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Hip Hop Hooray

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"Hip Hop Hooray"
Single by Naughty by Nature
from the album 19 Naughty III
B-side"The Hood Comes First"
ReleasedDecember 10, 1992
RecordedFebruary 1992
StudioUnique Recording Studios, New York City[1]
GenreHip hop
Length4:26
LabelTommy Boy Records
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)DJ Kay Gee
Naughty by Nature singles chronology
"Uptown Anthem"
(1992)
"Hip Hop Hooray"
(1992)
"It's On"
(1993)
Music video
"Hip Hop Hooray (edited)" on YouTube
"Hip Hop Hooray (original)" on YouTube

"Hip Hop Hooray" is a song by American hip hop group, Naughty by Nature, released in December 1992 by Tommy Boy Records as the first single from their third album, 19 Naughty III (1993). The song spent one week at number one on the US Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, and reached number eight on the Billboard Hot 100.[2] It contains samples from "Funky President" by James Brown, "Don't Change Your Love" by Five Stairsteps, "Make Me Say it Again, Girl" by Isley Brothers, "You Can't Turn Me Away" by Sylvia Striplin and "Sledgehammer" by Peter Gabriel. Pete Rock made a remix that samples Cannonball Adderley's "74 Miles Away". It was certified Platinum by the RIAA and has sold over 1,100,000 copies in the United States.[3] The music video for "Hip Hop Hooray" was directed by Spike Lee and filmed in Brooklyn, New York City.

The song contains lyrics boasting the group's love of hip hop and their fascination with good-looking women. The Seattle Mariners would play the song after Ken Griffey Jr. was officially announced coming to bat at the Kingdome, especially in 1995, the year of the Mariners' first Major League Baseball playoff appearance. It played at Yankee Stadium after a Yankees player hits a home run from 2017 until the middle of the 2019 season. It was brought back for the 2020 season and used until the 2022 season. In 2024, Billboard ranked "Hip Hop Hooray" number three in their "The 100 Greatest Jock Jams of All Time".[4]

Background and composition

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Naughty by Nature member Vin Rock stated: "I knew the 'hey ho' chorus would connect to the East Coast partygoers because it was a popular saying at parties, roller rinks, etc. Once we incorporated it into the beat KayGee provided, I definitely felt confident it would be well received." He also said: "'Hip Hop Hooray' sums up what hip-hop culture is: a celebration of the inner city's ability to endure and create one of the largest music and art cultures in the world. It's the epitome of crowd participation and togetherness. Once people hear it, they immediately throw their hands in the air, wave and sing in unison. It's a song that will live forever."[5]

Naughty by Nature member KayGee stated: "We like to call it our unoffical hip-hop anthem."[6]

Critical reception

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In a retrospective review, Jesse Ducker from Albumism said the song is "just about as ubiquitous" as "O.P.P.". He added, "Most people remember the "Hey! Ho! Hey! Ho!" hook, but Treach and Vinnie Rock do a solid job trading four bar stanzas through the song's three verses. And Treach using "Tippy-tippy, pause, tippy-tippy pause" to describe him sneaking up on wack emcees is, if nothing else, creative."[7] Upon the single release, Larry Flick from Billboard described it as "invigorating", noting that "once again, an anthemic chorus is the anchor for clever rhymes and a contagious melody. Rap purists will dig raw groove/lyrical undercurrent, though glossy production will glide right into the hearts of radio programmers."[8]

Reviewing 19 Naughty III, James Bernard from Entertainment Weekly stated, "Yes, there's an "O.P.P." on this one. "Hip Hop Hooray" is as catchy as the charttopper this New Jersey rap trio rode to superstardom, only the new flavor is not quite as frisky."[9] Jean Rosenbluth from Los Angeles Times remarked that "the beats are mostly snappy and the rhymes catchy".[10] Pan-European magazine Music & Media commented, "One of the golden rules for a hit is a good hook. When these rappers repetitively shout "Hey Hoo", like cheerleaders, everyone will join in automatically. "Hot hit hurray!" if you ask us."[11] James Hamilton from Music Week's RM Dance Update described it as a "moderately jaunty rap swayer".[12] Touré from Rolling Stone named it a "strong single", and an "anthem".[13] Johnny Lee from Smash Hits felt that it "sounds a bit" like Jazzy Jeff's "Summertime", giving it three out of five.[14]

