The late '80s and early '90s -- the Bush era, if we're talking politics -- are frequently called the Golden Age of Hip-Hop because it was when the genre was growing by leaps and bounds, with innovative production teams and visionary MCs seemingly appearing each month. There's another reason, frequently uncited, why it was the Golden Age: The mainstream pop crossovers were as brilliant in their own way as the underground hip-hop. Young MC's "Bust a Move" is proof positive of this. It's an unabashed catchy song, thanks to its skittish, rhythmic guitar riff, looped beats, female backing vocals (cooing "you want it, baby you got it"), and Young MC's funny rhymes. It's a dance song in more ways than one. Yes, the rhythm is a virtual invitation to dance, but the lyric is all about winning someone's love through dancing -- by busting a move. Because of this, some snooty critics dismissed it as pure fluff, but they're missing the point. This is ingenious fluff, an irresistible dance song so clever that it hasn't aged where some of its peers (such as Vanilla Ice's "Ice Ice Baby" or MC Hammer's "U Can't Touch This") have. Why is that? It's because Young MC was not only blessed with a wry sense of humor -- the jokes are good-natured and unpredictable -- but the music is spare, catchy, and to the point. There's nothing that dates the music, just a great beat and a great, funky guitar hook that keeps the record eternally young. It's pop-rap at its best, and it certainly deserves to be ranked among the great singles of its era -- and that includes pop, rock, and soul singles, not just hip-hop.
Bust A Move 4:20 Bust A Move (Instrumental) 4:22 Got More Rhymes 4:32 Got More Rhymes (Instrumental) 4:35
