Rapper's Delight – English Lyrics

• By: The Sugarhill Gang

Lyrics & Translation

Dive into the origins of mainstream hip-hop with The Sugarhill Gang's iconic "Rapper's Delight"! This song is a fantastic entry point for understanding early rap, featuring a captivating blend of playful rhymes over a lively disco-funk beat. You'll learn about rhythmic storytelling and the foundational elements that propelled a new genre into global recognition. Its enduring popularity and unique delivery make it a special piece of music history.

[English]

Here's Wonder Mike, Hank and Master Gee, The Sugarhill Gang!

Hip hop, hippie to the hippie The hip, hip a hop and you don't stop

Rock it out, Baby Bubba, to the boogie da bang bang the boogie to the boogie da beat

Now, what you hear is not a test

I'm rappin' to the beat

And me, the groove and my friends

Are gonna try to move your feet

You see, I am Wonder Mike

And I'd like to say hello

To the black, to the white, the red and the brown

The purple and yellow, but first, I gotta

Bang bang, the boogie to the boogie

Say up jump the boogie to the bang bang boogie

Let's rock, you don't stop

Rock the rhythm that'll make your body rock

Well, so far you've heard my voice

But I brought two friends along

And the next on the mic is my man Hank

- C'mon, Hank, sing that song - Check it out!

Well, I'm Imp the Dimp, the ladies' pimp

The women fight for my delight

But I'm the grandmaster with the three MCs

That shock the house for the young ladies

And when you come inside, into the front

You do the Freak, Spank and do the Bump

And when the sucker MCs try to prove a point

We're Treacherous Trio, we're the serious joint

A from sun to sun and from day to day

I sit down and write a brand new rhyme

Because they say that miracles never cease

I've created a devastating masterpiece

I'm gonna rock the mic 'til you can't resist

Everybody, I say it goes like this

Well, I was coming home late one dark afternoon

A reporter stopped me for an interview

She said she's heard stories and she's heard fables

That I'm vicious on the mic and the turntable

This young reporter I did adore

So I rocked some vicious rhymes like I never did before

She said, "Damn, fly guy, I'm in love with you

The Casanova legend must have been true"

I said, "By the way, baby, what's your name?"

She said, "I go by name Lois Lane"

"And you could be my boyfriend, you surely can

Just let me quit my boyfriend called Superman"

I said, "He's a fairy, I do suppose

Flyin' through the air in pantyhose

He may be very sexy, or even cute

But he looks like a sucker in a blue and red suit"

I said, "You need a man who's got finesse

And his whole name across his chest

He may be able to fly all through the night

But can he rock a party 'til the early light?

He can't satisfy you with his little worm

But I can bust you out with my super sperm!"

I go do it, I go do it, I go do it, do it, do it

An' I'm here an' I'm there I'm Big Bank Hank, I'm everywhere

Just throw your hands up in the air

And party hardy like you just don't care

Let's do it, don't stop, y'all A tick tock, y'all, you don't stop!

- And go ho-tel, mo-tel, whatcha gonna do today? - Say what?

I'm gonna get a fly girl, gonna get some spank Drive off in a def OJ

Everybody go, "Ho-tel, mo-tel, Holiday Inn"

You say if your girl starts actin' up, then you take her friend

I say skip, dive, what can I say?

I can't fit 'em all inside my OJ

So I just take half, and bust 'em out

I give the rest to Master Gee so he can shock the house

I said M-A-S, T-E-R, a G with a double E

I said I go by the unforgettable name

Of the man they call the Master Gee

Well, my name is known all over the world

By all the foxy ladies and the pretty girls

I'm goin' down in history

As the baddest rapper there ever could be

Now I'm feelin' the highs and you're feelin' the lows

The beat starts gettin' into your toes

You start poppin' your fingers and stompin' your feet

And movin' your body while you're sitting in your seat

And then damn! Ya start doin' the freak, I said

Damn! Right outta your seat

Then you throw your hands high in the air

Ya rockin' to the rhythm, shake your derriere

Ya rockin' to the beat without a care

With the sureshot MCs for the affair

Now, I'm not as tall as the rest of the gang

But I rap to the beat just the same

I got a little face and a pair of brown eyes

All I'm here to do, ladies, is hypnotize

Singin' on'n'n'on'n'on on'n'on

The beat don't stop until the break of dawn

Singin' on'n'n'on'n'on on'n'on

Like a hot buttered pop da pop da pop dibbie dibbie

Pop da pop pop, you don't dare stop

Come alive, y'all, gimme whatcha got

I guess by now you can take a hunch

And find that I am the baby of the bunch

But that's okay, I still keep in stride

'Cause all I'm here to do is just wiggle your behind

Singin' on'n'n'on'n'on on'n'on

The beat don't stop until the break of dawn

Singin' on'n'n'on'n'on on'n'on

Rock rock, y'all, throw it on the floor

I'm gonna freak you here I'm gonna freak you there

I'm gonna move you outta this atmosphere

'Cause I'm one of a kind and I'll shock your mind

I'll put TNT in your behind

I said one, two, three, four Come on, girls, get on the floor

A-come alive, y'all, a-gimme whatcha got

'Cause I'm guaranteed to make you rock

I said one, two, three, four Tell me, Wonder Mike

What are you waiting for?

