"Ghetto Supastar," Pras featuring Mya and Ol' Dirty Bastard

On paper, “Ghetto Supastar” looked like a really bad idea.  

It was the first single for Pras, formerly of The Fugees, who had yet to prove he could be successful outside of the group.  It featured an eccentric cameo by Ol’ Dirty Bastard, who had become famous (or notorious, depending on who you ask) through his work with Wu-Tang Clan.  The chorus, sung by Mya, was sampled from Dolly Parton and Kenny Rogers’ “Islands in the Stream,” which was originally written by the Bee Gees.

Sounds like the makings of a popular hip-hop song, right?

Well, surprisingly, it all worked.  “Ghetto Supastar” became Pras’ first and only international hit and was part of the Bulworth soundtrack.  Like the movie, the video features Warren Beatty as an aspiring presidential candidate – only in the song, Pras is revealed to be the true candidate, the “superstar” who will bring truth back to politics. 

The careers of the main players in “Ghetto Supastar” have been anything but superstar-like since this video.  Ol’ Dirty Bastard died of an overdose in 2004.  Pras hasn’t been successful in the U.S. since “Ghetto Supastar” and, most recently, collaborated with DeDe on the popular Swedish hit “Turn You On.”  Mya was a contestant on the U.S. version of Dancing with the Stars and released an album in Japan this past year.