Bump N' Grind

Album: 12 Play (1993)
Charted: 8 1
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • In the early to mid '90s, many R&B songs had titles that referred specifically to sex. Some of these were obvious, such as Color Me Badd's "I Wanna Sex You Up" and R. Kelly's previous single "Sex Me," but others found new and exciting ways to describe the nasty. Some of these songs popularized the catch phrases they came from, including Candyman's "Knockin' Boots" and Silk's "Freak Me," but this song took the phrase "Bump N' Grind" to a new level. While the phrase certainly indicates sex, it could also refer to dancing or many other activities. It even became a popular on air saying for ESPN anchor Stuart Scott.
  • British house duo Waze & Odyssey produced a bootleg of the track, which was originally just for their DJ sets. Their reworking took on a life of its own after it was uploaded to YouTube and the remix was officially released on October 19, 2014 reaching #3 on the UK singles chart.
  • Waze & Odyssey's version samples Nightcrawlers' mid '90s hit "Push the Feeling On."

Comments: 1

  • Gonzo from UkOriginated the term "Bump & Grind"? Uuuh. Nope. David Lee Roth includes a song by the same title on his 1986 album "Eat 'em and Smile", and the phrase itself was popular many years before that. I've read the phrase in books dating back to the early 1950's which implied the usage of the phrase "Bump & Grind" being commonplace amongst Jazz & Blues musicians in the 1920s & '30s, so crediting R.Kelly with the origin of the phrase is incorrect (and really rather stupid).
see more comments

Editor's Picks

Janet Jackson

Janet JacksonFact or Fiction

Was Janet secretly married at 18? Did she gain 60 pounds for a movie role that went to Mariah Carey? See what you know about Ms. Jackson.

Daniel Lanois

Daniel LanoisSongwriter Interviews

Daniel Lanois on his album Heavy Sun, and the inside stories of songs he produced for U2, Peter Gabriel, and Bob Dylan.

Chris Frantz - "Genius of Love"

Chris Frantz - "Genius of Love"They're Playing My Song

Chris and his wife Tina were the rhythm section for Talking Heads when they formed The Tom Tom Club. "Genius of Love" was their blockbuster, but David Byrne only mentioned it once.

Timothy B. Schmit

Timothy B. SchmitSongwriter Interviews

The longtime Eagle talks about soaring back to his solo career, and what he learned about songwriting in the group.

Crystal Waters

Crystal WatersSongwriter Interviews

Waters tells the "Gypsy Woman" story, shares some of her songwriting insights, and explains how Dennis Rodman ended up on one of her songs.

Subversive Songs Used To Sell

Subversive Songs Used To SellSong Writing

Songs about drugs, revolution and greed that have been used in commercials for sneakers, jeans, fast food, cruises and cars.