I said a hip hop, the hippie to the hippie

The hip hip a hop, and you don't stop, a rock it

To the bang bang boogie, say up jump the boogie

To the rhythm of the boogie, the beat

A skiddleebebop, we rock, scooby doo

And guess what, America, we love you

'Cause you rocked and a rolled with so much soul

You could rock 'til you're a hundred and one years old

I don't mean to brag, I don't mean to boast

But we like hot butter on our breakfast toast

Rock it up, Baby Bubba!

Baby Bubba to the boogie da bang bang

Da boogie to the beat, beat, it's so unique

Come on, everybody, and dance to the beat!

Have you ever went over a friend's house to eat

And the food just ain't no good?

I mean the macaroni's soggy, the peas are mushed

And the chicken tastes like wood

So you try to play it off like you think you can

By saying that you're full

And then your friend says, "Mama, he's just being polite

He ain't finished, uh-uh, that's bull!"

So your heart starts pumpin' and you think of a lie

And you say that you already ate

And your friend says, "Man, there's plenty of food"

So you pile some more on your plate

While the stinky food's steamin' your mind starts to dreamin'

Of the moment it's time to leave

And then you look at your plate and your chicken's slowly rottin'

Into something that looks like cheese

Oh, so you say, "That's it, I gotta leave this place

I don't care what these people think

I'm just sittin' here makin' myself nauseous

With this ugly food that stinks"

So you bust out the door while it's still closed

Still sick from the food you ate

And then you run to the store for quick relief

From a bottle of Kaopectate

And then you call your friend two weeks later

To see how he has been

And he says, "I understand about the food

Baby Bubba, but we're still friends"

With a hip hop, the hippie to the hippie

The hip hip a hop, a you don't stop the rockin' To the bang bang boogie

Say up jump the boogie to the rhythm of the boogie the beat

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
hip hop /hɪp hɒp/ B1	noun - a genre of music and cultural movement characterized by rhythmic vocal style and beats
rock /rɒk/ A2	verb - to move back and forth or from side to side noun - a genre of popular music characterized by a strong rhythm and often played with electric guitars
party /ˈpɑːrti/ A2	noun - a social gathering of invited guests, typically involving eating, drinking, and entertainment
beat /biːt/ A2	noun - the basic unit of time in music, typically a regular rhythmic unit
dance /dæns/ A1	verb - to move rhythmically to music, typically following a set sequence of steps
friend /frɛnd/ A1	noun - a person whom one knows and has a bond of mutual affection
voice /vɔɪs/ A2	noun - the sound produced by humans when speaking or singing
story /ˈstɔːri/ A2	noun - an account of imaginary or real people and events
masterpiece /ˈmɑːstərpiːs/ B2	noun - a work of outstanding artistry, skill, or workmanship
delight /dɪˈlaɪt/ B2	noun - a feeling of great pleasure or satisfaction
unique /juːˈniːk/ B2	adjective - being the only one of its kind; unlike anything else
finesse /fɪˈnɛs/ C1	noun - intricate and refined delicacy
vicious /ˈvɪʃəs/ C1	adjective - deliberately cruel or violent
sucker /ˈsʌkər/ B2	noun - a person who is easily deceived or tricked

Key Grammar Structures

• You see, I am Wonder Mike

  ➔ Present Simple Tense

  ➔ The phrase uses the present simple tense to state a fact about the speaker's identity.

• I said, 'By the way, baby, what's your name?'

  ➔ Reported Speech

  ➔ This line uses reported speech to convey what was said without quoting directly.

• He may be very sexy, or even cute

  ➔ Modal Verbs

  ➔ The use of 'may' indicates possibility regarding someone's attractiveness.

• Just let me quit my boyfriend called Superman

  ➔ Past Participle

  ➔ The phrase 'let me quit' uses the past participle to indicate a completed action.

• I can't fit 'em all inside my OJ

  ➔ Contractions

  ➔ The contraction 'can't' is used to express inability.

• You start poppin' your fingers and stompin' your feet

  ➔ Present Continuous Tense

  ➔ The present continuous tense is used to describe actions happening at the moment.

• I don't mean to brag, I don't mean to boast

  ➔ Negative Form

  ➔ The negative form is used to express the opposite of an action or state.