Generic list post: fifty One Song Wonders™

Inspired by my recent post about Gemini's Me N Da Girlz, here's a celebration of fifty Martorialist favourite One Song Wonders™. One Song Wonders™ are not the same as One Hit Wonders© even though plenty of One Hit Wonders© happen to be One Song Wonders™ - it's irrelevant whether the one song in question was a hit or a flop, what matters is that the song in question jams, knocks, thumps, cranks or cracks. It's also irrelevant whether the One Song Wonder™ recorded a couple of songs or a sprawling catalogue of songs, what matters is that they have that one incredible song which bodies everything else they ever recorded. An all-Rap One Song Wonders™ list would be kinda boring for me to put together, so I've cast my net further afield. Warning: this list contains a trigger for fanboys of a certain lazy late 2000s rapper.

The Phantom - Love Me (1960)
The Trashmen - Surfin' Bird (1963)
The Jynx - How (1964)
Martin Slavin - Space Adventure Part 2 (1966)
The Attraction - She's A Girl (1966)
The Winstons - Amen Brother (1969)
Bad Bascomb - Black Grass (1973)
The Honey Drippers - Impeach The President (1973)
Miami - Chicken Yellow (1974)
The Flys - Love And A Molotov Cocktail (1978)
Mavis John - Use My Body (1980)
Glory - Let's Get Nice (7" edit) (1981)
Planet Patrol - Play At Your Own Risk (1982)
Extra T's - E.T Boogie (1982)
Disco Four - Throwdown (1983)
Yes - Owner Of A Lonely Heart (1983)
Z-3 MC's - Triple Threat (1985)
Robert Tepper - There's No Easy Way Out (1985)
The Showboys - Drag Rap (1986)
Sugar Bear - Don't Scandalize Mine (1988)
Lord Alabaski - Top Gun (1989)
Junei - Let's Ride (1989)
The Family Stand - Ghetto Heaven (Soul II Soul remix) (1990)
The Chimes - Heaven (1990)
Sounds Of Blackness - Optimistic (1991)
Aretha Daye ft. MC Chan - No More (Making Love) (1991)
U.K Apache ft. Shy FX - Original Nuttah (1994)
Skee-Lo - I Wish (1995)
Ghost Town DJ's - My Boo (1996)
The East Flatbush Project - Tried By 12 (1996)
Roy Davis Jr ft. Peven Everett - Gabriel (Live Garage Version) (1996)
Richie Thumbs ft. The LOX & Mo Money - Thumbs Up! (1997)
Reflection Eternal ft. Mos Def & Mr. Man - Fortified Live (1997)
Problem Child - When She Hears This Tape (1999)
Mr. Oizu - Flat Beat (1999)
Roots Manuva - Witness (1 Hope) (2001)
The Streets - Weak Become Heroes (2002)
DJ Webstar ft. Young B & The Voice Of Harlem - Chicken Noodle Soup (2006)
Rock D The Legend ft. Big Boi - DDT (That Hoe) (2007)
Jae Millz - Sober (2009)
Jay Electronica - Exhibit C (2009)
Red Cafe ft. Pete Rock - Heart & Soul Of New York City (2010)
Mysonne - In Jail (2011)
Ghost8800 - Sonic Boom (video mix) (2012)
Big Sean - Paradise (single version) (2014)
New Age Muzik - Da Beat (2016)
Team Toon ft. Ya Boi Big Choo - My Hot Girl (2016)
Ether Da Connect ft. Fivio Foreign & Mr. Swipey - WAKA (2019)
Benzz - Je M'appelle (2022)
Lady Ice - Up North (2022)

Since everybody's talkin' rappers & flutes...

Lord Sko - Pimp Socks
(From United Palace album; 2023)


Shout outs to Jimmy Z, funky flute is in this bitch! File Lord Sko under '90s moodboard New York zoomer rappers I never expected I'd enjoy a song by.' File the song itself under 'the best Kurious Jorge single since Best In The World.' As always, a choon is a choon no matter who it's by so fair play to the kid. Best unexpected jam since 3 Lokos by Coyote & Shaq IMHO.

Fly away to the danger zone

"And the cops are on my tail
Musta done a thousand rails
I'm gonna end up in jail
Tell 'em all I'll see you in Hell"

The Guy - Sorry Buddy
(From Sorry Buddy single; 2023)


Back in 2009 who'd have ever thunk that blogfather photographer The Arab Parrot would end up on the other side of the camera a decade later with acting roles in a Liam Hemsworth movie and various TV shows? His unlikely career pivot just got even more fly because him & his flock just dropped the best Squawk & Roll song of 2023. With Parrot playing the role of Frank B and his m8 the mountain lion kid on 1987 Izzy Stradlin-level composing duty, they've turned Bird Lieutenant's personal conduct into a universal choon by imagining what would happen if The Modern Lovers wrote a Mötley Crüe song. As Sam The Eagle probably said, the beak shall inherit the Earth.

Best thing I ever discovered on the old Arab Parrot blog? This fan-made video for Gucci Mane's I Move Chickens.

I'm on an Ego Trip, now ain't that kinda hip?

Freddie Foxxx - The Master
(From Freddie Foxxx Is Here album; 1989)


The New Style - Scuffin' Those Knees
(From Independent Leaders album; 1989)


Here we have the sole highlight of Freddie Foxxx's debut LP and the King Of The Beats-flipping bangeur ne plus by Naughty By Nature before they became Naughty By Nature. Two 1989 deep cut singles which rap hardcore and are hard to the core. They also share something else in common: both songs woulda been perfect inclusions on Ego Trip's The Big Playback compilation.

