Square Biz

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"Square Biz" is a song by American R&B singer, Teena Marie. The song was released as a single in 1981 from the album, It Must Be Magic. It also contains one of the earliest examples of rapping.

1 Chart performance
2 History
3 Personnel
4 Trivia

[edit] Chart performance

"Square Biz" is one of Teena Marie's well-known and successful songs. The song managed to peak at #3 on Billboard's Black Singles, becoming Marie's highest peak on the chart at the time. The song managed to peak at #12 on Billboard's Club Play Singles, while performing moderately on Billboard's Pop Singles, peaking only at #50, becoming her second single to chart on the Pop Singles chart.

[edit] History

"Square Biz" opened Side 2 of the original LP like a "cherry bomb." Teena heard Deborah Harry rap on Blondie's "Rapture" and loved it. The rap made her want to do one too. The title was inspired by her bass player, Allen McGrier, who was always saying square business. The famous rap, often called the first rap by a female and indeed the first female funk rap, was about people who inspired her. They included Nikki Giovanni, Shakespeare, and her godmother. She also incorporated all three of her previous albums into her rap.

[edit] Personnel

Written by: Teena Marie and Allen McGrier
Vocal Arrangement: Teena Marie
Rhythm Arrangement: Teena Marie and Allen McGrier
Horn Arrangement: Daniel LeMelle
Vocal Percussion: Anthony Brockert and Christopher Anthony Boehme

[edit] Trivia

The song was re-recorded, with new lyrics, as the theme song for the most recent version of Hollywood Squares from 2002-2004.
The rap verse is used again, partly, by Missy Elliott, in her collaboration with Ciara, 1,2 Step

The song is also sampled in "Crip Hop" by the Eastsiderz freaturing Snoop Dogg.

Also sampled on NAS "Firm", freatureing Dawn of En Vogue.