Word Up

Album

Word Up

Label

Atlanta Artists

Genre

Funk

Composer(s)

Larry Blackmon;Tomi Jenkins

Entered Chart

Sep 13, 1986

Peak Date

Nov 22, 1986

Released

May 27, 1986

Recorded

Unknown

Catalog #

Atlanta Artists 884 933-7

B-Side

Urban Warrior"

"Word Up" is a saying that was popular in New York and other urban areas in the US that acted as an affirmation of what was said, kind of a hipper "you bet." Cameo developed a character around the saying and wrote the lyrics about what he would say. They called the character "Vicious" and had him take out his frustrations on rappers who delve into psychodrama when they should be creating music you can dance to: "Give us music, we can that, we need to dance. We don't need that type of psychological romance." Cameo was a popular funk band in the '70s and '80s. This hit fused their funk background with elements of rap, giving them a big hit. Cameo leader Larry Blackmon got the idea for the guttural vocal from Sly Stone, who is one of his heroes. Korn and Melanie Brown have both recorded this song. It was also part of a popular mash-up with Gwen Stefani's "Hollaback Girl." The Korn version cracked the US chart at #123. In the movie The 40-year-old virgin, Steve Carell sings a karaoke version of this alone in his apartment.

Yo pretty ladies around the world
Got a weird thing to show you
So tell all the boys and girls
Tell your brother, your sister and your mamma too

'Cause we're about to go down
And you know just what to do
Wave your hands in the air like you don't care
Glide by the people as they start to look and stare

Do your dance, do your dance, do your dance quick mamma
Come on baby tell me what's the word

Word up everybody say
When you hear the call you've got to get it underway
Word up it's the code word
No matter where you say it you know that you'll be heard

Now all you sucker DJ's who think you're fly
There's got to be a reason and we know the reason why
You try to put on those Airs and you act real cool
Got to realize that you're acting like fools

If there's music we can use it
You're free to dance
We don't have the time for psychological romance
No romance, no romance, no romance for me mamma
Come on baby tell me what's the word

Word up everybody say
When you hear the call you've got to get it underway

Dial L for love

C'mon all you people sing
W.O.R.D. up, W.O.R.D. up, W.O.R.D. up, W.O.R.D. up

W.O.R.D. up,
W.O.R.D. up