"I Wish" is a song written and performed by American rapper
Skee-Lo. It was released on April 10, 1995, via
Scotti Brothers Records as the lead single from the rapper's debut studio album of the
same name (1995). Recording sessions took place at Sunshine Studios in
Hollywood,
California.
Production was handled by
Walter "Kandor" Kahn and Skee-Lo himself.
In the United States, the single peaked at number 13 on the
Billboard Hot 100 and was
certified Gold by the
Recording Industry Association of America for selling 600,000 copies domestically.[1] Internationally, the song reached number 4 in Sweden and Norway, number 5 in Finland, number 6 in the Netherlands, number 10 in Switzerland, number 14 in Germany and New Zealand, number 15 in the UK, and made it to the Top 25 in Belgium and France.
Most of the song's instruments are sampled from "Spinnin'" by
Bernard Wright,[2] and the song features a vocal sample of people shouting from the track "
Buffalo Gals" by
Malcolm McLaren.
The song's lyrics are self-deprecating, with Skee-Lo lamenting a variety of personal shortcomings that he says are to blame for his unsuccessful love life. He wishes he were of taller stature ("like 6'9") and a basketball player ("a baller"). He wishes for a better car, specifically a
'64 Impala, instead of his 1974
Ford Pinto with "an
8-Track and a spare tire in the backseat, but that's flat!" The lyrics also mention the
Los Angeles neighborhood of
Crenshaw, and a signpost featuring
the street name appears in the background of the music video. Additionally, the song references
Buffalo Springfield's "
For What It's Worth" in the lyrics "Hey, you, what's that sound?/ Everybody look what's going down".
Critical reception
Gil Robertson IV from Cash Box stated that
Scotti Brothers has got a huge hit on its hands with this "good-natured, whimsical track" from the Southern California rapper. He added, "This track moves throughout with an intoxicating bass beat and smooth driving California flavor adds to its mix. Having already received a ton of urban radio adds and with a video that's just been added to the rotation on MTV, this single shows strong potential to succeed on the
R&B and
pop charts as well."[4]James Masterton for
Dotmusic said, "Even at Christmas
dance and
rap hits can still have an impact. The brilliant
pop hip-hop of Skee-Lo comes via persistent plugging from
Radio One and a certain degreee [sic] of dancefloor popularity."[5] Ross Jones from The Guardian wrote, "Over a snake-hipped R&B groove, the boy's light-hearted delivery and humble subject matter invite favourable comparisons with both
The Pharcyde and
Souls Of Mischief."[6]
Philippine newspaper Manila Standard called it "a true rarity — a rap song that dares to express vulnerable sentiments while retaining a funky edge".[7] A reviewer from Music Week rated it four out of five, noting, "A low-down, funky, rolling vibe from the LA-based rapper. Old-school
funk fused with
jazzy tinges do justice to a tune which deserves to cause waves, and not just in the hip hop fraternity."[8]Will Ashon from Muzik described it as "a ludicrous, dayglo, superfly wish-list from the self-deprecating and immediately likeable Skee-Lo".[9] James Hunter from Vibe commented, "Dreaming of girls, cars, and height, his 'I Wish' is a most excellent
pop-rap hit. Prom-night celebrity, that's his aspiration, and nobody's articulated it better in years. Skee-Lo wins because he doesn't try to sound like anything he's not".[10]
Music video
A
music video was produced to promote the single, directed by Marty Thomas. The music video was released for the week ending on May 14, 1995. It was nominated for three Billboard Music Video Awards: "Best Rap Clip", "Best Rap New Artist Music Video" and "Maximum Vision Clip of the Year".[11]
The video begins with Skee-Lo sitting on a bench like Forrest Gump. It includes scenes reenacting the story of the lyrics, such as driving around in his beat-up old car, and being picked on during a game of basketball.[12]
The song is referenced in Family Guy in the season 18 episode "Connie's Cecila", during which Skee-Lo recites some of his wishes from the song to a genie, who promptly grants them.