Buddy (De La Soul song)

"Buddy" is the third single released by De La Soul from their album 3 Feet High and Rising.

"Buddy"
Single by De La Soul featuring Q-Tip, Phife Dawg, Queen Latifah, Monie Love and Jungle Brothers
from the album 3 Feet High and Rising
A-side"The Magic Number"
ReleasedDecember 11, 1989
Recorded
  • 1988 (album version)
  • 1989 (remix)
GenreAlternative hip hop
Length
  • 4:54 (album version)
  • 7:17 (12" remix version)
LabelTommy Boy
Songwriter(s)P. Huston, K. Mercer, D. Jolicoeur, V. Mason
Producer(s)Prince Paul, De La Soul
De La Soul singles chronology
"Potholes In My Lawn"
(1988)		 "Buddy"
(1989)		 "Eye Know"
(1989)
Q-Tip singles chronology
"Buddy"
(1988)		 "One Love"
(1994)
Queen Latifah singles chronology
"Buddy"
(1989)		 "Just Another Day..."
(1993)
Monie Love singles chronology
"I Can Do This"
(1988)		 "Buddy"
(1989)		 "It's a Shame (My Sister)"
(1990)
Jungle Brothers singles chronology
"Because I Got It Like That"
(1988)		 "Buddy"
(1989)		 "What 'U' Waitin' '4'?"
(1990)

The song is often cited as an example of an effective remix; one that includes a change of song lyrics or beat. In this case, both the original song's lyrics and the musical bed received a makeover. With its sample of the bassline from Taana Gardner's 1981 song "Heartbeat", the 7 minute 12" version was clearly tailor-made for dancefloor and provided a striking contrast to the laid back album version.

The song was also famous for featuring the major members of the Native Tongues posse, including Q-Tip of A Tribe Called Quest, Jungle Brothers, Queen Latifah and Monie Love. While Phife Dawg appears in the video itself and is heard in the extended mix, the mix in the video eliminates his entire verse.

In 2023, Billboard and Stereogum ranked the song number one and number three, respectively, on their lists of the 10 greatest De La Soul songs.[1][2]

Music video

The music video for "Buddy" is introduced by Prince Paul who explains, "'Buddy' doesn't mean 'girl' or 'sex' for that matter, 'buddy' simply means 'body', bodies of all kind." While the majority of the video consists of the members of the Native Tongues posse performing straight to camera, this is interspersed with brief segments of black-and-white footage, one of which featuring a speech balloon that remarks "this video makes no sense!"

Along with those who appeared in the song, the video also featured a cameo from rapper Chi-Ali.

Track listing
  1. "Buddy (Native Tongue Decision)" - 7:17
  2. "Buddy (Native Tongue Decision Instrumental)" - 5:50
  3. "Ghetto Thang (Vocal)" - 3:45
  4. "Ghetto Thang (Ghetto Ximer)" - 3:55
  5. "Buddy (Vocal)" - 4:58
    • Guest Appearances: Q-Tip, Jungle Brothers
  6. "Ghetto Thang (Ghetto Ximer Instrumental)" - 3:47

Charts
Chart (1989-1990) Peak
Position
U.S. Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs 181
U.S. Billboard Hot Dance Club Play 271
U.S. Billboard Hot Rap Singles 2
U.S. Billboard Hot Dance Music/Maxi-Singles Sales 11
UK Singles Chart 7

References
  1. Hart, Ron (March 3, 2023). "De La Soul's 10 Best Songs". Billboard. Retrieved August 15, 2023.
  2. Patrin, Nate (March 7, 2023). "The 10 Best De La Soul Songs". Stereogum. Retrieved August 15, 2023.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.