Superstar (Remember How You Got Where You Are)
by The Temptations
“The diss track, we all know where it has evolved to.”
Think MGK firing shots at Eminem, then let's not forget about the haters Ja Rule had calling him a studio gangster. If we want to get raw, who remembers "F*** Bad Boy as a staff, record label, and as a mother-f***ing crew."
I am confident that the last one chimes a bell for sure, coming right out of the mouth of 2Pac blasting on your speakers; you can undoubtedly recall the first time you heard that one, but where did these ferocious, mean, and absolutely captivating types of songs come from.
I propose that in 1971, the disco era was right around the corner; the psychedelic rock of Sly and the Family Stone and The Temptations, among others, popped out great music that made you think, feel, and demand more. The Temptations is where I am compelled to start, not just with them themselves.
Despite the turmoil, they went through in 1968 firing of David Ruffin. Still, three years later, after the departure of Paul Williams and Eddie Kendricks, The Temptations had a massive hit in January 1971 titled "Just My Imagination," which was a massive tune with Eddie Kendricks on lead. It also featured the last time we heard Paul Williams on a Temptations record. Due to his battle with sickle cell anemia and alcoholism, he was forced out of the group.
Eddie couldn't take it anymore after the firing of his friend David Ruffin and leaving Paul behind because of his afflictions; Eddie chose to walk away from the Temptations. This was the dawn of something that indefinitely changed what could be done with the music. It was roughly eight months after the departure mentioned above.
There were plenty of stories going around and even a little upheaval. The Temptations and their writer (Norman Whitfield) sat down to come out with Superstar (Remember How You Got Where You Are). As it comes in, all you hear is, "Don't change your style now that you've reached the top,"... and it goes on to say, "the same folks that made you, you better believe that they can break you" for its time that was as a raw as it could be, and everyone who heard it knew or thought they knew who was being spoken of.
It was the Temptations taking shots at Eddie Kendricks for leaving the group, but let's dig a little deeper: was it Eddie leaving, or was Norman Whitfield attacking the magnificent trio of so many Motown hits and his Motown brethren as the Holland/Dozier/Holland trio left to start their labels Invictus and HotWax. Surely, it is easy to see the contempt that Whitfield may have had towards H/D/H.
It is also easy to see the ire of the Temptations towards Eddie Kendricks and David Ruffin ( who both had solo deals with Motown). Although it is difficult to say who the song was about, whether it was The Temptations towards David Ruffin and Eddie Kendricks or was it the disdain of Norman Whitfield for Holland/Dozier/Holland may be lost deep in the tunnels of Motown Records lore. There are a few things that can be said: the Funk Brothers were masterful as usual as the Motown house band, and the song was a top 10 hit on the Billboard R&B singles chart. It peaked at #18 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, and it is beyond fair to say that if superstars didn't forget who they were, then we may have never known what a diss track was.
