Wanna Be the Man

{{Infobox song

| name = Wanna Be the Man

| cover = EarthWind&Fire - Wanna Be The Man.jpg

| alt =

| type = single

| artist = Earth, Wind & Fire featuring MC Hammer

| album = Heritage

| B-side =

| released = 1990

| recorded =

| studio =

| venue =

| genre = R&B

| length = 4:08

| label = Columbia

| writer =

| producer = Maurice White

| prev_title = For the Love of You

| prev_year = 1990

| next_title = Spend the Night

| next_year = 1993

| misc = {{External music video|{{YouTube|Kplz4tLyHEk|"Wanna Be The Man"}}}}

}}

"Wanna Be the Man" is a single by the band Earth, Wind & Fire featuring MC Hammer, issued in 1990 on Columbia Records.{{cite work|title=Earth, Wind & Fire: Wanna Be The Man|date=1990|publisher=Columbia Records}} The single peaked at No. 41 on the Cashbox Top R&B Singles chart and No. 46 on the Billboard Hot R&B Singles chart.{{cite web|url=http://cashboxmagazine.com/archives-r/90s_files/19900908R.html|title=CASH BOX Top R&B Singles|date=September 8, 1990|publisher=Cashbox|website=cashboxmagazine.com}}{{cite web|url=https://www.billboard.com/artist/earth-wind-fire/chart-history/bsi/|title=Earth, Wind & Fire: Wanna Be The Man (Hot R&B Singles)|publisher=Billboard|website=billboard.com}}

Critical reception

John Milward of Rolling Stone said the song is "sweetened by a buoyant vocal-group hook".{{cite web|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/albumreviews/heritage-19900322|title=Earth, Wind & Fire: Heritage|author=Milward, John|date=March 22, 1990|publisher=Rolling Stone|website=rollingstone.com}} Mitchell May of the Chicago Tribune wrote "Hammer's clipped delivery meshes so well with EWF's leaner sound that they might want to consider hiring him full-time".{{cite web|url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-1990-02-22-9001150826-story.html|title=Earth, Wind & Fire: Heritage|date=February 27, 1990|author=May, Mitchell|publisher=Chicago Tribune|website=chicagotribune.com}} Bruce Britt of the Los Angeles Daily News wrote "'Wanna Be The Man' is great feel-good funk complete with a rapid fire rap by M.C. Hammer".{{cite web|url=https://infoweb.newsbank.com/apps/news/document-view?p=WORLDNEWS&t=&sort=YMD_date%3AA&fld-nav-0=YMD_date&val-nav-0=Feb%201990%20-%20Dec%201990&fld-base-0=alltext&maxresults=20&val-base-0=%22Earth%2C%20Wind%22&docref=image/v2%3A11210D409F608820%40EANX-K12-1732FA198E3858D3%402447932-1732752AE8F3CF27%4047-1732752AE8F3CF27%40|title=Earth, Wind & Fire shows new sides on 'Heritage'|page=6D|date=February 9, 1990|author=Britt, Bruce|publisher=Los Angeles Daily News|newspaper=Macon Telegraph|via=newsbank.com}} J.D. Considine of the Baltimore Sun exclaimed "Take a tune like 'Wanna Be the Man' with its bouncy chorus, tight falsetto harmonies and intoxicating swirl of percussion, it has all the earmarks of an EW&F classic. Yet by toughening up the beat and tossing in a little rapping (by M.C. Hammer, no less), it seems as vital as anything on the charts. Now, how's that for understanding your heritage?".{{cite web|url=https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/376787553/|title=Earth, Wind & Fire: Heritage|page=105|date=February 16, 1990|author=Considine, J.D.|publisher=Baltimore Sun|website=newspapers.com}} Pablo Guzman of the New York Daily News said "The pairing with M.C. Hammer on Wanna Be The Man" is "a kicking one".{{cite web|url=https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/467595784/#cid=39785352&cm=undefined|title=Earth, Wind & Fire: Heritage|page=422|date=February 18, 1990|author=Guzman, Pablo|publisher=New York Daily News|website=newspapers.com}} James T. Jones IV of USA Today found that "EWF smartly gets help from MC Hammer on the hard-edged Wanna Be the Man".{{cite news |id={{ProQuest|306292404}} |last1=Jones |first1=James T, IV |authorlink1=James T. Jones IV |title=LISTEN UP! |newspaper=USA TODAY |date=18 January 1990 |page=4D }}

References

Category:1990 singles

Category:Columbia Records singles

Category:Earth, Wind & Fire songs

Category:1990 songs

Category:Songs written by MC Hammer

Category:Songs written by Maurice White

Category:Songs written by Verdine White

Category:Song recordings produced by Maurice White