LEGISLATIVE RESOLUTION mourning the death of Sylvia Robinson,
founder/CEO of Sugar Hill Records

WHEREAS, It is the custom of this Legislative Body to pay tribute to
citizens of the State of New York whose lifework and civic endeavor
served to enhance the quality of life in their communities and the great
State of New York; and
WHEREAS, Sylvia Robinson died on Thursday, September 29, 2011, at the
age of 75; and
WHEREAS, Born Sylvia Vanderpool on March 6, 1936, in New York City,
Sylvia Robinson was an American singer, musician, record producer, and
record label executive; she is credited as the driving force behind two
landmark singles in the hip-hop genre; the first was "Rapper's Delight"
by the Sugarhill Gang, which was the first rap song to be released by a
hip-hop act, and the second was "The Message" by Grandmaster Flash & the
Furious Five; and
WHEREAS, Sylvia Vanderpool's first successful record was the 1956 hit,
"Love is Strange", written by Bo Diddley and guitarist Jody Williams,
who had developed the distinctive lead guitar riff, and released as part
of the duo Mickey & Sylvia with guitar player Mickey Baker; and
WHEREAS, Sylvia Vanderpool then married Joe Robinson in 1964 and
continued working in the music industry, being involved with several
more successful releases and forming the successful All Platinum Records
label in 1968; this organization released records for soul artists such
as Donnie Elbert and Shirley Goodman; in 1970, she was also credited as
the producer of the hit song "Love on a Two Way Street" by the Moments;
and
WHEREAS, As a solo performer and billed as "Sylvia", she recorded and
released the single "Pillow Talk" on the Vibration label in 1973; she
had originally hoped "Pillow Talk" would be recorded by Al Green, but he
turned down the offer; and
WHEREAS, "Pillow Talk" reached number one for two weeks on the R&B
chart and number three on the pop chart, and is an early example of
prototypical disco music; the record sold over two million copies, and
was awarded a gold disc by the R.I.A.A. in May of 1973; and
WHEREAS, In the 1970s, the Robinsons, along with Milton Malden, found-
ed Sugar Hill Records; the company was named after the culturally rich
Sugar Hill area of Harlem, an affluent African American neighborhood in
New York City; this neighborhood is well-known as a hub for top artists
and performers from the early and mid-1900s; and
WHEREAS, Sylvia Robinson was credited as a guiding force behind Grand-
master Flash & the Furious Five's most successful single, "The Message",
which is acknowledged as the rap song that brought socially conscious
lyrics into hip-hop; and
WHEREAS, By commercializing the market for rap records, Sylvia Robin-
son was recognized as the mother of modern hip-hop; the hip-hop song
"Rapper's Delight" brought rap into the public music arena, and revolu-
tionized the music industry as it introduced the idea of using existing
compositions on other records, a practice that later became known as
"sampling"; and
WHEREAS, Sylvia Robinson distinguished herself in her profession and
by her sincere dedication and substantial contribution to the welfare of
her community; and
WHEREAS, Armed with a humanistic spirit, imbued with a sense of
compassion, Sylvia Robinson leaves behind a legacy which will long
endure the passage of time and will remain as a comforting memory to all
she served and befriended; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
mourn the death of Sylvia Robinson, founder/CEO of Sugar Hill Records;
and be it further
RESOLVED, That copies of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be tran-
smitted to the family of Sylvia Robinson and the Hip-Hop Museum.