Supersonic (J.J. Fad song)
| "Supersonic" | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Single by J.J. Fad | |
| from the album Supersonic | |
| Released | April 1988 |
| Recorded | 1987 |
| Genre | Hip hop |
| Length | 3:55 |
| Label | |
| Songwriter(s) |
|
| Producer(s) | |
"Supersonic" is a debut single by J.J. Fad from their self-titled debut album. It reached #10 on the Billboard Hot Dance/Club Play Songs and #22 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks chart. "Supersonic" stayed on the dance charts for eight weeks. The single was certified gold by RIAA,[1] and also got nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Rap Performance in 1989, making them the first all-female rap group to be nominated for a Grammy award.[2]
The song has been sampled by others in the music industry like Fergie in her song, "Fergalicious", including parts of the beat and ways in which the song is sung.[3] There has been much debate over whether or not this has been legal sampling, and a lawsuit was filed by former N.W.A. member Arabian Prince against Ruthless Records because he says the Black Eyed Peas did not provide them any royalties on the song. In a later interview with HipHopDX, Arabian Prince stated, “will.i.am did the right thing and the good thing by actually saying, ‘Okay, yeah, I got this from ‘Supersonic,’ we’re gonna go ahead and get the publishing on this and pay royalties to me, whoever else and the girls.’ So that was a good thing,”[4]
Usage in pop culture
- In 1998, the German electro-dance music group Music Instructor sampled the song on their single Super Sonic from the Electric City of Music Instructor album, DJ Icey and Brainbug also did remixes.
- In 2004, rapper MC Cookie covered the song on her only album Boom Box.[5]
- In 2004, rapper MF Doom sampled the song on his song 'Hoe Cakes'.
- In 2006, singer Fergie sampled the song on her single "Fergalicious" from her debut album The Dutchess.
- In 2006, group Teriyaki Boyz also references the song in their track "Tokyo Drift (Fast & Furious)" from The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift soundtrack.
- In 2012, rapper Killer Mike references the song in his track "Go!" from the album R.A.P. Music.
- In 2013, rapper Eminem references and interpolated "Supersonic" in his song "Rap God" from his album The Marshall Mathers LP 2.
- In 2016, group Run the Jewels references the song in the track "Call Ticketron" from the album Run the Jewels 3.
Charts
| Chart (1988) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 | 30 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot Black Singles | 22 |
| U.S. Billboard Dance Chart | 10 |
Certifications
| Region | Certification | Certified units/Sales |
|---|---|---|
| United States (RIAA)[6] | Gold | 500,000^ |
|
^shipments figures based on certification alone | ||
References
- ↑ "Gold & Platinum - RIAA". RIAA. Retrieved 2017-03-05.
- ↑ "J.J.Fad Official Site". jjfad.com. Retrieved 2017-03-05.
- ↑ "Fergie: Fergalicious sounds like J.J. Fad: Supersonic". soundsjustlike.com.
- ↑ Harling, Danielle (March 12, 2009). "Arabian Prince Sues Ruthless Records Over "Fergalicious"". hiphopdx.com.
- ↑ MC Cookie Boom Box
- ↑ "American single certifications – J.J. FAD – SUPERSONIC". Recording Industry Association of America. If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Single, then click SEARCH.