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80🌟 “What the Hook Gon’ Be” – Murphy Lee feat. Jermaine Dupri (2003)
🎶 “What the hook gon’ be? See I don’t need no hook on this beat…” 🎤✨
🎤 The Playful Rap Hit That Made the “Hook” the Whole Joke
Released in 2003, “What the Hook Gon’ Be” became the biggest solo hit from Murphy Lee, best known as a member of the St. Louis rap group St. Lunatics alongside Nelly. The song stood out because the entire concept revolved around joking about rap hooks—while still creating one of the catchiest hooks of the early 2000s.
Murphy Lee delivers laid-back, humorous verses while the chorus repeatedly asks the question that every hip-hop fan wonders while listening to a new track: “What the hook gon’ be?”
The playful idea, combined with a bouncy beat and Jermaine Dupri’s signature production style, helped the song become a radio and club favorite during the early-2000s hip-hop era.
💫 Backstory
The track appeared on Murphy Lee’s debut album Murphy’s Law. After the massive success of Nelly and the St. Lunatics in the early 2000s, Murphy Lee stepped out for a solo moment.
Producer and rapper Jermaine Dupri helped craft the song’s concept. Instead of building a typical rap chorus, the track pokes fun at the formula itself—turning the question about the hook into the hook.
The result was a fun, clever hip-hop hit that perfectly matched Murphy Lee’s relaxed personality and humor.
🔥 Fun Facts
• The song peaked at #17 on the Billboard Hot 100.
• Murphy Lee first gained fame on Country Grammar (Hot Shit) by Nelly.
• Jermaine Dupri both produced the track and appears on the chorus.
• The song became one of Murphy Lee’s signature solo hits from the early-2000s rap era.
📊 Song Info & Chart Performance
• Released: 2003
• Album: Murphy’s Law
• Billboard Hot 100 Peak: No. 17
• One of the most recognizable humorous hip-hop hooks of the early 2000s
🎶 Best Lyric
“What the hook gon’ be? See I don’t need no hook on this beat.”
A clever, funny rap concept that turned a simple question into one of the most memorable hooks of the 2000s.
#MurphyLee #2000sHipHop #StLunati #2000sRap
@80s90s2000scutz
