"Let Me Clear My Throat" is a song by American hip-hop artist

DJ Kool John W. Bowman Jr. (born March 20, 1958), better known by his stage name DJ Kool, is an American DJ and rapper who produced several popular rap singles in the late 1980s. Career Raised in Washington, D.C., his influence from years of working th ...

. It was released in April 1996 as the third and final single from his album of the same name. It was recorded live at the Bahama Bay club in

Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...

.The 100 Best Hip-Hop One Hit Wonders
Complex Mag

Song description

The most popular version of the song is the one recorded live at Bahama Bay. This version incorporates audience cheers, shouts, and participation. The musical content of the song consists entirely of two samples: the introductory fanfare of "

Hollywood Swinging "Hollywood Swinging" is a 1974 song by R&B/ funk band Kool & the Gang from their album '' Wild and Peaceful''. It was written by Robert "Kool" Bell, Ronald Bell, George M. Brown, Robert "Spike" Mickens, Claydes Charles Smith, Dennis R. Thomas an ...

" (1974) by

Kool & The Gang Kool & the Gang is an American R&B/soul/funk band formed in Jersey City, New Jersey, in 1964 by brothers Robert "Kool" Bell and Ronald Bell, with Dennis "Dee Tee" Thomas, Robert "Spike" Mickens, Charles Smith, George Brown, and Ricky West. T ...

, used in both the intro and pre-chorus, and a chopped half of "The 900 Number" (1987) by

The 45 King Mark Howard James (born October 16, 1961) professionally known as The 45 King (also known as DJ Mark the 45 King), is an American hip hop record producer and disc jockey (DJ) from The Bronx borough of New York City. James began DJing in The Bron ...

(which itself includes a two-bar loop of the saxophone riff and drums that was lifted from "Unwind Yourself" (1968) by

Marva Whitney Marva Whitney (born Marva Ann Manning; May 1, 1944 – December 22, 2012) was an American funk singer commonly referred to by her honorary title, Soul Sister #1. Whitney was considered by many funk enthusiasts to be one of the "rawest" and "brass ...

), used in the verses and chorus. Aside from a 16-line verse in the first half of the song, the lyrical content consists largely of audience-pleasing antics, energetic shouts, call-and-response, and shout-outs. Kool makes lyrical nods to a grittier house party history of hip-hop, dropping references from early hip-hop and soul artists such as

Run DMC Run-DMC (also spelled Run-D.M.C.) was an American hip hop group from Hollis, Queens, New York City, founded in 1983 by Joseph Simmons, Darryl McDaniels, and Jason Mizell. Run-DMC is regarded as one of the most influential acts in the history of ...

James Brown James Joseph Brown (May 3, 1933 – December 25, 2006) was an American singer, dancer, musician, record producer and bandleader. The central progenitor of funk music and a major figure of 20th century music, he is often referred to by the honor ...

, and

Whistle A whistle is an instrument which produces sound from a stream of gas, most commonly air. It may be mouth-operated, or powered by air pressure, steam, or other means. Whistles vary in size from a small slide whistle or nose flute type to a larg ...

. Likewise, the title and common line of the song, "let me clear my throat," is itself taken from the

Beastie Boys Beastie Boys were an American rap rock group from New York City, formed in 1978. The group was composed of Mike D, Michael "Mike D" Diamond (vocals, drums), Adam Yauch, Adam "MCA" Yauch (vocals, bass), and Ad-Rock, Adam "Ad-Rock" Horovitz (voca ...

' "The New Style" from 1986's ''

Licensed to Ill ''Licensed to Ill'' is the debut studio album by American rap rock group Beastie Boys. It was released on November 15, 1986, by Def Jam and Columbia Records, and became the first rap LP to top the '' Billboard'' album chart. It is one of Columbi ...

.''

Other uses

The song was chosen as the

Buffalo Sabres The Buffalo Sabres are a professional ice hockey team based in Buffalo, New York. The Sabres compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Division in the Eastern Conference. The team was established in 1970, along w ...

official goal song as part of an online fan vote on the team's official website. The song is used to pump up the crowd at

Nebraska Cornhuskers football The Nebraska Cornhuskers football team competes as part of the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision, representing the University of Nebraska–Lincoln in the West Division of the Big Ten. Nebraska plays its home games at Memorial Stadium ...

games. The song is also used as the theme song for

BBC Radio Scotland BBC Radio Scotland is a Scottish radio network owned and operated by BBC Scotland, a division of the BBC. It broadcasts a wide variety of programmes. It replaced the Scottish BBC Radio 4 opt-out service of the same name from 23 November 197 ...

football show ''

Off The Ball Off the ball (or OTB) is a term used in football (soccer), football in the United Kingdom, usually associated with a player's action when not in possession of the ball, such as a fight or a late challenge. If a referee does not see an OTB incide ...

''. The song is featured in the second trailer to ''

Office Christmas Party ''Office Christmas Party'' is a 2016 American Christmas comedy film directed by Will Speck and Josh Gordon and written by Justin Malen and Laura Solon, based on a story by Jon Lucas and Scott Moore. The film stars an ensemble cast, including Jas ...

''.

Track listing

# "Let Me Clear My Throat" (Old-School Reunion Edit) - 4:25 # "Let Me Clear My Throat" (Klassic Kool Original Version) - 4:51 # "Let Me Clear My Throat" (Old-School Reunion Remix) - 4:53 # "Let Me Clear My Throat" (45 King Bass 'N' Funk Remix) - 4:32 # "Let Me Clear My Throat" (Funkmaster Flex Remix) - 3:48 # "Let Me Clear My Throat" (No 'Damn' Old-School Reunion Remix) - 4:54 # "Let Me Clear My Throat" (Tupac Tribute Edit) - 1:22

Charts and certifications

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

Certifications

References

{{authority control 1996 debut singles 1996 songs DJ Kool songs Go-go songs American Recordings (record label) singles Songs written by Claydes Charles Smith Songs written by Ronald Bell (musician) Songs written by Robert "Kool" Bell