The Great Booty Battle of 1993
In early 1993, 95 South released a song that captured the imagination of a 9-year-old boy living in suburban South Jersey. That song was called “Whoot! There It Is” and that boy was me. It was a song about butts, and songs about butts were funny. They still are.
But then the oddest thing happened, and I think I can finally understand exactly what went down. A few weeks after “Whoot!” became a minor hit, Tag Team released a similar song with a similar title. “Whoomp! (There It Is)” was the new version, and instead of being an in-your-face booty song, it was subtle and more about partying and getting hype. And in that respect, “Whoomp!” will always be the inferior song. Tag Team played it safe for mainstream success and they went straight to minivans and sports arenas across the country. No harm in that normally (artists need to make their money too), but when you take someone else’s song and call it your own it’s shady.
Unfortunately “Whoot!” has become largely forgotten. But it’s legacy lives on in related jams “Tootsee Roll” and “C’mon N Ride It (The Train)”. Meanwhile “Whoomp!” was just the precursor to “Who Let The Dogs Out?” And I am at peace with that.
-Dave
