"Doo Wop (That Thing)" is a song by American rapper and singerLauryn Hill from her debut solo studio album,The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill (1998). It was written and produced by Hill. The song was released to radio as her solo debut andlead single fromThe Miseducation of Lauryn Hill on August 10, 1998, byRuffhouse Records andColumbia Records. No commercial release was originally intended for the single in the US, but limited-quantity physical formats were issued two months later, on October 27.[2][3]
"Doo Wop (That Thing)" became Hill's first and only USBillboard Hot 100 number one hit. It marked the first US number one written, produced and recorded by one sole woman sinceDebbie Gibson's "Lost in Your Eyes" (1989). It debuted atop theBillboard Hot 100, making it the firsthip hop song by a soloist to debut at number one, and the first debut single to premiere atop the chart. It also marked the first song by a female rapper to peak at number one on the Hot 100, and remained the only solo song by a female rapper to debut at number one for more two decades, until "Super Freaky Girl" byNicki Minaj debuted atop of the chart in 2022, breaking Hill's record.[4][5] The song reached number one on theR&B/Hip-Hop Airplay chart, and surpassed 50 million audience listeners on radio, which was a record at the time for a hip hop song.
The hip hop and R&B song is a warning fromLauryn Hill toAfrican-American men and women caught in "the struggle". Both the women who "[try to] be a hard rock when they really are a gem", and the men who are "more concerned with hisrims, and hisTimbs, than his women", are admonished by Hill, who warns them not to allow "that thing" to ruin their lives. Thechorus seems to promote egalitarianism between the sexes, but the overall message of the lyrics has been described as conservative.[11]
In terms of production value, Hill borrows heavily from elements ofsoul music anddoo-wop, lending credence to the song's title. In its official album and single release, several of the song's lyrics are censored, though the original words can be found in the liners.[12] The only noted semi-official release of the uncensored version is in a 12-inch promo labelled as "(Album Version)" (different from the 5:21 version) at 4 minutes in length.[13]
In the United States, "Doo Wop (That Thing)" debuted at number one on theBillboard Hot 100, making it the tenth song in the chart's history to debut atop the chart.[14] The track became the first single sinceDebbie Gibson's 1989 single "Lost in Your Eyes" to reach number one in the US, that was written, produced and recorded by one sole woman.[15] Hill joinedRoberta Flack, Linda Goldstein, andSinéad O'Connor as the only women at the time to solely produce a number one single, and joined the latter three women along withValerie Simpson andEllie Greenwich as the sixth woman overall to produce a number one single.[16]
It marked the first number one single by a female rapper, as well as the first rap single by a woman to debut at number one on theBillboard Hot 100 chart;[17][18] Additionally, it was the first and only solo hip hop song to debut at number one,[19] until "Not Afraid" byEminem debuted atop the chart in 2010.[20] "Doo Wop (That Thing)" also became the first debut single to enter atop the Hot 100 chart.[21][22] Furthermore, it became the third rap single by a solo woman to reach the top 10 and was the first solo single by a woman rapper to debut within the top 40.[23][24][25]
"Doo Wop (That Thing)" also peaked atopBillboard'sHot Rap Songs chart, making her the first unaccompanied woman artist to top both charts simultaneously, and remained the sole single by an unaccompanied female artist to do so, until it was matched byCardi B's "Up" in 2021.[26] The song reached number one on theR&B/Hip-Hop Airplay chart, and became the third rap song to cross 40 million listeners on radio; while it also broke the record for the most listeners on radio for a rap song, when it surpassed 46 million listeners on radio.[27] On theR&B Singles chart, it peaked at number two for three weeks in November 1998. Despite reaching 50 million audience impressions on radio, it was held out of the top spot by "Nobody's Supposed to Be Here" byDeborah Cox.[28]
