"Woo-Hah!! Got You All in Check" | ||||
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Single by Busta Rhymes | ||||
from the album The Coming | ||||
B-side |
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Released | January 7, 1996 | |||
Recorded | Summer 1995 | |||
Studio | The Music Palace, New York City | |||
Genre | Hip hop | |||
Length | 4:31 | |||
Label | ||||
Songwriter(s) | ||||
Producer(s) | ||||
Busta Rhymes singles chronology | ||||
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Music video | ||||
"Woo Hah!! Got You All in Check" on YouTube |
"Woo-Hah!! Got You All in Check" is a song by American rapper Busta Rhymes. It was released on January 7, 1996, by Flipmode Entertainment and Elektra Records as his debut solo single and the lead single from his debut studio album, The Coming (1996). The song was both written and produced by Rhymes and Rashad Smith. It contains additional vocals by Flipmode Squad member and Rhymes' cousin Rampage, credited as Rampage the Last Boy Scout. A critical and commercial success, the song peaked at number eight on the US Billboard Hot 100, and also peaked at the same position in the United Kingdom and New Zealand. In the United States, the song was released with several remixes of the song and "Everything Remains Raw", also appearing on The Coming, as its B-side. The single received a nomination for Best Rap Solo Performance at the 39th Grammy Awards, losing to "Hey Lover" by LL Cool J. In addition, its music video, directed by Hype Williams, received a nomination for Breakthrough Video at the 1996 MTV Video Music Awards.
Viewed as a classic, it has since become one of Rhymes' most famous and beloved songs. In 2008, it was ranked number 56 on VH1's "100 Greatest Songs of Hip Hop". [1]
In a studio session with Rampage and record producer Rashad Smith, Smith went through his record collection and found Galt MacDermot's 1968 instrumental song "Space". Rhymes told him that he wanted to use the sample for himself, and to put the record away and save it for him. Eventually Smith and Busta produced the instrumental for the song using the sample, but Rhymes could not come up with any lyrics. However, seven months later, as Rhymes listened to the Sugarhill Gang's 1980 song "8th Wonder", he found new inspiration through the lyric "Woo-Hah! Got them all in check", which he went on to interpolate as part of the chorus. [2]
Rhymes reused parts of the lyrics from a freestyle battle he did in 1994 with rapper Ol' Dirty Bastard, who would later feature on the remix version of the song. [3] While working on the song, Rhymes was also inspired by singer and record producer George Clinton and aesthetic influences from dancehall, reimagining the cadences of toasters he heard growing up in a Jamaican household and a community of Caribbean immigrants. [4]
"Woo-Hah!! Got You All in Check" was composed in 4
4 time and the key of C♯ major, with a tempo of 92 beats per minute. It has a duration time of four minutes and thirty-one seconds. [5] The song features "cleverly-written" lyrics with a "manic delivery" over an "infectious" instrumental. For each of the three verses, the last word in each lyric rhymes with one another. [6]
Furthermore, Rhymes references his then-two year old son T'ziah Wood-Smith. ("Yes, I catch wreck and that's word on my seed"). [4]
Neil Kulkarni from Melody Maker named "Woo-Hah!! Got You All in Check" Single of the Week, writing, "This is getting mad playlisting in the US right now, and it could be the record to bring East Coast hip hop bombing back to the charts over here. Formerly of the wicked Leaders Of The New School, Busta's brilliantly hoarse delivery keeps up an incredible flow on this track, recalling the freestyle genius of Mad Skillz or Lord Finesse. But what makes huge crossover so inevitable is the most insanely catchy cartoon loop and a chorus destines to permanently scar the mind and enter the hip hop lexicon of dancefloor-detonating classics." [7] In December 1996, Melody Maker ranked it number 48 in their list of "Singles of the Year". [8] James Hyman from Music Week's RM Dance Update rated the song five out of five, adding, "Imagine the inane style of Biz Markie mixed up with a pinch of Leaders Of The New School, Ol' Dirty Bastard (who appears on one mix) plus phat production from the likes of DJ Scratch (EPMD) & J.D. (Pharcyde, De La Soul, A Tribe Called Quest, Slum Village) and you simply have the most boisterous, most infectious and freshest rap single of the year." [9] Retrospectively, Daryl McIntosh of Albumism wrote that "Busta Rhymes cemented himself as a household name, by helping to add new dimensions to both the look and sound of hip-hop. […] Busta was even more energetic than we had seen and heard on “Scenario” and the "Flava in Ya Ear" reworking. His rhymes […] jumped through the speakers to connect with listeners, who still regard the rhymes as an all-time go-to quotable." [10]
