Rockit

This article is about the Herbie Hancock song. For other uses, see Rockit (disambiguation).

"Rockit"
Single by Herbie Hancock
from the album Future Shock
Released	June 1983
Recorded	1982
Genre	Hip hop
Length	5:27 (Album Version) 3:38 (Single Version)
Label	Columbia 03978
Writer(s)	Herbie Hancock Bill Laswell Michael Beinhorn
Producer	Bill Laswell

"Rockit" is a composition recorded by Herbie Hancock. It was released as a single from his 1983 album Future Shock. The composition was written by Hancock, bass guitarist Bill Laswell, and synthesizer/drum machine programmer Michael Beinhorn.

History

Constructed and composed during the recording process at various studios, including Martin Bisi's in Brooklyn NY, the composition is the first recognized popular single to feature scratching and other turntablist techniques, performed by GrandMixer D.ST - an influential DJ in the early years of turntablism.

Some years later turntablists such as DJ Qbert and Mix Master Mike cited the composition as 'revelatory' in the documentary film Scratch, inspiring their interest in the instrument. The single was a major radio hit in the United Kingdom and a popular dance club record in the United States.

Music Video

The music video, directed by duo Godley & Creme and featuring robot-like movable sculptures (by Jim Whiting) dancing, spinning and even walking in time to the music in a "virtual house" in London, England, garnered five MTV Video Music Awards in 1984, including Best Concept Video and Best Special Effects. The video is unique in that it was edited to the sounds of the scratching of the composition, and it employed new techniques never seen in a music video up until then. Hancock himself appears and plays keyboard only as a black-and-white image on a television, which is smashed on the pavement outside the front door of the house in the closing shot.

Appearances in other media

• It is featured in the video games: Dance Dance Revolution UNIVERSE 2, Amplitude, Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, DJ Hero, and NBA Street Homecourt.

• It was studied for the music and art portion of the 1990-1991 Academic Decathlon competition. The musical focus for that year was Music of the Post-World War II era.

• It is featured in the 1986 Soviet Union film Office Boy, where young people break dance in the street. This version of B.T. & The City Slickers was produced only once in Breakdance.

• It is featured in the 2007 film Kickin' It Old Skool as the music being played during two breakdance competitions, and a piece that wakes the main character Justin, played by Jamie Kennedy, from his 20 year coma.

• It appears in the film Zoolander, where it is used to break Derek's hypnotism during the finale catwalk scene.

• It was used for the radio program "Showboat" on Soccer AM.

• It was covered by jazz group Re:Jazz, on their 2006 album Expansion.

• It was featured when Chris Skelton danced in Episode 5 of Series 3 on the BBC TV show "Ashes to Ashes."

• It was featured on season 3, episode 4 of 30 Rock during a brief moment when NBC page Kenneth is shown street-dancing for side cash.

Trivia

The vinyl record GrandMixer D.ST. used to scratch out a rhythm as the tempo was the B-side of Change The Beat by Fab Five Freddy, released in 1982 on Celluloid Records.

Charts

Chart (1983)	Peak position
U.S. Billboard Hot 100	71
U.S. Billboard Hot Black Singles	6
U.S. Billboard Hot Dance Club Play	1
UK Singles Chart	8
Germany	6
Austrian Singles Chart	7
Dutch Singles Chart	7
Swedish Singles Chart	10
Swiss Singles Chart	4

External links

• Song Review from Allmusic
• Rock On The Net: 1984 MTV Video Music Awards

Preceded by "Do It Again Medley with Billie Jean" by Slingshot

Billboard Hot Dance Club Play number-one single August 27, 1983 – September 17, 1983

Succeeded by "Holiday" / "Lucky Star" by Madonna