Thinking about it, 1989 was an excellent year for potential Ego Trip's The Big Playback-core: Atom by Main Source, What's More? by De La Soul, Your Arm's Too Short To Box With God by Lakim Shabazz, The Mack Of Rap by Markey Fresh, Dope On Plastic by Uptown, Axe Maniac by Unique, A Good Combination by Positive K, Let The Homocides Begin by Percee P & D-Nique, Freak The Funk (single mix) by Stezo, I'm The Peacemaker by Sir Ibu etc. If they were feelin' adventurous, they could even include Mac Dre's The Name by Mac Dre.

I know I'm not the only person who copped Ego Trip's The Big Playback on CD only to find out that K-Rob & Rammellzee's Beat Bop wasn't included because it was exclusive to the vinyl version. F**king fuming, m8.

Yuno My Steez (2023 edition)

Yuno Miles - Party All Night (video version)
(From YouTube; 2023)


On one hand, Yuno Miles is a shitposting meme creator masquerading as a rapper. On the other hand, once a year he accidentally manages to make an undeniable choon I can't front on. In 2021 it was Find My Legs, 2022 blessed me with Road To Riches, and now in 2023 there's Party All Night. The latter is some optimum feelgood Rap to dance the pain away to which sounds like DJ Fresh produced a track for Daft Punk or sumfink. At 1:27 in length it's obviously too short... and for that we should be thankful - the official version on DSPs is 2:35 and features verses from two of Miles' troll m8s who should never be allowed near microphones ever again. Thank Heavens for literal small mercies.

Martorialist's top tips: next time you're on a solo supermarket trip, put Party All Night on repeat in your headphones, and feel yourself float around those shopping aisles.

Tuesdays are Terrorable

"You see tears in my eyes? 'Cause I can't feel 'em
And my hoes get all my f*cks, I ain't got none to give 'em
But keep me posted and lemme know when it finally kill him
So I can buy some blunts, cut 'em open and fill 'em"

Mic Terror - Sippin' My Tea
(From No Lives Matter album; 2021/YouTube; 2023)


Belated video for one of the highlights of Mic Terror's last album. M.T spittin' some Zen #problematicist conscious Rap which begins with him metaphorically sippin' some earl grey tea and ends with him literally smokin' a pack celebrating the impending death of a terminally ill enemy. Damn, son - that's cold like them European countries Ill Bill and Vinnie Paz be touring. Now, can we get a video for OJ Simpson next plz?

Bonus beats: make like Positive K and step up front with Mic Terror & Gzus Piece's The Titty Song.

Born To Audiomack: Best of Nef The Pharaoh

~~> Best of Nef The Pharaoh <~~
1. M.A.C (2014)
2. Bitch, I'm From Vallejo (2014)
3. Blunt On Me (ft. Willie Joe & Cousin Fik) (2015)
4. Big Tymin' (2015)
5. Mobbin' (2015)
6. Come Pick Me Up (2015)
7. #Saydaat (ft. Philthy Rich) (2016)
8. Devil's Team (ft. Mozzy) (2016)
9. My Way freestyle (2017)
10. Bling Blaow (ft. Slimmy B) (2017)
11. Ball Out (ft. 03 Greedo & AllBlack) (2018)
12. Victim (ft. OMB Peezy) (2019)
13. South Vallejo (2019)
14. Beat That Vest Up (ft. ShooterGang Kony) (2019)
15. ABC (2020)
16. F*ck Yo Day Up (2020)
17. Cha Cha (2021)
18. I Make It Make Sense (2021)
19. Giggerz (2021)
20. 50 In The Chop (ft. Rydah J. Klyde) (2021)
21. Double Dragon (ft. Scando The Darklord) (2021)
22. Tattooed (2022)
23. Big Shit Talker (2022)
24. Prize (ft. Brill 4 The Thrill) (2022)
25. Old Enough (2022)
26. What Do You Like (2023)
27. Furley Goat (ft. LARussell) (2023)
28. Hello (2024)
29. Essence (2024)
30. Don't Stop (2024)


Nef The Pharaoh is a very inconsistent artist, but when he gets it right he's one of the more unique NorCal rappers of the last decade. Here at The Martorialist we call his sound Thizz Khalifa because he mixes early 2000s Mac Dre with early 2010s Wiz Khalifa. Here's a playlist of his best songs as according to ya host MT The Blogga Figga. Starting with when he first Mastered the Art of Communication in 2014 and ending with his two most recent Slap-Magnifico singles from 2023.

Opportunity Bootknocks

Gemini - Me N Da Girlz
(From Lords Of The Underground compilation; 2007)


One of my favourite British One Song Wonders™, it's North London's Gemini with the Grime equivalent of Devin The Dude's Mo Fa Me. Pounding the pavement in his khaki M-65 jacket, Gemini is the missing link between Travis Bickle and Peter Barlow, and the video uses comic strip graffix far more effectively than Walter Hill's silly "Ultimate Director's Cut" of The Warriors. A Channel U TV classic, Me N Da Girlz comes from a 2007 Grime compilation released by none other than U.K Streetsounds Electro supremo Morgan Khan who later went back to his roots in 2009 with a Nu-Electro compilation featuring an incredible Newcleus track. Dry-eared rando Grime connosiers insist that the music turnt to shit after 2006, but choonz like Me N Da Girlz and Tempa T's Next Hype obliterate 80% of supposed golden-era Grime songs from the early 2000s. Plus, the only legit choons Skepta has ever released were when he removed the stick from his arse and went full craven Grime-Pop in 2008 with Rolex Sweep and Too Many Men.

Related: anybody out there got an MP3 of London Underground by Million Dollar Dream? If so, give ya boy a ding dong.