The official music video for "Woo-Hah!! Got You All in Check" was directed by American director Hype Williams and designed by visual artist and designer Ron Norsworthy. It begins with the first few lyrics and part of the hook of the songs B-side Everything Remains Raw, and features cameos from Spliff Star, Q-Tip and Ali Shaheed Muhammad of A Tribe Called Quest, Consequence, Onyx, and Jam Master Jay. [11] The music video has become one of his most popular and very influential in both the hip hop and pop culture. [12]
Daryl McIntosh of Albumism called the music video "equally entertaining [as the song], as Busta was dressed in bright colors to correspond with vibrant backgrounds, which was a welcome break from the gloomier imagery that prevailed during the 'grimey era'". [10]
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|---|
1. | "Woo-Hah!! Got You All in Check" (Album Radio Edit) | 4:41 | ||
2. | "Woo-Hah!! Got You All in Check (Fila Mix 3)" | 4:55 | ||
3. | "Woo-Hah!! Got You All in Check (The DJ Scratch Albany Projects Remix)" (Radio Edit) | 4:10 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|---|
1. | "Woo-Hah!! Got You All in Check (Origin Unknown Mix)" | 6:44 | ||
2. | "Woo-Hah!! Got You All in Check (Fila Mix 4)" | 6:39 | ||
4. | "Woo-Hah!! Got You All in Check (The Jay-Dee Other Shit Remix)" (Radio Edit) | 4:10 | ||
Total length: | 31:19 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|---|
1. | "Woo-Hah!! Got You All in Check" (Album Version) | 4:40 | ||
2. | "Woo-Hah!! Got You All in Check (The World Wide Remix)" (featuring Ol' Dirty Bastard) | 4:25 | ||
3. | "Woo-Hah!! Got You All in Check (The Jay-Dee Bounce Remix)" | 4:42 | ||
4. | "Woo-Hah!! Got You All in Check (The DJ Scratch Albany Projects Remix)" | 4:48 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|---|
1. | "Everything Remains Raw" (Album Version) | 3:43 | ||
2. | "Woo-Hah!! Got You All in Check (The World Wide Remix)" (Instrumental) | 4:18 | ||
3. | "Woo-Hah!! Got You All in Check (The Jay-Dee Bounce Remix)" (Instrumental) | 4:42 | ||
4. | "Woo-Hah!! Got You All in Check (The Jay-Dee Other Shit Remix)" | 4:42 | ||
5. | "Everything Remains Raw" (Album Version Instrumental) | 2:38 | ||
Total length: | 38:38 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|---|
1. | "Woo-Hah!! Got You All in Check" | 4:40 | ||
2. | "Woo-Hah!! Got You All in Check (The World Wide Remix)" (featuring Ol' Dirty Bastard) | 4:25 | ||
3. | "Woo-Hah!! Got You All in Check (The Jay-Dee Bounce Remix)" | 4:42 | ||
4. | "Woo-Hah!! Got You All in Check (The DJ Scratch Albany Projects Remix)" | 4:48 | ||
5. | "Everything Remains Raw" | 3:43 | ||
6. | "Woo-Hah!! Got You All in Check (The World Wide Remix)" (Instrumental) | 4:18 | ||
7. | "Woo-Hah!! Got You All in Check (The Jay-Dee Bounce Remix)" (Instrumental) | 4:42 | ||
8. | "Woo-Hah!! Got You All in Check (The Jay-Dee Other Shit Remix)" | 4:42 | ||
9. | "Everything Remains Raw" (Instrumental) | 3:37 | ||
Total length: | 39:37 |
"Woo-Hah!! Got You All in Check (The World Wide Remix)" | ||||
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Single by Busta Rhymes featuring Ol' Dirty Bastard | ||||
A-side |
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B-side | ||||
Released | February 27, 1996 | |||
Recorded | 1995–1996 | |||
Studio | The Music Palace, Long Island | |||
Genre | Alternative hip hop | |||
Length | 4:25 | |||
Label | ||||
Songwriter(s) | ||||
Producer(s) | ||||
Busta Rhymes singles chronology | ||||
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Ol' Dirty Bastard singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
Music video | ||||
"Woo Hah!! Got You All in Check (The World Wide Remix)" on YouTube |
"The World Wide Remix" to "Woo-Hah!! Got You All in Check" features American rapper Ol' Dirty Bastard and was released as the B-Side to the United States release of the song. It was written by Busta Rhymes,Ol' Dirty Bastard and Rashad Smith and produced by Rhymes and Smith. It features a new beat and new verses,plus a re-worked chorus. Although the song was originally not included on any album it is part of the 25th Anniversary Super Deluxe Edition of The Coming .
