I don’t know what to tell y’all. That Young Menace shit really made my got-damn week. In keeping with the “Whatever Happened To…” theme, I’d like to dedicate today’s entry to four artists who have provided my iPod with a good damn 16 minutes’ worth of music. Of course, I’ve proven that I can do entries about those artists who really did their thing in the ’90s, but why not take time out for the nigga who made “Return Of The Mack”? Today, I give you… One Hitta Quittas, Vol. 1. POW, punk ass!
MC Brains “Oochie Coochie” (1991): Remember back when Michael Bivins put out Another Bad Creation, then Boyz II Men, then he ended up with like 73 artists signed to his Biv 10 label? One of those was the pride of Cleveland, Ohio… MC Brains. This lil’ catchy number dropped in late-’91 and had the middle school dances jumpin’ around my way. My favorite lyric was always “Lisa, Kim, Angela, Monique/ Them are some freaks with some big physiques”. The “big physiques” part still cracks me up- it sounds like he’s talkin’ about female wrestlers or some shit. Anyway, he followed up this hit with a single called “Everybody’s Talkin’ About MC Brains”… and then, well… go ‘head and finish that however you want.
DRS “Gangsta Lean (This Is For My Homies)” (1993): Ah yeah. ’93 was mo’ gangsta than a muh’fukka. From The Chronic to Menace II Society to Tupac shootin’ cops and rapin’ girls in the ass, Cali was killin’! Naturally, the suits at Capitol Records figured, “hey, it’s workin’ for the rappers- why not an R&B group?” Enter DRS, a.k.a. Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, and one of the best/worst songs of the year. Tell me you don’t wanna sing along and laugh at the same time when the one nigga says “tell him put down those dice for a second, Lord… listen to his HOMIEEE!” It wasn’t necessarily an awful song- but how much longevity could a group dressed as gangbangers (pause) actually have? Seriously, what was their next song gonna be about? Jackin’ niggas and doin’ drive-bys? I guess the public felt the same way, because “Gangsta Lean” was the beginning and end of DRS.
Skee-Lo “I Wish” (1995): I don’t know if an artist has ever made a hit song about physical limitations and gone on to further success. The only exception might be this shit right here, but he was already deep in his career. Skee-Lo, on the other hand, came out the gate wishing for more height. He also wished to be a baller with a good-lookin’ girl, a rabbit in a hat with a bat (?), and a ’64 Impala. The summer of ’95 was good to him, as this song landed him all over radio and MTV. Then, September arrived, and Skee was wishing to score another hit. Instead, he got a spot on the Money Train soundtrack. Fair enough.
Mark Morrison “Return Of The Mack” (1997): As possibly the only nigro in the late-’90s still rockin’ a Gumby fade, Mark Morrison took his hit from Germany and brought it over here a year later. With a catchy-ass hook and a voice that gave hope to Akon, Mizark got it poppin’ in the spring of ’97 with “Return Of The Mack”. After this one came and went, the mack returned to Germany and can now be seen opening for David Hasselhoff. That could be a joke, but maybe it’s not. While I’m on the subject, this is another one of those songs that I coulda confessed to liking. I denied it for a good while, especially when it was out… but I do. But I do, do, do.
As y’all well know, it doesn’t stop there- the list, much like the beat, goes on. I’ll be covering more of these in future entries, as there are a lot to choose from. In some ways, one hit wonders are special. Sure, they work at GameStop today, and they probably get their “one lil’ hit” thrown in their faces every time they get into an argument with their significant others. But for three to four months of someone’s life, they were the shit, and no bitch-ass manager or girlfriend can take that away from them.
-D!
(so… who are some your favorite One Hitta Quittas?)
Just jammed Gangsta Lean (My cousin played the HELL out of that tape! shit!!!) and Return of the Mack (my middle school days)
I have I Wish downloaded to my mp3 player!!
I duno if you have Sirius XM, but MAYNE you need to cop a subscription ASAP because their station, Backspin, plays all of this all day everyday! I don’t even WATCH TV (have DirecTV) but keep it on the XM stations. Who needs the radio when you have XM!
Also, check out my Youtube page. I don’t have anything uploaded but I save some good shit on it.
http://www.youtube.com/user/mzminiex
-thehoustongirl
I’ll def. check out the Youtube…
Yoooo, ‘Return of the Mack’ is one of those songs that are so bad I enjoy it, LOL.
*sings along* “Once again! Upon the world! Up and dowwwwn! Round and roooouuuund!”
-D!
would Shaq count as a one-hitta quitta? lol *ducks flying projectiles*
That jawn he had, the one he did w/ Biggie was dope. Oh yeah, plus Skills. He wasn’t a horrible rapper, he was decent plus he had other well-known talent in the game to help him out.
