Word Up (May 2011 - August 2011)

"Word Up!" is a funk/hip hop song written and originally recorded by Cameo. Due to its heavy play on American dance and R&B radio, as well as music video play on MTV (which has LeVar Burton as a police detective trying to arrest the band), the single became the band's most well-known hit. From the album of the same name, "Word Up!" was Cameo's first top-forty US hit, peaking at number six on the Billboard Hot 100 and also spent three weeks at number one on the US Hot Black Singles chart. "Word Up!" also spent one week at number one on the US Hot Dance Singles chart, and reached number three in the UK. The song was written by Larry Blackmon & Thomas Michael Jenkins.

Like the band's previous single, Single Life, Word Up! features a sample of the opening notes of Ennio Morricone's theme to The Good, the Bad and the Ugly.