Ghetto Supastar (That Is What You Are)

Infobox Single
Name = Ghetto Supastar (That Is What You Are)


Artist = Pras Michel featuring Mýa & Ol' Dirty Bastard
from Album = Ghetto Supastar
Released = 1998
Format = 12-inch single
Recorded =
Genre = Pop-Rap
Length = 4:26
Label = Interscope
Writer = Prakazrel "Pras" Michel, Wyclef Jean, Russell Jones, Barry Gibb, Maurice Gibb, Robin Gibb, James Brown, Bobby Byrd, Ronald Lenhoff
Producer = Pras , Wyclef Jean, Che, Jerry 'Wonder' Duplessis
Certification = Platinum
Chart position =
Reviews =
Misc = Extra chronology
Artist = Pras Michel
Type = singles
Last single = "Roxanne '97 [Puff Daddy remix] " by Sting
This single = "Ghetto Supastar"
Next single = "Blue angels"Extra chronology
Artist = Mýa
Type = singles
Last single = "Movin' On"
This single = "Ghetto Supastar"
Next single = "Take Me There"Extra chronology
Artist = Ol' Dirty Bastard
Type = singles
Last single = "Come Over To My Place" by Davina
This single = "Ghetto Supastar"
Next single = "Got's Like Come On Thru" by Buddha Monk

"Ghetto Supastar (That Is What You Are)" is the hit single by American hip-hop artist Pras. The song appeared on his debut album, "Ghetto Supastar" released in 1998, and on the "Bulworth" soundtrack. It reached #15 in the U.S. It features Ol' Dirty Bastard and Mýa, who sings the chorus. In 1999 it was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group.

Chorus

The chorus is a slightly modified reworking of the chorus of the 1983 Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton hit "Islands in the Stream". The production is sampled from Love Unlimited Orchestra - Under the Influence of Love.

Music video

Francis Lawrence directed the video, which features actress Halle Berry and actors Warren Beatty and Oliver Platt. In a play on the theme of the film, which is a prominent white politician acting like an African-American, Bulworth (Beatty's character) in the music video actually begins to stretch his mouth, pulling his face off to show it's really a mask, and revealing himself to be Pras, who is really the first African-American U.S. president in disguiseFact|date=October 2008. Wyclef Jean also appears on the set playing the bass guitar riff at the end of the song. It was nominated for an MTV Video Music Award for Best Rap Video and Best Video from a Film. Another three nominations on the 1998 Billboard Video Music Awards for Best New Artist Clip (Pop), Best New Artist Clip (Rap), and Best New Artist Clip (R&B/Urban). It won an 8th Annual MVPA Award in 1999.

Cultural references

This song was used in "Weird Al" Yankovic's polka medley, "Polka Power!" from his album "Running with Scissors". The song was also one of the anthems of "Tenerife '98".

In 2001, the Bee Gees released a version of "Islands in the Stream" on a greatest hits compilation in which the chorus from "Ghetto Supastar" replaces the last chorus of the song.

Credits

*"Ghetto Superstar" written by P. Michel, W. Jean, R. Jones, B. Gibb, M. Gibb, R. Gibb, J. Brown, B. Byrd, R. Lenhoff
*Contains an interpolation of "Islands In The Stream" by The Bee-Gees and samples "Get Up, Get Into It, Get Involved" by James Brown
*Taken from the soundtrack of Bulworth

*Engineered by Chris Theis and Phil Blackman
*Soundtrack executive producer: Karyn Rachtman

*Original sound recordings owned by Interscope Records
*Universal Music (UK) Ltd. are exclusive licensees for the UK
*Distributed by BMG Records (UK) Ltd.

*Pras appears courtesy of Refugee Camp Entertainment / RuffHouse / Columbia Records
*ODB appears courtesy of Elektra Entertainment Group
*Mýa appears courtesy of University Music Entertainment / Interscope

Charts

External links

* [http://www.mariah-charts.com/chartdata/PMya.htm Mýa chart history]
* [http://www.discogs.com/artist/Pras Pras discography]
* [http://www.rockonthenet.com/artists-f/fugees_main.htm Fugees historyline]
* [http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=11:3z1tk6kxwkrf~T51 Allmusic charts]