What I Got
Encyclopedia
"What I Got" is a song from Sublime
's eponymous third album titled Sublime
and was the band's biggest radio hit, posthumously after singer Bradley Nowell
's 1996 heroin overdose. It was the second single to be released by the band, following "Date Rape
" (1991). The song was one of the most popular singles
of 1997 in the US
. At the time of its release, it reached the #1 spot on the Modern Rock Tracks
chart. It was also a mainstream Top 40 hit, peaking at #29 on the Billboard Hot 100 Airplay.
It is ranked among the 100 Greatest Guitar Songs of All Time by Rolling Stone at #83.
The song is noted for carrying a melody almost identical to that heard on The Beatles
' "Lady Madonna
" and an overlayed comparison of the said melody matches up almost exactly.
The song itself is also an adaptation of the track "Loving" by Half-Pint
. Half-Pint has since performed songs with the Long Beach Dub Allstars
, which includes the two surviving members of Sublime. It can be heard on the movie, Fun with Dick and Jane
. A shortened, clean version of the song was also included in the video game Dave Mirra Freestyle BMX
. It also appeared on the soundtrack of Guitar Hero 5
and Saints Row: The Third.
The guitar solo was played by Michael “Miguel” Happoldt
, the founder of Skunk Records.
The song was covered by Michael Franti
& Spearhead feat. Gift of Gab on the tribute album Look at All the Love We Found.
The song was covered by Bret Michaels
of the glam metal
band Poison
in 2010.
The song contains a sample of the words "too short" from "Life Is... Too Short" by the American rapper Too Short. The song also contains a sample from a Richard Pryor
quote found on "That Nigger's Crazy", the same Richard Pryor quote that is used in Ol' Dirty Bastard
's Shimmy Shimmy Ya
.
The sentence "Never had to battle with no bulletproof vest" is taken from "Mona Lisa (Nappy Heads Remix)" by The Fugees
.
A second version, "What I Got (Reprise)", is a more rock-oriented version of the song on the album Sublime
. This version was also heard on many rock stations.
band Slayer
who emerged from the same area.
Sublime (band)
Sublime was an American ska punk band from Long Beach, California, formed in 1988. The band's line-up, unchanged until their breakup, consisted of Bradley Nowell , Eric Wilson and Bud Gaugh . Michael "Miguel" Happoldt also contributed on a few Sublime songs, such as "New Thrash." Lou Dog, Nowell's...
's eponymous third album titled Sublime
Sublime (album)
Sublime is the third and final album released by ska-punk band Sublime. Originally intended to be titled Killin' It, the band and record label agreed to substitute an eponymous title due to lead singer Bradley Nowell's death prior to the album's release...
and was the band's biggest radio hit, posthumously after singer Bradley Nowell
Bradley Nowell
Bradley James Nowell was an American musician who served as lead singer and guitarist of the Californian band Sublime. He died at the age of 28 from a heroin overdose shortly before the release of Sublime's self-titled major label debut.Raised in Long Beach, California, Nowell developed an...
's 1996 heroin overdose. It was the second single to be released by the band, following "Date Rape
Date Rape (song)
"Date Rape" is a song by the band Sublime originally recorded for their 1992 debut album, 40 Oz. to Freedom. It was first released as a single in 1991, but did not become a hit until four years later, when the Los Angeles radio station KROQ began adding it into their playlists and it quickly became...
" (1991). The song was one of the most popular singles
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
of 1997 in the US
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. At the time of its release, it reached the #1 spot on the Modern Rock Tracks
Modern Rock Tracks
Alternative Songs is a music chart in the United States that has appeared in Billboard magazine since September 10, 1988. It lists the 40 most-played songs on modern rock radio stations, most of which are alternative rock songs...
chart. It was also a mainstream Top 40 hit, peaking at #29 on the Billboard Hot 100 Airplay.
It is ranked among the 100 Greatest Guitar Songs of All Time by Rolling Stone at #83.
The song is noted for carrying a melody almost identical to that heard on The Beatles
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
' "Lady Madonna
Lady Madonna
"Lady Madonna" is a song by The Beatles, primarily written by Paul McCartney . In March 1968, it was released as a single, backed with "The Inner Light." The song was recorded on 3 and 6 February 1968 before the Beatles left for India...
" and an overlayed comparison of the said melody matches up almost exactly.
The song itself is also an adaptation of the track "Loving" by Half-Pint
Half-Pint
Half Pint is a Jamaican dancehall, ragga, and reggae singer.He released Money Man Skank, recorded in the early 1980s by King Jammy, which possessed energy, ebullience and style that epitomised the dancehall feel.-Biography:He originates from the West Kingston enclave of Rose Lane; a community...
. Half-Pint has since performed songs with the Long Beach Dub Allstars
Long Beach Dub Allstars
The Long Beach Dub Allstars were a dub reggae/ska/rock band formed in 1997 and disbanded in 2002.-History:Eric Wilson and Bud Gaugh met in childhood and later started their first garage punk band, consisting of drums, bass and vocals. They later formed Sublime with Brad Nowell...
, which includes the two surviving members of Sublime. It can be heard on the movie, Fun with Dick and Jane
Fun with Dick and Jane (2005 film)
Fun with Dick and Jane is a 2005 remake of the 1977 American comedy film of the same name, directed by Dean Parisot and written by Judd Apatow and Nicholas Stoller. It stars Jim Carrey and Téa Leoni as Dick and Jane Harper, an upper-middle-class couple who resort to robbery after the company for...
