A member of the Sugarhill Gang , whose pioneering hit `` Rapper 's Delight '' brought hip hop to mainstream audiences 35 years ago , died Tuesday of complications from cancer . `` Big Bank Hank , '' whose real name was Henry Jackson , died early Tuesday in Englewood , New Jersey , according to David Mallie , who manages the two surviving Sugarhill Gang members . The New York native was 57 . A beefy , boisterous presence onstage , Hank handled vocals in the early to middle portion of `` Rapper 's Delight , '' which despite its extended length -- one version was more than 14 minutes long -- became the first rap song to reach the Top 40 on the U.S . Billboard charts . Jackson traded rhymes with bandmates `` Wonder Mike '' Wright and Guy `` Master Gee '' O'Brien and spoke some of the song 's catchiest lines , including `` Ho-tel , mo-tel , Holiday Inn/If your girl starts acting up , then you take her friend . '' Wonder Mike and Master Gee issued a statement Tuesday : . `` So sad to hear about our brother 's passing . The 3 of us created musical history together with the release of Rapper 's Delight . We will always remember traveling the world together and rocking the house . Rest in peace Big Bank . '' The three friends were unknown MCs when producer Sylvia Robinson recruited them to record the song for her rap label , Sugar Hill Records . Released in fall 1979 , `` Rapper 's Delight '' became a novelty hit and a staple at dance clubs well into 1980 . It was born from the emerging New York hip-hop scene of the late '70s , in which young rappers gathered in clubs and exchanged rhymes over instrumental breaks from popular songs , most notably Chic 's hit `` Good Times . '' `` Rapper 's Delight '' also borrowed its bass line and other flourishes from `` Good Times , '' prompting threats of legal action by Chic co-founders Nile Rodgers and Bernard Edwards . After a settlement , Rodgers and Edwards were listed as co-writers of the song . `` It felt like a new art form , '' Rodgers said later of `` Rapper 's Delight . '' In 2011 , Rolling Stone ranked `` Rapper 's Delight '' at No . 248 on its list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time . People we 've lost in 2014 .
Rapper `` Big Bank Hank , '' whose real name was Henry Jackson , died Tuesday morning . He was a member of the Sugarhill Gang , famous for their hit `` Rapper 's Delight '' The 1979 song was the first rap tune to reach the Top 40 on the U.S. charts .