Guy Anthony O'Brien is an American rapper known by the
stage name
A stage name is a pseudonym used by performers and entertainers—such as actors, comedians, singers, and musicians. Such professional aliases are adopted for a wide variety of reasons and they may be similar, or nearly identical, to an individu ...
Master Gee. He is a founding member of the hip hop group
The Sugarhill Gang
The Sugarhill Gang is an American hip hop trio. Their 1979 hit "Rapper's Delight" was the first rap single to become a top 40 hit on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100; reaching a peak position of number 36 on January 12, 1980. This was the trio's onl ...
. On the band's signature song, "
Rapper's Delight
"Rapper's Delight" is a 1979 hip-hop track by the Sugarhill Gang, produced by Sylvia Robinson. Although it was shortly preceded by the Fatback Band's "King Tim III (Personality Jock)", "Rapper's Delight" is credited for introducing hip-hop mus ...
", he raps, "I said M-A-S, T-E-R, a G with a double E, I said I go by the unforgettable name of the man they call the Master Gee". He was 17 at the time of recording the song, alluded to by the lyric, "I guess by now you can take a hunch, and find that I am the baby of the bunch".
Biography
O'Brien grew up in
Teaneck, New Jersey
Teaneck () is a Township (New Jersey), township in Bergen County, New Jersey, Bergen County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. It is a bedroom community in the New York metropolitan area. As of the 2010 United States census, 2010 U.S. census, th ...
, where at an early age he was exposed to a steady stream of
doo wop
Doo-wop (also spelled doowop and doo wop) is a genre of rhythm and blues music that originated in African-American communities during the 1940s, mainly in the large cities of the United States, including New York, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Chica ...
and
rhythm and blues
Rhythm and blues, frequently abbreviated as R&B or R'n'B, is a genre of popular music that originated in African-American communities in the 1940s. The term was originally used by record companies to describe recordings marketed predominantly ...
, and established himself as an energetic emcee in the pioneering Phase 2 hip-hop crew. During the early infancy of the commercial
hip-hop movement in 1979, Master Gee,
Big Bank Hank and
Wonder Mike
Michael Anthony Wright (born April 30, 1957), known professionally as Wonder Mike, is an American old-school rapper and former member of the Sugarhill Gang. The group was part of the African-American hip hop movement in the 1970s and 1980s.
...
were discovered by producer
Sylvia Robinson
Sylvia Robinson (née Vanderpool; May 29, 1935 – September 29, 2011) was an American singer, record producer, and record label executive. Robinson achieved success as a performer on two R&B chart toppers: as half of Mickey & Sylvia with ...
and brought together to form
The Sugarhill Gang
The Sugarhill Gang is an American hip hop trio. Their 1979 hit "Rapper's Delight" was the first rap single to become a top 40 hit on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100; reaching a peak position of number 36 on January 12, 1980. This was the trio's onl ...
.
O'Brien stepped away from
Sugar Hill Records
Sugar Hill Records is an American bluegrass and Americana record label.
It was founded in Durham, North Carolina in 1978 by Barry Poss and David Freeman, the owner of County Records and Rebel Records. Poss acquired full control of Sugar Hil ...
in 1984, and established himself as a successful entrepreneur in the magazine industry. During the group's departure from the label, Joey Robinson Jr., son of Sugar Hill producer
Sylvia Robinson
Sylvia Robinson (née Vanderpool; May 29, 1935 – September 29, 2011) was an American singer, record producer, and record label executive. Robinson achieved success as a performer on two R&B chart toppers: as half of Mickey & Sylvia with ...
, used the stage name Master Gee. O'Brien and Wonder Mike went to court over the use of the group's name and stage names
as documented in the film, ''I Want My Name Back''.
In 2014, name usage was amicably resolved, and Master Gee has since re-emerged as a mainstay in the hip hop community and music industry.
He currently lives in the Washington, D.C. area, and actively performs worldwide with
The Sugarhill Gang
The Sugarhill Gang is an American hip hop trio. Their 1979 hit "Rapper's Delight" was the first rap single to become a top 40 hit on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100; reaching a peak position of number 36 on January 12, 1980. This was the trio's onl ...
and as a solo DJ.
References
External links
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Gee, Master
American rappers
People from Teaneck, New Jersey
The Sugarhill Gang members
Living people
1960s births
Year of birth uncertain
21st-century American rappers