Ghost Town DJ's

Last updated
Ghost Town DJ's
Origin Atlanta, Georgia
Genres
Years active1995–1997
Labels
Past members
  • DJ Demp
  • Rodney Terry
  • Greg Street
  • Kito

Ghost Town DJ's (often stylized as Ghostown DJs) was an American hip-hop group from Atlanta, Georgia whose members consisted of Dj DEMP, Rodney Terry, Greg Street and Kito, which recorded the 1996 hit single, "My Boo". The song was influenced by Miami bass and was a big hit on Miami's Y100 and Power 96. In early 2016, the song became a viral meme called the "Running Man Challenge", which first emerged on Vine.

Contents

Formation and recording of My Boo

Rodney Terry founded the group, inspired by the Miami bass genre that was popular during the 1980s. Originally, an artist named Akema Johnson-Day was slated to provide lead vocals for the song with Virgo Williams on background vocals, however, when a scheduling conflict prevented Akema from taking part in the production, Virgo Williams’ vocals became the lead vocals. Lil Jon was an A&R director for So So Def at the time and is noted as the executive producer of the song. Rodney Terry and Carl Mahone co-produced it, and it was the second version of the beat currently used in the song. [1]

Name

The name was based upon Luther Campbell aka Luke Skyywalker's Ghetto Style DJs, a Miami based DJ crew that was popular in the 1980s. Taking his inspiration from them, Terry chose the name, Ghost Town DJ's, which implies the term "ghost town" meaning to be heard and not seen. It is the reason why the group's members are never seen, but are enjoying the group's music. A matter of contention has been the misspelling of the name Ghostown DJ's with one T vs Ghost Town DJs which the group has been trying to correct for the past 22 years. [1]

Discography

Compilation albums

Singles

List of singles, with selected chart positions, showing year released and album name
TitleYearPeak chart positionsAlbum
US
US
R&B
US
Pop

[2]
US
Rhy

[3]
AUS
NZ
"My Boo"19962714162263So So Def Bass All-Stars

Related Research Articles

House is a music genre characterized by a repetitive four-on-the-floor beat and a typical tempo of 120 beats per minute. It was created by DJs and music producers from Chicago's underground club culture in the early/mid 1980s, as DJs began altering disco songs to give them a more mechanical beat.

Miami bass is a subgenre of hip hop music that became popular in the 1980s and 1990s. The use of drums from the Roland TR-808, sustained kick drum, heavy bass, raised dance tempos, and frequently sexually explicit lyrical content differentiate it from other hip hop subgenres. Music author Richie Unterberger has characterized Miami bass as using rhythms with a "stop-start flavor" and "hissy" cymbals with lyrics that "reflected the language of the streets, particularly Miami's historically black neighborhoods such as Liberty City, Goulds, and Overtown".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sweet Home Alabama</span> 1974 single by Lynyrd Skynyrd

"Sweet Home Alabama" is a song by American rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd, released on the band's second album Second Helping (1974). It was written in response to Neil Young's 1970 song "Southern Man", which the band felt blamed the entire South for American slavery; Young is name-checked and dissed in the lyrics. It reached number eight on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in 1974, becoming the band's highest-charting single.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lil Jon</span> American rapper (born 1971)

Jonathan H. Smith, better known by his stage name Lil Jon, is an American rapper, producer and former frontman of the rap group Lil Jon & the East Side Boyz. He was instrumental in the emergence of the hip hop subgenre crunk, and is credited with bringing the genre into mainstream success. Lil Jon frequently collaborates with Miami-based rapper Pitbull, Bay Area-based rappers Too Short and E-40. He participates as one-third of an unofficial trio consisting of Atlanta-based artists Ludacris and Usher who frequently create songs together.

<i>In the Spirit of Things</i> 1988 studio album by Kansas

In the Spirit of Things is the eleventh studio album by American rock band Kansas, released in 1988. It is a very loosely organized concept album, telling the story of a flood hitting the real Kansas city of Neosho Falls in 1951. It is the first Kansas album since 1975's Masque to lack a hit single.

<i>Quality</i> (Talib Kweli album) 2002 studio album by Talib Kweli

Quality is the debut studio album by American rapper Talib Kweli. The album was released on November 19, 2002, by Rawkus Records. It received wide critical acclaim and had some commercial appeal from the song "Get By", produced by Kanye West. Kludge magazine included it on their list of best albums of 2002.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ghost Town (The Specials song)</span> The Specials song

"Ghost Town" is a song by the British two-tone band the Specials, released on 12 June 1981. The song spent three weeks at number one and 11 weeks in total in the top 40 of the UK Singles Chart.

A drop or beat drop in music, made popular by electronic dance music (EDM) styles, is a point in a music track where a sudden change of rhythm or bass line occurs, which is preceded by a build-up section and break.

Electronic dance music (EDM), also known as dance music, club music, or simply dance, is a broad range of percussive electronic music genres made largely for nightclubs, raves, and festivals. It is generally produced for playback by DJs who create seamless selections of tracks, called a DJ mix, by segueing from one recording to another. EDM producers also perform their music live in a concert or festival setting in what is sometimes called a live PA.

