Label

Sugar Hill Records

Seminal late 1970s/early 1980s rap label owned and operated by a=Sylvia Robinson and her husband Joe with financial back-up from a=Morris Levy and his l=Roulette Records that launched the careers of early hip-hop legends a=Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five, a=Treacherous Three and The a=Sugarhill Gang to worldwide exposure. However, the label was also renowned for shady business practices, mainly the convoluted way its predecessor company l=All Platinum Records acquired l=Chess Records in the late 70's and routinely short-changed its roster on royalties. After some legal wrangling after the label's shutdown in 1985, the Chess masters were sold to l=MCA Records. In June 1995 l=Rhino Records Inc. and l=Castle Communications PLC purchased the Sugar Hill Records catalog from Sylvia and Joseph Robinson. Rhino controls the Sugar Hill catalog throughout the Americas and Japan, with Castle Communications managing it elsewhere. This catalog included the masters of labels such as l=Sugar Hill Records, l=All Platinum, l=Stang Records, l=Vibration, l=Jersey Connection, l=Willow (2), l=Turbo Records, l=Victory Records (2), l=Sweet Mountain Records, Platinum and l=Astroscope. Joseph and Sylvia remained owners of the related publishing rights as well as the current album inventory. Through a series of acquisitions, the "rest of the world" catalog is now owned by l=BMG Rights Management outside Japan and the Americas. Label Code: LC 6916.