. A shortened, clean version of the song was also included in the video game Dave Mirra Freestyle BMX
Dave Mirra Freestyle BMX
Dave Mirra Freestyle BMX is a video game released in 2000 featuring Dave Mirra and other professional BMX riders. It was developed by Z-Axis Ltd. and published by Acclaim, and was released on the PlayStation, Dreamcast, Game Boy Color and the Windows PC...
. It also appeared on the soundtrack of Guitar Hero 5
Guitar Hero 5
Guitar Hero 5 is a music video game and the fifth main entry in the Guitar Hero series. The game was developed by Neversoft and published by RedOctane and Activision, and released internationally in September 2009 for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 2, 3 and Wii consoles...
and Saints Row: The Third.
The guitar solo was played by Michael “Miguel” Happoldt
Michael Happoldt
Michael 'Miguel' Happoldt is an American musician who worked most notably with the US rock/reggae groups Sublime and Long Beach Dub Allstars, as well as co-founding the Skunk Records record label...
, the founder of Skunk Records.
The song was covered by Michael Franti
Michael Franti
Michael Franti is an American poet, musician, and composer. He is the creator and lead vocalist of Michael Franti & Spearhead, a band that blends hip hop with a variety of other styles including funk, reggae, jazz, folk, and rock...
& Spearhead feat. Gift of Gab on the tribute album Look at All the Love We Found.
The song was covered by Bret Michaels
Bret Michaels
Bret Michaels is an American musician, actor, director, screenwriter, producer and reality television personality. He first gained fame as the lead vocalist of the glam metal band Poison. Besides his career as lead singer, he has several solo albums to his credit, as well as one chart single...
of the glam metal
Glam metal
Glam metal is a subgenre of hard rock and heavy metal that arose in the late 1970s and early 1980s in the United States, particularly on the Los Angeles Sunset Strip music scene...
band Poison
Poison (band)
Poison is an American glam metal band that achieved great success in the mid-1980s to mid-1990s. To date, Poison has sold over 30 million records worldwide and have sold 15 million records in the United States alone. The band has also charted ten singles to the Top 40 of the Billboard Hot 100,...
in 2010.
The song contains a sample of the words "too short" from "Life Is... Too Short" by the American rapper Too Short. The song also contains a sample from a Richard Pryor
Richard Pryor
Richard Franklin Lennox Thomas Pryor was an American stand-up comedian, actor, social critic, writer and MC. Pryor was known for uncompromising examinations of racism and topical contemporary issues, which employed colorful vulgarities, and profanity, as well as racial epithets...
quote found on "That Nigger's Crazy", the same Richard Pryor quote that is used in Ol' Dirty Bastard
Ol' Dirty Bastard
Russell Tyrone Jones was an American rapper and occasional producer, who went by the stage name Ol' Dirty Bastard or simply ODB...
's Shimmy Shimmy Ya
Shimmy Shimmy Ya
"Shimmy Shimmy Ya" is the second single by Ol' Dirty Bastard, from the album, Return to the 36 Chambers: The Dirty Version. The video shows a depiction of the 1970s, in which large afros and platform shoes were considered fashionable...
.
The sentence "Never had to battle with no bulletproof vest" is taken from "Mona Lisa (Nappy Heads Remix)" by The Fugees
The Fugees
Fugees were a Haitian American hip hop group who rose to fame in the mid-1990s. Their repertoire included elements of Hip hop, soul and Caribbean music, particularly reggae. The members of the group were rapper/singer/producer Wyclef Jean, rapper/singer/producer Lauryn Hill, and rapper Pras Michel...
.
A second version, "What I Got (Reprise)", is a more rock-oriented version of the song on the album Sublime
Sublime (album)
Sublime is the third and final album released by ska-punk band Sublime. Originally intended to be titled Killin' It, the band and record label agreed to substitute an eponymous title due to lead singer Bradley Nowell's death prior to the album's release...
. This version was also heard on many rock stations.
Track listing
- "What I Got" (Kahne Radio Edit) (2:47)
- "40 oz. to Freedom" (3:03)
- "D.J.s" (3:18)
- "All You Need" (2:46)
- "Same in the End" (2:39)
- "Work That We Do" (2:35)
- "Doin' Time" (Marshall Arts Remix) feat. the Pharcyde (4:12)
Music video
The video for "What I Got", shot after Nowell's death, mainly contains a collage of archive videos and photos of Bradley, as a tribute to the singer. The video includes images of Long Beach, CA, where the band met their success, as well as live footage from a Sublime show at The Capitol Ballroom in Washington, DC. The rollerblading woman in the beginning of the video is wearing a shirt with the words "I ♥ Slayer" in reference to the thrash metalThrash metal
Thrash metal is a subgenre of heavy metal that is characterized usually by its fast tempo and aggression. Songs of the genre typically use fast percussive and low-register guitar riffs, overlaid with shredding-style lead work...
band Slayer
Slayer
Slayer is an American thrash metal band formed in Huntington Park, California, in 1981 by guitarists Jeff Hanneman and Kerry King. Slayer rose to fame with their 1986 release, Reign in Blood, and is credited as one of the "Big Four" thrash metal acts, along with Metallica, Megadeth and...
who emerged from the same area.