Do you like this song? #721
Yes I like it, I already know it
Yes I like it, first time listening
No I don't like it, I already know it
No I don't like it, first time listening
Skee-Lo - I Wish 1995
"I Wish" is a song written and performed by American rapper Antoine Roundtree, better known by his stage name Skee-Lo. It was released on April 10, 1995, as the lead single from the rapper's debut studio album of the same name. Most of the song's instruments are sampled from "Spinnin'" by Bernard Wright, and the song features a vocal sample of people shouting from the track "Buffalo Gals" by Malcolm McLaren. The lyrics are self-deprecating, with Skee-Lo lamenting a variety of personal shortcomings that he says are to blame for his unsuccessful love life. The song was known for its lack of explicit lyrics at a time when gangsta rap was very popular.
"I Wish" peaked at numbers 13 and 16 on the Billboard Hot 100 and Cash Box Top 100, and was certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of America for selling 600,000 copies domestically. It peaked within the top ten of the charts in Finland, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, and Switzerland, the top 20 of the charts in Canada, Germany, New Zealand, and the UK, and the top 30 of the charts in Belgium and France. The song was nominated for Grammy Award for Best Rap Solo Performance at the 38th Annual Grammy Awards but lost to Coolio's "Gangsta's Paradise". The music video was nominated for three Billboard Music Video Awards: Best Rap Clip, Best Rap New Artist Music Video and Maximum Vision Clip of the Year. Blender listed "I Wish" as number 359 on its list of "500 Greatest Songs Since You Were Born".
The album I Wish peaked at number 53 on the Billboard 200 and number 37 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums, eventually achieving gold status by the Recording Industry Association of America on November 16, 1995, for sales of 500,000 copies in the US. It was also nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Rap Album at the 38th Annual Grammy Awards. The album's second single, "Top of the Stairs", released on October 30, 1995, was also a success, reaching number 38 in the UK, #59 in Sweden and #112 in the US. The song later featured in Joseph Ruben's 1995 film Money Train soundtrack. Afterwards, Skee-Lo stopped his rapping career before coming back to release a new album in 2000 and another in 2012.
"I Wish" received a total of 74,6% yes votes!
