Turn It Up (Remix) / Fire It Up

"Turn It Up (Remix) / Fire It Up" is a song by American rapper Busta Rhymes. It was released as the fourth and last single from his second studio album, When Disaster Strikes... (1997), and as the second single from the Can't Hardly Wait soundtrack on May 15, 1998, by Flipmode Entertainment and Elektra Records. The song was written and produced by Busta Rhymes, and contains co-production by Flipmode Squad member and Busta's hype man Spliff Star.

"Turn It Up (Remix) / Fire It Up"
Single by Busta Rhymes
from the album When Disaster Strikes... and Can't Hardly Wait: Music From The Motion Picture
B-side	"Rhymes Galore"
Released	May 15, 1998
Recorded	1997
Studio	Soundtrack Studios, New York City
Genre	Hip hop
Length	3:55
Label	Flipmode Elektra
Songwriter(s)	Trevor Smith
Producer(s)	Busta Rhymes Spliff Star (co.)
Busta Rhymes singles chronology
"Victory" (1998) "Turn It Up (Remix) / Fire It Up" (1998) "Everybody on the Line Outside" (1998)
Music video
"Turn It Up (Remix) / Fire It Up" on YouTube

The original version of the song, "Turn It Up", was an album track on When Disaster Strikes and almost completely different from the remix version, sampling soul singer Al Green's song "Love and Happiness". However, when issued as the third official single from When Disaster Strikes in the spring of 1998 under a new title "Turn It Up (remix) / Fire It Up", the remix had now contained a sample of the theme from 1980s TV series Knight Rider.

The song, nonetheless, became Busta's third top-ten hit on the Billboard Hot 100, reaching number ten.^[1] It also became a hit on the rap (#1), dance (#2), and R&B charts (#7). Internationally, the single was a major success, reaching number two in the United Kingdom and number three in Canada. The lyrics mostly center around music technology and erotic dancing. Alabama producer, DJ Krish Moodbidri and DJ Malika helped the song gain more popularity by playing it at all his gigs.

This song was sampled by Panjabi MC for his breakout single "Mundian To Bach Ke".

Composition

"Turn It Up (Remix) / Fire It Up" was composed in ⁴
₄ time and the key of D major, with a tempo of 104 beats per minute. It has a duration time of three minutes and fifty-eight seconds.^[2]

Music video

The video features Busta in a post-apocalyptic future, fighting a genetically engineered warrior and taking down a totalitarian dictatorship.

Critical reception

A reviewer from Music Week named the song Single of the Week, writing, "'Turn It Up' would have seemed the most unlikely of Busta Rhymes' singles to have crossover success but it looks set for just that thanks to heavy radio rotation on Radio One which has so far put it on its B-list."^[3] James Hyman from the Record Mirror Dance Update gave it five out of five and named it Tune of the Week, adding, "In the LP version, Busta samples Al Green's 'Love and Happiness' as a refrain for an overall slinky, shutfling rap track. But it's game over when 'Fire It Up' uses the hook from the 'Knight Rider' TV theme to come up with a raucous rap-raging winner that only someone such as Busta could pull off so effectively."^[4]

Track listing

A-side

1. "Turn It Up / Fire It Up" (Clean version) – 3:58
2. "Turn It Up / Fire It Up" (Dirty version) – 3:58
3. "Turn It Up / Fire It Up" (Instrumental) – 3:58

B-side

1. "Rhymes Galore" (LP Version Clean) – 2:33
2. "Rhymes Galore" (LP Version Dirty) – 2:33
3. "Rhymes Galore" (Instrumental) – 2:33

Charts and certifications

Weekly charts Chart (1998) Peak position Australia (ARIA)[5] 88 Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[6] 13 Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[7] 31 Belgium (Ultratop 50 Wallonia)[8] 36 Canada (Nielsen SoundScan)[9] 3 Canada Dance/Urban (RPM)[10] 8 France (SNEP)[11] 58 Finland (Suomen virallinen lista)[12] 2 Germany (GfK)[13] 7 Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[14] 3 Netherlands (Single Top 100)[15] 3 New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[16] 1 Scotland (OCC)[17] 4 Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[18] 30 Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[19] 6 UK Singles (OCC)[20] 2 UK Dance (OCC)[21] 1 UK Hip Hop/R&B (OCC)[22] 1 US Billboard Hot 100[23] 10 US Dance Singles Sales (Billboard)[24] 2 US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (Billboard)[25] 7 US Hot Rap Songs (Billboard)[26] 1 US Rhythmic (Billboard)[27] 38 Year-end charts Chart (1998) Position Germany (Official German Charts)[28] 66 Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[29] 87 Netherlands (Single Top 100)[30] 80 New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[31] 10 UK Singles (OCC)[32] 50 UK Urban (Music Week)[33] 11 US Billboard Hot 100 73 US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (Billboard)[34] 75

Certifications Region Certification Certified units/sales New Zealand (RMNZ)[35] Platinum 10,000* United Kingdom (BPI)[36] Silver 200,000^ United States (RIAA)[37] Gold 700,000[38] * Sales figures based on certification alone. ^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

