I Wish (Skee-Lo song)

"I Wish" is a song written and performed by American rapper Skee-Lo. It was released on April 10, 1995, via Scotti Brothers Records as the lead single from the rapper's debut studio album of the same name (1995). Recording sessions took place at Sunshine Studios in Hollywood, California. Production was handled by Walter "Kandor" Kahn and Skee-Lo himself.

"I Wish"
Single by Skee-Lo
from the album I Wish
ReleasedApril 10, 1995 (1995-04-10)
StudioSunshine (Hollywood, California)
GenreAlternative hip hop
Length4:10
Label
Songwriter(s)Antoine Roundtree
Producer(s)
Skee-Lo singles chronology
"I Wish"
(1995)		 "Top of the Stairs"
(1995)
Music video
"I Wish" on YouTube

In the United States, the single peaked at number 13 on the Billboard Hot 100 and was certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of America for selling 600,000 copies domestically.[1] Internationally, the song reached number 4 in Sweden and Norway, number 5 in Finland, number 6 in the Netherlands, number 10 in Switzerland, number 14 in Germany and New Zealand, number 15 in the UK, and made it to the Top 25 in Belgium and France.

Most of the song's instruments are sampled from "Spinnin'" by Bernard Wright,[2] and the song features a vocal sample of people shouting from the track "Buffalo Gals" by Malcolm McLaren.

The song was nominated for Grammy Award for Best Rap Solo Performance at the 38th Annual Grammy Awards but lost to Coolio's "Gangsta's Paradise". Blender listed "I Wish" as number 359 on its list of "500 Greatest Songs Since You Were Born".[3]

Overview

The song's lyrics are self-deprecating, with Skee-Lo lamenting a variety of personal shortcomings that he says are to blame for his unsuccessful love life. He wishes he were of taller stature ("like 6'9") and a basketball player ("a baller"). He wishes for a better car, specifically a '64 Impala, instead of his 1974 Ford Pinto with "an 8-Track and a spare tire in the backseat, but that's flat!" The lyrics also mention the Los Angeles neighborhood of Crenshaw, and a signpost featuring the street name appears in the background of the music video. Additionally, the song references Buffalo Springfield's "For What It's Worth" in the lyrics "Hey, you, what's that sound?/ Everybody look what's going down".

Critical reception

Gil Robertson IV from Cash Box stated that Scotti Brothers has got a huge hit on its hands with this "good-natured, whimsical track" from the Southern California rapper. He added, "This track moves throughout with an intoxicating bass beat and smooth driving California flavor adds to its mix. Having already received a ton of urban radio adds and with a video that's just been added to the rotation on MTV, this single shows strong potential to succeed on the R&B and pop charts as well."[4] James Masterton for Dotmusic said, "Even at Christmas dance and rap hits can still have an impact. The brilliant pop hip-hop of Skee-Lo comes via persistent plugging from Radio One and a certain degreee [sic] of dancefloor popularity."[5] Ross Jones from The Guardian wrote, "Over a snake-hipped R&B groove, the boy's light-hearted delivery and humble subject matter invite favourable comparisons with both The Pharcyde and Souls Of Mischief."[6]

Philippine newspaper Manila Standard called it "a true rarity — a rap song that dares to express vulnerable sentiments while retaining a funky edge".[7] A reviewer from Music Week rated it four out of five, noting, "A low-down, funky, rolling vibe from the LA-based rapper. Old-school funk fused with jazzy tinges do justice to a tune which deserves to cause waves, and not just in the hip hop fraternity."[8] Will Ashon from Muzik described it as "a ludicrous, dayglo, superfly wish-list from the self-deprecating and immediately likeable Skee-Lo".[9] James Hunter from Vibe commented, "Dreaming of girls, cars, and height, his 'I Wish' is a most excellent pop-rap hit. Prom-night celebrity, that's his aspiration, and nobody's articulated it better in years. Skee-Lo wins because he doesn't try to sound like anything he's not".[10]

Music video

A music video was produced to promote the single, directed by Marty Thomas. The music video was released for the week ending on May 14, 1995. It was nominated for three Billboard Music Video Awards: "Best Rap Clip", "Best Rap New Artist Music Video" and "Maximum Vision Clip of the Year".[11]

The video begins with Skee-Lo sitting on a bench like Forrest Gump. It includes scenes reenacting the story of the lyrics, such as driving around in his beat-up old car, and being picked on during a game of basketball.[12]

Track listing

All tracks are written by Antoine Roundtree

CD single, UK (1995)
No.TitleLength
1."I Wish" (Radio Edit)4:08
2."I Wish" (Street Mix)4:42
3."I Wish" (Old School Dub)4:52
4."I Wish" (Concrete Jungle Mix)4:30
5."I Wish" (Mama's Dub)4:42
6."I Wish" (Acappella)5:35

Charts

Certifications
Certifications for "I Wish"
Region CertificationCertified units/sales
Norway (IFPI Norway)[45] Gold  
United Kingdom (BPI)[46] Gold 400,000‡
United States (RIAA)[47] Gold 500,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Release history
Release dates and formats for "I Wish"
Region Date Format(s) Label(s) Ref.
United States April 10, 1995
  • 12-inch vinyl
  • CD
  • cassette
United Kingdom November 27, 1995
  • Wildcard
  • Sunshine
 [48]

In other media

References
  1. "Best-Selling Records of 1995". Billboard. Vol. 108, no. 3. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. January 20, 1996. p. 56. ISSN 0006-2510. Retrieved February 20, 2021.
  2. White, Omari (May 10, 2018). "RESPECT. Interview: Skee-Lo Reminisces on Classic Hit Song, Gives NBA Playoffs Predictions". Respect. Archived from the original on May 10, 2018. Retrieved February 20, 2021 – via Wayback Machine.
  3. "Blender Magazine Greatest Songs Since You Were Born". Blender. September 12, 2005. ISSN 1534-0554. Archived from the original on January 11, 2010. Retrieved February 20, 2021.
  4. Robertson IV, Gil (May 27, 1995). "Rap Single Reviews" (PDF). Cash Box. p. 13. Retrieved October 14, 2022.
  5. Masterton, James (December 3, 1995). "Week Ending December 9th 1995". Chart Watch UK. Retrieved October 3, 2021.
  6. Jones, Ross (November 18, 1995). "Reviews: Singles". p. 33. The Guardian.
  7. "Skee-lo debuts with 'I Wish'". Manila Standard. June 30, 1997. p. 21. Retrieved March 15, 2020.
  8. "Reviews: Singles" (PDF). Music Week. November 18, 1995. p. 12. Retrieved May 15, 2021.
  9. Ashon, Will (June 1, 1995). "Hip hop: Singles" (PDF). Muzik. p. 76. Retrieved April 3, 2020.
  10. Hunter, James (November 1, 1995). "Single File". Vibe. Vol. 3, no. 9. p. 120. ISSN 1070-4701. Retrieved March 2, 2020.
  11. Gillen, Marilyn A. (November 4, 1995). Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. p. 20. ISSN 0006-2510.
  12. Sorcinelli, Gino (November 7, 2018). ""I Saw a Vision to Make it Into a Hit Song": The Making of Skee-Lo's "I Wish"". Medium. Retrieved February 20, 2021.
  13. "The ARIA Australian Top 100 Singles Chart – Week Ending 11 Aug 1996". ARIA. Retrieved April 18, 2020 – via Imgur. N.B. The HP column displays the highest position reached.
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  17. "Top Singles - Volume 62, No. 12, October 23, 1995". RPM. Retrieved November 11, 2012.
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