(AllHipHop News) Earlier this week, Ice-T and Mickey Benston revealed the lineup for their “The Art of Rap Festival,” which is slated to begin this July in Dallas, Texas.
It seems that fans welcomed everyone on the bill, which includes Public Enemy, Mobb Deep, The Sugarhill Gang, Naughty By Nature, Kurtis Blow, Grandmaster Melle Mel and Scorpio (from The Furious 5), Ice-T and EPMD, amongst others.
The inclusion of The Sugarhill Gang has raised some concerns from possible concertgoers, thanks to years of imposters using the name as well as legal wrangling over the usage in court.
The group has come to a legal agreement and has the rights to the name again according to founding member Master G the feud is over.
“What needed to be done was done. Yes we are the original group that performed recorded and wrote the songs that made our group famous” Master G. told AllHipHop.com. “And with respect we are the one and only Sugarhill Gang.
According to “The Art of Rap Festival” creator Mickey Benston, it is really the original surviving members of the seminal group The Sugarhill Gang: Wonder Mike and Master G.
“This is the original group called the Sugarhill Gang With Wonder Mike And Master G,” “The Art of Rap” Founder Mick Benston told AllHipHop.com. “R.I.P Big Bank Hank. He is the only member not on stage. He is replaced with HEN DOG. And yes, there once was a group out before using the name. Now come see the group that was on the original recording ‘Rapper’s Delight.’. The real Sugarhill gang.”
Prior to his passing in July of 2015 at the age of 53, Sugarhill Records owner Joey Robinson Jr. had been adopting the name and touring as The Sugarhill Gang, with a revolving cast of characters.
The dispute over “Sugarhill” name was even the subject of the 2011 documentary “I Want My Name Back.”
But the new CEO of Sugarhill Records Mr. Leland Robinson also confirmed the dispute is over.
“With the passing of one of my friends big Bank Hank I made up my mind to respectfully work with the original Sugarhill Gang, Wonder Mike and Master G. “Because in my heart that was the best thing for me to do the original Sugarhill Gang. [They are] back and using their name.”
Because of the past controversy, “The Art of Rap Festival,” Co-Founder Ice-T reassured anyone buying tickets that they would see no less than the first rappers who took Hip-Hop into the mainstream in 1979 with “Rapper’s Delight.”
“I would not have it any other way without the original Sugarhill Gang,” Ice-T told AllHipHop.com. “Wonder Mike And Master Gee with their new edition, Hen Dog.”
“The Art of Rap Festival,” which was created Mickey Bentson of Pay Up Management, is sponsored by SiriusXM and its “Backspin” Hip-Hop channel.
