BBC looks back over 30 years of hip hop and Sugarhill

It's been 30 years since The Sugarhill Gang transformed hip hop from a musical upstart into a chart-topping genre, with their hit single 'Rapper's Delight. To mark this auspicious occasion, the BBC has pulled together a great feature on the impact that hip hop has had in the US, the UK and around the world.

While all the pieces are of interest, it's the spotlight on the US - and in particular the Bronx, the birthplace of hip hop - that really hits the nail on the head.

For the State-side section, the BBC's Alexis Akwagyiram tracks down New York City-based photographer Joe Conzo (pictured, below right), whom the New York Times has labelled as "the man who took hip-hop's baby pictures", to wax lyrical on the effect that hip hop has had on New York and wider American society.

In an article and video interview, Conzo - who has released a book of his photos, the excellent Born in The Bronx - offers his two cents worth on a range of subjects, including the early days of hip hop, and how he got his start shooting the genre's rising stars (with a camera of course - easy now) after two high school friends from pioneering group The Cold Crush Brothers invited him to an early gig.

Conzo also takes the Beeb on a tour of some significant spots in hip hop history, including 1520 Sedgwick Avenue in the Bronx, where Kool Herc planted the seeds of the hip hop movement through his legendary block parties.

Conzo doesn't get all gusy for 'Rapper's Delight's 30th birthday, though; instead, he offers a very frank opinion of the group behind hip hop's first hit record. "The Sugarhill Gang had no respect in the streets," he tells the BBC, "because they were a nobody group put together by Sugarhill Records." There you have it, folks. Hip hop has never really been a place for people who mince their words, has it?

The BBC's coverage also includes an interview with Master Gee and Wonder Mike from The Sugarhill Gang, and a clip where Yale University students discuss why they're studying hip hop in school.

Visit the BBC website to read/view the coverage.