Bump N’ Grind – R. Kelly | Top 40 Chart Performance, Story and Song Meaning
Chart Performance: Pop(#1 for 4 weeks) and R&B (#1 for 12 weeks); 1994
Story Behind The Song By Ed Osborne
Peak #1 Pop for 4 weeks and #1 R&B for 12 weeks; 1994 Barry Hankerson’s extensive resume already included “theatrical producer,” and it was while looking for talent for a new musical that he discovered R. Kelly.
Kelly’s rendition of Stevie Wonder’s Ribbon In The Sky so wowed Hankerson, that he decided to take Kelly straight into the recording studio. For the Chicago-born Kelly, this was the realization of his destiny in life: an opportunity to share his music.
Within eight months, Kelly, backed by Public Announcement, reeled off five R&B hits, yet, none reached higher than #13 on the pop side. His 12 Play album broke the crossover jinx with Bump N’ Grind. Kelly took his cue from a woman he wanted more than she was into him.
His true-life tale’s multi-week stay at the top set a new record for Billboard’s R&B chart, becoming the first single to do so for 12 weeks since the list first appeared in 1958.
This content and all Song Meaning articles were created and written by Top 40 Contributing Editor Ed Osborne. © 2024 Ed Osborne. All Rights Reserved. In addition to these song meaning articles, Ed has written our “Year in Music 1960s-1990s” articles.
Produced by:
- R. Kelly
Lyrics Written by:
- R. Kelly
Ed Osborne
Hi. I got my first record at age two and never looked back, spending a decades-long career in radio and the music business. Even after years of reading about and listening to all types of music, I am still fascinated by it. Apart from that, I’m endlessly intrigued by art, nature, and the inner lives of people (and dogs).