Just Got Paid (Johnny Kemp song)

"Just Got Paid"
Single by Johnny Kemp
from the album Secrets of Flying
Released	1988
Recorded	1987
Genre	New jack swing[1]
Length	5:33 (album version)
Label	Columbia
Songwriter(s)	Gene Griffin, Johnny Kemp[2]
Producer(s)	Teddy Riley, Johnny Kemp[3]
Johnny Kemp singles chronology
"Dancin' with Myself" (1988) "Just Got Paid" (1988) "One Thing Led to Another" (1988)

"Just Got Paid" is a 1988 single by Bahamian R&B singer–songwriter Johnny Kemp.

Background

The song started as an instrumental track by Teddy Riley intended for Keith Sweat's 1987 debut Make It Last Forever,^[4] but Sweat ultimately passed on the song.^[4] Kemp then recorded a demo of the song, intending for it to be used by another singer; his scratch vocal ended up on the final release.^[4]

Chart performance

The song hit No. 1 on the U.S. R&B and Dance charts and reached No. 10 on the Billboard Hot 100.^[5][6]

Accolades

"Just Got Paid" received a Grammy Award nomination for Best R&B Song at the 31st Grammy Awards in 1989, losing to Anita Baker's "Giving You the Best That I Got".^[7]

Covers and sampling

• The song was covered by NSYNC on their album No Strings Attached (2000), which was also produced by the song's original producer Teddy Riley.^[8]
• The song was covered by CDB on their 2017 album Tailored for Now.
• It was sampled by Kurupt on the song "At It Again" off his Space Boogie: Smoke Oddessey album.

In popular culture

• The song was used in the 2000 romantic film Love & Basketball.^[9]
• Kemp performed "Just Got Paid" in an "all-star finale" on Keith Sweat's 2007 DVD Sweat Hotel Live.^[10]

Charts

Weekly charts Chart (1988) Peak position Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[11] 22 Canada Top Singles (RPM)[12] 57 Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[13] 19 Netherlands (Single Top 100)[14] 12 New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[15] 45 US Billboard Hot 100[16] 10 US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (Billboard)[17] 1 US Dance Club Songs (Billboard)[18] 1

Year-end charts Chart (1988) Position Canada Dance/Urban (RPM)[19] 22

References

1. Josephs, Brian (July 20, 2012). "The 25 Best New Jack Swing Songs". Complex. Retrieved July 26, 2016.
2. "Johnny Kemp - Just Got Paid". discogs.com. Discogs. Retrieved 2019-01-01.
3. "Johnny Kemp - Secrets Of Flying". discogs.com. Discogs. Retrieved 2019-01-01.
4. "Just Got Paid - Johnny Kemp : Listen, Appearances, Song Review : AllMusic". Retrieved 19 August 2011.
5. Joel Whitburn Presents Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942-2004, 2004
6. Joel Whitburn's Hot Dance/Disco: 1974-2003, 2004
7. "1988 Grammy Winners – 31st Annual Grammy Awards". Grammy.com. Retrieved July 3, 2024.
8. Pareles, Jon (April 15, 2000). "Critic's Notebook; The Molting of a Boy Band: 'N Sync Spreads Its Wings". The New York Times. Archived from the original on August 19, 2016. Retrieved August 19, 2011.
9. Corry, Kristin (March 9, 2020). "The Original Version of "Just Got Paid" Is Better Than *NSYNC's". Vice. Retrieved July 3, 2024.
10. Finn, Natalie (April 17, 2015). ""Just Got Paid" Singer Johnny Kemp Dead at 55". E!. Retrieved July 3, 2024.
11. "Johnny Kemp – Just Got Paid" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50.
12. "Top RPM Singles: Issue 8585." RPM. Library and Archives Canada.
13. "Nederlandse Top 40 – Johnny Kemp" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40.
14. "Johnny Kemp – Just Got Paid" (in Dutch). Single Top 100.
15. "Johnny Kemp – Just Got Paid". Top 40 Singles.
16. "Johnny Kemp Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard.
17. "Johnny Kemp Chart History (Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs)". Billboard.
18. "Johnny Kemp Chart History (Dance Club Songs)". Billboard.
19. "Top 25 Dance Singles of '88" (PDF). RPM. Vol. 49, no. 10. 24 December 1988. p. 10. Retrieved 14 July 2019.