the production credits on the label. Yeah, Sylvia Robinson gets credit, of course. But then you'll see that the first three producers' credits are actually the three members of the Gang themselves. The timing was bad commercially, but the good thing about this being later in their career is that they were given more artistic freedom to follow more of their own creative drive. And they used that to make possibly their most socially conscious record (you could say it's neck and neck with "Living In the Fast Lane," which they released that same year), and absolutely their darkest. It's certainly unique and different enough, but in some ways, you could certainly say that this is their "The Message." Even their voices sound like they're channeling some Melle Mel.

The Gang got into some more traditional/modern hip-hop style production by creating the beat using the core elements of Malcolm McLaren's "Buffalo Gals," but stripping the upbeat and silly stuff and replacing it with moody instrumentation. The opening keyboards remind me of "Thriller" more than anything. And then it gets a little more rock-ish and upbeat towards the end. There are still live band members playing on this track, but there's also a super 80's drum machine, electric guitars and police sirens. It's a real hybrid of an instrumental, which I think works in its favor. It can't be called "too disco-y" like their earlier records, or too mechanical and programmed like a lot of mid 80s stuff. It's a very alive, slightly unusual mash-up.

Big Bank Hank sets the stage with a narrative about a vicious, nighttime gang fight. He might not've been a writer like the other two, but his voice and delivery are top shelf and he really dominates this record, "the leader called Blade still standing tall, his shadow cast big on the bloody wall. He faced the death with the life he chose, and his sweat ran thick to drench his clothes. He rules the street with an iron claw; and everybody knows that his word is law." Like, holy shit, this is coming from the Sugarhill Gang? The second verse details a nightmare Blade has of getting shot dead in the streets; it's some pretty seriously evocative stuff.

Well, as I said, the song does take a more positive turn. Blade decides to focus on break-dancing as a way out of the ghetto, and soon this song starts to feel more like Melle Mel's "Beat Street" than "Message." But both are great songs, so there's nothing wrong with that. And this song doesn't just take the easy way out to a happy ending, as it comes back from the breakdown to tell us, "Blade tried hard to become a break dancer; just couldn't cut it so it couldn't be the answer." And when the story finally does get to his moment of triumph, just listen to the Gang's performances: their rapping is intense, they sound like an entirely different group than the guy's who brought you "Rapper's Delight." Like, I think that last verse is by Wonder Mike but honestly I'm not even sure because he's on such a different, harder vibe.

Unfortunately, the B-side is perhaps the Gang's worst and corniest. It's "Girls" with short, almost embarrassing rap verses lightly peppered between an admittedly catchy chorus that dominates the song. It's based, heavily, on a 70s funk song, also called "Girls." Craig G made a version of it, too, called "Girl Fever" on his second album, and Ultimate Force had a "Girls," too. It's a super catchy hook and instrumental riff, and so in that regard all those songs do work to some degree. But again, particularly on the this Sugarhill Gang version right here, the shit is so corny. In fact, I think at least some of their raps are literally the actual lines that were sung in the original version, just turned into short raps here. So, I suppose at least some of the fault in the writing can be kicked back to the original group. But where ever you choose to lay the blame, "hey, well I tried to swim the whole ocean, just to see the girls in motion. When they were those black mesh stockin's, my heart goes a tick-a-tockin'," "even ones that ain't good lookin', they're the ones that do the best cookin'," or "I wish I was a magician, so I could start with this wishin'," are fairly cringe-worthy. Especially with the over-the-top, cheery enthusiasm they deliver them all.

But I still whole-heartedly recommend this single, especially if you only know the Gang for one song. This one might change your mind about their artistic credibility and the longevity they had to offer if hip-hop wasn't unfortunately as ruled by trends. I'd even suggest their whole last album, Livin' In the Fast Lane, for serious listeners. Songs like "Space Race" and the afore-mentioned title track will probably surprise you. But "Troy" is the real essential. It's the stand-out on the album for sure, and one of their best singles over-all, so if you're at all appreciative of rap from this era, you should really check out this 12".

Proteus 4XL Meets The Sugarhill Gang

(Youtube version is here.)

Hip-Hop on 8-Track with 2XL!

(Youtube version is here.)

