The Show (Doug E. Fresh song)
Encyclopedia
"The Show" is a 1985 hip hop single by Doug E. Fresh
and the Get Fresh Crew. Described as "a reality show of a Hip Hop performance" the track focuses on a conversation between Doug E Fresh and MC Ricky D (later known as Slick Rick
) as they prepare for a show. The song samples the theme song from the animated series Inspector Gadget
.
Originally released as a single, the track was later remixed and included on the 1986 Oh, My God!
album.
's top rap single of the year, and in Europe (where it received air time on pop music
stations such as BBC Radio 1
) it broke the record for the best selling rap single of all time. The song peaked at #7 on the UK Singles Chart
in December 1985 and was #8 on Jet
s top 20 for the same month.
While one 1985 critic for Spin included the song in a list of "stupid music"—making fun of Doug E. Fresh's lyrics about his shoes, and calling Slick Rick's sendup of "Michelle
" "pathetic"—he still concluded that the single is "the shit". Billboard
refused to take it seriously, declaring it the "funniest comedy album of the year". Even when the album became only the fourth rap single ever to reach gold record status, the same reviewer stated that it only proved that "talk isn't always cheap".
and CB4
, but is not included in the soundtrack album of either film. Chris Rock
, star of both these films, would have Slick Rick perform the song live to introduce his HBO special Bigger & Blacker
.
In response to the song's popularity, Hurby Azor
and his female hip hop group Super Nature recorded a diss track
entitled "The Showstopper". While not a hit in its own right, it did become the breakout track for the group that would later be known as Salt-n-Pepa
.
Doug E. Fresh
Douglas E. Davis , better known by the stage name Doug E. Fresh, is an American rapper, record producer, and beat boxer, also known as the Human Beat Box...
and the Get Fresh Crew. Described as "a reality show of a Hip Hop performance" the track focuses on a conversation between Doug E Fresh and MC Ricky D (later known as Slick Rick
Slick Rick
Richard Walters , better known by his stage name Slick Rick is a Grammy-nominated English-American rapper...
) as they prepare for a show. The song samples the theme song from the animated series Inspector Gadget
Inspector Gadget
Inspector Gadget is an animated television series that revolves around the adventures of a clumsy, simple-witted cyborg detective named Inspector Gadget – a human being with various bionic gadgets built into his body. Gadget's arch-nemesis is Dr...
.
Originally released as a single, the track was later remixed and included on the 1986 Oh, My God!
Oh, My God! (Doug E. Fresh album)
Oh, My God! is the debut album of emcee Doug E. Fresh. It was released in 1986 on Reality Records, a short-lived subsidiary of the legendary Fantasy Records, and was produced by Dennis Bell and Ollie Cotton. The album was only a moderate success when it was released, peaking at #21 on the Top...
album.
Reception
"The Show" was named Spin magazineSpin (magazine)
Spin is a music magazine founded in 1985 by publisher Bob Guccione Jr.-History:In its early years, the magazine was noted for its broad music coverage with an emphasis on college-oriented rock music and on the ongoing emergence of hip-hop. The magazine was eclectic and bold, if sometimes haphazard...
's top rap single of the year, and in Europe (where it received air time on pop music
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
stations such as BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation which also broadcasts internationally, specialising in current popular music and chart hits throughout the day. Radio 1 provides alternative genres after 7:00pm including electronic dance, hip hop, rock...
) it broke the record for the best selling rap single of all time. The song peaked at #7 on the 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 ...
in December 1985 and was #8 on Jet
Jet (magazine)
Jet is an American weekly marketed toward African-American readers, founded in 1951 by John H. Johnson of Johnson Publishing Company in Chicago, Illinois...
s top 20 for the same month.
While one 1985 critic for Spin included the song in a list of "stupid music"—making fun of Doug E. Fresh's lyrics about his shoes, and calling Slick Rick's sendup of "Michelle
Michelle (song)
"Michelle" is a love ballad by The Beatles, mainly written by Paul McCartney, with the middle eight co-written with John Lennon. It is featured on their Rubber Soul album. The song departs from most of The Beatles' other recordings in that some of the lyrics are in French...
" "pathetic"—he still concluded that the single is "the shit". 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...
refused to take it seriously, declaring it the "funniest comedy album of the year". Even when the album became only the fourth rap single ever to reach gold record status, the same reviewer stated that it only proved that "talk isn't always cheap".
Legacy
The song is featured in New Jack CityNew Jack City
New Jack City is a 1991 crime film starring Wesley Snipes, Ice-T, Mario Van Peebles, Judd Nelson, and Chris Rock. Snipes stars as Nino Brown, a rising drug dealer and crime lord in New York City during the crack epidemic...
and CB4
CB4
CB4 is a 1993 comedy film directed by Tamra Davis, and starring Chris Rock. The film follows a fictional rap group named 'CB4', named after the prison block in which the group was allegedly formed...
, but is not included in the soundtrack album of either film. Chris Rock
Chris Rock
Christopher Julius "Chris" Rock III is an American comedian, actor, screenwriter, television producer, film producer and director. He was voted in the US as the 5th greatest stand-up comedian of all time by Comedy Central...
, star of both these films, would have Slick Rick perform the song live to introduce his HBO special Bigger & Blacker
Bigger & Blacker
Bigger & Blacker is an album by Chris Rock, originally released on July 13, 1999, on the Dreamworks label. The album features live stand-up comedy tracks recorded for an HBO special at the Apollo Theater in Harlem and studio-recorded comic sketches, featuring Ol' Dirty Bastard, Biz Markie, Gerald...
.
In response to the song's popularity, Hurby Azor
Hurby Azor
Hurby "Luv Bug" Azor, or "Fingerprints" as he was also known, is a hip hop music producer, best known for discovering the successful female hip-hop trio Salt-n-Pepa and the also successful hip-hop duo Kid 'n Play....
and his female hip hop group Super Nature recorded a diss track
Diss track
A diss track or diss song is a song primarily intended to disparage or insult another person or group. While musical parodies and attacks have always existed, the trend became increasingly common in the hip hop genre as part of the hip hop rivalry phenomenon...
entitled "The Showstopper". While not a hit in its own right, it did become the breakout track for the group that would later be known as Salt-n-Pepa
Salt-N-Pepa
Salt-N-Pepa is an American hip hop trio from Queens and Brooklyn, New York, that was formed in 1985. The group, consisting of Cheryl "Salt" Renee James, Sandra "Pepa" Denton, and Deidra "DJ Spinderella" Roper, was one of the first all-female rap crews....
.