Robbed hit of the week 3/18/24 - Da Brat's "In Love Wit Chu"...

 

 

"In Love Wit Chu" - Da Brat featuring Cherish

from the album Limelite, Luv, & Niteclubz (2003)

Billboard Hot 100 peak: #44 (two weeks)

This week's "robbed hit" comes from rapper Da Brat, who had last grazed Billboard magazine's Hot 100 top-40 in the summer of 2000 with "What'chu Like" featuring R&B singer Tyrese. A year later, the artist born Shawntae Harris appeared in Mariah Carey's trainwreck movie Glitter, and was featured on the remix of Mariah's #2 hit single "Loverboy". But at the same time, she was convicted of assault which involved probation and fines. 

In 2003, Da Brat returned with her fourth album for So So Def Records, Limelite, Luv & Niteclubz. The lead single from the record was "In Love Wit Chu" (she loves her "chu") which featured the newly-signed four-sister R&B female vocal group Cherish that hails from Atlanta. They concurrently released their debut single "Miss P", which Da Brat guested on, which went to #87 on Billboard's R&B Singles chart. Written by Da Brat with producer L.T. Hutton, "In Love Wit Chu" is a profession of love as the rapper name-checks musicians Rick James, Teena Marie, Maxwell as well as boxer Roy Jones who shows up in the music video (along with Mariah Carey). The production is breezy and easy for the rapper to ride, and Cherish provides a nice choral backdrop At least Da Brat dropped the forced menace from her past albums, but the music video still had her judging male muscleheads on the beach....

While "In Love Wit Chu" made it to #32 on Billboard magazine's Mainstream Top-40 radio chart, #25 on the Mainstream R&B airplay list, and #9 on the dance/R&B-oriented Rhythmic format, the single stalled below the top-40 on the Hot 100 in June of 2003, while making it to #32 on the R&B Singles chart. Internationally, the single hit #11 in New Zealand, and peaked at #29 on the Canadian Sales list. The Limelite album, released in July of that year, came in at #17 on the Billboard 200 sales tally, and #6 on the R&B Albums list. 

A second single from the album, "Boom", stiffed, but another track from the set, "Got It Poppin'", was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Female Solo Rap Performance, losing to Missy Elliott for "Work It". As for Cherish, they will be making their own Top-40 debut as a lead in the future.

(5/10)