"Doo Wop (That Thing)" remained the only single by a female rapper to debut atop the chart untilNicki Minaj's "Trollz" with6ix9ine began at number one in 2020.[29] While the song remained the only solo release by a woman rapper to debut at number one, until Minaj's "Super Freaky Girl" debuted atop the Hot 100, matching the feat 24 years later.[30] It stayed at number one for two weeks in November 1998, making Hill the third woman unaccompanied by another artist to do so with a song that debuted at number one, followingMariah Carey andCeline Dion.[31] The song set the record for the longest-running number one by an unaccompanied woman rapper, holding that record for almost 19 years, until it was surpassed byCardi B's single "Bodak Yellow", which stayed atop the Hot 100 chart for three weeks.[32][33]
The song experienced similar success abroad, reaching number one in Iceland, and peaking within the top 10 in various other countries worldwide. In the United Kingdom the song peaked at number three, debuted at number one on theUK Hip Hop and R&B Chart,[34] and has been certifieddouble platinum by theBritish Phonographic Industry. According toApple Music, it is one of the most streamed songs of the 1990s.[7]
In 2001, the song's accompanying music video was placed at number 71 on theVH1 list of the '100 Greatest Videos'.[45]PopSugar named it the 15th most iconic music video of the 90s,[46] whileUDiscover Music listed it as one of the music videos that defined the 90s. In 2021,Slant Magazine ranked "Doo Wop (That Thing)" at number 20 on their list of the '100 Greatest Videos'.[10] In 2023,Rolling Stone placed it on their list of the "150 Greatest Hip Hop Music Videos of All Time".[47]
The song's music video was Directed by Monty Whitebloom & Andy Delaney, Bigtv, and filmed inManhattan's Washington Heights inNew York City, with the video showing two Hills singing side by side at a block party. On the left side of the split screen, the 1967 Hill dressed in full retro-styled attire, complete with abeehive and a zebra-printed dress, she pays homage to classic R&B and doo wop, and on the right side of the screen, the 1998 Hill is shown in a homage to hip hop culture.[48]Slant Magazine's Paul Schrodt praised the "Doo Wop (That Thing)" music video, stating "The resulting split-screen music video is the most flabbergasting testament to what theneo soul movement is all about."[49]
In 2021, authorMinda Harts published her second book,Right Within: How We Heal From Racial Trauma in the Workplace, inspired by a verse in the song.[69]TIME magazine named it one of the "8 New Books You Should Read" in October 2021.[70]
^abSamuels, Anita M. (August 1, 1998)."Hill Gets Head Start on New Solo Set".Billboard. Vol. 110, no. 31. p. 13....the label will ship the album's first official single, 'Doo Wop (That Thing),' to R&B outlets Aug. 10; there are no plans for a commercial release.
^abFaison, Datu (October 24, 1998). "Datu Faison's Rhythm Section".Billboard. Vol. 110, no. 43. p. 41.The song [...] is scheduled to be released commercially on Oct. 27 but will be available to retail in limited quantities.
^Doo Wop (That Thing) (US cassette single sleeve). Lauryn Hill. Ruffhouse Records, Columbia Records. 1998. 38T 78868.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
^Doo Wop (That Thing) (US maxi-CD single liner notes). Lauryn Hill. Ruffhouse Records, Columbia Records. 1998. 44K 78869.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
^Doo Wop (That Thing) (UK CD1 liner notes). Lauryn Hill. Ruffhouse Records, Columbia Records. 1998. 666515 2.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
^Doo Wop (That Thing) (UK CD2 liner notes). Lauryn Hill. Ruffhouse Records, Columbia Records. 1998. 666515 5.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
^Doo Wop (That Thing) (UK cassette single sleeve). Lauryn Hill. Ruffhouse Records, Columbia Records. 1998. 666515 4.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
^Doo Wop (That Thing) (European CD single liner notes). Lauryn Hill. Ruffhouse Records, Columbia Records. 1998. COL 665692 1.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
^Doo Wop (That Thing) (Australian CD single liner notes). Lauryn Hill. Ruffhouse Records, Columbia Records. 1998. 666459-2.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
^Doo Wop (That Thing) (Japanese CD single liner notes). Lauryn Hill. Ruffhouse Records. 1998. SRCS 8696.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
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