Jump On It!

Jump On It!
Studio album by the Sugarhill Gang
Released	July 6, 1999 (1999-07-06)
Genres	Children's music old-school hip-hop
Length	31:29
Language	English
Label	Kid Rhino
Producers	Joey Robinson, Jr. Leland Robinson Jonathan Williams Wonder Mike
The Sugarhill Gang chronology
Livin' in the Fast Lane (1984) Jump On It! (1999)

Jump On It! is the fifth and final studio album by American old-school hip-hop group the Sugarhill Gang. Rather than adapt to urban contemporary music, the group recorded children's music in their classic sound, making it among the first hip-hop albums for kids. The album was the only one released after the trio: Big Bank Hank, Master Gee, and Wonder Mike, reunited in the 1990s. It was promoted by a jump rope contest for children in coordination with the Boys & Girls Clubs of America, who received a portion of the proceeds from album sales.

The album was devised by Rhino Records executive Richard Foos and was intended to be paired with a line of children's clothing, educational videos, and television programming, but this never came to fruition.

Reception

Editors at AllMusic rated this album 3 out of 5 stars, with critic Keith Farley writing that "as fun and educational as Jump on It! is for kids, though, this album is a non-starter for hip-hop fans" due to the simplistic rhymes. A brief overview of the group's work in B.E.T. Weekend gave this release 3.5 out of 5 stars for being able to teach children.

Dance Sequence

The dance sequence is quite basic and it is divided into 2 main parts after the intro where dancers begins with a low-stance hop-and-slap routine where dancers rhythmically hop up and back while swinging their arms, setting a high-energy hip-hop party groove.

The first part features a signature bouncy rhythm where dancers stand with a wide stance, put their hands near or on their hips, and pop or swing their hips side-to-side in time with the beat. The second part features a dance move similar to Gangnam Style, where dancers pretend to ride a horse and twirling a lasso while turning around. When performed with two or more people, the routine works because both dancers lock into identical lateral timing, moving left or right together, then swapping roles or mirroring angles during the lasso and turn sections to create a stage-show effect.

Track listing

1. "Jump on It" (Joey Robinson, Jr. and Michael Wright) – 3:28
2. "Kick a Rhyme with Dr. Seuss" (traditional) – 3:56
3. "ABC's" (Big Bank Hank, J. Robinson, and Wright) – 2:30
4. "It's Like a Dream Sometimes" (Wright) – 2:43
5. "The Vowels" (Jonathan Williams and Wright) – 3:05
6. "Fireworks" (Lynn Ahrens) – 2:39
7. "Last Day of School" (Big Bank Hank, J. Robinson, and Wright) – 3:11
8. "Kid's Rapper's Delight (Kid's Rap-Along)" (Bernard Edwards, J. Robinson, Sylvia Robinson, Nile Rodgers, and Wright) – 5:08
9. "Sugar Hill Groove" (J. Robinson and Wright) – 3:06
10. "My Little Playmate" (J. Robinson, S. Robinson, and Wright) – 1:43

Personnel

The Sugarhill Gang

• Big Bank Hank – rapping, engineering
• Master Gee – rapping, arrangement, engineering, mixing, production, artwork, executive production
• Wonder Mike – rapping, arrangement, engineering, mixing, production, artwork

Additional personnel

• Hugh Brown – photography
• Melvin Glover – artwork
• Grandmaster Melle Mel – rapping on "It's Like a Dream Sometimes"
• Nancy L. Hopkins – design
• Matt Oppenheimer – executive in charge of music
• Positive Force – performance on "Kid's Rapper's Delight (Kid's Rap-Along)"
• Leland Robinson – production, artwork, executive production
• Doug Schwartz – mastering
• Sugar Hill House Band
• Jonathan Williams – performance on "The Vowels" and "My Little Playmate", mixing, production, artwork

See also

• List of 1999 albums

External links

• Jump On It! at Discogs (list of releases)
• Jump On It! at MusicBrainz (list of releases)