In 1980, Rap was still seen by the music industry, and many fans of music as a fad, even after the gargantuan success of the Gang's "Rapper Delight" single that was released a little more than three months prior. It was the forward-thinking Sugar Hill Records founder Sylvia Robinson who felt that a full-length album was needed to capitalize off of the success of rap's first commercially successful recording.

While other independent rap labels were scrambling to sign rap artists, and major labels were still pondering whether to even participate at all, Sylvia already had a Gold selling single under her belt and plans for an R&B-heavy full-length album. Because she knew that adults largely saw the music as a novelty, Sylvia who had ties to world-class musicians, crafted an album full of ballads combined with rap songs that successfully grabbed both the young and old.

The six-song project contained the ballad "Here I Am," voiced by Craig Derry a writer, vocal coach and vocalist who worked with Sylvia's groups like The Moments and Wood, Brass & Steel. In a genius move, Sylvia told the press and radio that it was the Gang's Big Bank Hank on lead vocals — a move to legitimize the rappers who were seen by the industry as lacking talent.

"Passion Play" is a funky and laid-back song with a driving bassline and vocals by Harrisburg Pennsylvania's Positive Force, who Sylvia had recently signed and released the hit "We Got The Funk" with. Positive Force was also the band that replayed Chic's "Good Times" on "Rappers Delight" which is also on the album in a much shorter version than the original 15 minutes. "Bad News" is another laid-back slow-tempo R&B song that grabbed radio and the adult audience.

One of the Sugar Hill Gang's most revered songs isn't regarded as a hit, but "The Sugar Hill Groove" with its interpolation of "Glide" by Pleasure and "Catch A Groove" by Juice is still one of their most celebrated, surprisingly even among the Bronx first-generation fans who are lovers of breakbeats and initially critical of the group.

The song's bridge is a testament to Sylvia's reach in the music world. When Big Bank Hank yells, "He's vicious on the drums and he's here to stay and he goes by the name of Tito Puente" the legendary Latin percussionist — a friend of Sylvia's — plays an incredible solo that is still a pleasure to hear.

"Rappers Reprise" is a collaboration between the Sugar Hill Gang and their labelmates The Sequence. With its infectious "Jam Jam" hook, the song was popular, but both groups hated it. "That song was so cheesy and we hated it," the Gang's Wonder Mike told The Foundation. "One night Hank just refused to come out and perform it, so we stopped doing it live."

The Sugar Hill Gang became a template for early rap albums. Albums by Kurtis Blow, Grandmaster Flash & The Furious 5, The Sequence and really all rap albums prior to Run-DMC's 1984 debut contained a mixture of R&B/rap. The genre had not gained enough respect from the industry and the then-powerful platform of radio to release full albums of only rap songs.