Street Tuff
"Street Tuff" is a 1989 single by British producer and toaster Rebel MC and Double Trouble. It became the biggest hit of both performers' careers, peaking at number 3 on the UK Singles Chart.[1] It is the follow-up to their first hit, "Just Keep Rockin'", which made it into the UK Top 20.[1] The two songs, plus Rebel MC's first solo single "Better World", appear on the Rebel MC album Rebel Music, released in 1990. Additionally "Street Tuff" also peaked within the Top 10 in Belgium, Greece, the Netherlands and Switzerland.
"Street Tuff" | ||||
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Single by Rebel MC & Double Trouble | ||||
Released | 1989 | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 3:31 | |||
Label | Desire Records | |||
Songwriter(s) |
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Producer(s) | ||||
Rebel MC & Double Trouble singles chronology | ||||
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Music video | ||||
"Street Tuff" on YouTube |
The song is based on the bassline to the song "54-46 That's My Number" by The Maytals.
Critical reception
David Taylor-Wilson from Bay Area Reporter said the song is "one of the most infectious grooves we've heard all year." He added that it "mixes the rhythms of Jamaican reggae with a house music beat. Just try and sit still when this one’s playing."[2] Bill Coleman from Billboard wrote that "clever rhyming powered by insinuating club beats could generate multiformat play to follow the U.K. act's previous smash, "Just Keep Rockin'"."[3] The Network Forty noted that featuring the "sultry Annie Lennox style vocals of Janet Sewall, this Rap-Dance record covers both musical realms with equal zeal."[4]
Peak positions
Chart (1989–1990) | Peak position |
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Australia (ARIA)[5] | 85 |
Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[6] | 13 |
Belgium (Ultratop Flanders)[7] | 7 |
Germany (GfK Entertainment Charts)[8] | 12 |
Greece (IFPI)[9] | 3 |
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40) | 4 |
Netherlands (Single Top 100)[10] | 3 |
New Zealand (Official New Zealand Music Chart)[11] | 29 |
Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[12] | 12 |
Switzerland (Swiss Hitparade[13] | 10 |
UK Singles (Official Charts Company)[1] | 3 |
References
- "Official Charts > Rebel MC". The Official UK Charts Company. Retrieved 2019-05-14.
- Taylor-Wilson, David (1990-08-09). "The Heat of the Beat". Bay Area Reporter. p. 36. Retrieved 2020-04-25.
- "Billboard: Single Reviews" (PDF). Billboard. 1990-02-24. p. 79. Retrieved 2018-01-25.
- "Top 40: The Next 40" (PDF). The Network Forty. 1990-05-11. p. 44. Retrieved 2020-03-21. Cite magazine requires
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(help) - Ryan, Gavin (2011). Australia's Music Charts 1988-2010 (pdf ed.). Mt. Martha, VIC, Australia: Moonlight Publishing. p. 230.
- "austriancharts.at > Rebel MC in der Österreichischen Hitparade" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved 2019-05-14.
- "Ultratop Vlaanderen > Rebel MC in Ultratop Vlaanderen" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 2019-05-14.
- "Double Trouble & Rebel MC – Street Tuff (single)" (in German). GfK Entertainment. Retrieved 2019-05-14.
- "Top 3 Greece" (PDF). Music & Media. March 10, 1990. Retrieved 2018-03-22.
- "dutchcharts.nl > Rebel MC in Dutch Charts" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 2019-05-14.
- "charts.nz > Rebel MC in New Zealand Charts". Hung Medien. Retrieved 2019-05-14.
- "swedishcharts.com > Rebel MC in Swedish Charts". Hung Medien. Retrieved 2019-05-14.
- "hitparade.ch > Rebel MC in der Schweizer Hitparade" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved 2019-05-14.