Respect (Alliance Ethnik song)
Encyclopedia
"Respect" is a 1995 song recorded by French
hip hop
act Alliance Ethnik
. It was the first single from his album Respect, and was released on January 1995. It achieved success in several countries, including France and Belgium (Wallonia) where it was a top three hit. The song was Alliance Ethnik's biggest hit to date and can be deemed as its signature song
.
, "Back Together Again" by Roberta Flack
and Donny Hathaway
and a small interpolation of "Life's a Bitch" of American rapper Nas. The verses, performed by K-mel, are in French
, while other verses and the refrains are sung by Vinia Mojica in English
. The male singer has a delivery "which makes use of words and onomatopoeia with mischievouness and joviality". This single is "festive and optimistic", and uses the repertoire of the 1980s rap. The music video was shot in black and white.
' hit "Zombie
". The song achieved Gold
status and is the 953rd best-selling single of all time in France.
In Belgium (Wallonia), the single was number-one for a sole week, but remained in the top ten for over 17 weeks and 24 weeks in the top 40.
In Belgium (Flanders), Sweden and Austria, "Respect" achieved a moderate success, being only a top 25 hit. In Germany, it achieved only a low charts positions.
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
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...
act Alliance Ethnik
Alliance Ethnik
Alliance Ethnik was a 1990s French hip hop group. It was composed of five members from different origins, but all French; Algeria, Congo, Italy, and France.-History:...
. It was the first single from his album Respect, and was released on January 1995. It achieved success in several countries, including France and Belgium (Wallonia) where it was a top three hit. The song was Alliance Ethnik's biggest hit to date and can be deemed as its signature song
Signature song
A signature song is the one song that a popular and well-established singer or band is most closely identified with or best known for, even if they have had success with a variety of songs...
.
Structure
After an 30-second introduction using the sound of a radio, the song contains several samples from songs such as "It's Good to Be the King Rap Pt 1" by Mel BrooksMel Brooks
Mel Brooks is an American film director, screenwriter, composer, lyricist, comedian, actor and producer. He is best known as a creator of broad film farces and comic parodies. He began his career as a stand-up comic and as a writer for the early TV variety show Your Show of Shows...
, "Back Together Again" by Roberta Flack
Roberta Flack
Roberta Flack is an American singer, songwriter, and musician who is notable for jazz, soul, R&B, and folk music...
and Donny Hathaway
Donny Hathaway
Donny Edward Hathaway was an American soul singer-songwriter and musician. Hathaway contracted with Atlantic Records in 1969 and with his first single for the Atco label, "The Ghetto, Part I" in early 1970, Rolling Stone magazine "marked him as a major new force in soul music."His collaborations...
and a small interpolation of "Life's a Bitch" of American rapper Nas. The verses, performed by K-mel, are in French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
, while other verses and the refrains are sung by Vinia Mojica in English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
. The male singer has a delivery "which makes use of words and onomatopoeia with mischievouness and joviality". This single is "festive and optimistic", and uses the repertoire of the 1980s rap. The music video was shot in black and white.
Chart performances
The single had a success on the French SNEP Singles Chart (top 50), where it was ranked for 33 weeks. It debuted at number 13 on January 28, 1995, then entered in the top ten and remained in it for 22 weeks, including a peak at number two for four consecutive weeks, while the first position was held by The CranberriesThe Cranberries
The Cranberries are an Irish rock band formed in Limerick in 1989 under the name The Cranberry Saw Us, later changed by vocalist Dolores O'Riordan. The band currently consists of O'Riordan, guitarist Noel Hogan, bassist Mike Hogan and drummer Fergal Lawler...
' hit "Zombie
Zombie (song)
"Zombie" is a protest song by the Irish band The Cranberries from the 1994 album No Need to Argue. The song, which laments The Troubles in Northern Ireland and in particular the killing of two children in an IRA bombing in Warrington, England, was written by Dolores O'Riordan, singer of the band...
". The song achieved Gold
Music recording sales certification
Music recording sales certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped or sold a certain number of copies, where the threshold quantity varies by type and by nation or territory .Almost all countries follow variations of the RIAA certification categories,...
status and is the 953rd best-selling single of all time in France.
In Belgium (Wallonia), the single was number-one for a sole week, but remained in the top ten for over 17 weeks and 24 weeks in the top 40.
In Belgium (Flanders), Sweden and Austria, "Respect" achieved a moderate success, being only a top 25 hit. In Germany, it achieved only a low charts positions.
Track listings
- CD single
- "Respect" (radio edit) — 4:21
- "Respect" (instrumental) — 4:21
- CD maxi
- "Respect" (radio edit) — 4:18
- "Respect" (Prince Paul's bag of tricks remix) — 4:21
- "Respect" (Prince Paul's project mix) — 4:30
- "Respect" (Prince Paul's bag of tricks instrumental) — 4:50
- 12" maxi
- "Respect" (radio edit) — 4:18
- "Respect" (Prince Paul's bag of tricks remix) — 4:21
- "Respect" (Prince Paul's project mix) — 4:30
- "Respect" (Prince Paul's bag of tricks instrumental) — 4:50
- 12" maxi - Promo
- "Respect" (Prince Paul's bag of tricks remix) — 4:21
- "Respect" (Prince Paul's project mix) — 4:30
- "Respect" (Prince Paul's bag of tricks instrumental) — 4:50
Peak positions
| Chart (1995) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Austrian Singles Chart | 25 |
| Belgian (Flanders) Singles Chart | 25 |
| Belgian (Wallonia) Singles Chart | 1 |
| French SNEP Singles Chart | 2 |
| German Singles Chart | 72 |
| Swedish Singles Chart | 30 |
End of year charts
| End of year chart (1995) | Position |
|---|---|
| Belgian (Wallonia) Singles Chart | 4 |
| French Singles Chart | 5 |
Certifications
| Country | Certification | Date | Sales certified | Physical sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| France | Gold | 21 December 1995 | 250,000 | 357,000 |