"Square Biz" is a 1981 song by American R&B singer,
Teena Marie
Mary Christine Brockert (March 5, 1956 – December 26, 2010), known professionally as Teena Marie, was an American singer-songwriter, musician, composer, arranger, and producer. She was known by her childhood nickname Tina before taking the sta ...
. Bass player and frequent collaborator Allen McGrier is credited as the co-writer along with Marie. The song was released as a single from the album ''
It Must Be Magic'', and became one of Marie's signature songs. The song includes a rap break, an unusual feature at the time.
Cover versions and appearances in media
In 2002, a new version of this song, titled "Hollywood Square Biz", was used as the theme to the popular
game show
A game show is a genre of broadcast viewing entertainment (radio, television, internet, stage or other) where contestants compete for a reward. These programs can either be participatory or demonstrative and are typically directed by a host, ...
''
Hollywood Squares
''Hollywood Squares'' (originally ''The Hollywood Squares'') is an American game show in which two contestants compete in a game of tic-tac-toe to win cash and prizes. The show piloted on NBC in 1965 and the regular series debuted in 1966 on the ...
'' when it was known as ''H2'' at the time from 2002 to 2004.
Playlist Eleven of Teena Marie
''mlive.com/entertainment/detroit
In 2000 "Crip Hop" (Tha Eastsidaz
Tha Eastsidaz is a hip hop trio consisting of Snoop Dogg, Tray Deee and Goldie Loc. Their first appearance was on Tommy Boy Records' ''The Ride: Music from Dimension'' with Crooked Eye Q on a Battlecat-produced song called "Feels So Good" in ...
featuring Snoop Dogg
Calvin Cordozar Broadus Jr. (born October 20, 1971), known professionally as Snoop Dogg (previously Snoop Doggy Dogg and briefly Snoop Lion), is an American rapper. His fame dates back to 1992 when he featured on Dr. Dre's debut solo single, ...
). Baby Boy soundtrack containing hip-hop and R&B music was released by Universal Records
Universal Music Group N.V. (often abbreviated as UMG and referred to as just Universal Music) is a Dutch– American multinational music corporation under Dutch law. UMG's corporate headquarters are located in Hilversum, Netherlands and its ...
on June 19, 2001
In 2002, En Vogue
En Vogue is an American vocal girl group whose original lineup consisted of singers Terry Ellis, Dawn Robinson, Cindy Herron, and Maxine Jones. Formed in Oakland, California, in 1989, En Vogue reached No. 2 on the US Hot 100 with the single ...
performed a cover of the song on their concert DVD, ''Live in the USA''.
Missy Elliott
Melissa Arnette Elliott (born July 1, 1971), better known as Missy Elliott or Missy “Misdemeanor” Elliot, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, and record producer. She embarked on her music career with R&B girl group Sista in the earl ...
uses an interpolation
In the mathematical field of numerical analysis, interpolation is a type of estimation, a method of constructing (finding) new data points based on the range of a discrete set of known data points.
In engineering and science, one often has ...
of a verse from Square Biz in Ciara
Ciara Princess Wilson ( ; Harris; born October 25, 1985) is an American singer, songwriter, actress, model and entrepreneur. She released her debut studio album, '' Goodies'' in 2004, which spawned four singles: " Goodies" (featuring Petey Pa ...
's 2004 hit single, "1, 2 Step
"1, 2 Step" is a song by American singer Ciara featuring hip-hop rapper Missy Elliott for Ciara's debut album, '' Goodies''. Written by Ciara and Missy Elliott and produced by Jazze Pha, it was released as the album's second single on November ...
".[The relevant verse in "1, 2 Step" begins with "Because I'm 5 foot 2..." whereas the verse in "Square Biz" begins with "I'm less than five foot one....".]
The Firm's " Firm Biz" contains a sample based on the song featuring Dawn Robinson
Dawn Sherrese Robinson (born November 24, 1966 or 1968) is an American singer best known as a founding member of the R&B/pop group En Vogue, one of the world's best-selling girl groups of all time. Following her departure from En Vogue, Robinson ...
from their first and only album ''The Album
The Album may refer to:
* '' ABBA: The Album'', released in 1977
* ''The Album'' (Caravan album), 1980
* ''The Album'' (Mantronix album), 1985
* ''The Album'' (Cliff Richard album), 1993
* ''The Album'' (Haddaway album), 1993
* ''The Album'' ( ...
'' in 1997.
"Real Love Real Love may refer to:
Film and television
* ''Real Love'' (film), a film by Claire Burger
Music
Albums
* ''Real Love'' (Derek Johnson album)
* ''Real Love'' (Dolly Parton album), or the title song (see below)
* ''Real Love'' (Lisa Stansf ...
" by Master P
Percy Robert Miller Sr. (born April 29, 1967), known by his stage name Master P, is an American rapper, record executive, record producer, actor, and entrepreneur. He is the founder of the record label No Limit Records, which was relaunched as ...
featuring Sera-Lynn, 2002
Chart performance
The song managed to peak at #3 on Billboard
A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertis ...
's R&B Charts, becoming Marie's highest peak on the chart at the time. The song managed to peak at #12 on Billboard's Club Play Singles, while performing moderately on Billboard's Pop Singles, peaking only at #50, becoming her second single to chart on the Pop Singles chart.
Charts
Chart positions
References
1981 singles
Teena Marie songs
1981 songs
Gordy Records singles
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