Jump On It! Explained

Jump On It! is a 1999 studio album by American hip hop group The Sugarhill Gang made of children's music and was the first hip hop album made by rap artists for children. The album was the only one recorded after the trio of Big Bank Hank, Master Gee, and Wonder Mike reunited in the 1990s and was promoted by a jump rope contest for children in coordination with the Boys & Girls Clubs of America, who received a portion of the proceeds from album sales. The album was devised by Rhino Records executive Richard Foos and was intended to be paired with a line of children's clothing, educational videos, and television programming.

Reception

Editors at AllMusic rated this album 3 out of 5 stars, with critic Keith Farley writing that "as fun and educational as Jump on It! is for kids, though, this album is a non-starter for hip-hop fans" due to the simplistic rhymes. A brief overview of the group's work in B.E.T. Weekend gave this release 3.5 out of 5 stars for being able to teach children.

Track listing

1. "Jump on It" (Joey Robinson, Jr. and Michael Wright) – 3:28
2. "Kick a Rhyme with Dr. Seuss" (traditional) – 3:56
3. "ABC's" (Big Bank Hank, J. Robinson, and Wright) – 2:30
4. "It's Like a Dream Sometimes" (Wright) – 2:43
5. "The Vowels" (Jonathan Williams and Wright) – 3:05
6. "Fireworks" (Lynn Ahrens) – 2:39
7. "Last Day of School" (Big Bank Hank, J. Robinson, and Wright) – 3:11
8. "Kid's Rapper's Delight (Kid's Rap-Along)" (Bernard Edwards, J. Robinson, Sylvia Robinson, Nile Rodgers, and Wright) – 5:08
9. "Sugar Hill Groove" (J. Robinson and Wright) – 3:06
10. "My Little Playmate" (J. Robinson, S. Robinson, and Wright) – 1:43

Personnel

The Sugarhill Gang

• Big Bank Hank – rapping, engineering
• Master Gee – rapping, arrangement, engineering, mixing, production, artwork, executive production
• Wonder Mike – rapping, arrangement, engineering, mixing, production, artwork

Additional personnel

• Hugh Brown – photography
• Melvin Glover – artwork
• Grandmaster Melle Mel – rapping on "It's Like a Dream Sometimes"
• Nancy L. Hopkins – design
• Matt Oppenheimer – executive in charge of music
• Positive Force – performance on "Kid's Rapper's Delight (Kid's Rap-Along)"
• Leland Robinson – production, artwork, executive production
• Doug Schwartz – mastering
• Sugar Hill House Band
• Jonathan Williams – performance on "The Vowels" and "My Little Playmate", mixing, production, artwork

See also

• List of 1999 albums