Sylvia Robinson

Sylvia Robinson
Robinson in 1976
Background information
Birth name	Sylvia Vanterpool
Also known as	Little Sylvia Sylvia Sylvia Vanderpool Sylvia Robbins Mother of Hip Hop[1]
Born	(1935-05-29)May 29, 1935[2][3][4] Manhattan, New York City, U.S.
Origin	Englewood, New Jersey, U.S.
Died	September 29, 2011(2011-09-29) (aged 76)[5] Secaucus, New Jersey, U.S.
Genres	Blues R&B rock soul funk disco hip hop
Occupations	Singer record producer
Instruments	Vocals guitar synthesizer
Years active	1950–2011
Labels	Savoy Columbia Jubilee Cat Groove Rainbow RCA Vik Willow Records King All Platinum Stang Vibration Sugar Hill
Spouse	Joseph Robinson Sr. ​ ​ (m. 1959, divorced)​

Sylvia Robinson (née Vanterpool; May 29, 1935^[2][3][4][6] – September 29, 2011), known mononymously as Sylvia, was an American singer and record producer. Robinson achieved success as a performer on two R&B chart toppers: as half of Mickey & Sylvia with the 1957 single "Love Is Strange", and her solo record "Pillow Talk" in 1973. She later became known for her work as founder and CEO of the pioneering hip hop label Sugar Hill Records.^[7]

Robinson is credited as the driving force behind two landmark singles in the hip hop genre: "Rapper's Delight" (1979) by the Sugarhill Gang,^[8] and "The Message" (1982) by Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five, both of which she produced. At the 11th Annual Rhythm and Blues Awards Gala in 2000, she received a Pioneer Award for her career in singing and for founding Sugarhill Records.^[9] Several publications have dubbed her the "Mother of Hip Hop". In 2022, she was posthumously inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in the Ahmet Ertegun Award category for being a major influence on the creative development of hip-hop's early successes,^[10] and she is the first woman to receive the award unaccompanied by another person.