4 Hip-Hop One-Hit Wonders That Shook the Industry

One-hit wonders in pop and rock genres are a dime a dozen, but quite a few hip-hop groups through the years have (temporarily) made it big. Let’s take a quick look at four hip-hop one-hit wonders that absolutely blew up with just one (respective) song!

1. “Watch Me (Whip)” by Silento

Even if you’re not the biggest hip-hop head, you probably heard this song around the time it came out. It was everywhere, after all. “Watch Me (Whip)” by Silento was the hot new dance craze tune back in 2015. 

Sadly, though, this Atlanta rapper never saw as much success again following the debut of “Watch Me (Whip)” at no. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. His follow-up single “No Sense” didn’t even chart in 2020.

2. “Supersonic” by J.J. Fad

Hip-hop one-hit wonders are often dished out by girl groups, and we can’t figure out why this particular girl group didn’t make it bigger. J.J. Fad’s hit song “Supersonic” was all the rage in the late 1980s, and it makes sense why. It’s a total bop, and the fact that it was produced by Dr. Dre is a pretty big deal. 

The song even got nominated for a Grammy back in 1989, making J.J. Fad the very first Grammy award-nominated female hip-hop outfit. Their follow-up “Way Out” did alright on the charts, as did “Is It Love”. Sadly, they never scored a Top 30 hit again.

3. “Deja Vu (Uptown Baby)” by Lord Tariq and Peter Gunz

The late 1990s was a great time for rap and hip-hop, and Lord Tariq and Peter Gunz definitely capitalized on that with their hit song “Deja Vu (Uptown Baby)”. It’s a total classic and the only single from their album Make It Reign. 

The track made it to no. 9 on the Hot 100 and it seemed like the duo was about to become the next big thing. Sadly, they broke up shortly after as their only album failed to produce additional hits.

4. “Rump Shaker” by Wreckx-n-Effect

Who doesn’t love a lil’ new jack swing? These hip-hop one-hit wonders had a huge hit with “Rump Shaker” in 1992, which peaked at no. 2 on the Hot 100 that year. They had a few other hits before and after that song, but “Rump Shaker” was their only major chart-topping hit. Luckily, though, Wreckx-n-Effect is still together as of 2024.

Photo by Gabe Ginsberg/Getty Images for Fan Rebellion

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