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COLUMBIA, S.C. (WIS) - A Columbia man who is a hip-hop legend has received national recognition for his contributions to hip-hop.

Billie Jean Shaw introduces you to George “Sweet G” Godfrey, the latest inductee of the National Hip Hop Museum in Washington, DC.

In the late 1970s, George “Sweet G” Godfrey was helping to build a piece of musical history and didn’t even realize it.

Godfrey was a DJ and booked performances at Club Fever in Bronx, New York. During his time he connected with Kurtis Blow who made one of hip-hop’s most legendary records.

In 1983, George “Sweet G” Godfrey released “Games People Play”, a record produced by Kurtis Blow. At the time of its release, the song was number one on the local radio charts beating out Michael Jackson and New Edition. This was one of the first records to feature singing and rapping influencing the sounds of today’s artists like Lauryn Hill, Nicki Minaj and Drake.

In April, “Sweet G” was inducted into the National Hip Hop Museum in Washington, DC alongside KRS-One, Roxanne Shante and Kurtis Blow. “Sweet G” describes the exciting and unexpected moment with Billie Jean Shaw. He now spends his days singing the National Anthem at the University of South Carolina’s sporting events. Prior to that, Godfrey served as deputy with the Richland County Sheriff’s Department for more than two decades.

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