Bust a Move (song)

"Bust a Move"
Single by Young MC
from the album Stone Cold Rhymin'
B-side
  • "Got More Rhymes"
  • "The Fastest Rhyme-My Name Is Young"
ReleasedMay 22, 1989 (1989-05-22)
Recorded1989[1]
GenreHip hop
Length4:20
Label
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
  • Matt Dike
  • Michael Ross
Young MC singles chronology
"Know How"
(1988)
"Bust a Move"
(1989)
"Principal's Office"
(1989)
Audio
"Bust a Move" by Young MC on YouTube

"Bust a Move" is a song by British-American rapper Young MC from his 1989 debut album, Stone Cold Rhymin'. The song is built on a sample of "Found a Child" by the group Ballin' Jack. The drums, produced by a LinnDrum, are sampled from the song "Radio-Activity" by RoyalCash. The breakdown segment contains a combination of beats sampled from the songs "Scorpio" by Dennis Coffey and the Detroit Guitar Band, and "Daytime Hustler" by Bette Midler. "Bust a Move" also featured guest vocals by Crystal Blake and bass guitar by Red Hot Chili Peppers bassist Flea, who both appear in the music video.

Released as a single on May 22, 1989, "Bust a Move" is Young MC's biggest hit, reaching number seven on the US Billboard Hot 100 and topping the charts in Australia in 1990. The song stayed on the Billboard Hot 100 for 39 weeks and 20 weeks in the top 40, winning the 1990 Grammy Award for Best Rap Performance. In 2008, the song was ranked number 47 on VH1's "100 Greatest Songs of Hip Hop". The single was certified platinum in the United States by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) in January 1990.[2]

  1. ^ "Bust a move". faqs.org. Retrieved March 5, 2011.[permanent dead link]
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference riaa was invoked but never defined (see the help page).