Just Got Paid (Johnny Kemp song)

"Just Got Paid" is a 1988 single by Bahamian R&B singer–songwriter Johnny Kemp.

"Just Got Paid"
Single by Johnny Kemp
from the album Secrets of Flying
Released	1988
Recorded	1987
Genre	New jack swing[1]
Length	5:33 (album version)
Label	Columbia
Songwriter(s)	Gene Griffin, Johnny Kemp[2]
Producer(s)	Teddy Riley, Johnny Kemp
Johnny Kemp singles chronology
"Dancin' with Myself" (1988) "Just Got Paid" (1988) "One Thing Led to Another" (1988)

Background

The song started as an instrumental track by Teddy Riley intended for Keith Sweat's 1987 debut Make It Last Forever,^[3] but Sweat ultimately passed on the song.^[3] Kemp then recorded a demo of the song, intending for it to be used by another singer; his scratch vocal ended up on the final release.^[3]

Chart performance

The song hit No. 1 on the U.S. R&B and Dance charts and reached No. 10 on the Billboard Hot 100.^[4][5]

Accolades

"Just Got Paid" received a Grammy Award nomination for Best R&B Song at the 31st Grammy Awards in 1989, losing to Anita Baker's "Giving You the Best That I Got".^[6]

Covers and sampling

• The song was covered by NSYNC on their album No Strings Attached (2000), which was also produced by the song's original producer Teddy Riley.^[7]
• The song was covered by CDB on their 2017 album Tailored for Now.
• It was sampled by Kurupt on the song "At It Again" off his Space Boogie: Smoke Oddessey album.

In popular culture

• The song was used in the 2000 romantic film Love & Basketball.^[8]
• Kemp performed "Just Got Paid" in an "all-star finale" on Keith Sweat's 2007 DVD Sweat Hotel Live.^[9]

Charts

Weekly charts Chart (1988) Peak position Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[10] 22 Canada Top Singles (RPM)[11] 57 Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[12] 19 Netherlands (Single Top 100)[13] 12 New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[14] 45 US Billboard Hot 100[15] 10 US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (Billboard)[16] 1 US Dance Club Songs (Billboard)[17] 1

Year-end charts Chart (1988) Position Canada Dance/Urban (RPM)[18] 22