Young Black Teenagers (YBT) was an American hip hop group from Long Island, New York that consisted of ATA, First Born, Tommy Never, Kamron, and DJ Skribble. Despite their name, none of the group's members were black.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">My Boo (Ghost Town DJ's song)</span> 1996 single by Ghost Town DJs

"My Boo" is the only single released by Ghost Town DJ's. It was released on Jermaine Dupri's So So Def label and Columbia. The song, an invite by a female to a male, blends R&B-style vocals over a bass beat. It was written by Carlton Mahone and Rodney Terry, with lead vocals sung by Virgo Williams. The song peaked at number 31 on the US Billboard Hot 100 on its initial release in 1996. In 2016, the song was re-popularized by the "Running Man Challenge" and re-entered the Hot 100, achieving a new peak of number 27 twenty years after its original release. "My Boo" was also a big hit in New Zealand, where it peaked at number three in October 1996.

The music of Miami is a diverse and important field in the world of music. The Greater Miami area has long been a hub for diverse musical genres. For example, South Florida has been a hub for Southern Rap. Miami, in particular, is a "hub" for Latin Music in the United States. Miami bass, a prominent hip-hop genre in the late 1980s and early 1990s, got its start in Miami; Luther "Luke Skyywalker" Campbell and his 2 Live Crew were among the more prominent Miami Bass acts, largely because of an obscenity scandal fomented by Broward County, Florida Sheriff Nick Navarro. Moreover, although not a South Florida native, Jimmy Buffett rose to prominence after moving to Key West, Florida and has long been associated with the "South Florida lifestyle". Other notable South Florida-based musical performers include Gloria Estefan, Marilyn Manson, Mental Crutch, Leslie Grace, Tony Succar, Vanilla Ice, DJ Laz, and Pitbull.

Platnum are a British bassline vocal group from Manchester, England, consisting of male vocalist Aaron Evers and female vocalists Mina Poli and Michelle McKenna. The trio are best known for providing the vocals on H "Two" O's 2008 single, "What's It Gonna Be?", which reached number two in the UK Singles Chart in February 2008. Platnum, who formed around 2004, have worked with DJs Jamie Duggan and Q as well as producers Virgo, H "Two" O and Nastee Boi.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sebastian Ingrosso</span> Swedish DJ and music producer (born 1983)

Sebastian Carmine Ingrosso is a Swedish DJ and music producer. He is also a member of the Swedish House Mafia, together with friends Axwell and Steve Angello.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Axwell</span> Swedish DJ, remixer and record producer (born 1977)

Axel Christofer Hedfors, better known by his stage name Axwell, is a Swedish DJ, record producer, remixer and owner of Axtone Records. He is a member of Swedish House Mafia along with Sebastian Ingrosso and Steve Angello. He is a two-time DJ Awards winner, and in 2013 he was placed 19th on the DJ Magazine Top 100 DJ Poll.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Body Party</span> 2013 single by Ciara

"Body Party" is a song recorded by American singer-songwriter Ciara for her self-titled fifth studio album, Ciara (2013). It was written by Ciara, Jasper Cameron, Nayvadius "Future" Wilburn, Michael Williams, Pierre Ramon Slaughter, Carlton Mahone, Rodney Terry, and was produced by Mike Will Made It. The song premiered on March 4, 2013, via Billboard.com and was released as a digital download on March 8, 2013, as the lead single of her fifth album. Epic Records serviced the single to Rhythmic contemporary radio in the United States on April 9, 2013. Musically, "Body Party" is a down-tempo R&B song that samples "My Boo" by Ghost Town DJ's.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tchami</span> French DJ (born 1985)

Martin Joseph Léonard Bresso, better known by his stage name Tchami, is a French record producer and DJ from Paris. A founding member of the Pardon My French collective, he is best known for his solo work and regarded as a pioneer of the future house genre alongside Dutch DJs Oliver Heldens Don Diablo and Zaky Geno.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Superlove (Tinashe song)</span> 2016 single by Tinashe

"Superlove" is a song recorded by American singer Tinashe. The song was released by RCA Records on July 15, 2016. It was co-written and produced by Tricky Stewart and The-Dream.

Youtha Anthony Fowler, better known by his stage name DJ Nabs, is an American DJ and record producer. He has been part of the Atlanta hip hop scene since the late 1980s and worked with hip hop artists such as Kris Kross, Da Brat, Bow Wow, Xscape, Speech, and Trick Daddy, hosted several radio shows, and toured with Mariah Carey, Ciara and Michael Jackson. He published his compilation album In the Lab with DJ Nabs - The Live Album in 1998. Nabs founded the MAD DJ Academy, and hosted and co-created Ultimate Mad DJ Contest, an event showcasing emerging DJs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rushing Back</span> 2019 single by Flume featuring Vera Blue

"Rushing Back" is a song by Australian electronic musician Flume featuring Australian singer/songwriter Vera Blue. It was released on 27 September 2019 via Future Classic. The track was first premiered on radio Triple J on 26 September 2019 after being performed live for the first time during Flume's Osheaga Festival set in August. "Rushing Back" reached a new peak of number 8 on the ARIA Singles Chart in the week after Triple J's Hottest 100 of 2019 aired, where it was voted in second place. The song features on FIFA 20.

References

  1. 1 2 "Heard and Unseen: The Oral History of Ghost Town DJ's 'My Boo' | SPIN". 2016-05-26. Retrieved 2016-07-20.
  2. "Ghost Town DJ's - Chart history - Billboard". Billboard . Retrieved 1 July 2016.
  3. "Ghost Town DJ's - Chart history - Billboard". Billboard . Retrieved 1 July 2016.