This song is part of our “THE SUMMER 97 (1998 x 2023)” playlist. Check out the full list.
Twenty years before Lil Nas X trotted his horse down “Old Town Road” and gagged the Nashville girlies by fusing Hip-Hop and Country, a trio of Hip-Hop and R&B stars collaborated to sample two Country legends, Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton. In 1998, Fugees member Pras, R&B newcomer Mya, and Wu-Tang Clan’s Ol’ Dirty Bastard joined forces to release the now-classic “Ghetto Supastar (That is What You Are).” The track flips the Rogers/Parton sample into a chaotically charismatic anthem that perfectly encapsulates the inescapable collision of R&B and Hip-Hop throughout the late 90s. Shout out to Mariah Carey.
Watch the video, or stream “Ghetto Supastar”
In celebration of summer, the staff at THE 97 has compiled a playlist containing some of our favorite summer songs, from then and now. Each day we will reveal one song, rotating daily between past and present with pairings from 1998 and 2023, for a total of 97 days/songs. Since we love nostalgia, we’re celebrating summer songs from 1998 as they turn 25, alongside new songs that we feel deserve some shine. Pairings could be thematic, sonic, or based connections between the artists.