Music: "Who Shakes The Best (Part #2) in Playtime's Over [1991]
-snip-
This track was originally released in 1990 as
Who Shakes The Best
Artist: Candyman
Album: Ain't No Shame in My Game
Edited by Azizi Powell
This pancocojams posts showcases Candyman's 1990 and 1991 Hip Hop track "Who Shakes The Best".
I believe that Candyman's Hip Hop records "Who Shakes The Best" are the earliest sources for the girls' foot stomping cheer, the stomp and shake cheerleader cheers, and other cheerleader cheers with the titles "Who Shakes The Best", "Who Cheers The Best" and similar titles.
All copyrights remain with their owners.
Thanks to Hip Hop artist Candyman for his musical legacy. Thanks to all those who are quoted in this post and thanks to all those who are featured in this post's embedded videos. Thanks to the creators of the foot stomping cheers and stomp and shake cheers that are included in this post. Thanks also to the publishers of these YouTube sound files/videos.
This is an updated complete reprint of a pancocojams post that was originally published in 2017.* That 2017 post had minor revisions in 2021. * The previous title for this 2017 post was "Is This 1990s Foot Stomping Cheer "You Know I Shake The Best" The Source Of Virginia State University's "Who Cheers The Best" Stomp & Shake Cheer?"
There are no comments for that 2017 post as of August 22, 2025 at 9:33 PM.
I updated that 2017 pancocojams post on August 22, 2025 with material about Candyman's 1990 and 1991 Hip Hop tracks as a result of my learning about those records when I noticed that a sound file for Part 2 of that track was part of my YouTube feed of suggested videos.
(Candyman, 1990, 1991 [from the sound file for "I Shake The Best" Part 2)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DT7X-Gnayy8
Candyman [?] speaking: -Here’s a little history lesson for all of y’all who bought the first album. Remember this?
Track Refrain:
Group - Hey Hey You know it
Who shakes the best
[Group repeats these lines four times]
First soloist - My name is [?] and I feel kinda hot
??? I show you what I got
Look at me. My hair is on my chest.
You just don’t know that I shake the best.
Group -Hey Hey You know it
Group and a lead singer- Who shakes the best
Group -Hey Hey You know it
Who shakes the best
Second soloist:
My name is [?] but you can call me “Shake”
And I go down for the count like Ace’s chocolate cake
Don’t even play and don’t tell your crew
Cause if you do, they might want some too.
Group -Hey Hey You know it
Group and a lead singer- Who shakes the best
Group -Hey Hey You know it
Who shakes the best
Third soloist
My name is [?] better known as Hellick Boo
I’m just like Shake I want my cake and eat it too.
Fourth Soloist
My name is Hannibal but I’m a bull in bed
I shake the best never mind what they said
Group -Hey Hey You know it
Group and a lead singer- Who shakes the best
Group -Hey Hey You know it
Who shakes the best
Fifth Soloist
My name is Gigalo and I know how to rock it
I come from Dallas with no money in my pocket.
This is the year for me to be rich
If you don’t to be my girlfriend, you can be my -
[doesn't sing that rhyming word]
Group -Hey Hey You know it
Group and a lead singer- Who shakes the best
Group -Hey Hey You know it
Who shakes the best
Sixth soloist
My name is Soul and I shake it all day
My sexy body sends the girls in a rage
I know they like my smile but when I show them my [this word isn’t heard]
They wanna grab it, gotta have it cause I shake the best
Group -Hey Hey You know it
Group and a lead singer- Who shakes the best
Group -Hey Hey You know it
Who shakes the best
Seventh soloist
My name is Johnny. I like refried beans
But since I’m Missa I also like collard greens
I like black eyed peas on a bed of rice
I shook it to you once. I’ll shake it to you twice.
