BrianWilkins.org
October 7, 2022
My cousin and best friend Boo always used to give me shit for loving “shake your booty” music over the conscious Public Enemy, X-Clan, etc. stuff when we were kids. I’ll always wonder what he and I could have accomplished as artists and rappers if my parents didn’t separate us via divorce.
Regardless, “Bust A Move” is one of the best end of the 80s tunes – and a great “shake your booty” song. It topped out at #7 on the Billboard Hot 100 on October 14, 1989.
September 1989 to March 1991 (when I turned 16) was that awesome transition period from 80s to 90s culture. All the music during that time period was both “80s” and “90s.” Guess you just had to be alive, breathing and chillin’ at the time to understand what I’m talking about. It was a hopeful, positive, happy time.
Young M.C. is an underrated talent. He is credited as a songwriter on Tone Lōc’s “Funky Cold Medina” (Billboard Hot 100 #3 in 1989) and “Wild Thing” (Billboard Hot 100 #2 in 1988). Both artists were with Delicious Vinyl records at the time. I always liked Young M.C. because he showed me that I could rap without being “from the hood,” all while talking about cool pop culture references in my lyrics and bonding with Black America in general.
Young M.C. was also part of the 1990 West Coast Rap All-Stars collaboration “We’re All In The Same Gang.” He appears at the 2:56 mark.
Much love Young M.C., aka Marvin Young.