Da Muttz

In late 2000, when a Budweiser advert had everyone screaming "Wassuup," it put that expression even more into popular vocabulary. U.K. producer/writers Alez Rizzo and Elliot Ireland saw the chance for another novelty hit, called "Wassup," and released it under the name Da Muttz. This was the duo's second foray onto the pop charts. A year earlier — at the same time as Lou Bega's "Mambo #5" — they had scored a major international dance hit as Shaft with "Mucho Mambo," based on Rosemary Clooney's 1955 track "Mambo Italiano." The original version featured a vocal sample of Clooney; however, the two were unable to clear the sample, so the vocal on the final track was sung by Claire Vaughan. They followed the track's success with "Mambo Italiano," this time with a Latin flavor. The duo were also responsible for the TV theme tunes to both the U.K.'s The Big Breakfast and The Lily Savage Show.