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Post by woolebull on Mar 25, 2022 9:49:04 GMT -5
I was trying to figure out who the first non-white rapper to hit #1 on AT 40. In fact, did it not actually happen until the AT 40 reboot? That's kinda wild if that's the case. In fact, with the exception of "Pray" by MC Hammer, I can't think of any song that came close. But maybe I'm just missing something.
EDIT: "Set Adrift On Memory Bliss" came very close as well.
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Post by OldSchoolAT40Fan on Mar 25, 2022 9:53:53 GMT -5
Nelly's "Hot In Herre" is the only one that comes to my mind. It hit #1 for two weeks in July 2002. That truly was a "hot" hit, though I was expecting a longer run at #1 for that song.
I am not sure if Nelly was the first non-white rap artist to hit #1, but I am thinking there was no non-white rap artist hitting #1 during AT40's original run. I am thinking Vanilla Ice was the only rap artist to hit #1 during the original run of AT40.
If I were to guess, if any non-white rap artist hit #1 on the original run of AT40, it may have been sometime in 1994 - perhaps during the final months of the series which were not aired in the U.S. Otherwise, it was during the second run of the series.
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Post by woolebull on Mar 25, 2022 10:58:24 GMT -5
Nelly's "Hot In Herre" is the only one that comes to my mind. It hit #1 for two weeks in July 2002. That truly was a "hot" hit, though I was expecting a longer run at #1 for that song. I am not sure if Nelly was the first non-white rap artist to hit #1, but I am thinking there was no non-white rap artist hitting #1 during AT40's original run. I am thinking Vanilla Ice was the only rap artist to hit #1 during the original run of AT40. If I were to guess, if any non-white rap artist hit #1 on the original run of AT40, it may have been sometime in 1994 - perhaps during the final months of the series which were not aired in the U.S. Otherwise, it was during the second run of the series. Mark Whalberg hit number one in 1991. Speaking of 1991, it would have happened on November 30, 1991 if AT 40 had stuck with the Hot 100 as their source. Of course if they stuck with the Hot 100, they would have had three non-white rap acts hit number one in seven months (PM Dawn, Kris Kross, Sir Mix-A-Lot). I don't think it happened in 1994. In fact, I can't think of any rap song hitting the top 10 in 1994, unless you want to count "Cantaloop". I was thinking 50 Cent had a shot at being the first non-white rapper to top American Top 40, but you are right about Nelly. It blows my mind that it took that long to happen. |
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Post by dukelightning on Mar 25, 2022 13:30:47 GMT -5
50 Cent was the second non-white rapper to hit #1 if you do not count collaborations with non-rap artists. As Nelly followed up his "Hot in Herre" with "Dilemma" that Kelly Rowland got billing on and hit #1 with that. Then LL Cool J got billing on J Lo's "All I Have" which reached the top. It was dethroned by 50 Cent's "In Da Club".
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Post by woolebull on Mar 25, 2022 15:34:27 GMT -5
50 Cent was the second non-white rapper to hit #1 if you do not count collaborations with non-rap artists. As Nelly followed up his "Hot in Herre" with "Dilemma" that Kelly Rowland got billing on and hit #1 with that. Then LL Cool J got billing on J Lo's "All I Have" which reached the top. It was dethroned by 50 Cent's "In Da Club". I guess another question could be asked. Outside of "Pray" and "Set Adrift On Memory Bliss" how many non-white rap acts had top 5 singles before 2002? |
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Post by dukelightning on Mar 25, 2022 15:42:20 GMT -5
The one that has to be mentioned is Tone Loc who had a pair with "Wild Thing" and "Funky Cold Medina", peaking at #2 and #3, respectively. I think those are the first two such hits, in 1989.