The Boyz Are Back In Town

Here's another one that very little has ever been written about... "The Boyz From da Hill" b/w "Here We Go" by The Sugarhill Gang, on Diamond Head Records from 1994. I don't know much about Diamond Head Records, except that they were based out of Englewood New Jersey, and the following year, they put out a solo 12" by Sugarhill Gang member Kory-O, entitled "One Never Knows."

"Wait a minute," you exclaim, "Everybody knows the Sugarhill Gang is three guys - Wonder Mike, Master Gee and Big Bank Hank!" Yeah, well, guess what. This is '94, and things done changed.

Back in 1985, Master Gee left the group, to release one solo 12" on Atlantic Records (called "Do It," and it's actually pretty good) and ultimately retire from the music scene. He was replaced, in turns, by Kory-O (he was featured on tracks like "Work, Work the Body" before the group initially stopped recording) and another MC who decided o call himself Master Gee: former West Street Mob member Joey Robinson Jr. - son of Sylvia Robinson, president of Sugarhill.

In an interview with AllHipHop.com (click to read the whole thing), Master Gee had this to say about his imposter, "What me and Mike are doing now is working to get out and let people see the real deal, because some people aren't even sure about who's who. They think that this other guy is Master Gee. ... First of all, you're not supposed to use someone else's name. There was never an agreement made between him and I. As far as performing, he didn't write the lyrics, he didn't record the songs. He's not really entitled to say that he's me. There's only one original member performing as the Sugar Hill Gang right now, and that's Hank. The rest are stand-ins and they're duping the public. When people go out to see them, they're not getting the real deal. ... With me stepping away from the group, [The 2nd Master Gee] felt that it was his opportunity to go on the road and take my place. He was involved in all the sessions, but he never performed on any of the hits, 'Rapper's Delight,' 'Apache,' '8th Wonder.' That's all me."

But on this single, Hank isn't the only original member. The line-up here is: Wonder Mike, Kory-O, the 2nd Master Gee and Big Bank Hank... hence the four people on the album cover (by the way, that's the CD single you're seeing pictured above... the 12" single is a plain, white sticker cover, with only text). They've updated their flows and styles somewhat, partially to keep up with the faster beat and partially with the times. It kinda works, though:

"Come get a damage[?] of more delight
Coming from the hyper than hype wonder, the Wonder Mike,
The party rocker, smooth hip-hopper,
Whole house shaker, big fly money maker
In the house. Yeah, you know the sound.
The original, lyrical, biggest on the mic around:
(Sugarhill) back in full effect,
Hits the spot, mic's checked and flexxed - next!
Yo, we took hits and start stackin' 'em...
We're the first MCs to go platinum!
Mad props to the crew first on the scene;
We set it off and went and got the CREAM.
The name's the same, the fame, the aim, the claim;
The tracks are fat, and it's all that.
We gon' take a strip and start pimpin' it.
Stand back as the boys start rippin' it!"

Perhaps even more interesting than the MC line-up is the musical line-up. Continuing Sugarhill's tradition of getting great studio musicians to lay their tracks, the first one is by Kool & The Gang(!), along with George Mena and Reggie Griffin (it's essentially the "Jungle Boogie" instrumental). And despite their label change, they're still produced by Sylvia Robinson, Joey Robinson Jr., and David Gunthrope for West Street Productions. All in all, it's a pretty lively, enjoyable tune, with a catchy hook: "It's the boys from the hill! The boys from the hill! With the pow pow boogie; Never ran, never will!"

The B-side, "Here We Go," is a bit of a more traditional, "smoother" hip-hop number, with all musical tracks performed by Reggie Griffin, and co-produced by Reggie Griffin and Sylvia Robinson. It's got that pseudo-g-funk sound that some indie midwest group might produce. There's also a "Jeep Version" of "Here We Go," which really isn't much different from the first. It's ok if you like that sort of thing, but it's the A-side that makes this worth the purchase for Sugarhill fans.

Today, the Sugarhill Gang is fairly broken up, though sometimes certain members (originals and replacements) will tour as the Gang. Wonder Mike and Master Gee have formed a new group called MG Squad, with some of their friends. Here's a link to their myspace page.