I Wish (Skee-Lo album)

{{Infobox album

| name = I Wish

| type = Studio album

| artist = Skee-Lo

| cover = I Wish.jpg

| alt =

| released = {{Start date|1995|6|27}}

| recorded = 1994–95

| studio = Sunshine Studios (Hollywood, CA)

| genre = {{hlist|Hip hop|jazz rap}}

| length = {{Duration|m=46|s=26}}

| label = Scotti Brothers

| producer = {{hlist|Skee-Lo|Walter Kahn}}

| next_title = I Can't Stop

| next_year = 2000

| misc = {{Singles

| name = I Wish

| type = studio

| single1 = I Wish

| single1date = April 10, 1995

| single2 = Top of the Stairs

| single2date = October 30, 1995

| single3 = Superman

| single3date = February 27, 1996

}}

}}

{{Album ratings

| rev1 = AllMusic

| rev1score = {{Rating|4|5}}{{Cite web|last=Erlewine|first=Stephen Thomas|author-link=Stephen Thomas Erlewine|title=I Wish - Skee-Lo {{!}} Songs, Reviews, Credits {{!}} AllMusic|url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/i-wish-mw0000173580|access-date=February 20, 2021|publisher=AllMusic|language=en}}

| rev2 = Cash Box

| rev2score = (favorable){{cite magazine|first=Gil L.|last=Robertson IV|title=Urban: Reviews|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Cash-Box/90s/1995/CB-1995-08-05.pdf|magazine=Cash Box|date=August 5, 1995|page=7|accessdate=November 8, 2022}}

| rev3 = The Guardian

| rev3score = {{Rating|2|5}}Sullivan, Caroline (January 5, 1996). "Music: This week's pop CD releases". The Guardian.

| rev4 = Muzik

| rev4Score = {{Rating|2.5|5}}{{Cite magazine |last=Ashon |first=Will |author-link=Will Ashon |date=February 1996 |title=Skee-Lo: I Wish |url=http://www.muzikmagazine.co.uk/issues/muzik009_february_1996.pdf |magazine=Muzik |issue=9 |page=89 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220402181628/http://www.muzikmagazine.co.uk/issues/muzik009_february_1996.pdf |archive-date=2 April 2022 |access-date=14 July 2022}}

}}

I Wish is the debut studio album by American rapper Skee-Lo.{{cite magazine |last1=Dunn |first1=Jancee |title=Skee-Lo is as Skee-Lo does in 'I Wish' |magazine=Rolling Stone |date=Sep 7, 1995 |issue=716 |page=30}} It was released on June 27, 1995, via Sunshine/Scotti Bros. Records. The album was recorded and edited at Sunshine Studios in Hollywood, California. It was produced by Walter "Kandor" Kahn and Skee-Lo, and recorded and engineered by Todd Tracy. It features guest appearances from Funky & Trend. The album peaked at number 53 on the Billboard 200 and number 37 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums, eventually achieving gold status by the Recording Industry Association of America on November 16, 1995, for sales of 500,000 copies in the United States. It was also nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Rap Album at the 38th Annual Grammy Awards.

Three months prior to the album's release, Skee-Lo's debut single, also titled "I Wish", was released independently on Sunshine Records. The song quickly became a hit, peaking at No. 13 on the Billboard Hot 100 and also receiving a gold certification by the RIAA and Grammy Award for Best Rap Solo Performance nomination.

The album's second single, "Top of the Stairs", released on October 30, 1995, was also a success, reaching No. 38 in the UK, #59 in Sweden and #112 in the US. The song later featured in Joseph Ruben's 1995 film Money Train soundtrack.

Music videos for both "I Wish" and "Top of the Stairs" were directed by Marty Thomas. The third single off of the album was "Superman", released on February 27, 1996.