On Sunday when dancehall artiste Elephant Man learnt that Whine Up, a 2007 collaboration that he was featured on with American singer Kat Deluna, made Rolling Stone Magazine’s 50 Best One-Hit Wonders of the 2000s list, the deejay got ecstatic.

The list, which was released on May 22, captures the songs that made the all-genre Billboard Hot 100.

Whine Up ranks at #37 on the list.

The song, which was certified gold in 2008, is the biggest hit on the Billboard Hot 100 for Kat Deluna, who is of Dominican heritage.

The song was not only a hit stateside, reaching as far as #1 on Billboard’s Dance Music Club Play, #29 on the Hot 100, and #14 on Pop Airplay charts, but it also made the top 10 in Romania, France, and Belgium.

“This is a big win for dancehall music, and we give God thanks everyday fi di blessings and fi di talent weh him give wi. We just keep on representing dancehall to the fullest, because Rolling Stone Magazine is a respected media entity, and to be on their list is just good news,” Elephant Man told the Jamaica Observer.

He explained how the career-defining hit came about and how its success changed his life.

“Red One [Lady Gaga’s producer] reached out to me and said he wanted me to be on the song, so he and his team flew to Jamaica and they stayed at the Hilton hotel in New Kingston. We booked studio time around Daseca studio on Red Hills Road, and we did the song. A few weeks later, they flew me to Manhattan, where we did the music video,” Elephant Man recalled.

The video for Whine Up was directed by Gil Green, a respected force in the music video industry at the time, who also directed visuals for Sean Paul and several others. The video has to date racked up more than 200 million views on
YouTube.

“Recording the song was just crazy vibe in the studio. The place did a mash-up with nuff energy and mi can tell yuh say from that moment I knew the song was going to be a hit. Red One said he was pleased with how the song turned out, and he even pointed out that dancehall is one of his favourite genres of music,” Elephant Man disclosed.

The self-styled Energy God said, upon meeting Kat Deluna — who was signed to Sony Music Entertainment’s Epic Records at the time — he found out that she was a fan of his music.

“She is a very down-to-earth person, no attitude or anything, and she even said she loved my songs. We even went to Canada to perform the song on Much Music on their video countdown show and even on TRL on MTV. This song is my biggest song internationally,” Elephant Man shared.

He said the song was a boost to his career, while introducing him to the Latin market.

“A lot of doors opened for me and a lot of American artistes began to reach out wanting to collaborate. The song gave me a different fan base, exposed my talent to a different crowd, and specifically the Latino market. It was a great time,” he said.

Also making the Rolling Stone list is the remix of Turn Me On by soca artiste Kevin Lyttle featuring Spragga Benz. It ranks at #23.

Turn Me On was first recorded in 2003 but its remixed version, which features Spragga Benz, took off the following year reaching #4 on the Billboard Hot 100, while making the top 10 in 16 countries, including #1 in Denmark.

It has been certified 2x platinum in the United Kingdom, as well as gold in the United States, Norway, Germany, Denmark, and Switzerland.

Move Ya Body by twin sister duo Nina Sky, which rode producer Cordel “Skatta” Burrell’s Coolie Dance rhythm, is #16 on the list. The song, which made it to #4 on the Billboard Hot 100 in August 2004, has been certified gold in the United States and in the United Kingdom, while copping a platinum certification in New Zealand.

Move Ya Body made the top 10 in 11 countries.

Who Let the Dogs Out, by The Baha Men from the Bahamas, was a Top 40 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 in 2000. However, it was first recorded by Trinidadian Anslem Douglas two years earlier. The Baha Men’s version, which won a Grammy award in 2001 for Best Dance Recording, is #12 on the Rolling Stone list. The song made the top ten in 12 countries, including the United Kingdom, where it rose as high as #2.

Who Let the Dogs Out has been certified gold in Belgium, Germany, and the Netherlands, while earning platinum certifications in Australia, New Zealand, the UK, and Sweden.

New York’s Lumidee makes the Rolling Stone list at #9 with her sole hit Never Leave You (Uh Ooh, Uh Ooh). The song, which was recorded on the popular Diwali rhythm, peaked at #3 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 2003.

Other well-known songs that made the list include Bad Day by Daniel Powter (#50), This is Why I’m Hot by MIMS (#21),
Oops Oh My by Tweet featuring Missy Elliott (#14), Addictive by Truth Hurts featuring Rakim (#11), and My Neck, My Back by Khia (#42).

The song topping the list at #1 is Teenage Dirtbag by Wheatus.