Reached #1 on the R&B charts and #6 on the Billboard Hot 100, earning a Soul Train Music Award . Impact of Modern Remixes
A critique of "psychological romance" and rappers who focus on drama instead of the dance floor.
This mid-tempo groove emphasizes the "pimp slap" snare and the heavy, synthesized bassline. It is rooted in F-sharp minor and was designed to be "before its time".
The original "Word Up!" was built on a lean, mechanical groove designed for "bodies in motion". Frontman Larry Blackmon used an Oberheim DMX drum machine to create a sharp, unnatural snare sound that became iconic.
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