Music video

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The accompanying music video for "Hip Hop Hooray" was directed by American film director, producer, screenwriter, actor, and author Spike Lee, who also appears in it. Queen Latifah, Eazy-E, Monie Love, Da Youngsta's, Kris Kross, Tupac Shakur and Run–D.M.C. also make appearances in the video. A second version of the video was later published on Tommy Boy Records' official YouTube channel on January 6, 2018 that has removed Eazy-E's appearance from the video, replacing it with footage from previous scenes. It is also missing the copyright message that was displayed at the end of the original version. It is unclear when this edited video was produced or what the reason was for Eazy-E's removal. The video had generated more than 33 million views as of January 2023. The original unedited video is available on Naughty by Nature's YouTube channel.

Talking about Eazy-E's cameo in the video, Vin Rock stated: "The cameo appearances were awesome, especially Eazy E from NWA. He was resetting his career after parting ways with Dr. Dre. So Eazy spent a lot of time on the East Coast as well. KayGee and Treach wrote and produced a few songs for Eazy."[15]

Naughty by Nature member KayGee stated: "Treach's initial idea for the video was to look like Fat Albert in the junkyard."[16]

Vin Rock stated: "Director Spike Lee was super professional, had multiple setups ready for us, and he even pulled KayGee out of bed to get started because he didn't want to be late for his Knicks game!" Vin Rock also commented: "It was great to shoot in Brooklyn. Historically, if you weren't from the five boroughs you weren't respected as rappers, but Brooklyn definitely showed us Jersey boys tons of love."[17]

Media usage

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"Hip Hop Hooray" is featured as a playable track in the video game Rayman Raving Rabbids.

Rita Wilson, actor, singer, and wife of another A-List entertainer, Tom Hanks, while in Australia, recovering from a bout with COVID-19, submitted a social media clip of herself performing the song. She later collaborated with members of Naughty By Nature to produce a remix of the song that posted on Youtube, to support a campaign, "Musicares COVID-19 Relief Fund".

The song is played in the Simpsons episode "The Burns and The Bees", in which the basketball team's gorilla mascot costume is shot after making a basket.[18]

The song had been used by the New York Yankees when they score a home run in Yankee Stadium. The New Jersey Devils also use the song when they win a home game at the Prudential Center.

Track listing

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  1. "Hip Hop Hooray" (LP Version)
  2. "Hip Hop Hooray" (Extended Mix)
  3. "The Hood Comes First" (LP Version)
  4. "Hip Hop Hooray" (Instrumental)
  5. "The Hood Comes First" (Instrumental)

Charts

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Certifications

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Region Certification Certified units/sales
New Zealand (RMNZ)[46] Gold 5,000*
United States (RIAA)[47] Platinum 1,000,000^