Group -Hey Hey You know it
Group and a lead singer- Who shakes the best
Group -Hey Hey You know it
Who shakes the best
Eight soloist
My name is Ed Walt and I come from Compton
So listen to the funky dope scratches I be droppin
No need for competition ‘cause I’m bett than all the rest
The ladies in L.A. know that Walt shakes the best.
Group -Hey Hey You know it
Group and a lead singer- Who shakes the best
Group -Hey Hey You know it
Who shakes the best
Candyman [?] speaking: -Here’s a little history lesson for all of y’all who bought the first album. Remember this?
Track Refrain:
Group - Hey Hey You know it
Who shakes the best
[Group repeats these lines four times]
First soloist - My name is [?] and I feel kinda hot
??? I show you what I got
Look at me. My hair is on my chest.
You just don’t know that I shake the best.
Group -Hey Hey You know it
Group and a lead singer- Who shakes the best
Group -Hey Hey You know it
Who shakes the best
Second soloist:
My name is [?] but you can call me “Shake”
And I go down for the count like Ace’s chocolate cake
Don’t even play and don’t tell your crew
Cause if you do, they might want some too.
Group -Hey Hey You know it
Group and a lead singer- Who shakes the best
Group -Hey Hey You know it
Who shakes the best
Third soloist
My name is [?] better known as Hellick Boo
I’m just like Shake I want my cake and eat it too.
Fourth Soloist
My name is Hannibal but I’m Hannibal in bed
I shake the best never mind what they said
Group -Hey Hey You know it
Group and a lead singer- Who shakes the best
Group -Hey Hey You know it
Who shakes the best
Fifth Soloist
My name is Gigalo and I know how to rock it
I come from Dallas with no money in my pocket.
This is the year for me to be rich
If you don’t to be my girlfriend, you can be my [refrain begins without that rhyming word]
Group -Hey Hey You know it
Group and a lead singer- Who shakes the best
Group -Hey Hey You know it
Who shakes the best
Sixth soloist
My name is Soul and I shake it all day
My sexy body sends the girls in a rage
I know they like my smile but when I show them my [this word isn’t heard]
They wanna grab it, gotta have it cause I shake the best
Group -Hey Hey You know it
Group and a lead singer- Who shakes the best
Group -Hey Hey You know it
Who shakes the best
Seventh soloist
My name is Johnny I like refried beans
But since I’m Missa I also like collard greens
I like black eyed peas on a bed of rice
I shook it to you once. I’ll shake it to you twice.
Group -Hey Hey You know it
Group and a lead singer- Who shakes the best
Group -Hey Hey You know it
Who shakes the best
Eight soloist
My name is Ed Walt and I come from Compton
So listen to the funky dope scratches I be droppin
No need for competition ‘cause I’m bett than all the rest
The ladies in L.A. know that Walt shakes the best.
Group -Hey Hey You know it
Group and a lead singer- Who shakes the best
Group -Hey Hey You know it
Who shakes the best
-snip-
*This is my attempt to transcribe this track from the sound file that is given above. Additions and corrections are very welcome.
Notice that the rhyming word structure and the consecutive soloist pattern for the foot stomping cheer given below are very similar to the word structure and consecutive soloist pattern for Candyman's Hip Hop track.
INFORMATION ABOUT CANDYMAN
From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Candyman_(rapper) [retrieved August 22, 2025]
" Birth name John B. Shaffer III
Also known as Candell Manson
Born June 25, 1968 (age 57)
Los Angeles, California, United States
Genres Hip hop, R&B
Occupation(s) Rapper, record producer
Instrument Vocals
Years active 1989–present
[…]
Biography
Candyman was born and raised in South Central Los Angeles, where he attended Washington Preparatory High School. Manson's friend, rapper/producer Sir Jinx, introduced Manson to Dr. Dre, for whom Manson produced a three-song demo.
