Sylvia - It's Good to Be the Queen

The 50 Best Rap Singles of 1982: Sylvia

As the “queen” of Sugar Hill Records, Sylvia's sense of musicality makes this disco-fried parody of Mel Brooks superior to the original.

Sylvia
“It’s Good to Be the Queen” (Sugar Hill)

Before Sean “Puffy” Combs and other rap executives elbowed their way into the spotlight, there was Sylvia Robinson. But at least the “queen” of Sugar Hill Records had a lengthy career as a performer before launching the first hip-hop label, and her innate sense of musicality helps make this disco-fried parody of Mel Brooks’ novelty rap “It’s Good to Be the King” superior to the original. “This rapping is a sho nuff treasure,” she says, tossing in plenty of kitschy “oohs” and “aahs” to boot. “What it is is what it is.”

Read More: The 50 Best Rap Singles of 1982

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MIKE, Burning Desire

November 9, 2023

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Shabazz Palaces, Robed in Rareness

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