* Sales figures based on certification alone.
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "19 Naughty III - Naughty by Nature | Songs, Reviews, Credits | AllMusic". AllMusic.
  2. ^ Whitburn, Joel (2004). Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942-2004. Record Research. p. 424.
  3. ^ "American certifications – Naughty by Nature – Hip Hop Hooray". Recording Industry Association of America.
  4. ^ Billboard Staff (February 8, 2024). "The 100 Greatest Jock Jams of All Time". Billboard. Retrieved May 25, 2024.
  5. ^ Naughty by Nature - The Making of 'Hip Hop Hooray' (Vevo Footnores)
  6. ^ Naughty by Nature - The Making of 'Hip Hop Hooray' (Vevo Footnotes)
  7. ^ Ducker, Jesse (February 21, 2018). "Naughty By Nature's '19 Naughty III' Turns 25: Anniversary Retrospective". Albumism. Retrieved November 16, 2020.
  8. ^ Flick, Larry (January 23, 1993). "Single Reviews" (PDF). Billboard. p. 80. Retrieved October 26, 2020.
  9. ^ Bernard, James (March 5, 1993). "19 Naughty III". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on March 3, 2023. Retrieved November 11, 2020.
  10. ^ Rosenbluth, Jean (1993). "Naughty By Nature – 19 Naughty III". Los Angeles Times. – via St. Louis Post-Dispatch. (April 9, 1993).
  11. ^ "New Releases: Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 10, no. 7. February 13, 1993. p. 9. Retrieved October 24, 2020.
  12. ^ Hamilton, James (January 30, 1993). "Djdirectory" (PDF). Music Week, in Record Mirror (Dance Update Supplemental insert). p. 7. Retrieved March 24, 2021.
  13. ^ Touré (April 29, 1993). "Naughty By Nature: 19 Naughty III". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on May 31, 2009. Retrieved June 17, 2009.
  14. ^ Dee, Johnny (January 20, 1993). "New Singles". Smash Hits. p. 49. Retrieved October 6, 2020.
  15. ^ Naughty by Nature - The Making of 'Hip Hop Hooray' (Vevo Footnotes)
  16. ^ Naughty by Nature - The Making of 'Hip Hop Hooray' (Vevo Footnotes)
  17. ^ Naughty by Nature - The Making of 'Hip Hop Hooray' (Vevo Footnotes)
  18. ^ Bates, James W.; Gimple, Scott M.; McCann, Jesse L.; Richmond, Ray; Seghers, Christine, eds. (2010). Simpsons World The Ultimate Episode Guide: Seasons 1–20 (1st ed.). Harper Collins Publishers. pp. 974–975. ISBN 978-0-00-738815-8.
  19. ^ "Naughty By Nature – Hip Hop Hooray". ARIA Top 50 Singles.
  20. ^ "Hits Of The World". Billboard. 13 March 1993. Retrieved December 31, 2018.
  21. ^ "Top RPM Singles: Issue 1739." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved December 28, 2020.
  22. ^ "Top RPM Dance/Urban: Issue 1751." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved December 28, 2020.
  23. ^ "Eurochart Hot 100" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 10, no. 49. December 4, 1993. p. 11. Retrieved March 24, 2024.
  24. ^ "European Dance Radio" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 10, no. 14. April 3, 1993. p. 17. Retrieved November 3, 2021.
  25. ^ "Naughty By Nature – Hip Hop Hooray" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved March 6, 2020.
  26. ^ "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Naughty by Nature". Irish Singles Chart.
  27. ^ "Nederlandse Top 40 – Naughty By Nature" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40.
  28. ^ "Naughty By Nature – Hip Hop Hooray" (in Dutch). Single Top 100.
  29. ^ "Naughty By Nature – Hip Hop Hooray". Top 40 Singles.
  30. ^ "Naughty by Nature: Artist Chart History". Official Charts Company.
  31. ^ "Airplay 100" (PDF). Hit Music. November 20, 1993. p. 21. Retrieved May 6, 2024.
  32. ^ "Dance Singles" (PDF). Music Week. November 27, 1993. p. 28. Retrieved April 9, 2021.
  33. ^ "The RM Club Chart" (PDF). Music Week, in Record Mirror (Dance Update Supplemental insert). February 6, 1993. p. 4. Retrieved October 30, 2021.
  34. ^ "Naughty by Nature Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard.
  35. ^ "Naughty by Nature Chart History (Dance Club Songs)". Billboard.
  36. ^ "Naughty by Nature Chart History (Dance Singles Sales)". Billboard. Retrieved March 31, 2023.
  37. ^ "Naughty by Nature Chart History (Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs)". Billboard.
  38. ^ "Naughty by Nature Chart History (Hot Rap Songs)". Billboard.
  39. ^ "Top 100 Pop Singles" (PDF). Cash Box. Vol. LVI, no. 27. March 13, 1993. p. 2. Retrieved April 20, 2024.
  40. ^ "1993 Year-End Airplay Charts: European Dance Radio" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 10, no. 51/52. December 18, 1993. p. 18. Retrieved February 26, 2024.
  41. ^ "Top 100 Single-Jahrescharts". GfK Entertainment (in German). offiziellecharts.de. Retrieved May 19, 2020.
  42. ^ "End of Year Charts 1993". Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved December 3, 2017.
  43. ^ "Billboard Top 100 - 1993". Archived from the original on November 10, 2006. Retrieved August 27, 2010.
  44. ^ "Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs – Year-End 1993". Billboard. 2 January 2013. Retrieved October 15, 2021.
  45. ^ Lwin, Nanda. "Top 100 singles of the 1990s". Jam!. Archived from the original on August 29, 2000. Retrieved March 26, 2022.
  46. ^ "New Zealand single certifications – Naughty By Nature – Hip Hop Hooray". Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved November 11, 2024.
  47. ^ "American single certifications – Naughty By Nature – Hip Hop Hooray". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved January 2, 2015.