"Just Kickin' It" is a song by American R&B group Xscape. Written by

Jermaine Dupri Jermaine Dupri Mauldin (born September 23, 1972) is an American rapper, songwriter, record producer, record executive, entrepreneur, and DJ. Early life Jermaine Dupri Mauldin was born on September 23, 1972, the son of Tina (Mosley) and Michael ...

and

Manuel Seal Manuel L. Seal, Jr. (born September 26, 1960) is an American multi-instrumentalist, record producer, composer, singer, songwriter, vocal coach, and arranger. His credits include artists as Mariah Carey, Janet Jackson, Usher, TLC, Aretha Frankli ...

, the song was released as Xscape's first single from the group's 1993 debut album, '' Hummin' Comin' at 'Cha''. The single became the group's most commercially successful hit, peaking at number two on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 and spending four weeks at number one on the

Hot R&B Singles The Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart ranks the most popular R&B and hip hop songs in the United States and is published weekly by '' Billboard''. Rankings are based on a measure of radio airplay, sales data, and streaming activity. The chart had 100 ...

chart.

Composition

"Just Kickin' It" is an

urban Urban means "related to a city". In that sense, the term may refer to: * Urban area, geographical area distinct from rural areas * Urban culture, the culture of towns and cities Urban may also refer to: General * Urban (name), a list of people ...

ballad in which vocals are the focus, and the instrumental foundation is otherwise sparse. Jermaine Dupri, who according to his father, Columbia Records executive Michael Mauldin, wanted Xscape to be "the ghetto

En Vogue En Vogue is an American vocal girl group whose original lineup consisted of singers Terry Ellis, Dawn Robinson, Cindy Herron, and Maxine Jones. Formed in Oakland, California, in 1989, En Vogue reached No. 2 on the US Hot 100 with the single ...

," originally wrote the song as a summary of what men wanted from women. The lyrics were considered controversial by some female fans who believed the song's message was sexist. Former group member LaTocha Scott, however, dismissed the critics. "I've heard some females say that the song is unreal and that they can tell it was written by a man, but I don't think it makes it sexist. Shoot, everybody knows a man wants a woman who can cook."

Release and reception

Released on August 13, 1993, "Just Kickin' It" entered the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart at number 90 and reached the top 10 in four weeks. The song peaked at number two in October, spending a total of 17 weeks in the top 40. The single reached number one on the

chart, where it spent four weeks at the top. The song also spent one week at number one on the Hot 100 Singles Sales chart. In November, the single was certified platinum in the United States. "Just Kickin' It" also peaked at number 22 in New Zealand and number 49 in the United Kingdom. The song earned the band a

Soul Train Music Awards The Soul Train Music Awards is an annual music awards show which previously aired in national broadcast syndication, and honors the best in African-American culture, music and entertainment. It is produced by the makers of '' Soul Train'', the p ...

nomination in 1994, though they lost to H-Town's single "

Knockin' Da Boots "Knockin' da Boots" is the debut single by R&B group H-Town, taken from their debut album '' Fever for da Flavor''. The song became one of the biggest R&B singles of 1993 according to the ''Billboard'' charts, where it peaked at number three for ...

" in the Best R&B New Artist category.

Charts

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

Certifications

References

External links

"Just Kickin' It" lyrics
{{Authority control 1993 debut singles 1993 songs Song recordings produced by Jermaine Dupri Songs written by Jermaine Dupri Songs written by Manuel Seal Xscape (group) songs