Ranking 12 of your favourite One Hit Wonders in Hip Hop
Throughout history there always comes a time when certain artists change your life for the better with their music. Sadly they do it and you end up forgetting about them. Here’s a list of some of the biggest one hit wonders in Hip Hop. Enjoy!
12. Afroman — Because I got high (2000)
I’m going to be honest, there’s not much to say about Afroman except that he wrote a song about getting high and it blew up. I’m convinced that the only reason it was a hit is because of fellow weed smokers who know exactly what he’s talking about. The song is simple, its repetitive and has short verses, not a surprise why it’s so catchy.
11. Mims — This is why im hot (2007)
Yep, Mims was definitely hot for a minute but it didn’t last very long, did it? To be fair he did tell us why he was hot, cause he’s fly and you ain’t cause you’re not. Wow…👏👏👏, why didn’t I think of that?
10. Tipsy — J-Kwon (2004)
If you were a teen when this song came out then you most likely loved this song because you were figuring out what getting tipsy is all about. Also the music video is exactly what you would expect; a house party, alcohol, pretty women, your homeboys and angry parents the next day. The perfect formula.
9. Sugarhill Gang — Rapper’s Delight (1979)
“I said a hip hop,
The hippie to the hippie
The hip hip a hop, and you don’t stop, a rock it”
This is a song which you would’ve most likely heard many times in an ad or a movie. Rapper’s delight was one of hip hop’s earliest records to crossover to the mainstream media despite not getting much respect from the hip hop community for its lack of lyricism. The ironic thing though is that the song has no clear chorus just rapping all the way through.
8. Yung Joc — It’s Goin’ Down (2006)
At the moment Yung Joc is known more for the drama in his love life on Love & Hip Hop than he is for his music. However I have to admit ‘It’s goin’ down’ was a smash hit. He was definitely representing in the early to mid 2000’s when the South was hot.
7. Ayo & Teo -Rolex (2017)
Ayo & Teo may not be the greatest musicians on the planet but they can definitely dance! After garnering major attention for their smash hit ‘Rolex” they’ve become part of the younger generation who are making waves on the internet for viral hip hop dances. You can also see them appearing in music videos for Usher’s ‘No Limit’ and Chris Brown’s ‘Party.’ Did you know they were wearing face masks before Covid-19 came about?? Crazy!
6. Desiigner — Panda (2016)
Referring to the white BMW X6 as it resembles a panda bear gave, at the time, 18 year old Desiigner his biggest hit to date. ‘Panda’ was undoubtedly one of the biggest songs of 2016, earning Desiigner a nomination at the 59th annual Grammy Awards for best Rap performance. Thank God for lyrics these days because I couldn’t hear a damn word he was saying when it came out.
5. Cali Swag District — Teach me how to Dougie (2014)
It’s so crazy how this song came out before going viral was a thing on the internet because it would of caused a stir on Tik Tok. The dougie is one hell of a swaggy dance move. I know this cause my friends and I would watch YouTube videos of celebs like Chris Brown doing the dougie. Sadly Jayare, one of the members of the group passed away in 2014.
4. Silento — Watch me (whip/Nae Nae) (2015)
Silento actually went silent on us after this mega hit. Incorporating two dance moves that were hot in the streets into a mainstream hit was rather genius. The tune is catchy, the dances are easy, everybody can do it and it amassed a billion views on YouTube. Plus he won the Billboard award for top streaming song that year, which had previously been won by artists like Justin Bieber, Desiigner & Taylor Swift. Take a bow Silento.
3. Kris Kross — Jump (1992)
I was only 2 years old when this jam came out however it still bangs to this day. I can only imagine what it was like being a kid back then and telling your parents that you’re gonna wear your entire outfit backwards today because you saw Kris Kross do it. Who knew that two 12 year olds could sell over 2 million copies in the U.S and get the whole world jumping, literally.
2. Lil Nas X — Old Town Road (2019)
Who knew country rap could be a thing? I won’t lie I wasn’t a big fan of Old Town Road when it came out, it felt like a gimmick. However as time went on it was hard to ignore it, the song was everywhere! It peaked at no. 1 on the Billboard 100 chart for a record breaking 19 weeks in succession. Also winning a grammy for Best Pop duo and Best Music Video at the 62nd Grammy Awards.
1. Vanilla Ice — Ice Ice baby (1989)
This has to be one the most epic one hit wonder songs of all time. Today most people would say its cheesy but it’s provocative and gets the people going. ‘Ice Ice baby’ has been used in numerous ads/commercials for its mainstream appeal and easily recognised beat. What’s even more crazy is that two decades later, Vanilla Ice earns around 400k in royalties every year because of ‘Ice Ice Baby.’ Mind blown!
