I Wish (Skee-Lo song)
Encyclopedia
"I Wish" is a hip-hop song by rapper Skee-Lo
released in 1995 as the first single from his debut album of the same name. The track peaked at #13 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100
chart and at #15 in the United Kingdom
. It samples the songs "Spinnin by Bernard Wright
and "Buffalo Gals
" by Malcolm McLaren
.
The song was nominated for Best Rap Solo Performance at the 1996 Grammy Awards, but lost to Coolio
for his song "Gangsta's Paradise
." Blender
listed "I Wish" as number 359 on its list of "Greatest Songs Since You Were Born."
.
The lyrics also mention Crenshaw and the a signpost featuring the streetname appears repeated in the background of the video.
The Secret Handshake
did a cover of this song on Punk Goes Crunk
.
One of Mash Up
duo 2 Many Dj's
most famous mashups is the entire acapella of "I Wish" played over Survivor's "Eye of the Tiger
" then The Breeders "Cannonball
" - see As Heard on Radio Soulwax, Pt. 2.
In 2007, in the Hot Stylz single "Lookin Boy
", the song was referred.
Far East Movement
did a cover of this song for the 2008 film
Ping Pong Playa
.
"I Wish" is featured in the background of the Lizzie McGuire
episode "A Gordo Story"
"I Wish" is also featured as one of the lyrical tracks from Girl Talk
's album All Day, on the track Jump on Stage.
Skee-Lo
Antoine Roundtree , better known as Skee-Lo, is an American rapper. He is best known for his 1995 song, "I Wish", which became a top-40 hit in several countries....
released in 1995 as the first single from his debut album of the same name. The track peaked at #13 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
chart and at #15 in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. It samples the songs "Spinnin by Bernard Wright
Bernard Wright
Bernard Wright is an American funk and jazz keyboardist who began his career as a session musician and later released several solo albums in the 1980s....
and "Buffalo Gals
Buffalo Gals (Malcolm McLaren song)
Buffalo Gals is a hip-hop single released by Malcolm McLaren & the World's Famous Supreme Team as a single in 1982 and on their 1983 album Duck Rock. The song is composed of extensive scratching with calls from square dancing...
" by Malcolm McLaren
Malcolm McLaren
Malcolm Robert Andrew McLaren was an English performer, impresario, self-publicist and manager of the Sex Pistols and the New York Dolls...
.
The song was nominated for Best Rap Solo Performance at the 1996 Grammy Awards, but lost to Coolio
Coolio
Artis Leon Ivey Jr. , better known by the stage name Coolio, is an American musician, rapper, actor and record producer.-Late 80s:He recorded two singles in the late 80s, titled "Watcha Gonna Do" and "You're Gonna Miss Me"...
for his song "Gangsta's Paradise
Gangsta's Paradise (song)
"Gangsta's Paradise" is a rap song by Coolio featuring L.V.. The song was released on the Coolio album Gangsta's Paradise, as well as the Dangerous Minds soundtrack in 1995. Coolio was awarded a Grammy for the song/album...
." Blender
Blender (magazine)
Blender was an American music magazine that billed itself as "the ultimate guide to music and more". It was also known for sometimes steamy pictorials of celebrities....
listed "I Wish" as number 359 on its list of "Greatest Songs Since You Were Born."
Lyrics
In the song Skee-Lo is wishing for a girl, but she says he is not her type. He wishes he was more like her boyfriend, taller and a basketball player (baller). He also wishes for a better car, specifically a '64 ImpalaChevrolet Impala
The Chevrolet Impala is a full-size automobile built by the Chevrolet division of General Motors introduced for the 1958 model year. Deriving its name from the southern African antelope, Chevrolet's most expensive passenger model through 1965 had become the best-selling automobile in the United...
.
The lyrics also mention Crenshaw and the a signpost featuring the streetname appears repeated in the background of the video.
