Skee-Lo / Bernard Wright - I Wish / Spinnin'

Year Released: 1995 (original recordings 1981 & 1995; paired on later DJ 7″ pressings)
Genre: Hip-Hop / Funk / Jazz-Funk

This reissue released: 2025

Description:

This split 7″ couples Skee-Lo’s 1995 hip-hop hit “I Wish” with Bernard Wright’s 1981 jazz-funk classic “Spinnin’,” highlighting one of the smoothest intersections between early-’80s groove and mid-’90s feel-good rap.

“I Wish” — issued originally on Scotti Brothers Records — became an instant hip-hop anthem thanks to its witty lyrics and breezy, sun-soaked beat. Built around the melodic keyboard riff and rhythm bed of Bernard Wright’s “Spinnin’” (from his Nard LP on GRP Records), the track uses Wright’s original groove as its backbone, looping its warm Fender Rhodes lines and elastic bass to create a nostalgic, radio-friendly sound. The combination of live-instrument feel and laid-back flow helped define the upbeat West-Coast hip-hop aesthetic of the mid-1990s.

The B-side, “Spinnin’,” stands proudly on its own as one of the great jazz-funk instrumentals of the early ’80s. Featuring teenage keyboard prodigy Bernard Wright alongside session legends from Tom Browne’s and Lenny White’s circles, the track blends smooth electric piano, slap-bass, and syncopated drums in a slick, urban groove that later became a sampling favorite among hip-hop producers.

Through this pairing, the 7″ single celebrates the continuum of Black American groove culture — from the jazz-funk sophistication of early-’80s New York to the playful storytelling of ’90s Los Angeles rap. “I Wish” remains Skee-Lo’s signature song, while “Spinnin’” continues to spin through generations of producers and DJs seeking that perfect summertime loop.