Candyman was featured backing Tone LΕc before he earned his own solo stint. His first recording as solo artist was the 1989 12" EP Hip Hop Addict, produced by Candyman his late friend Johnny "J".[3] Prior to signing with Epic, Bill Walker [4] from Thump Records, purchased the master of "Knockin' Boots" for Lowrider Soundtrack Volume 1 and took the single to KDAY and Power 106. Candyman eventually signed to Epic Records in 1989 and released his debut album, Ain't No Shame in My Game, in the following year. It scored a Top 10 Billboard Hot 100 hit with "Knockin' Boots". The following year, he released another independent LP for Epic Records, Playtime's Over. He released I Thought U Knew for I.R.S. in 1993."...
****Earlier Content for this pancocojams post -2017
PANCOCOJAMS EDITOR'S NOTE:
Whenever the spirit moves me, I visit YouTube in search of examples of specific categories of children's rhymes and cheers, or examples of specific rhymes or cheers. Yesterday, I happened upon this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KfzHL_1PdbY "Let's Discuss: Black Girl Childhood Hand Games and Sing Songs" published by Ebony Janice Peace, Published on Aug 4, 2014. In that video Ebony Janice Peace discusses her memory of children's hand clap rhymes and marvels about how so many of the same rhymes are known and performed by Black girls throughout the United States. Ms. Peace also discusses how some of those rhymes from her childhood and some contemporary Black girls rhymes have inappropriate lyrics.
As a collector of African American children's rhymes and cheers I was interested in hearing Ms. Peace's opinions on this subject. And I was delighted to read several examples of rhymes and cheers that were posted by commenters in that video's discussion thread. As it turns out, I had forgotten that I had watched this video before and had previously added some examples from that video's discussion thread to my collection of what I refer to as "foot stomping cheers", including this comment that was posted by Nikkole Salter in 2015:
"This is an L.A. perspective:... This first one is not so much a hand game as much as it is a cipher: You know, I shake the best, hey, hey/ You know, from the east to the west! My name's (enter your name) and my favorite color's black (or whatever color you like) / I took your man and you won't get him back, hey hey / You know, I shake the best, hey, hey/ You know, from the east to the west! (and every person gets a chance, state your color and your bravado in rhyme)... Then there was this other call & response cipher (which I don't hear too many people mention outside my generation and region)... Tether ball, tether ball/Oosha, asha!/Tether ball, tether ball/Oosha, asha! My name's (enter your name) (tether ball), super cool, (tether ball) You mess with me (tether ball) You's a fool (tether ball) I got this man (tether ball) On my mind (tether ball) You mess with him (tether ball) Your butt is straight up mine. Oooh. Tether ball, tether ball/Oosha, Asha! etc. -- You make up your own rhyme of bravado...
Unfortunately, Ms. Salter didn't include which decade these examples come from. However, her comment that few people "outside of her generation" know these examples suggests that they probably come from the 1990s, or earlier. I've collected three examples of "Tether Ball" -including Ms. Salter's example- and each of these examples are from Los Angeles, California.*
A woman who shared an example of "Tether Ball" on my no longer active cocojams website indicated that she remembered it from the early 1990s. If Ms. Salter's version of "Tether Ball" (which is very similar to the other two that I've collected) is from the 1990s, then it's reasonable to assume that the other example in that comment "You know, I Shake The Best" is also from the 1990s. As of this date, I haven't found any other "I Cheer The Best" children's cheers except those cheers that are patterned after Virginia State University's very popular stomp & shake cheer entitled "Who Cheers The Best".
-snip-
*Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2016/09/foot-stomping-cheers-alphabetical-list_22.html Foot Stomping Cheers Alphabetical List (P- Z)
****
CHILDREN'S FOOT STOMPING CHEER - "YOU KNOW, I CHEER THE BEST"
You know, I shake the best,
hey, hey/
You know, from the east to the west!
My name's (enter your name)
and my favorite color's black (or whatever color you like)/
I took your man and you won't get him back,
hey hey /
You know, I shake the best,
hey, hey/
You know, from the east to the west!
(and every person gets a chance, state your color and your bravado in rhyme)...
