"Ayo!" is an R&B/Go-go song by American singer-songwriter

Singer-songwriter

Singer-songwriters are musicians who write, compose and sing their own musical material including lyrics and melodies. As opposed to contemporary popular music singers who write their own songs, the term singer-songwriter describes a distinct form of artistry, closely associated with the...

 Mýa

Mya

-A person:* Bo Mya , Chief Commander of the Karen National Union* Mýa , American R&B singer-songwriter and actress** Mýa , a 1998 album by Mýa-A code:* Burmese language, ISO 639-3 code is mya* Moruya Airport's IATA code...

 and features DJ Kool

DJ Kool

John W. Bowman, Jr., better known by his stage name DJ Kool is a rapper who, in the late 1990s, produced several popular rap singles. Born in 1959 in Washington, D.C., his influence from his years of working the go-go and rap circuits became apparent in his music...

. The track was produced by Chris Henderson for Harrison fourth studio album Liberation

Liberation (Mýa album)

Liberation is the fourth studio album by American singer Mýa, released by Universal Motown on 22 October 2007 in Japan as a digital download only. The album marks the singer's only release on the Motown label, which she left the year after....

. Ayo! was written by Chris Henderson, Mýa, and Charlie Smalls

Charlie Smalls

Charlie Smalls was an African-American composer and songwriter, best known for writing the music for the 1975 Broadway musical The Wiz....

.

Ayo! was released September 26, 2006 in the United States as a promo single for Harrison's fourth studio album Liberation

Liberation (Mýa album)

Liberation is the fourth studio album by American singer Mýa, released by Universal Motown on 22 October 2007 in Japan as a digital download only. The album marks the singer's only release on the Motown label, which she left the year after....

. The single achieved minor success; it peaked at number seventy on Billboard

Billboard charts

The Billboard charts tabulate the relative weekly popularity of songs or albums in the United States. The results are published in Billboard magazine...

s R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart.

Background

Ayo! samples an interpolation

Interpolation (music)

Interpolation in music refers to an abrupt change in musical elements from the main theme.-In classical music:In music and musical composition, especially 20th century and later, interpolation is an abrupt change of elements, with continuation of the first idea...

 of He's The Wizard by Thelma Carpenter

Thelma Carpenter

Thelma Carpenter was a jazz singer and actress, best known as "Miss One", the Good Witch of the North in the movie The Wiz.-Career:...

 from the soundtrack to The Wiz

The Wiz (film)

The Wiz is a 1978 musical film produced by Motown Productions and Universal Pictures, and released by Universal on October 24, 1978. An urbanized retelling of L. Frank Baum's The Wonderful Wizard of Oz featuring an entirely African-American cast, The Wiz was adapted from the 1975 Broadway musical...

. The Wiz is an adaptation

Adaptation

An adaptation in biology is a trait with a current functional role in the life history of an organism that is maintained and evolved by means of natural selection. An adaptation refers to both the current state of being adapted and to the dynamic evolutionary process that leads to the adaptation....

 of L. Frank Baum

L. Frank Baum

Lyman Frank Baum was an American author of children's books, best known for writing The Wonderful Wizard of Oz...

's The Wonderful Wizard of Oz

The Wonderful Wizard of Oz

The Wonderful Wizard of Oz is a children's novel written by L. Frank Baum and illustrated by W. W. Denslow. Originally published by the George M. Hill Company in Chicago on May 17, 1900, it has since been reprinted numerous times, most often under the name The Wizard of Oz, which is the name of...

 which features an entire African American cast. The film starred Diana Ross

Diana Ross

Diana Ernestine Earle Ross is an American singer, record producer, and actress. Ross was lead singer of the Motown group The Supremes during the 1960s. After leaving the group in 1970, Ross began a solo career that included successful ventures into film and Broadway...

 and Michael Jackson

Michael Jackson

Michael Joseph Jackson was an American recording artist, entertainer, and businessman. Referred to as the King of Pop, or by his initials MJ, Jackson is recognized as the most successful entertainer of all time by Guinness World Records...

 as well as Thelma Carpenter

Thelma Carpenter

Thelma Carpenter was a jazz singer and actress, best known as "Miss One", the Good Witch of the North in the movie The Wiz.-Career:...

 playing the role of Miss One, the Good Witch of the North

Good Witch of the North

The Good Witch of the North is a fictional character in the Land of Oz, created by American author L. Frank Baum. She is the elderly and mild-mannered Ruler of the Gillikin Country...