In other media
"I Wish" is heard in the 2006 film, American Pie Presents: The Naked Mile.The Secret Handshake
The Secret Handshake
The Secret Handshake is the electronica/soul musical project of self-taught musician Luis Dubuc. Dubuc sings and plays all instruments on the band's studio albums, including guitar, synthesizer, piano, percussion, and sound effects which he creates on his computer.He has a new musical project, a...
did a cover of this song on Punk Goes Crunk
Punk Goes Crunk
Punk Goes Crunk is the seventh compilation album in the Punk Goes... series released by Fearless Records. The album is composed of popular hip hop songs performed by various emo, pop punk and metalcore bands.-Track listing:...
.
One of Mash Up
Mashup (music)
A mashup or bootleg is a song or composition created by blending two or more pre-recorded songs, usually by overlaying the vocal track of one song seamlessly over the instrumental track of another...
duo 2 Many Dj's
Soulwax
Soulwax, headed by David and Stephen Dewaele, are an alternative rock/electronic band from Ghent, Belgium. Next to the Dewaele brothers, Soulwax consists of bassist Stefaan Van Leuven and drummer Steve Slingeneyer. They were first noticed after the release of their album Much Against Everyone's...
most famous mashups is the entire acapella of "I Wish" played over Survivor's "Eye of the Tiger
Eye of the Tiger
"Eye of the Tiger" is a single by American rock band Survivor, from their third album Eye of the Tiger. It was released as a single on May 29, 1982, the same year as the album. It was written at the request of actor Sylvester Stallone, who was unable to get permission for Queen's "Another One Bites...
" then The Breeders "Cannonball
Cannonball (The Breeders song)
"Cannonball" is a song by The Breeders from their 1993 album Last Splash. It was released as a single on August 9, 1993 on 4AD/Elektra Records, reaching #44 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100, and #40 in the UK Singles Chart...
" - see As Heard on Radio Soulwax, Pt. 2.
In 2007, in the Hot Stylz single "Lookin Boy
Lookin Boy
"Lookin' Boy is the first single released by the rap group Hotstylz from their album Yo Mamma Got A Mustache. The single features Yung Joc. The song is a game that derives from The dozens, but instead replaces the classic "Your Mama" opening references, with quips ending with the closing reference...
", the song was referred.
Far East Movement
Far east movement
Far East Movement is an Asian American electro hop quartet based in Los Angeles. The group formed in 2003 and consists of Kev Nish , Prohgress , J-Splif , and DJ Virman...
did a cover of this song for the 2008 film
2008 in film
This is a list of all major films made in 2008.-Highest-grossing films:Please note that following the tradition of the English-language film industry, these are the top grossing films that were first released in the USA in 2008...
Ping Pong Playa
Ping Pong Playa
Ping Pong Playa is a 2007 comedy film directed by Jessica Yu and written by Jessica Yu and Jimmy Tsai. The story centers on an Asian ping pong family with a buffoonish and irreverent son.-Plot:...
.
"I Wish" is featured in the background of the Lizzie McGuire
Lizzie McGuire
Lizzie McGuire is an American teen sitcom which premiered on the Disney Channel on January 12, 2001 and ended February 14, 2004. A total of 65 episodes were produced and aired. Its target demographic was preteens and adolescents...
episode "A Gordo Story"
"I Wish" is also featured as one of the lyrical tracks from Girl Talk
Girl Talk (musician)
Gregg Michael Gillis , better known by his stage name Girl Talk, is an American musician specializing in mashups and digital sampling. Gillis has released five LPs on the record label Illegal Art and EPs on 333 and 12 Apostles....
's album All Day, on the track Jump on Stage.
Peak positions
| Chart (1995/96) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Belgian (Flanders) Singles Chart | 22 |
| Belgian (Wallonia) Singles Chart | 21 |
| Dutch Mega Top 100 | 6 |
| Finnish Singles Chart | 5 |
| French SNEP Singles Chart | 24 |
| German Singles Chart | 14 |
| Irish Singles Chart | 17 |
| New Zealand RIANZ Singles Chart | 14 |
| Norwegian Singles Chart | 4 |
| Swedish Singles Chart | 4 |
| Swiss Singles Chart | 10 |
| UK Singles Chart | 15 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 | 13 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot Dance Music/Maxi-Singles Sales | 22 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot R&B/Hip Hop Songs | 33 |
End of year charts
| End of year chart (1995) | Position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 | 58 |