Hail Varsity: More Than You Want to Know About the Huskers New Anthem

[Mavric]

And to attribute this all to DJ Kool is probably an error. The song is little more than a call-and-response style jam, though Kool’s rasp adds something, but the real reason people love it is for the samples. It opens with the familiar horns fanfare from Kool & The Gang’s “Hollywood Swinging” and then drops right into the unforgettable sax loop, a powerful one-two punch, and that’s where things get interesting.

That saxophone was originally recorded for Marva Whitney’s 1969 song “Unwind Yourself.” Whitney was a funk singer from Kansas City. She released a few singles but didn’t find much success as a solo act, eventually joining the James Brown Revue. (And, if Wikipedia is to be believed, entering into a romantic relationship with the Godfather of Soul himself.) “Unwind Yourself” never made a major dent on the charts and probably would’ve been forgotten if not for a DJ from The Bronx sampling it nearly two decades later.

 

Hail Varsity

 

 

 

[Landlord]

I've been wanting this to be a staple of Nebraska games for years, and was so bummed out when they botched it so bad in 2012. Glad Chris took over at Memorial Stadium and brought it back - that guy is way too good at his job.

[DomiNUs]

I hate clowns.

[Hujan]

I like it, but can't help but feel like it's a pretty shameless rip off of Wisconsin's tradition at Camp Randall before the fourth quarter.

[ZRod]

I like it, but can't help but feel like it's a pretty shameless rip off of Wisconsin's tradition at Camp Randall before the fourth quarter.

Shameless would be using Jump Around.

[admo]

I like it, but can't help but feel like it's a pretty shameless rip off of Wisconsin's tradition at Camp Randall before the fourth quarter.

Wisconsin? Minnesota been doing it to this for awhile. They just haven't been a rose bowl contender

[admo]

And it doesn't matter. Been years and years of opportunity to be original. Who cares, it's fun and everybody loves it!

[URSS]

Great history on the song but the rap is crap.

[Moiraine]

I like it, but can't help but feel like it's a pretty shameless rip off of Wisconsin's tradition at Camp Randall before the fourth quarter.

 

If we started playing it at the end of the 3rd quarter every game then ya. But we don't. I do think it'd be funny if we played it at the end of every 3rd quarter that we're playing Wisconsin though.

[Scratchtown]

can't help but feel like it's a pretty shameless rip off of Wisconsin's tradition at Camp Randall before the fourth quarter.

 

 

 

[ZRod]

Great history on the song but the rap is crap.

Go to bed grandpa it's past your bedtime!

[I AM FOOT FOOT]

I can handle some rap just not the gangsta sh#t. Dirty Heads do some good stuff.