Photo by Mike Windle/Getty Images for SXSW
The hip-hop world lost a giant this weekend as Rico Wade, a member of the acclaimed production and songwriting trio Organized Noize, died at the age of 52. Organized Noize (which also includes Sleepy Brown and Ray Murray) were part of The Dungeon Family, the collective of Atlanta musicians that initially congregated—and rewrote the rules of hip-hop—at “The Dungeon,” the studio Wade ran out of his mother’s basement. Over the years, Organized Noize crafted hits for numerous artists, including OutKast, TLC, En Vogue, Ludacris, and Goodie Mob.
In honor of Wade’s incredible life and undeniable contributions to music, we’re counting down the legendary artist’s Top 5 songs on Genius according to pageviews. First up, with 157.5K views, is “Jazzy Belle,” track five off OutKast’s 1996 sophomore album, ATLiens. Over an ethereal, lightly funky beat, Andre and Big Boi offer a critique of womanhood in the ’90s. (It hasn’t necessarily aged as well as their other songs, but there’s no denying the beat.)
Coming in fourth is another OutKast song, “Return of the ‘G’” (176.5K pageviews), off 1998’s Aquemini. This time around, over a moody sample from Giorgio Moroder’s “Theme from Midnight Express,” Andre responds to rumors regarding his unusual way of dressing, and Big Boi insists that he’ll stand up for his partner—the Mel Gibson to his Danny Glover (if not the other way around), in Lethal Weapon terms—and fight haters if necessary.
At No. 3, it’s Dungeon Family member Janelle Monáe’s “I Like That” (268.8K pageviews), an expression of personal freedom found on her 2018 album Dirty Computer, the first of her albums to abandon the sci-fi Cindi Mayweather narrative.
It’s back to OutKast for No. 2, “So Fresh, So Clean,” the Top 40 smash from 2000’s Stankonia. Here, Wade and the Organized Noize crew interpolate soul singer Joe Simon’s 1977 song “Before The Night Is Over” in service of a braggy Caddy ride of a track that never gets old.
Which brings us to No. 1, TLC’s 1995 triumph “Waterfalls” (1.1M pageviews), which topped the Billboard Hot 100 and became one of the defining songs of the ’90s. It was kind of a full-circle moment for Organized Noize, as TLC member T-Boz was the one responsible for introducing Wade to Organized Noize co-founder Sleepy Brown. What’s more, Organized Noize scored their first official credit when they remixed TLC’s 1992 single “What About Your Friends,” and that remix marked Outcast’s debut outing. “Waterfalls” is notable for many things, such as its socially conscious lyrics and CGI-aided music video, but it’s those snapping drums, fluid bass grooves, and regal horns that still sound great on a car stereo three decades later.