Hmm, maybe you should do a post on athletes-turned-rappers…
Hmmm… maybe I should… *rubs hands together*
Oh, and yeah- that “Can’t Stop The Reign” was good shit. So was the joint he did with RZA and Method Man “No Hooks”… and the one he did w/ Redman… and the one… well you see where I’m goin’. Put him w/ someone capable and he was worth listening to. Otherwise? Nnnnnah
-D!
only one of those i liked was ootchie cootchie.
i hate gangsta lean with a passion to this day
You mean to tell me, you don’t acknowledge the genius of “Return Of The Mack”?
Mark Morrison hangs his Gumby in shame.
-D!
“Return of the Mack” is genius. People clowned me in college (attended 02-06) when I played it as one of my “getting ready to go out songs.” Didn’t know until now that it was released in 97, I was like 14!
Yep! It’s immortal. I mean, it’s no “Walking In The Rain”, but it’s some mack shit for real.
“Watch my flooowwww… here I go!”
-D!
OK I just clicked the link for the East Coast Fam “All4One” vid…*Speechless*
I never IMAGINED he signed so many artists. Whytegize? Tomboys? Ohmygod Hayden?? I mean damn, the worst part is I ain’t never heard of but 2 of those signed artists (well now I know of 3 thanks to this post)
So Bivins is like 2-for-25.
Wow he was worse than Diddy.
If I signed with Biv back then I would find some way to sue him lol.
HAAAAA… ayo, don’t sleep on Hayden. He was gonna be the next breakout star. Either him or the Whytegize, what with the homie David Silver in the group and whatnot.
LOL at 10/10 too… that was like Biv’s Kris Kross.
-D!
Can’t front “Return Of The Mack” is mos def a HOT song. It would play at our wedding if we weren’t going to Borough Hall in Brooklyn.
What about Color Me Bad and the multiple remixes of their one classic song…”I Want To Sex You UP” (1991). Plus if you remember what they looked liked, there really wasn’t a chance to go any further.
Her favorite would be “Candy Rain”, Soul For Real (1995). Funny story, I was bartending in the East Village and my homegirl Lisa introduced me to these brothers that turned out to be Soul For Real. I illegally downloaded this song and played it a few times during the evening.
Heeey, hold on- Color Me Badd DID have that “I Adore Mi Amor”. Dream onnnnnn, dream awaaaay. LMAO
HAHAHAHA @ Soul4Real. My old girl used to love that got-damn song… I liked it, but I hated on it just to get on her nerves.
-D!
*dies* what about that Shaq “What’s up doc, can we rock?” they still play that on XM lol
SMH… yeah… *palms face*
-D!
Adina Howard-Freak Like Me
Joya-I like what you’re doing to me
Rome-I Belong To You
Playa Poncho & LA Snow-What’z Up What’z Up
69 Boys-Tootsie Roll
Tag Team-Whomp, There It Is
95 South=Whoot, There It is
Duice-Daisy Dukes
B Angie B-So Much Love
Nikki D-Daddy’s Little Girl
Afros-Feel It
Portrait-Here We Go Again
Nice!
Y’know what… I might do a whole one strictly dedicated to Miami bass… damn near everybody except Luke & the 2 Live Crew were on one-hit status with that, haha
Some good forgotten ones there too, especially the Afrooooos…
-D!
….would you telll himm i’ll nver let go of his memory so his son will knowwww. you dont have to cry no mo’ cuz God’s got his back, I said God’s got his baaaack!!
R.I.P Kattdaddy!!
D! tryna make folks cry in here!! OMG,I love this song!
“I tip my 40 to your memoryyyyyyyyyyyy!”
LMAO @ “God’s got his back” too. Let the tears flow, Alexis- it’s alright, it’s alright now (c) Chante Moore
-D!
Man this is a great blog! Really takes me back to some of my favorite music…
This post made me think of a few, some were released around 88′ 89 ish: Sweet Tee “It’s My Beat”. She really had 2 hits if you include “Its Like That Yall”,but both came out different years..
Then there’s Mica Paris’s “My One Temptation” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CrYDzl76Rpg&feature=fvw
and how about Bo$$ “Deeper”..that went #1 on the billboard charts…see now Im gonna have to hunt down a download of all her songs, wonder if itunes has that?..lol
I’m still reading man..again I love this blog!
Whoa… Boss! Yep, she was killin’ with “Deeper”. I had that album, I think I still do actually, but it’s on tape. Not sure what you can do with that, lol.
I def. know about Sweet Tee, and yeah “It’s My Beat” and “It’s Like That Y’all” were hittin’… my fav from her though, was “On The Smooth Tip”, remember that one?
-D!
…whoa I know I have the Boss tape somewhere myself..thanks for the reminder..I’ll have to transfer it to cd somehow…
Yeah ..On The Smooth Tip was hot too!.. I think she’s doing a new mix cd, it may even be out already not sure..
The “rabbit in a hat with a bat” is referring to weed… specifically a joint. He wishes he could smoke all the time for free. Having a magical rabbit in a hat to do this with would be rather novel.
ahhhhhh… the great mysteries revealed! Props on this, lol.
-D!
danja, you crazy for this one. speaking of biv10, nobody mentioned tam-rock. those 4 bars she spit in that biv10 video were hot. too bad that was it for her. lol.