"Funky Cold Medina" is a hip hop song written by

Young MC Marvin Young (born May 10, 1967), better known by his stage name Young M.C., is a British-born American rapper, singer and actor. He is best known for his 1989 hit " Bust a Move". His debut album '' Stone Cold Rhymin found international acc ...

, Matt Dike and Michael Ross, and first performed by American rapper, actor and producer

Tone Lōc Anthony Terrell Smith (born March 3, 1966), better known by his stage name Tone Lōc (), is an American rapper, actor, and producer. He is known for his raspy voice, his hit songs "Wild Thing" and " Funky Cold Medina", for which he was nomina ...

. It was the second single from Lōc's debut album, '' Lōc-ed After Dark'' (1989). The single was released on March 18, 1989, and rose to number three on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 the following month where it went platinum, selling over one million copies and becoming the second ever platinum-certified rap single (after ''

Wild Thing Wild Thing or Wild Things can refer to: Books and comics * Wild Thing (comics), a 1999 Marvel Comics superheroine in the MC2 alternate future * ''The Wild Things'', a 2009 novel written by Dave Eggers Film and television * ''Wild Thing'' (film), ...

'' from the same album being the first). It peaked on the

UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart (currently titled Official Singles Chart, with the upper section more commonly known as the Official UK Top 40) is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC), on behalf of the British record industry, listing the top-s ...

at number 13 in May of that year. According to

Flavor Flav William Jonathan Drayton Jr. (born March 16, 1959), known by his stage name Flavor Flav (), is an American rapper and hype man. Known for his yells of "''Yeah, boyeeeeee!''" when performing, he rose to prominence as a founding member of the rap ...

, who is heard using the phrase "cold medina" a year earlier on '' It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back'', "cold medina" was one of his assertive affirmations throughout the 1980s and was adopted by labelmates Beastie Boys as a nickname for the cocktail known as a " fuzzy navel"; Flav allegedly later advised Tone Loc to use the catchphrase in a song. The song contains several samples. The drum break is from " Get Off Your Ass and Jam" by

Funkadelic Funkadelic was an American funk rock band formed in Plainfield, New Jersey in 1968 and active until 1982. The band and its sister act Parliament, both led by George Clinton, pioneered the funk music culture of the 1970s.John, Bush. Funkade ...

, and the main

guitar riff A riff is a repeated chord progression or refrain in music (also known as an ostinato figure in classical music); it is a pattern, or melody, often played by the rhythm section instruments or solo instrument, that forms the basis or accompani ...

is from " Hot Blooded" by Foreigner. Other samples are taken from "

(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" is a song recorded by the English rock band the Rolling Stones. A product of Mick Jagger and Keith Richards' songwriting partnership, it features a guitar riff by Richards that opens and drives the song. The rif ...

" by

the Rolling Stones The Rolling Stones are an English rock band formed in London in 1962. Active for six decades, they are one of the most popular and enduring bands of the rock era. In the early 1960s, the Rolling Stones pioneered the gritty, rhythmically d ...

(when this song is mentioned in the lyrics), " Christine Sixteen" by

Kiss A kiss is the touch or pressing of one's lips against another person or an object. Cultural connotations of kissing vary widely. Depending on the culture and context, a kiss can express sentiments of love, passion, romance, sexual attraction, ...

, "

All Right Now "All Right Now" is a song by English rock band Free. It originally appeared on the band's third album '' Fire and Water'' (1970), which Free recorded on the Island Records label, formed by Chris Blackwell. Released as the album's second single, ...

" by

Free Free may refer to: Concept * Freedom, having the ability to do something, without having to obey anyone/anything * Freethought, a position that beliefs should be formed only on the basis of logic, reason, and empiricism * Emancipate, to procur ...

and " You Ain't Seen Nothing Yet" by

Bachman–Turner Overdrive Bachman–Turner Overdrive, often abbreviated BTO, were a Canadian rock band from Winnipeg, Manitoba, founded by Randy Bachman, Robbie Bachman and Fred Turner in 1973. Their 1970s catalogue included five top-40 albums and six US top-40 singl ...

. After the song became popular, several different

cocktails A cocktail is an alcoholic mixed drink. Most commonly, cocktails are either a combination of spirits, or one or more spirits mixed with other ingredients such as tonic water, fruit juice, flavored syrup, or cream. Cocktails vary widely acr ...

were introduced bearing the name "Funky Cold Medina".

Synopsis

The song tells the story of

's experiences with "Funky Cold Medina", a potent

aphrodisiac An aphrodisiac is a substance that increases sexual desire, sexual attraction, sexual pleasure, or sexual behavior. Substances range from a variety of plants, spices, foods, and synthetic chemicals. Natural aphrodisiacs like cannabis or coca ...

in a beverage format. At the beginning of the song, Loc consults a fellow club-goer who appears to be having more success with women than Loc is. The unnamed stranger informs Loc that his success is the result of his use of the Funky Cold Medina, which makes anyone who drinks it irresistible to others (although this is later contradicted by lyrics that suggest that it makes those who drink it find ''others'' irresistible). Loc initially tests the formula on his dog who, upon drinking it, becomes uncharacteristically affectionate towards Loc and appears to attract the neighbourhood dogs to Loc's house. Loc then tries the formula on a potential love interest named Sheena, but upon returning to the apartment, Loc says the love interest turns out to be a man, whom he unceremoniously ejects from his apartment. His next effort involves him appearing on ''

Love Connection ''Love Connection'' is an American television dating game show in which singles attempt to connect with a compatible partner. Originally hosted by Chuck Woolery, the show debuted in syndication on September 19, 1983, and ended on July 1, 1994, ...

'' and meeting a woman who immediately wants to marry him, which scares Loc away. Ultimately Loc concludes the formula is too much trouble, and resolves to stop using it.

Track listings

* US vinyl, 12", promo :A1. "Funky Cold Medina" ocal– 4:11 :A2. "Funky Cold Medina" unky Beats– 2:46 :B1. "Funky Cold Medina" nstrumental– 4:08 :B2. "Funky Cold Medina" unky Acappella– 1:18 * US promo # "Funky Cold Medina" " version– 4:11

Charts

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

Certifications

References

{{Authority control 1989 singles 1989 songs Songs written by Young MC Tone Lōc songs Delicious Vinyl singles