It was released on May 11, 1993, by JMJ Records and Rush Associated Labels as the second single from Onyx’s debut album, Bacdafucup.
The song introduced slamdancing into hip-hop.
“Slam” was Onyx’s breakthrough single, making it to number 4 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and was the group’s second straight single to make it to number 1 on the Hot Rap Singles for two weeks.
The single was first certified Gold on July 7, 1993, before being certified Platinum on August 10, 1993.[1]
According to group member Fredro Starr, the song has sold about 5 million copies.[2]
Here is the description for the videos above:
Provided to YouTube by Universal Music Group
Slam · Onyx
Slam: The Alternatives
℗ 1993 The Island Def Jam Music Group
Released on: 1993-01-01
Producer: Chyskillz Producer: Jam Master Jay Studio Personnel, Mixer: Rich July Composer Lyricist: Jason Mizell Composer Lyricist: Kirk Jones Composer Lyricist: Tyrone Taylor Composer Lyricist: Fred Scruggs Composer Lyricist: Chylow M. Parker
Auto-generated by YouTube.
SONG: Slam (Album Version (Edited)) ARTIST: Onyx ALBUM: Slam
LICENSES: UMG (on behalf of Def Jam Recordings); LatinAutorPerf, LatinAutor – SonyATV, Audiam (Publishing), LatinAutor – UMPG, SOLAR Music Rights Management, UNIAO BRASILEIRA DE EDITORAS DE MUSICA – UBEM, BMI – Broadcast Music Inc., AMRA, UMPG Publishing, LatinAutor – PeerMusic, Audiam Canada, Sony Music Publishing, and 13 Music Rights Societies
Animation Directors: John Summerson & Dermot Lynskey
Production Company: Little-Giant
Based on filming by: Michael McCloud
Skateboarding by: Emile Laurent, Enzo Kurmaskie, Anthony Del Togno Armanasco, and Silas Baxter-Neal
LYRICS:
I’m a slow burn, crawl around the road work, something from the other side clawing at the known world, cough up all your cookies with the autumn air incarnate, he all-city by the time your eyes adjusted to the darkness, in parts uncharted, always found the corners cozy, you can send your fastest riders,
I return the horses lonely, controller, the locals only note the lucky charms and army jacket, when your addy’s in the heart of thar be dragons,
I know, no solicitors, waves away his visitors, from 10 minutes in front of a tainted energy signature, still bullseye-ing womp rats from the scenic route, sugar in his coffee like a seance in the tv room, the cheek swab came back half-amazing, half of what he make end up on his lab apron, if quieter than most,
I’m mostly mastering the science of, keeping one’s composure while the limbic system’s lighting up.
Some try to combat any kind of odd force trying to make contact, nah, let it in, let it in,
Some try stonewall any kind of woo-woo trying to make a phone call, nah, let it in, let it in.
Ring around the revenant, let it in, said he wasn’t ready yet, he never left the Etch-a-Sketch, stuck around for more than just a parlor trick or flickering fluorescents, had a couple still to visit with a million pressing questions like –
Where were you the night of?
What are you traversing earth in spite of?
How are you adjusting to the triumph?
I’m asking for a friend who caught a loss and never surfaced, simply curled up in his cubby, shutting down the central nervous, look, float up into urgent care, a checkerboard of blurry squares, flowers in the lobby shrivel back into the earthenware, humans in the lobby holding crosses up,
I understand the caution but, some of you just wanna see the coffin jump, until the coffin jump, then it’s what I call a punk, didn’t even get to where he coughing blood and talk in tongues, not to mention once you hassle the horde, it doesn’t matter how much furniture you stack at the door, yea.
Hand drawn map, cross over, cross back, calling from the flight deck,
I collect dog tags, tall grass, asphalt, or salt-flat, it’s all jazz, like an alphabet to Saul Bass, bratty to the basic anatomy of a death stare, passing through the old Manhattan, ectoplasm everywhere, pack a second teddy bear,
I’m headed for the panic, take a second for some bacon, take his head off when in transit,
I don’t co-exist,
I don’t exist, even J.C. miss him with the loaves and fish, you feel dementia getting closer like the devil getting over, now his antennas are roaming for radio terra nova, going “ksht! Ksht!
Sir, I think we’ve got a signal, it’s fuzzy, but they’re playing one that wasn’t from the hymnal,”
I’m a faint scent of sulfur,
I’m the source of the ooze,
I’m security tape of a glowing orb in the room, sup.
I’m a slow burn, crawl around the road work, something from the other side clawing at the known world, cough up all your cookies with the autumn air incarnate, he all-city by the time your eyes adjusted to the darkness, in parts uncharted, always found the corners cozy, you can send your fastest riders,
I return the horses lonely, controller, the locals only note the lucky charms and army jacket, when your addy’s in the heart of thar be dragons,
I know, no solicitors, waves away his visitors, from 10 minutes in front of a tainted energy signature, still bullseye-ing womp rats from the scenic route, sugar in his coffee like a seance in the tv room, the cheek swab came back half-amazing, half of what he make end up on his lab apron, if quieter than most,
I’m mostly mastering the science of, keeping one’s composure while the limbic system’s lighting up.
Some try to combat any kind of odd force trying to make contact, nah, let it in, let it in,
Some try stonewall any kind of woo-woo trying to make a phone call, nah, let it in, let it in.
Ring around the revenant, let it in, said he wasn’t ready yet, he never left the Etch-a-Sketch, stuck around for more than just a parlor trick or flickering fluorescents, had a couple still to visit with a million pressing questions like –
Where were you the night of?
What are you traversing earth in spite of?
How are you adjusting to the triumph?
I’m asking for a friend who caught a loss and never surfaced, simply curled up in his cubby, shutting down the central nervous, look, float up into urgent care, a checkerboard of blurry squares, flowers in the lobby shrivel back into the earthenware, humans in the lobby holding crosses up,
I understand the caution but, some of you just wanna see the coffin jump, until the coffin jump, then it’s what I call a punk, didn’t even get to where he coughing blood and talk in tongues, not to mention once you hassle the horde, it doesn’t matter how much furniture you stack at the door, yea.
Hand drawn map, cross over, cross back, calling from the flight deck,
I collect dog tags, tall grass, asphalt, or salt-flat, it’s all jazz, like an alphabet to Saul Bass, bratty to the basic anatomy of a death stare, passing through the old Manhattan, ectoplasm everywhere, pack a second teddy bear,
I’m headed for the panic, take a second for some bacon, take his head off when in transit,
I don’t co-exist,
I don’t exist, even J.C. miss him with the loaves and fish, you feel dementia getting closer like the devil getting over, now his antennas are roaming for radio terra nova, going “ksht! Ksht!
Sir, I think we’ve got a signal, it’s fuzzy, but they’re playing one that wasn’t from the hymnal,”
I’m a faint scent of sulfur,
I’m the source of the ooze,
I’m security tape of a glowing orb in the room, sup.
A detective tries in vain to use a rapper’s lyrics as evidence in a murder investigation.
About Key & Peele: Key & Peele showcases the fearless wit of stars Keegan-Michael Key and Jordan Peele as the duo takes on everything from “Gremlins 2” to systemic racism.
With an array of sketches as wide-reaching as they are cringingly accurate, the pair has created a bevy of classic characters, including Wendell, the players of the East/West Bowl and President Obama’s Anger Translator.
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