Treat 'Em Right
"Treat 'Em Right" is a 1991 song by rapper Chubb Rock. The song samples "There Was a Time" by Dee Felice Trio and "Love Thang" by First Choice.[3]
| "Treat 'Em Right" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single by Chubb Rock | ||||
| from the album The One | ||||
| Released | 1991 | |||
| Genre | Hip hop[1] | |||
| Length | 4:43[1] | |||
| Label | Select[1] | |||
| Songwriter(s) | ||||
| Producer(s) | Howie Tee[2] | |||
| Chubb Rock singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
The song was originally released on the Treat 'Em Right EP released in late 1990, which charted at No. 73 on the Billboard 200 and No. 22 on the R&B Albums.[4] The song was then included on the Chubb Rock album The One and then was released as the album's lead single, becoming a transatlantic hit, charting at No. 67 on the UK Singles Chart[5] and No. 95 on the Billboard Hot 100, No. 33 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks, No. 32 on the Dance Music/Club Play Singles, No. 11 on the Hot Dance Music/Maxi-Singles Sales and No. 1 on the Hot Rap Singles, where it spent three weeks at the top of the chart in March 1991[6] and was the first of four No. 1s on that chart,[4] ending up at the top of the end-of-year Hot Rap Singles.[7] In addition, the song was voted at No. 82 on VH1's 100 Greatest Hip-Hop Songs.[8]
Critical reception
Steve 'Flash' Juon of RapReviews.com said that the song "bridged the gap between boom bap and new jack beautifully. An uptempo booming bass background met with swing, married it, and produced a top ten hit as its offspring", adding that "his skillful rap lyrics were tinged with a sense of humility almost out of proportion to the star he was", that "the pulsating beat and message pulled party people out onto the dancefloor" and that "after a long synthesizer breakdown, you almost think the song is over, then all of a sudden Chubb crashes through your wall Kool-Aid style with one more dope verse that ends with "just treat me right, peace.""[2]
Use in popular culture
- The song was sampled by K'naan in his 2010 debut single "ABCs" on which Rock features.[9] David Jeffries of AllMusic said that the song "presents Africa as a land of different priorities, where survival trumps education and "nobody fat enough for lipo." The long lost Chubb Rock appearance is just one of the stunning choices for guests".[10]
- Mary J. Blige samples this song for the "Treat 'Em Right Remix" of "Just Fine" which features a verse from Lil Wayne.[11]
- Girl Talk samples the song on his 2010 mashup album All Day.[12]
- Vanilla Ice covered the song for his critically vilified covers album Vanilla Ice Is Back!.[13]
- This song is frequently used as a compilation album closer:
- The Hip Hop Box uses it to close its second disc (out of four).[14]
- DJ Jazzy Jeff also uses it to close disc two of his 2006 compilation album Hip-Hop Forever III; he also uses it to close the album because it contains two discs.[15]
- DJ Spinbad uses it to close his 2004 compilation album FabricLive.14, which was described by Matt Whalley of AllMusic as "a party in a can".[16]
- The song features in Freddy's Dead: The Final Nightmare and is included on the soundtrack. On this compilation album, the songs are in the order they are heard in the film and thus "Treat 'Em Right" does not close it.[17]
References
- "The One - Chubb Rock". AllMusic. Retrieved 28 December 2013.
- "Chubb Rock :: The One:: Select Records". RapReviews.com. Retrieved 22 December 2013.
- The One (booklet). Chubb Rock. Select Records. 1991.
{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link) - "Chubb Rock | Awards". AllMusic. Retrieved 22 December 2013.
- "CHUBB ROCK". The Official Charts Company. Retrieved 25 October 2023.
- Whitburn, Joel (April 1992). 1991 Music and Video Yearbook. Record Research. ISBN 978-0-8982-0081-2.
- Harrington, Richard (January 1, 1992). "1991's Chart-Toppers: Garth, Mariah & C C". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on November 5, 2013. Retrieved June 12, 2013.
- "VH1's 100 Greatest Hip-Hop Songs". Stereogum.com. 29 September 2008. Retrieved 23 December 2013.
- Troubadour (booklet). K'Naan. A&M Octone Records. 2009.
{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link) - "Troubadour - K'NAAN". AllMusic. Retrieved 23 December 2013.
- "Just Fine [Treat 'Em Right Remix] - Mary J. Blige". AllMusic. Retrieved 28 December 2013.
- "Girl Talk - All Day Samples List". Illegal Art. Retrieved 28 December 2013.
- Vanilla Ice Is Back! (booklet). Vanilla Ice. Cleopatra Records. 2008.
{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link) - The Hip Hop Box (booklet). Various Artists. Hip-O Records. 2004.
{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link) - Hip-Hop Forever III (booklet). DJ Jazzy Jeff. Barely Breaking Even. 2006.
{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link) - "Fabriclive.14 - DJ Spinbad". AllMusic. Retrieved 28 December 2013.
- Freddy's Dead: The Final Nightmare (booklet). Various Artists. Warner Bros. Records. 1991.
{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)