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Sylvia Robinson, founder of one of the first successful rap music labels and also known as ‘the mother of hip-hop’, has died aged 76. Robinson, is probably going to be most remembered for putting together the rap group, The Sugarhill Gang.  Robinson was a songwriter, performer, producer and label owner. Rapper, Chuck D of Public Enemy, tweeted, “RIP Ms Rob.  A black woman putting rap records on the map/now a scene where today women are voided out of it.”

Sylvia Robinson, born Sylvia Vanderpool, was born in New York in 1936.  She started recording at age 14 as Little Sylvia and she had her first hit in 1957 called Love Is Strange as part of the duo Mickey And Sylvia. She wouldn’t have another top ten hit til 1973 with her solo soul classic, Pillow Talk, as Sylvia.

Robinson, although a successful singer/writer and record label owner, in 1979, while at the Harlem World disco would change the fate of the music world. The DJ at the club played the Chic song Good Times and the DJ was talking over the music and the kids were going crazy. She said in an interview in the New Jersey Star-Ledger in 1997, “All of a sudden, something said to me, ‘Put something like that on a record, and it will be the biggest thing.’ I didn’t even know you called it rap.”

And like that, history was made.  R.I.P. Ms. Rob and thank you.

Click here to hear this Ol Skool Hip-Hop Classic.  One of the first gold selling hip-hop joints by The Sugarhill Gang.  Get some ole skool in ya life.