"Superthug" is a song by American rapper Noreaga with background vocals from Tammy Lucas during the song's hook. It was released as the second single from his debut solo album, N.O.R.E.. At the time, it became Noreaga's highest charting and most successful single, peaking at No. 36 on the Billboard Hot 100 and reaching No. 1 on the Hot Rap Songs chart.[1] However it was later surpassed by his 2002 single "Nothin'" which peaked at #10 on the Billboard Hot 100.
| "Superthug" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by Noreaga | ||||
| from the album N.O.R.E. | ||||
| Released | September 21, 1998 | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 5:00 | |||
| Label | Tommy Boy | |||
| Songwriter(s) | ||||
| Producer(s) | The Neptunes | |||
| Noreaga singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
Along with Mase's "Lookin' at Me", the single was one of the first high-profile productions done by Virginia production team the Neptunes. It made the Neptunes well known and sought after producers in the music industry, and in the first decade of the 21st century they would become one of the most successful production teams in music history, being named the Billboard magazine Producer of the Decade for the 2000s.[2]
"Superthug" would later be sampled on Janet Jackson's "Ruff (I Like It)", recorded for her Damita Jo album which failed to make the cut, although a snippet was leaked to the Internet in 2010. Jackson also considered including the song on her Discipline album.[3]
Charts
editWeekly charts
edit| Chart (1998–1999) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Germany (GfK)[4] | 74 |
| UK Hip Hop/R&B (OCC)[5] | 22 |
| UK Singles (OCC)[6] | 103 |
| US Billboard Hot 100[7] | 36 |
| US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (Billboard)[8] | 15 |
| US Hot Rap Songs (Billboard)[9] | 1 |
Year-end charts
edit| End of year chart (1998) | Position |
|---|---|
| Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks[10] | 88 |
Compilation appearances
editReferences
edit- ^ https://www.allmusic.com/artist/p294575
- ^ "Hip-Hop News, Rap Music - XXL". XXL Mag. Retrieved 19 May 2017.
- ^ "Janet Jackson's 'Ruff (I Like It)' - Discover the Sample Source". WhoSampled. Retrieved 19 May 2017.
- ^ "Noreaga – Superthug" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved March 20, 2022.
- ^ "Official Hip Hop and R&B Singles Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved May 21, 2022.
- ^ "Chart Log UK: Nadanuf – Michael Nyman". zobbel.de. Retrieved May 21, 2022.
- ^ "N.O.R.E. Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved April 13, 2016.
- ^ "N.O.R.E. Chart History (Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved April 13, 2016.
- ^ "N.O.R.E. Chart History (Hot Rap Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved April 13, 2016.
- ^ Billboard Year-End Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks - 1998. 26 December 1998 – 2 January 1999. Retrieved 2011-09-11.