Rhymes and ODB were very close friends and often hung out which led the collaboration to happen naturally. [13] They later went on to collaborate on songs such as Where's Your Money? in 2005 and Slow Flow in 2020,both released posthumously after ODB's death in 2004,with the latter containing sampled vocals from him.
"The World Wide Remix" to "Woo-Hah!! Got You All in Check" was written by its original contributors,Busta Rhymes and Rashad Smith alongside Ol' Dirty Bastard and produced by the first two. It is composed in 4
4 time and the key of C Minor,with a tempo of 89 beats per minute. It has a duration time of four minutes and twenty-five seconds. [14]
The official music video for "The World Wide Remix" was directed by Michael Lucero and features the two rappers as they wear straitjackets and are imprisoned in a padded room. [15]
Chart (1996) | Peak position |
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Australia (ARIA) [16] | 96 |
Germany (Official German Charts) [17] | 42 |
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40) [18] | 27 |
Netherlands (Single Top 100) [19] | 20 |
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ) [20] | 9 |
Scotland (OCC) [21] | 36 |
Sweden (Sverigetopplistan) [22] | 13 |
UK Singles (OCC) [23] | 8 |
UK Dance (OCC) [24] | 3 |
UK Hip Hop/R&B (OCC) [25] | 2 |
US Billboard Hot 100 [26] | 8 |
US Dance Singles Sales (Billboard) [27] | 1 |
US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs ( Billboard ) [28] | 6 |
US Hot Rap Singles (Billboard) [27] | 1 |
US Rhythmic ( Billboard ) [29] | 24 |
Chart (1996) | Position |
---|---|
US Billboard Hot 100 [30] | 57 |
US Billboard Hot Rap Singles [31] | 8 |
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ) [32] | 39 |
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
United States (RIAA) [33] | Platinum | 1,000,000 [34] |
Trevor George Smith Jr.,known professionally as Busta Rhymes,is an American rapper and actor. Chuck D of Public Enemy gave him the moniker Busta Rhymes,after NFL and CFL wide receiver George "Buster" Rhymes. He has received 12 Grammy Award nominations for his work,making him one of the most-nominated artists without winning.
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The Big Bang is the seventh studio album by American rapper Busta Rhymes. It was released on June 13,2006,by Aftermath Entertainment,Flipmode Records and Interscope Records. Production for the album took place during 2005 to 2006 at several recording studios and was handled by Dr. Dre,Swizz Beatz,Mark Batson,DJ Scratch,J Dilla,Timbaland,Mr. Porter,will.i.am,Sha Money XL,JellyRoll,Black Jeruz,Nisan Stewart and DJ Green Lantern. The official cover artwork was revealed on May 7,2006. The tracklisting was released on the 15th.
The Coming is the debut studio album by the American rapper and record producer Busta Rhymes. It was released on March 26,1996,by Flipmode Entertainment and Elektra Records. The album contains contributions by the Def Squad members Redman,Keith Murray,and Jamal;as well as Q-Tip,Zhané,Leaders of the New School,and several Flipmode Squad members. It was produced by DJ Scratch,Easy Mo Bee,and the Ummah,among others. It serves as Rhymes's first solo album after the breakup of Leaders of the New School two years prior,and his first full-length project after numerous guest appearances on other songs with artists such as A Tribe Called Quest,the Notorious B.I.G.,Heavy D and the Boyz,and Mary J. Blige.