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Post by woolebull on Mar 25, 2022 16:58:23 GMT -5
The one that has to be mentioned is Tone Loc who had a pair with "Wild Thing" and "Funky Cold Medina", peaking at #2 and #3, respectively. I think those are the first two such hits, in 1989. Holy cow, how did I miss those two! Yes, absolutely give Tone his flowers! After that, however, it would be slim pickings for rap hits by non-white artists not named MC Hammer and PM Dawn for a long time. Where did "Jump" by Kris Kross end up on AT 40? I think it went top 3 in 1992 on CT/Dees/R and R |
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Post by Mike on Mar 25, 2022 17:38:37 GMT -5
#4, as I recall.
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Post by OldSchoolAT40Fan on Mar 25, 2022 20:43:40 GMT -5
And the really bizarre thing about Nelly's song hitting #1? I don't think I heard Casey mention Nelly being the first non-white rap artist to hit #1 anytime during its two-week run at #1. Unless I missed something.
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Post by woolebull on Mar 25, 2022 20:59:50 GMT -5
And the really bizarre thing about Nelly's song hitting #1? I don't think I heard Casey mention Nelly being the first non-white rap artist to hit #1 anytime during its two-week run at #1. Unless I missed something. Well, that's where it gets complicated. In 2002, the charts AT 40 would have been using would have been Radio and Records, so the non-white rap artist uniqueness wouldn't have been there since "U Can't Touch This" did the trick in 1990. However, I think it would have been only the third rap song to go to number one according to R and R, with the last one being 1990, so it should have been at least a kinda deal. Unless Eminem did the trick before Nelly (if memory serves, Eminem might have done it literally right before Nelly). Still, it would have only been the fourth since Marky Mark and PM Dawn did not go #1 on R and R. At that point it would have been: MC Hammer, Vanilla Ice, possibly Eminem, and Nelly. That still is bizarre and shows you why listening to countdown shows starting in the 90's was not the best reflection of popular music at that time. |
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jebsib
Junior Member
Posts: 94
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Post by jebsib on Mar 25, 2022 21:34:09 GMT -5
Eve got to #1 in 2001 in R&R …
was AT40 using that chart back then?
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Post by OldSchoolAT40Fan on Mar 25, 2022 22:04:12 GMT -5
And the really bizarre thing about Nelly's song hitting #1? I don't think I heard Casey mention Nelly being the first non-white rap artist to hit #1 anytime during its two-week run at #1. Unless I missed something. Well, that's where it gets complicated. And I would have thought that that may have been a clever pun of a reference to Avril Lavigne's song which replaced "Hot in Herre" at #1 afterwards. (just kidding) Also, regarding Eve's "Let Me Blow Ya Mind", that was actually a collaboration with Gwen Stefani. |
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Post by dukelightning on Mar 26, 2022 6:12:12 GMT -5
The one that has to be mentioned is Tone Loc who had a pair with "Wild Thing" and "Funky Cold Medina", peaking at #2 and #3, respectively. I think those are the first two such hits, in 1989. Holy cow, how did I miss those two! Yes, absolutely give Tone his flowers! After that, however, it would be slim pickings for rap hits by non-white artists not named MC Hammer and PM Dawn for a long time. Where did "Jump" by Kris Kross end up on AT 40? I think it went top 3 in 1992 on CT/Dees/R and R And then there's the rapper who actually topped that total in the pre-2002 time frame...Will Smith. He hit #4 as the Fresh Prince on "Summertime" in 1991. Then as Will Smith, he hit #5 with "Men in Black" in 1997(although that was on CT40, no AT40 then) and finally hit #4 with "Wild Wild West" in 1999. |
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Post by dth1971 on Mar 26, 2022 6:35:31 GMT -5
Did Deborah Harry white rap the part of Blondie's "Rapture" in 1981? The song went to #1, of course.
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Post by dukelightning on May 28, 2022 15:07:31 GMT -5
With Casey calling "Wild Thing" the biggest selling single of the past 5 years, it seems like a slam dunk that had Soundscan been in effect by 1989, Tone Loc would be the first rapper of any race to hit #1.
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