-Nikkole Salter (Los Angeles, California), comment in discussion thread for vlog https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KfzHL_1PdbY
Let's Discuss: Black Girl Childhood Hand Games and Sing Songs")
-snip-
I reformatted this example from its paragraph form to that lyric/chant form.
Nikkole Salter introduced this cheer by saying "This first one is not so much a hand game as much as it is a cipher". I also want to highlight her points that these were "call and response ciphers", that "every person gets a chance, state your color and your bravado in rhyme", and that "you said your name" and "make up your own rhyme of bravado". These descriptions fit the descriptions of the recreational sub-category of children's cheers that I refer to as "foot stomping cheers". Prior to some of these cheers being adapted by mainstream children's cheerleading squads, these cheers were usually informally performed by two or more African American girls between the ages of 5-12 years who were pretending to be cheerleaders. "Traditionally", these call & response cheers had one soloist for each iteration. At the "end" of the cheer, the group repeated the complete cheer with a new soloist and this pattern continued until every person in the group had an equal turn as the soloist. (Notice Nikkole Salter's comment that "every person gets a chance, state your color and your bravado in rhyme".
In contrast, the stomp & shake cheer "Who Cheers The Best" isn't a call & response cheer, but is chanted by the squad in unison.
****
VIRGINIA STATE UNIVERSITY CHEER WHO CHEERS THE BEST
VSU Woo Woo's 2008 "Who Shakes The Best"
BlaWaiian2008, Published on Mar 17, 2013
VSU Cheerleaders (Virginia State University)
-snip-
Here's the words to that cheer:
Shake it to the east.
Shake it to the west.
It really doesn't matter who shakes the best.
Shake it to the east.
Shake it to the west.
It really doesn't matter who shakes the best.
Shake it to the east.
Shake it to the west.
Cause everybody knows that we shake the best.
-Virginia State University Woo Woos, transcribed by Azizi Powell from the video.
-snip-
In a 2011 video of the Woo Woos performing "Who Shakes The Best" the words are slightly changed, but the routine is basically the same. Here's that text example and that video:
VSU Woo Woo (Who shakes Da Best)
TrueVSU1882 Published on Mar 31, 2011
WHO SHAKES DA BEST [version #2)
Shake it to the east.
Shake it to the west.
It really doesn't matter who shakes the best.
Shake it to the east.
Shake it to the west.
It really doesn't matter who shakes the best.
Ah hey!
'Cause we shake the best
Everybody knows that we shake the best
To the East.
To the West.
Shake it!
-from VSU Woo Woo (Who shakes Da Best video, Mar 31, 2011,
This is my transcription of that cheer from that video
****
The earliest example of this stomp & shake cheer that I've found is a 2007 video of a Virginia high school cheerleading squad (Prince Edward High School's Sassys) performing "We Shake The Best" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6jnwq5Pq40A SASSY (We Shake The Best). The words to that cheer are the same as the words to "Who Shakes The Best".
Several commenters writing in the discussion thread noted that that squad learned that cheer from the Virginia Woo Woos at cheer camp & because their cheerleader was a member of the Woo Woo squad.
Here's that video: Prince Edward High School, Virginia - "We Shake The Best"
Uploaded by woowooworkit on Feb 17, 2007
-snip-
Prince Edward High School, Virginia (Sassy cheerleaders, 2007 (This is a Virginia State University cheer that this squad learned by attending the cheer camp conducted by the VSU Woo Woo cheerleaders).
Notice that the name of the publisher of that video refers to the "Woo Woos".
****
PANCOCOJAMS CONCLUDING NOTE:
In addition to the similar titles, the old children's cheer (that Nikkole Salter referred to as a "cipher") and VSU's stomp and shake cheer have
1. very similar titles
2. references to "the east and the west"
If you know this children's cheer, for the folkloric record, please share the example that you know, along with when you learned it (the decade) and the city/state where you learned it in the comment section below. Thanks!
****
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