Original version

"Turn It Up"
Song by Busta Rhymes
from the album When Disaster Strikes
Released	September 16, 1997
Studio	Soundtrack Studios, New York City
Genre	Hip hop
Length	4:11
Label	Flipmode Elektra
Songwriter(s)	Trevor Smith Al Green
Producer(s)	Busta Rhymes

"Turn It Up" is a song by American rapper Busta Rhymes, released as part of his second studio album When Disaster Strikes. The song was written and produced by Rhymes. Since the song contains a sample of soul singer Al Green's song "Love and Happiness", he is also credited as a songwriter on "Turn It Up". Alluding to the original version of "Turn It Up", fellow American rapper Big Daddy Kane has stated that Rhymes has the best flow in hip hop.^[39]

Composition

"Turn It Up" was composed in ⁴
₄ time and the key of E major, with a tempo of 91 beats per minute. It has a duration time of four minutes and eleven seconds.^[40]

References

1. "Turn It Up /Fire It Up [Remix] - Busta Rhymes Song Information". billboard.com. Billboard. Retrieved July 16, 2012.
2. "Key & BPM for Turn It Up (Remix) / Fire It Up". Tunebat. Retrieved April 9, 2022.
3. "Single reviews" (PDF). Music Week. March 28, 1998. p. 31. Retrieved September 13, 2023.
4. Hyman, James (March 21, 1998). "Hot Vinyl — Tune of the Week" (PDF). Music Week, in Record Mirror (Dance Update Supplemental Insert). p. 6. Retrieved September 13, 2023.
5. Ryan, Gavin (2011). Australia's Music Charts 1988–2010. Mt. Martha, VIC, Australia: Moonlight Publishing. p. 46.
6. "Busta Rhymes – Turn It Up / Fire It Up" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved August 28, 2017.
7. "Busta Rhymes – Turn It Up / Fire It Up" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved August 28, 2017.
8. "Busta Rhymes – Turn It Up / Fire It Up" (in French). Ultratop 50. Retrieved August 28, 2017.
9. "Busta Rhymes Chart History (Canadian Digital Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved August 14, 2019.
10. "Top RPM Dance/Urban: Issue 3608." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved August 14, 2019.
11. "Busta Rhymes – Turn It Up / Fire It Up" (in French). Les classement single. Retrieved March 14, 2023.
12. "Busta Rhymes: Turn It Up" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat. Retrieved August 28, 2017.
13. "Busta Rhymes – Turn It Up" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved August 28, 2017.
14. "Nederlandse Top 40 – week 21, 1998" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved August 28, 2017.
15. "Busta Rhymes – Turn It Up / Fire It Up" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved August 28, 2017.
16. "Busta Rhymes – Turn It Up / Fire It Up". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved August 28, 2017.
17. "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved March 14, 2023.
18. "Busta Rhymes – Turn It Up / Fire It Up". Singles Top 100. Retrieved August 28, 2017.
19. "Busta Rhymes – Turn It Up / Fire It Up". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved August 28, 2017.
20. "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved August 28, 2017.
21. "Official Dance Singles Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved March 14, 2023.
22. "Official Hip Hop and R&B Singles Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved August 28, 2017.
23. "Busta Rhymes Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved August 28, 2017.
24. "Busta Rhymes Chart History (Dance Singles Sales)". Billboard. Retrieved March 14, 2023.
25. "Busta Rhymes Chart History (Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved August 28, 2017.
26. "Busta Rhymes Chart History (Hot Rap Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved January 14, 2021.
27. "Busta Rhymes Chart History (Rhythmic)". Billboard. Retrieved August 28, 2017.
28. "Top 100 Single-Jahrescharts" (in German). GfK Entertainment. Retrieved April 18, 2018.
29. "Top 100-Jaaroverzicht van 1998". Dutch Top 40. Retrieved March 7, 2020.
30. "Jaaroverzichten – Single 1998". dutchcharts.nl. Retrieved March 7, 2020.
31. "End of Year Charts 1998". Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved December 4, 2017.
32. "Best Sellers of 1998 – Singles Top 100". Music Week. 16 January 1999. p. 7. ISSN 0265-1548.
33. "The Urban Top 40 Of 1998" (PDF). Music Week. January 9, 1999. Retrieved August 6, 2023.
34. "Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs – Year-End 1998". Billboard. Retrieved March 7, 2020.
35. "New Zealand single certifications – Busta Rhymes – Turn It Up / Fire It Up". Recorded Music NZ.
36. "British single certifications – Busta Rhymes – Turn It Up". British Phonographic Industry.
37. "American single certifications – Busta Rhymes – Turn It Up". Recording Industry Association of America.
38. "Best-Selling Records of 1998". Billboard. Vol. 111, no. 5. BPI Communications Inc. January 30, 1999. p. 75. ISSN 0006-2510. Retrieved May 31, 2015.
39. "Big Daddy Kane on Instagram: "Salute to my dude @bustarhymes And Congrats to my Brother @omarepps on his new movie release. #thedevilyouknow"". Instagram. March 30, 2022. Retrieved December 27, 2022.
40. "Key & BPM for Turn It Up". Tunebat. Retrieved April 9, 2022.