25 Influential Hip Hop One-Hit Wonders

Sometimes one song is all it takes to make a big impact.

Craig Mack, 'Flava in Ya Ear' - The song that built Bad Boy. Diddy's premier artist until the Notorious B.I.G. made his mark, Craig Mack created a bona fide rap classic with this 1994 banger, but then failed to live up to the potential the song showed. The remix, featuring Biggie, LL Cool J, and others, is even more celebrated, and helped set off the Bad Boy-led trend of "remixing" hits with new verses from a lineup of all-stars.(Photo: Bad Boy Records)
Luniz, 'I Got 5 on It' - The Luniz's only hit failed to establish a foundation for a long career for the Bay Area duo — although Yukmouth is still a local icon — but it went platinum, and created a new slang term people still use and abuse today. Diddy later jacked the song's funky beat for his 1999 hit with R. Kelly, "Satisfy You." (Photo: Noo Trybe)
Young MC, 'Bust a Move' - Before showing up on milk cartons, New York-raised, L.A.-based Young MC left a major mark with this 1989 hit, which won a Grammy for Best Rap Performance with help from a funky sample and a quirky video that randomly featured Flea of the Red Hot Chilli Peppers. (Photo: Island Records)
Tag Team, 'Whoomp! (There It Is)' - This call-and-response hit peaked at No. 2 on the charts in 1993 and became a staple at sporting events — and suburban soccer moms' slang. (Photo: Life Records)95 South, 'Whoot, There It Is' - Of course, Tag Team's massive success was preceded a month earlier by this Miami bass hit with an almost identical chorus. This much freakier song didn't have the same ubiquitous impact as its copycat, but it still hit No. 11 on the pop charts. (Photo: RCA)

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Luniz, 'I Got 5 on It' - The Luniz's only hit failed to establish a foundation for a long career for the Bay Area duo — although Yukmouth is still a local icon — but it went platinum, and created a new slang term people still use and abuse today. Diddy later jacked the song's funky beat for his 1999 hit with R. Kelly, "Satisfy You." (Photo: Noo Trybe)

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