I Wish (Skee-Lo song)
"I Wish" is a song written and performed by American rapper Skee-Lo. It was released on April 10, 1995, via Scotti Brothers Records as the lead single from the rapper's debut studio album of the same name. Recording sessions took place at Sunshine Studios in Hollywood, California. Production was handled by Walter "Kandor" Kahn and Skee-Lo himself. In the United States, the single peaked at number 13 on the "Billboard" Hot 100 and was certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of America for selling 600,000 copies domestically. Internationally, the song reached  number 4 in Sweden and Norway, number 5 in Finland, number 6 in the Netherlands, number 10 in Switzerland, number 14 in Germany and New Zealand, number 15 in the UK, and made it to the Top 25 in Belgium and France. Most of the song's instruments are sampled from "Spinnin'" by Bernard Wright, and the song features a vocal sample of people shouting from the track "Buffalo Gals" by Malcolm McLaren. The song was nominated for Grammy Award for Best Rap Solo Performance at the 38th Annual Grammy Awards but lost to Coolio's "Gangsta's Paradise". "Blender  listed I Wish" as number 359 on its list of "500 Greatest Songs Since You Were Born". Overview. The song's lyrics are self-deprecating, with Skee-Lo lamenting a variety of personal shortcomings that he says are to blame for his unsuccessful love life. He wishes he were of taller stature ("like 6'9") and a basketball player ("a baller"). He wishes for a better car, specifically a '64 Impala, instead of his 1974 Ford Pinto with "an 8-Track and a spare tire in the backseat, but that's flat!" The lyrics also mention the Los Angeles neighborhood of  Crenshaw, and a signpost featuring the street name appears in the background of the music video. Additionally, the song references Buffalo Springfield's "For What It's Worth" in the lyrics "Hey, you, what's that sound?/ Everybody look what's going down". Critical reception. James Masterton for Dotmusic said, "Even at Christmas dance and rap hits can still have an impact. The brilliant pop hip-hop of Skee-Lo comes via persistent plugging from Radio One and a certain degreee of dancefloor popularity." Ross Jones from "The Guardian" wrote, "Over a snake-hipped R&B groove, the boy's light -hearted delivery and humble subject matter invite favourable comparisons with both The Pharcyde and Souls Of Mischief." Philippine newspaper "Manila Standard" called it "a true rarity — a rap song that dares to express vulnerable sentiments while retaining a funky edge". A reviewer from "Music Week" rated it four out of five, adding, "A low-down, funky, rolling vibe from the LA-based rapper. Old-school funk fused with jazzy tinges do justice to a tune which deserves to cause waves, and not just in the hip hop fraternity." Will Ashon from "Muzik" described it as "a ludicrous, dayglo, superfly wish -list from the self-depreciating and immediately likeable Skee-Lo". James Hunter from "Vibe" commented, "Dreaming of girls, cars, and height, his 'I Wish' is a most excellent pop-rap hit. Prom-night celebrity, that's his aspiration, and nobody's articulated it better in years. Skee-Lo wins because he doesn't try to sound like anything he's not". Music video. A music video was produced to promote the single, directed by Marty Thomas. The music video was released for the week ending on May 14, 1995. It was nominated for three "Billboard" Music Video Awards: "Best Rap  Clip", "Best Rap New Artist Music Video" and "Maximum Vision Clip of the Year". The video begins with Skee-Lo sitting on a bench like Forrest Gump. It includes scenes reenacting the story of the lyrics, such as driving around in his beat-up old car, and being picked on during a game of basketball. The video was later published on YouTube in April 2013. The video has amassed more than 28,9 million views as of October 2021.