Black Rob’s “Whoa” is one of the best songs of the early 2000s and still gets a lot of play today.
One reason is that the beat is so good, but it almost didn’t get to Black Rob, according to Young Guru.
While talking on the In My Opinion podcast, Guru says the beat was originally for Memphis Bleek, saying
All Posts“Bleek f*cking gave up the ‘Whoa!’ beat. We had the ‘Whoa!’ beat before Black Rob. Bleek gave that up. He didn’t like it; he couldn’t see the vision,”
That could have been the one hit that Bleek was always searching for.
“Whoa!” is the lead single released from Black Rob’s debut album, Life Story. The song was produced by Diggin’ in the Crates Crew member Buckwild. Released in early 2000, “Whoa!” became Black Rob’s highest chart appearance.
It narrowly missed the top 40 of the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at number 43, and reached the top 10 on both the R&B and Rap charts. To date, it remains Rob’s only solo single to have reached the Hot 100, and his only solo single to have charted during his lifetime.
In addition to Life Story, “Whoa!” has also appeared on the compilations The Source Hip Hop Music Awards 2000, Bad Boy’s 10th Anniversary… The Hits, and Bad Boy 20th Anniversary Box Set Edition.
The video for “Whoa!” was directed by Jeff Richter. It features Rob along with Diddy and a mob of people near a New York street. It then shows Rob entering a strip club complete with TV screens and strippers dancing as he’s partying with the people around him. Midway through, Black Rob gets a call from Diddy telling him that he’s bringing in the truck, with Black Rob and the other strippers replying to pull up near the fire escape.
Diddy is driving he turns up the radio volume to listen to the aforementioned song, unaware that he’s driving up to a one-way street. He panics as he tries to turn the truck away from incoming cars, spinning it around as it almost hits a man carrying groceries (with both him and Diddy saying the aforementioned title in response to what happened).
The truck ends up under the fire escape where Black Rob is waiting as he jumps onto the flatbed with fireworks exploding from it. The truck continues to drive along the streets with both Black Rob and Diddy on the flatbed. Intercut are scenes of Rob near a brick background and driving other vehicles at high speed along with his friends.
Things worked fine for Bleek, but that’s a beat you shouldn’t pass on.
Flip the page to see more.