. The song is sung by Carpenter and The Munchkins when Dorothy Gale (Ross

Diana Ross

Diana Ernestine Earle Ross is an American singer, record producer, and actress. Ross was lead singer of the Motown group The Supremes during the 1960s. After leaving the group in 1970, Ross began a solo career that included successful ventures into film and Broadway...

) and Toto arrives in Oz. The song was originally written by Charlie Smalls

Charlie Smalls

Charlie Smalls was an African-American composer and songwriter, best known for writing the music for the 1975 Broadway musical The Wiz....

 for the musical and film, so therefore he is credited for the sample recording.

Reception

Billboard

Billboard (magazine)

Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...

 magazine gave the song a positive review

• Mýa has become the new captain of sexy, single ladies as she struts her way back into the spotlight. New single, "AYO" , featuring hip-hop veteran DJ Kool
  DJ Kool
  John W. Bowman, Jr., better known by his stage name DJ Kool is a rapper who, in the late 1990s, produced several popular rap singles. Born in 1959 in Washington, D.C., his influence from his years of working the go-go and rap circuits became apparent in his music...
  
  , is a party anthem that finds the sultry singer just "tryin' to enjoy herself," while hating on the men who can't keep her interest, satisfy or keep it real day-to-da. From the start, the beat takes charge, complemented by loud brassy horns and tight percussion; the hook is fresh, catchy and simplistic. "AYO" brings back a bit of old school, reminiscent of TLC
  TLC (band)
  TLC is an American musical trio whose repertoire spanned R&B, hip-hop, soul, funk, and new jack swing. Originally consisting of singer Tionne "T-Boz" Watkins, rapper-singer Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes and singer Rozonda "Chilli" Thomas it found success in the 1990s while also enduring a series of spats...
  
  's classic '90s "CrazySexyCool
  CrazySexyCool
  CrazySexyCool is the second studio album by American R&B group TLC, released by LaFace Records on November 15, 1994 in North America...
  
  ," and leads independent women straight to the doors of the party. Look for her fourth full-length set, "Liberation
  Liberation (Mýa album)
  Liberation is the fourth studio album by American singer Mýa, released by Universal Motown on 22 October 2007 in Japan as a digital download only. The album marks the singer's only release on the Motown label, which she left the year after....
  
  " Nov. 14.

Chart

Chart

Peak position

U.S. Billboard Billboard (magazine) Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...  Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, is a chart released weekly by Billboard in the United States.The chart, initiated in 1942, is used to track the success of popular music songs in urban, or primarily African American, venues. Dominated over the years at various times by jazz, rhythm and blues, doo-wop, soul,...

70

Release history

Region	Date	Format	Label
United States United States The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...	August 21, 2006	Rhythmic/Crossover Rhythmic Contemporary Rhythmic contemporary, also known as rhythmic top 40, rhythmic contemporary hit radio or rhythmic crossover, is a music radio format that includes a mix of EDM, upbeat rhythmic pop, hip-hop and R&B hits. Rhythmic contemporary rarely uses rock music or country music in its airplay, but it may...	Universal Motown
	August 28, 2006	Rhythmic/Crossover Rhythmic Contemporary Rhythmic contemporary, also known as rhythmic top 40, rhythmic contemporary hit radio or rhythmic crossover, is a music radio format that includes a mix of EDM, upbeat rhythmic pop, hip-hop and R&B hits. Rhythmic contemporary rarely uses rock music or country music in its airplay, but it may...
	September 26, 2006	Digital download Music download A music download is the transferral of music from an Internet-facing computer or website to a user's local computer. This term encompasses both legal downloads and downloads of copyright material without permission or payment...