"Square Biz" | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Single by Teena Marie | ||||
from the album It Must Be Magic | ||||
B-side | "Opus III (Does Anybody Care)" | |||
Released | 1981 | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 6:26 | |||
Label | Gordy | |||
Songwriter(s) | Teena Marie, Allen McGrier | |||
Producer(s) | Teena Marie | |||
Teena Marie singles chronology | ||||
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"Square Biz" is a 1981 song by American R&B singer, Teena Marie. Bass player and frequent collaborator Allen McGrier is credited as the co-writer along with Marie. The song was released as a single from the album It Must Be Magic , and became one of Marie's signature songs. The song includes a rap break, an unusual feature at the time.
In 2002, a new version of this song, titled "Hollywood Square Biz", was used as the theme to the popular game show Hollywood Squares when it was known as H2 at the time from 2002 to 2004. [3]
In 2000 "Crip Hop" (Tha Eastsidaz featuring Snoop Dogg). Baby Boy soundtrack containing hip-hop and R&B music was released by Universal Records on June 19, 2001
In 2002, En Vogue performed a cover of the song on their concert DVD, Live in the USA.
Missy Elliott uses an interpolation of a verse from Square Biz in Ciara's 2004 hit single, "1, 2 Step". [4]
The Firm's "Firm Biz" contains a sample based on the song featuring Dawn Robinson from their first and only album The Album in 1997.
The song managed to peak at #3 on Billboard's R&B Charts, becoming Marie's highest peak on the chart at the time. The song managed to peak at #12 on Billboard's Club Play Singles, while performing moderately on Billboard's Pop Singles, peaking only at #50, becoming her second single to chart on the Pop Singles chart.
Chart (1981) | Peak position |
---|---|
US Billboard Hot 100 [5] | 50 |
US Dance Club Songs ( Billboard ) [6] | 12 |
US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs ( Billboard ) [7] | 3 |
Mary Christine Brockert, known professionally as Teena Marie, was an American R&B and soul singer, songwriter, musician, composer, and producer. She was known by her childhood nickname Tina before taking the stage name Teena Marie and later acquired the nickname Lady T, given to her by her collaborator and friend Rick James.
Street Songs is the fifth studio album by American musician Rick James, released in April 1981 on Gordy Records. It contained two of James's biggest hits: the singles "Give It to Me Baby" and "Super Freak".
"1, 2 Step" is a song by American singer Ciara featuring American rapper Missy Elliott. Written alongside producer Jazze Pha, it was released on November 1, 2004 as the second single of the former's debut studio album, Goodies. In the United States. It peaked within the top 10 of the charts in several countries worldwide, including Germany, New Zealand and the United Kingdom. The song is heavily inspired by 1980s electro music production. Throughout the song, Ciara gives a description of how the song's beat feels as she exhorts party-goers to dance to the music. "1, 2 Step" was ranked 59th on Billboard's Top 100 Songs of the 2000s. In the United States, the song peaked at number two on the Billboard Hot 100 and stayed there for seven weeks.
The Album is the only studio album by American hip hop supergroup The Firm. It was released on October 21, 1997, by Aftermath Entertainment and Interscope Records. The project was created by rapper Nas, his manager Steve Stoute and producers Dr. Dre and Trackmasters, who came up with the idea of forming a hip hop supergroup. The original line-up included Nas, AZ, Foxy Brown and Cormega who were all featured on the song "Affirmative Action" from Nas' album It Was Written (1996). However, Cormega later left the group due to artistic differences between him and Nas, as well as contract disagreements with Stoute. He was replaced by Nature prior to recording of the album. The Album is a concept album that revolves around the themes of mafia and "gangsta" lifestyle. The songs on the album were mainly produced by Dr. Dre, Chris "The Glove" Taylor and Trackmasters, and feature guest vocals from Pretty Boy, Wizard, Canibus, Dawn Robinson, Noreaga and Half-a-Mill.
"I'm Sprung" is the debut single written, produced, and performed by American singer T-Pain from his debut album, Rappa Ternt Sanga (2005). The song is dedicated to his wife, Amber. T-Pain thanked DJ Felli Fel for being the first person to play the song on the radio.
"Ooo La La La" is a single by American R&B singer Teena Marie, which was released in 1988 and is featured on her album Naked to the World, released during the same year. The single became Teena Marie's biggest hit on the R&B chart. "Ooo La La La" peaked at number one on the Billboard R&B chart, and Marie's only number-one single on that chart. It peaked at number 85 on the Billboard Hot 100.
"Oh Boy" is a 2002 Grammy-nominated hip hop single by Cam'ron from his album Come Home with Me, and features Juelz Santana. The single was released through Jay-Z's Roc-A-Fella Records and Cam'ron's Diplomats Records.
"You" is a song by American R&B artist Lloyd featuring rapper Lil Wayne, and was produced by Big Reese and Jasper Cameron for Lloyd's second studio album, Street Love. It was recorded in the producer's basement. It is the first official single off the album. Lloyd himself has reported that he leaked the song to an Atlanta radio station to receive airplay. Originally, the song featured Atlanta rapper Tango Redd, but he was replaced with Lil Wayne for the official release. The song features an interpolation of Spandau Ballet's song "True". On February 17, 2007, "You" became Lloyd's first and Lil Wayne's second top-ten single on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100, charting at number nine. The song reached number one on the US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart in February 2007, becoming both Lloyd and Lil Wayne's first number-one single on this chart. On the UK Singles Chart, the single debuted on May 28, 2007, at number sixty-six on download sales alone, and moved up to number forty-five.
"Vapors" is a song co-written and performed by American hip hop musician Biz Markie, issued as the fifth single from his debut studio album Goin' Off. The song peaked at #80 on the Billboard R&B chart in 1988.
"Firm Biz" is the first and only single by the hip hop supergroup The Firm from their singular collaborative LP The Album. The song was produced by L.E.S, who based the song's track on a sample of Teena Marie's 1981 hit "Square Biz". "Firm Biz" also features a chorus performed by former En Vogue singer Dawn Robinson, reworked from the "Square Biz" chorus. AZ raps the first verse of the song, Nas the second, and Foxy Brown the third and final verse. The song did not reach any US chart positions, but was a UK top 20 hit in 1997. A remix of the song was released, featuring a verse from Half-A-Mill and a chorus by Mary J. Blige, replacing Dawn Robinson. The word "feds" is censored in the explicit version, in verse 2, performed by Nas, when he raps "Never that though Black .4-4's for feds".
The Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart ranks the most popular R&B and hip hop songs in the United States and is published weekly by Billboard. Rankings are based on a measure of radio airplay, sales data, and streaming activity. The chart had 100 positions but was shortened to 50 positions in October 2012.
It Must Be Magic is the fourth studio album by Teena Marie, released on May 14, 1981. It was her last album for Motown and the highest-selling of Marie's tenure with Motown. The album peaked at No. 2 on the US Black Albums chart and No. 23 on the Pop Albums chart.
Congo Square is the thirteenth studio album by American singer and songwriter Teena Marie. Released in the United States on June 9, 2009, it would be her only album for the revived Stax label and the final album released before her death in late December 2010.
Irons in the Fire is the third studio album by American singer-songwriter Teena Marie, released on August 14, 1980, by Motown. Her first self produced effort, it was dedicated to her father, Thomas Leslie Brockert (1919-1976). It received positive reviews on its release. In a 2009 interview she named it as her personal favourite of all her albums.
La Doña is the eleventh studio album by Teena Marie, released on May 11, 2004, on the Cash Money label.
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