Sugar Hill

Sugar Hill is a seminal late 1970s/early 1980s rap label that launched the careers of early hip-hop legends Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five, Treacherous Three, and The Sugarhill Gang. Owned by Sylvia Robinson and her husband Joe, with financial backing from Morris Levy and his Roulette Records, the label gained worldwide exposure for its artists. However, it was also known for shady business practices, including acquiring Chess Records in a convoluted manner and routinely short-changing its roster on royalties. After legal wrangling following the label's shutdown in 1985, the Chess masters were sold to MCA Records.

In June 1995, Rhino Records Inc. and Castle Communications PLC purchased the "Sugar Hill Records" catalog from Joseph and Sylvia Robinson. Rhino controls the Sugar Hill catalog throughout North America, South America, Japan, and the Caribbean islands while Castle Communications handles the rest of the world. This extensive catalog includes masters from labels such as Sugar Hill Records, All Platinum, Stang Records, Vibration, Jersey Connection, Willow (2), Turbo Records,Victory Records (2), Sweet Mountain Records,and Astrocope.

Joseph and Sylvia remain proprietors of the related publishing rights as well as the current album inventory. The "rest of the world" catalog is now owned by BMG Rights Management through a series of acquisitions.Label Code: LC 6916.