While those movies are classics, they were a bit old-fashioned, and Patterson and Reckinger wanted to inject some hip-hop culture into the mix. Kelly was also responsible for the most famous predecessor of the “Opposites Attract” concept (and Who Framed Roger Rabbit?) of a live human dancing with an animated creation - this sequence in Anchors Aweigh (1945) where he grooved with Jerry from Tom and Jerry in adorable matching sailor suits.
#Dj skat kat movie#
Patterson and Reckinger are also big fans of Kelly, as well as the American movie musical in general, particularly Kelly’s Oscar-winning opus An American in Paris. They headed up the creation of MC Skat Kat, a brief cultural sensation in the form of an old-school Disney-type animated cat whose vibe was equal parts musical theater and then-burgeoning hip-hop culture.īefore she became a pop sensation, Abdul had famously worked as a choreographer and dancer (including a stint as a “Laker Girl”), and, like most American dancers of the late 20th century, was heavily inspired by Gene Kelly and wanted to demonstrate that in a video. To bring him into the visual realm, Virgin Records’ Jeff Ayeroff sought out video directing team and animation experts Michael Patterson (A-ha’s “Take on Me”) and Candace Reckinger (Suzanne Vega’s “Luka”). On the record, musical duo the Wild Pair provided the singing voice for the then-unnamed character, a lover of Abdul’s who is her complete opposite in every way. It featured the singer dancing with a cool, street-smart, rapping, dancing cartoon cat. These phenomena collided in one of the era’s best music videos: Paula Abdul’s “Opposites Attract,” featuring MC Skat Kat. It was also a golden age of cartoon cats, what with Oliver & Company and Garfield & Friends. The late 1980s brought with it new advances in the seamless combination of live-action with animation, exemplified by Who Framed Roger Rabbit. But work with me here.An animation cel with MC Skat Kat and Paula Abdul for “Opposites Attract.” * Of course, Delite was not actually performing with Abdul at the BBMAs. Verb X, MC: Skat Kat, that was kind of cheesy, but it was still hip-hop. Derrick spent two, three months out in L.A., and next thing you know, he's back, and blew through the advance. Tim Wilson: The MC Skat Kat record came out and flopped. Here I was, this 20-year-old kid not knowing too much about the music business, but I remember telling them, "The way you guys want to market this is probably wrong." They wanted to market the cat to Paula's audience, and I told them, "What you have to understand is, a good percentage of Paula's audience might not even be into rap music." They wanted to do an album after the success of the single, and I remember sitting up in this executive meeting. I didn't meet Paula Abdul until after that record had been released. Just seeing the animation, him moving his lips to my vocals, that was really weird. Tim Wilson: They went into a studio here and cut the rhyme for "Opposites Attract.”ĭelite: The video came out, and it was different. He called up the station and said, "The DJ just said that was hometown talent. Her producer was in town, and he heard the record on KMOJ. That group went on to sign with Tommy Boy.ĭelite, MC: We came out with the Soul Purpose single in 1989, and it was because of that record that I got to work with Paula Abdul. I put them out on Jerry Sylvers's label, Wide Angle Records.ĭan Speak, DJ/MC: Wide Angle's fame was in the dance scene, because their biggest meal ticket was Information Society, with Paul Robb.
Tim Wilson, DJ: Before he became MC Skat Kat, Derrick Stevens was in a group called Soul Purpose with Danny Young, who still DJs around town as Dan Speak. Remember Paula Abdul when she had that little cartoon cat? That was Delite, man.
Stage One, graffiti writer/DJ: Before that was MC Skat Kat. Then to fill your friend in, you share this excerpt from the oral history of Twin Cities hip-hop that Peter Scholtes wrote for City Pages in 2005. You (wise and apparently a little annoying): You mean, Minneapolis rapper and radio personality Derrick “Delite” Stevens.* Your friend (excited yet dumb): MC Skat Kat! We all know that MC Skat Kat is from Minneapolis, right?īy Keith Harris, Citypages Of course you know that, being the knowledgeable local music fan that you are.īut maybe you have… a friend-yeah, that's it, a friend-who was watching the Billboard Music Awards last night, was excited to see Paula Abdul perform her medley of hits, and even more excited to see the world's most famous rapping cartoon cat emerge during “Opposites Attract.”
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