Respect (Alliance Ethnik song)


"Respect" is a 1995 song recorded by French hip hop act Alliance Ethnik. It was the first single from his album Respect, and was released on January 1995. It achieved success in several countries, including France and Belgium where it was a top three hit. The song was Alliance Ethnik's biggest hit to date and can be deemed as its signature song.

Structure

After a 30-second introduction using the sound of a radio, the song contains several samples from songs such as "It's Good to Be the King Rap Pt 1" by Mel Brooks, "Back Together Again" by Roberta Flack and Donny Hathaway and a small interpolation of "Life's a Bitch" of American rapper Nas. The verses, performed by K-mel, are in French, while other verses and the refrains are sung by Vinia Mojica in English. The male singer has a delivery "which makes use of words and onomatopoeia with and joviality". This single is "festive and optimistic", and uses the repertoire of the 1980s rap. The music video was shot in black and white.

Chart performances

The single had a success on the French SNEP Singles Chart, where it was ranked for 33 weeks. It debuted at number 13 on January 28, 1995, then entered in the top ten and remained in it for 22 weeks, including a peak at number two for four consecutive weeks, while the first position was held by The Cranberries' hit "Zombie". The song achieved Gold status and is the 953rd best-selling single of all time in France.
In Belgium, the single was number-one for a sole week, but remained in the top ten for over 17 weeks and 24 weeks in the top 40.
In Belgium, Sweden and Austria, "Respect" achieved a moderate success, being only a top 25 hit. In Germany, it achieved only a low charts positions.

Track listings

  1. "Respect" — 4:21
  2. "Respect" — 4:21
  1. "Respect" — 4:18
  2. "Respect" — 4:21
  3. "Respect" — 4:30
  4. "Respect" — 4:50
  1. "Respect" — 4:18
  2. "Respect" — 4:21
  3. "Respect" — 4:30
  4. "Respect" — 4:50
  1. "Respect" — 4:21
  2. "Respect" — 4:30
  3. "Respect" — 4:50

    Credits

Peak positions

Year-end charts

Certifications