"Dangerous" is a hip hop

Hip hop

Hip hop is a form of musical expression and artistic culture that originated in African-American and Latino communities during the 1970s in New York City, specifically the Bronx. DJ Afrika Bambaataa outlined the four pillars of hip hop culture: MCing, DJing, breaking and graffiti writing...

 song written by Lawrence Dermer

Lawrence Dermer

Lawrence Dermer is a Grammy nominated and BMI award winning record producer and multi-platinum songwriter.Dermer has worked with various pop stars including Gloria Estefan and produced live shows for two Super Bowls.-External links:* Official Website...

, Trevor Smith

Busta Rhymes

Trevor Tahiem Smith, Jr., better known by his stage name Busta Rhymes ,Smith is an American rapper, producer and actor. Chuck D of Public Enemy gave him the alias Busta Rhymes after NFL wide receiver George "Buster" Rhymes...

, Rashad Smith, Henry Stone and Freddy Stonewall for Busta Rhymes

Busta Rhymes

Trevor Tahiem Smith, Jr., better known by his stage name Busta Rhymes ,Smith is an American rapper, producer and actor. Chuck D of Public Enemy gave him the alias Busta Rhymes after NFL wide receiver George "Buster" Rhymes...

 second album When Disaster Strikes

When Disaster Strikes

When Disaster Strikes... is the 2nd studio album by Busta Rhymes, released on September 23, 1997. The album follows the same theme as The Coming, the apocalypse. The album was a commercial success, sporting the hit singles "Put Your Hands Where My Eyes Could See" and "Dangerous"...

. The song is the album's fifteenth track, and was released as its second single, peaking at #9 on the Billboard Hot 100

Billboard Hot 100

The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...

. It was nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Rap Solo Performance

Grammy Award for Best Rap Solo Performance

The Grammy Award for Best Rap Solo Performance was awarded from 1991 to 2011, alongside the Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group. Previously a single award was presented for Best Rap Performance....

 at the 41st Grammy Awards in 1999, but lost to "Gettin' Jiggy wit It

Gettin' Jiggy Wit It

"Gettin' Jiggy wit It" is a single by Will Smith from his album Big Willie Style. Released in early 1998 and co-written by Nas, it was Smith's first hit produced by Poke & Tone, who replaced his long-time partner Jazzy Jeff, though the record-scratching techniques of Jazzy Jeff can be heard in the...

" by Will Smith

Will Smith

Willard Christopher "Will" Smith, Jr. , also known by his stage name The Fresh Prince, is an American actor, producer, and rapper. He has enjoyed success in television, film and music. In April 2007, Newsweek called him the most powerful actor in Hollywood...

.

Music and lyrics

"Dangerous" has a rhythm tempo at 103 BPM

Tempo

In musical terminology, tempo is the speed or pace of a given piece. Tempo is a crucial element of any musical composition, as it can affect the mood and difficulty of a piece.-Measuring tempo:...

.
The chorus of the song (This is serious/We could make you delirious/You should have a healthy fear of us/'Cause too much of us is dangerous) was taken from a 1983 Long Island

Long Island

Long Island is an island located in the southeast part of the U.S. state of New York, just east of Manhattan. Stretching northeast into the Atlantic Ocean, Long Island contains four counties, two of which are boroughs of New York City , and two of which are mainly suburban...

 Regional Poison Control Council PSA

PSA

PSA may refer to:* PSA International , world's second largest port operator* PSA Peugeot Citroën, French vehicle manufacturer...

 warning children of the danger of loose prescription medications.
The rhythm track was sampled from the 1982 song "E.T. Boogie" by the Extra T's.

Music video

The video takes several cues from Lethal Weapon

Lethal Weapon

Lethal Weapon is a 1987 American buddy cop action film and the first in a series of films, all directed by Richard Donner and starring Mel Gibson and Danny Glover as a mismatched pair of LAPD detectives, and Gary Busey as their primary adversary...

with Busta made to look like both Mel Gibson

Mel Gibson

Mel Colm-Cille Gerard Gibson, AO is an American actor, film director, producer and screenwriter. Born in Peekskill, New York, Gibson moved with his parents to Sydney, Australia when he was 12 years old and later studied acting at the Australian National Institute of Dramatic Art.After appearing in...

 (Riggs) and Gary Busey

Gary Busey

William Gary Busey , best known as Gary Busey, is an American film and stage actor and artist. He has appeared in a large variety of films, as well as making regular appearances on Gunsmoke, Walker, Texas Ranger, Law & Order, and Entourage...

 (Mr. Joshua). The second verse also references the scene where Riggs is electrocuted, and ends with a confrontation between Busta and himself, this time dressed as Sho'nuff from The Last Dragon

The Last Dragon

The Last Dragon is a 1985 martial arts musical film produced by Rupert Hitzig for Berry Gordy and directed by Michael Schultz. The film was a critical disappointment but a financial success, The Last Dragon is now considered a cult classic. The film stars Taimak, Vanity, Julius Carry, Christopher...

.

Formats and track listings

These are the formats and track listings of major single releases of "Dangerous".

• CD single

1. "Dangerous" (album version)
2. "Dangerous" (instrumental)
3. "Dangerous" (acapella)
4. "You Won't Tell, I Won't Tell" (unavailable on album)
5. "Coming Off" (unavailable on album)
6. "You Won't Tell, I Won't Tell" (instrumental)
7. "Coming Off" (instrumental)

• UK CD single

1. "Dangerous" (album version)
2. "Dangerous" (Soul Society remix)
3. "Dangerous" (album dirty version)
4. "Dangerous" (Natural Born Chillers remix)

Credits and personnel

• Vocals: Busta Rhymes, Rachelle Weston
• Audio mixing
  Audio mixing (recorded music)
  In audio recording, audio mixing is the process by which multiple recorded sounds are combined into one or more channels, most commonly two-channel stereo. In the process, the source signals' level, frequency content, dynamics, and panoramic position are manipulated and effects such as reverb may...
  
  : Dominick Barbera, Busta Rhymes, DJ Scratch
  DJ Scratch
  DJ Scratch is an American hip hop DJ and producer.-Career:DJ Scratch is the 1988 New Music Seminar Battle For World Supremacy DJ Champion, Grammy nominated, Multi Platinum Producer & The 2010 Master Of The Mix World Champion....
  
  , Vinny Nicoletti
• Mixing assistant: Rich Tapper, Floyd Nixon
• Engineer
  Engineer
  An engineer is a professional practitioner of engineering, concerned with applying scientific knowledge, mathematics and ingenuity to develop solutions for technical problems. Engineers design materials, structures, machines and systems while considering the limitations imposed by practicality,...
  
  : Vinny Nicoletti
• Assistant engineers: Tom Passetti, Dave Raythatha

Peak positions

Chart Peak position Dutch Top 40 84 New Zealand 33 UK Singles Chart UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ... 32 U.S. Billboard Hot Rap Singles 1 U.S. Billboard Hot Dance Music/Maxi-Singles Sales 1 U.S. Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks 4 U.S. Billboard Hot 100 9 U.S. Billboard Top 40 Tracks 29 U.S. Billboard Rhythmic Top 40 31

Year-end charts

Chart (1998)	Position
U.S. Billboard Hot 100	80