Gauntlet Gallery — Shepard Fairey Print Index
Sugar Hill Gang
About This Print
The Sugarhill Gang came out with “Rapper’s Delight” in 1979, the first hip-hop single to crack the Top 40. I was commissioned to do this poster by Warner Brothers and the promoter of the party (at the 2004 South by Southwest Music Festival in Austin, Texas), and because their graphic design budget was so slim I asked if I could use the artwork for posters to sell on my website. About a year and a half later, I got a letter from Sugarhill Records’ lawyer threatening to sue me over this poster, which I had permission to do, though they denied any knowledge of it. As it turned out, they just liked the design and wanted to use it, and the only way to force me to let them use it was by suing me, even though I would have (and ultimately did) let them use it anyway.
Market Context
- Liquidity & sales volume. Our liquidity rating reflects sales velocity — the number of recorded comparable sales and how recent they are. Extremely Rare means we hold no recorded public sales at or above $90 for this piece, so no market value is estimated.
- Not financial or investment advice. Provided for collector reference only; not an appraisal, offer, or solicitation, and not a guarantee of value. Art is volatile and illiquid. Do your own research; use is subject to our Terms & Conditions.
