That’s the Joint

It was recorded at Sugar Hill Recording Studio in Englewood, New Jersey, with Clifton “Jiggs” Chase handling the arrangement and Sylvia Robinson and Jigsaw Inc. credited as producers. The record features Funky 4 + 1’s full vocal line-up on a Sugar Hill-era early hip-hop production. It became Funky 4 + 1’s signature record and one of the defining early rap singles, praised at release for its rhythmic drive and group interplay. It helped establish Sugar Hill Records as a major force in early commercial hip-hop. The track remained a reference point for old-school hip-hop, later appearing on influential greatest-songs lists and being sampled by later artists including De La Soul and the Beastie Boys. It is still cited as a foundational rap record.