In this lesson we’re going to learn an old-school rap groove, “Rapper’s Delight,” by the Sugarhill Gang, which was one of the first major worldwide hip-hop hit recordings. The beat for “Rapper’s Delight” is in fact taken from the instrumental groove on the track “Good Times,’ by Chic, but rather than sampling Chic’s tune, the members of Sugarhill Gang asked their bassist, Chip Shearin, to recreate Chic bassist Bernard Edwards’ riff live for the recording.
Sugarhill gang recorded “Rapper’s Delight” on their 1979 self-titled album after Chic released “Good Times” on their own album, Risque?, earlier that year, and after a brief legal dispute, Edwards and fellow Chic band member Nile Rogers were credited as songwriters. In this video we’ll learn the “Rapper’s Delight” version of the groove.