Roger McNair,known professionally as Rampage,is an American rapper who is a member of the Flipmode Squad. He is a long-time collaborator with his cousin Busta Rhymes.
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"8th Wonder" is a 1980 single by the American hip hop trio the Sugarhill Gang,originally released on Sugar Hill. It was later included in the 1981 album 8th Wonder.
American rapper Busta Rhymes has released eleven studio albums,three compilation albums,eight mixtapes,one hundred and eight singles,fourteen promotional singles and fifty-six music videos. Busta Rhymes signed his first recording contract with Elektra Records at the age of just 17,as a member of hip-hop group Leaders of the New School. Though the group would disband in 1994,a number of well-received guest appearances on songs by artists including A Tribe Called Quest and Mary J. Blige led Elektra to offer Busta Rhymes a solo contract in 1995. His debut studio album,The Coming,was released the following year,with lead single "Woo Hah!! Got You All in Check" reaching number eight on the United States Billboard Hot 100 and being certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). As of 2019 Busta Rhymes has sold around 9,000,000 albums.
Below shows the discography for the American rapper and Wu-Tang Clan member,Ol' Dirty Bastard.
"Got Your Money" is a song by American rapper Ol' Dirty Bastard,released in 1999 as the only single from his second studio album,Nigga Please. Both the single and the album were the last to be released by Ol' Dirty Bastard,before his death in 2004. The song,produced by the Neptunes,features American R&B singer Kelis,who sings the chorus. It marked her first appearance on record,before the release of her debut single the following month. "Got Your Money" is listed at number 255 on NME's "500 Greatest Songs of All Time",published in 2014.
"It's a Party" is a song by American rapper Busta Rhymes featuring American R&B duo Zhané. It was released as the second single from Rhymes' debut studio album The Coming on June 4,1996,by Flipmode Entertainment and Elektra Records. The song was written by Rhymes and Zhanémember Rene Neufville,and produced by Easy Mo Bee. Peaking at number 52 on the US Billboard Hot 100,it was a moderate success. The song was released as a double A-side single with several remixes and the album cut "Ill Vibe" featuring fellow rapper Q-Tip,which also appears on The Coming,as its B-side.
"Hustler's Anthem '09" is a song written by Busta Rhymes. Produced by Ty Fyffe,it is the second single from Busta Rhymes' album Back on My B.S.. It features American singer T-Pain. The song was released in digital format on February 10,2009,by Universal Motown.
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"Look at Me Now" is a song by American singer Chris Brown featuring fellow American rappers Lil Wayne and Busta Rhymes released as the second single from Brown's fourth studio album F.A.M.E. on February 1,2011. The artists co-wrote the song with its producers Afrojack,Diplo,and Free School,with additional writing from Ryan Buendia. Musically,"Look at Me Now" is a "dirty south–inspired" hip hop song that features "thumping bass,spacy synth and horn jam sounds."
"Fix" is a song performed by American contemporary R&B group Blackstreet,originally appearing as the fourth track on their second studio album Another Level. A remixed version of the song was issued as the third single from the album and features the band Fishbone,as well as Ol' Dirty Bastard and ad-libs by Guns N' Roses guitarist,Slash. The song peaked at number 58 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1997.
"Flava in Ya Ear" is a song by American rapper Craig Mack. It was released as the lead single from his debut studio album Project:Funk da World on July 26,1994,by Bad Boy Records and Arista Records. It was remixed with the addition of rappers The Notorious B.I.G.,Rampage,LL Cool J and Busta Rhymes.
Burton Rashad "Ringo" Smith is an American hip hop and R&B record producer. He was born in England and raised in Brooklyn,New York City,United States,in a Jamaican and Haitian family. Rashad grew up alongside notable hip hop artists such as Mos Def,Busta Rhymes,Q-Tip,among others.
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