Big Bank Hank
Encyclopedia
Big Bank Hank is an American old school
rapper
. Also known as Imp the Dimp, he is a member of The Sugarhill Gang
, the first hip hop
act to have a hit single, "Rapper's Delight
".
, New York City
. He graduated from Bronx Community College
with an A.S. degree in Oceanography
. While attending college, he won several championships in wrestling
. After graduating from college, Hank found it very hard to attain a position in oceanography, so he worked at a pizzeria. He did his job so well that when the owner of the shop expanded his business to Englewood
, New Jersey
, he brought Hank over to head the Crispy Crust store, where Hank was later discovered. Hank was 22 years old at the time when the Sugarhill Gang's self-titled album
was released.
Hank's act is known for his competition with the comic book superhero Superman
. His verse depicts him meeting Lois Lane
and convincing her to drop her boyfriend, Superman. Says Hank: "He's a fairy, I do suppose, flying through the air in panty hose...He can't satisfy you with his little worm, but I can bust you out with my super sperm". In his three sections of the song, Hank uses his well-known chant: "Ho-tel, Mo-tel, what you gonna do today (say what)/I'm gonna get a fly girl, gonna get some spank n' drive off in a def O.J." (An "O.J." refers to a luxury American car, such as a Lincoln Continental. The reference is from popular TV commercials of the 1970s where NFL running back
O.J. Simpson was the spokesperson for Hertz
's rental cars.)
, a rapper under Hank's management who also went by the name of Casanova Fly, wrote the lines. His first line of the song "check it out, i'm the c-a-s-an-the-o-v-a and the rest is f-l-y" adds a lot of weight to this argument.
Busta Rhymes
' breakout single "Woo-Hah!! Got you all in check" samples Hank's line in the 1981 hit "Eighth Wonder". "See it's up my back, it's around my neck, Woo-hah!! Got them all in check."
The song "Big Bank Hank" is currently featured on a commercial for the Amazon Kindle. Mr. Jackson also did the chorus background voices for the lovable characters in the first Gremlins movie.
Old school hip hop
Old school hip hop describes the earliest commercially recorded hip hop music , and the music in the period preceding it from which it was directly descended . Old school hip hop is said to end around 1983 or 1984 with the emergence of Run–D.M.C., the first new school hip hop group...
rapper
Rapping
Rapping refers to "spoken or chanted rhyming lyrics". The art form can be broken down into different components, as in the book How to Rap where it is separated into “content”, “flow” , and “delivery”...
. Also known as Imp the Dimp, he is a member of The Sugarhill Gang
The Sugarhill Gang
The Sugarhill Gang is an American hip hop group, known mostly for their 1979 hit, "Rapper's Delight", the first hip hop single to become a Top 40 hit. The song uses the instrumental track from the classic hit "Good Times" by Chic as its foundation....
, the first hip hop
Hip hop
Hip hop is a form of musical expression and artistic culture that originated in African-American and Latino communities during the 1970s in New York City, specifically the Bronx. DJ Afrika Bambaataa outlined the four pillars of hip hop culture: MCing, DJing, breaking and graffiti writing...
act to have a hit single, "Rapper's Delight
Rapper's Delight
"Rapper's Delight" is a 1979 single by American hip hop trio The Sugarhill Gang. While it was not the first single to feature rapping, it is generally considered to be the song that first popularized hip hop in the United States and around the world. The song's opening lyric "I said a hip hop, a...
".
Biography
Hank was born in the BronxThe Bronx
The Bronx is the northernmost of the five boroughs of New York City. It is also known as Bronx County, the last of the 62 counties of New York State to be incorporated...
, New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. He graduated from Bronx Community College
Bronx Community College
The Bronx Community College of The City University of New York is a community college in the City University of New York system located in the University Heights neighborhood of The Bronx.- History :...
with an A.S. degree in Oceanography
Oceanography
Oceanography , also called oceanology or marine science, is the branch of Earth science that studies the ocean...
. While attending college, he won several championships in wrestling
Wrestling
Wrestling is a form of grappling type techniques such as clinch fighting, throws and takedowns, joint locks, pins and other grappling holds. A wrestling bout is a physical competition, between two competitors or sparring partners, who attempt to gain and maintain a superior position...
. After graduating from college, Hank found it very hard to attain a position in oceanography, so he worked at a pizzeria. He did his job so well that when the owner of the shop expanded his business to Englewood
Englewood, New Jersey
Englewood is a city located in Bergen County, New Jersey. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city had a total population of 27,147.Englewood was incorporated as a city by an Act of the New Jersey Legislature on March 17, 1899, from portions of Ridgefield Township and the remaining portions of...
, New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
, he brought Hank over to head the Crispy Crust store, where Hank was later discovered. Hank was 22 years old at the time when the Sugarhill Gang's self-titled album
Sugarhill Gang (album)
The album was released in 1980 for Sugarhill Records and was produced by Sylvia Robinson. The single "Rapper's Delight" was a #36 hit on the US pop chart and a #4 hit on the R&B chart...
was released.
Hank's act is known for his competition with the comic book superhero Superman
Superman
Superman is a fictional comic book superhero appearing in publications by DC Comics, widely considered to be an American cultural icon. Created by American writer Jerry Siegel and Canadian-born American artist Joe Shuster in 1932 while both were living in Cleveland, Ohio, and sold to Detective...
. His verse depicts him meeting Lois Lane
Lois Lane
Lois Lane is a fictional character, the primary love interest of Superman in the comic books of DC Comics. Created by writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster, she first appeared in Action Comics #1 ....
and convincing her to drop her boyfriend, Superman. Says Hank: "He's a fairy, I do suppose, flying through the air in panty hose...He can't satisfy you with his little worm, but I can bust you out with my super sperm". In his three sections of the song, Hank uses his well-known chant: "Ho-tel, Mo-tel, what you gonna do today (say what)/I'm gonna get a fly girl, gonna get some spank n' drive off in a def O.J." (An "O.J." refers to a luxury American car, such as a Lincoln Continental. The reference is from popular TV commercials of the 1970s where NFL running back
Running back
A running back is a gridiron football position, who is typically lined up in the offensive backfield. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback for a rushing play, to catch passes from out of the backfield, and to block.There are usually one or two running...
O.J. Simpson was the spokesperson for Hertz
Hertz
The hertz is the SI unit of frequency defined as the number of cycles per second of a periodic phenomenon. One of its most common uses is the description of the sine wave, particularly those used in radio and audio applications....
's rental cars.)
Recognition
In the years following the release of "Rapper's Delight", many of the pioneers of the New York City hip hop community have claimed that Grandmaster CazGrandmaster Caz
Curtis Fisher , better known by his stage name Grandmaster Caz or Cassanova Fly is an American "Old Skool" rapper, MC, and DJ...
, a rapper under Hank's management who also went by the name of Casanova Fly, wrote the lines. His first line of the song "check it out, i'm the c-a-s-an-the-o-v-a and the rest is f-l-y" adds a lot of weight to this argument.
Busta Rhymes
Busta Rhymes
Trevor Tahiem Smith, Jr., better known by his stage name Busta Rhymes ,Smith is an American rapper, producer and actor. Chuck D of Public Enemy gave him the alias Busta Rhymes after NFL wide receiver George "Buster" Rhymes...
' breakout single "Woo-Hah!! Got you all in check" samples Hank's line in the 1981 hit "Eighth Wonder". "See it's up my back, it's around my neck, Woo-hah!! Got them all in check."
The song "Big Bank Hank" is currently featured on a commercial for the Amazon Kindle. Mr. Jackson also did the chorus background voices for the lovable characters in the first Gremlins movie.