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"Mass Appeal" is a song by American hip hop group Gang Starr from the album Hard to Earn. The song reached #67 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #42 on the Billboard R&B chart.[1] It was also featured on the soundtrack of the video game Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 4.[2]

"Mass Appeal"
Single by Gang Starr
from the album Hard To Earn
Released	February 8, 1994
Recorded	1993
Genre	Hip hop
Length	3:41
Label	Chrysalis/EMI Records
Songwriter(s)	Keith Elam, Christopher Martin
Producer(s)	DJ Premier
Audio sample
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Background

According to DJ Premier, "Mass Appeal" was recorded to poke fun at radio when it came to hip hop music:[3]

"It was recorded as a joke. We just wanted to make fun of the radio on what it sounded like to get airplay. That’s why I made the background melody real simplistic. I was making fun of the radio, but I’m going to make a funky version of making fun of it. Everything’s a vision, and your brain has to be that intense to be able to capture that. What the radio played, when it came to hip-hop, it sounded too watered down. That was making fun of it, but that record did real good for us".

The track samples Vic Juris' 1980 song "Horizon Drive."[4] as well as vocals from Pete Rock's remix of Da Youngsta's 1992 track Pass Da Mic[5]

Music video

The music video was released in March 1994, shortly after Hard to Earn was released. The first verse featured Guru rapping inside an old apartment complex. The second verse featured Guru rapping inside a moving car, and the third verse featured Guru rapping on a beach. DJ Premier mentioned the video was filmed on a very cold night in Far Rockaway.[6]

Charts

Chart (1994)	Peak position
US Billboard Hot 100[7]	67
US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (Billboard)[8]	42

References

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