Pras, Ghetto Supastar (That Is What You Are) | Bangerz N Bopz 🔥

In the 85^th edition of Bangerz N Bopz 🔥 (2025), we highlight “Ghetto Supastar (That Is What You Are)” performed by Pras featuring Ol’ Dirty Bastard & Mýa. 

Bring on the bold, fierce songs! Bangerz N Bopz 🔥 serves up background info and insight into songs of various styles, especially songs that raise eyebrows and/or stir the pot.  Featured records can be classic or brand new. In the 85^th edition of Bangerz N Bopz 🔥 (2025), we break down “Ghetto Supastar (That Is What You Are)” performed by Pras.

“Ghetto supastar (Supastar) / That is what you are (That’s what you are) / Coming from afar (Coming from a far) / Reaching for the stars (Reaching for the stars).” Pras, one-third of the Grammy-winning rap collective Fugees, earned the biggest hit of his solo career with “Ghetto Supastar (That Is What You Are)”. It performed respectably on the pop charts, peaking at number 15 on the Billboard Hot 100. It is the second track from his 1998 album, Ghetto Supastar. Pras got some help on the title track from the late Ol’ Dirty Bastard (1968 – 2004) and an up-and-coming, Grammy-winning R&B singer, Mýa (b. 1979).

“Ghetto Supastar (That Is What You Are)” is well-produced (Wyclef Jean and Jerry Duplessis).  The bass, guitar, keys, and drum groove stand out.  Notably, “Ghetto Supastar” sampled three songs: “Islands in the Stream” by Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton, “Under the Influence of Love” by Love Unlimited, and “Get Up, Get Into It, Get Involved” by James Brown.  With those classics sampled, the list of songwriters grows lengthy: Pras, Ol’ Dirty Bastard, Wyclef Jean, Bobby Byrd, James Brown, Ron Lenhoff, and the Bee Gees (Robin Gibb, Maurice Gibb, and Barry Gibb).  

The crowning achievement of “Ghetto Supastar” is the unforgettable chorus, excerpted above.  Mýa does the heavy lifting, singing superbly with an angelic tone. “Run away with me to another place,” she sings, and adds, “We can rely on each other, uh-huh / From one corner to another, uh-huh.” Pras takes the reins in the first verse, showcasing a fabulous cadence and flow. He rides the beat like a champ. “Black Caesar, dating top divas / Diplomatic legalese; no time for a Visa,” he raps, and adds, “Got five sides to me, something like a pentagon / Strike with the forces of King Solomon.” Word.  ODB raps the second verse, bringing his signature sound, rapping from a political perspective (“My eyes is sore, being a senator” and “So, I became hardcore, couldn’t take it no more / I’m a reveal everything, change the law”). Pras raps the third verse, asserting, “Kick your balls like Pelé ⚽️, pick ‘em doing ballet / Peak like Dante, broader than Broadway.” Both rappers also drop another verse, with Pras memorably spitting, “Two-faced, getting defaced, out like Scarface,” and ODB stating, “But it’s all good as long as it’s understood / It’s all together now in the hood.”  Pras’s solo career didn’t excel like Lauryn Hill or Wyclef Jean, but the memorable “Ghetto Supastar (That Is What You Are)” is a big-time bright spot.

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Pras » Ghetto Supastar » Ruffhouse Records LP » 1998

Pras, Ghetto Supastar (That Is What You Are): Bangerz N Bopz 🔥 No. 85 (2025) [📷: Brent Faulkner / The Musical Hype; Ruffhouse Records LP; Bigshow Lamar Campton, Daniel Duarte, Eduardo López from Pexels; AcatXIo, djexpectations, OpenClipart-Vectors, Thai Zeo from Pixabay]

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