Funky Worm

For the band see The Funky Worm.

"Funky Worm" is a song by American funk group the Ohio Players, from their album Pleasure. It peaked at number one on the U.S. Billboard R&B charts in 1973 and also peaked at number fifteen on the Billboard Hot 100.^[1]

Influence

The song's ARP synthesizer^[2] solos have become a staple part in hip hop sampling history, being sampled by artists such as MC Breed, Too $hort, Dr. Dre, Xzibit, Game, and countless other rap/hip hop artists. The high-pitched whine of the synthesizer on the song was often emulated by producers from the West Coast and became a staple in G-Funk music. N.W.A notably sampled "Funky Worm" on their songs "Gangsta Gangsta" and "Dopeman". Ice Cube sampled "Funky Worm" for his songs "Wicked" and "'Ghetto Bird", duo Kris Kross' 1992 single "Jump", Lil' ½ Dead's 1994 song "East Side, West Side", DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince's 1993 hit "Boom! Shake the Room", and Ruff Ryders 1999 song "Bugout" also samples the song.^[3]

It was also sampled in De La Soul's "Me, Myself, & I", off their 1989 album "3 Feet High And Rising".

In popular culture

The song can be heard on the fictional radio station Bounce FM, in the video game Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas.

Chart positions

References