Van Helden was born in Boston on February 17, 1970 to a Dutch-Indonesian father and a French-Lebanese mother, but travelled around the world as a child spending time in the Netherlands, Turkey and Italy, as his father was a member of the US Air Force. At the age of thirteen, he bought a drum machine and started DJing two years later.
He returned to Boston in 1988 but also moonlighted as a DJ in Boston clubs. He attended Boston University. He quit his legal review job in 1989 to work as a remixer/producer for Mega-Mixx Productions DJ Remix Service (co-founded by his long time manager, Neil Petricone) where he reworked and re-edited a number of club records for the DJ-only service, including Shawn Christopher's "Another Sleepless Night." He also took up an occupancy at 'The Loft', Boston's leading nightclub.
Mega-Mixx's success was short lived. Mismanagement brought the company to a halt in early 1991. Later that year, he and Petricone, along with founding A&R coordinator, Tony Zeoli, launched X-Mix Productions, a similar DJ Remix service, which still exists today (http://www.xmix.com). Catching the attention of legendary Strictly Rhythm and Nervous Records A&R guru, Glady Pizarro, in 1992 Van Helden released his first official single "Stay On My Mind" under the psuedonym Deep Creed, through Nervous Records.
He released "Move It To the Left" (credited to Sultans of Swing) in 1992 on the Strictly Rhythm label, which became a moderate club hit. His first track to make the Billboard Hot Dance Music/Club Play chart was "Witch Doktor" which made the top 5 in 1994.
The success of "Witch Doktor" led to opportunities to remix acts such as The Real McCoy ("Another Night", New Order ("Bizarre Love Triangle"), Blondie ("Atomic), Capella ("U Got To Know"), Lightning Seeds ("Jackie Lucky"), Deep Forest ("Marta's Song"), Jimmy Somerville ("Heartbeat"), Deee-Lite ("Dewdrops In The Garden") and Faithless ("Insomnia"). However, it was the "Professional Widow" remix that established him and became a dance hit around the world as well as a number one hit in the UK. Unfortunately, Van Helden did not receive a penny for this mix as he presented it uncommissioned, and thus was not entitled to compensation. However, it led to work remixing The Rolling Stones, Janet Jackson, Britney Spears and Puff Daddy as well as Daft Punk and the Sneaker Pimps, and adding to his reputation as one of the world's top house musicians.
Within dance music circles, Van Helden is widely credited for the introduction of the U.K. bred Speed Garage sound to the U.S. club scene with incredible set of remixes. The sound, identifiable by its deep bass subtones, long melodic breaks, and devestatingly hard hitting beats are exemplified in the following remixes beginning in 1995 with Jimmy Somerville "Heartbeat"; CJ Bolland's "Sugar Is Sweeter"; Faithless "Insomnia"; Tori Amos "Professional Widow"; Apollo 440 "Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Dub"; and Sneaker Pimps "Spin, Spin, Sugar."
"Cha Cha" was another top ten dance hit from his first album Old School Junkies released in 1996, along with "The Funk Phenomena". A greatest hits album appeared the next year followed by a breakbeat album later in 1997. "U Don't Know Me," a collaboration with vocalist Duane Harden from the album, "2 Futur 4 U," was a number two hit on the Billboard dance chart, a Number one in the UK and a top 20 single on the pop charts in Australia and Canada.
In 1000 UK #1 Hits by Jon Kutner and Spencer Leigh, Armand Van Helden explained, "You Don't Know Me was a perfect example of putting 2 simple things together, the beats from Jaydee's Plastic Dreams and a disco loop from Carrie Lucas."
Van Helden released the Killing Puritans album in 2000 which contained the dance hit "Koochy". His single "Why Can't You Spend Some Time" made the number 34 in the UK in 2001. His New York: A Mix Odyssey album released in 2004 produced two hits:
* "Hear my Name" reached number 7 on the Billboard dance chart, was top 30 on world and internet charts, made number 34 in the UK, and reached the top 40 in Australia; and
* "My My My" reached number 4 on the world internet charts, number 5 in the Belgian and Dutch charts, number 6 in Australia, number 15 in the UK and top 30 in the world dance charts.
In 2010 Van Helden teamed with A-Trak to form the duo Duck Sauce. They had an international smash hit with "Barbra Streisand," which used an ingenious sample from Boney M.
This Ain't Hollywood
Armand van Helden Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Stone cold when I rock it
Take it manipulate and drop it
Fell flat and step up and hop
Keep down and don't hesitate
Penetrate then evacuate
Make your phone call late don't hesitate
Your my style and you don't stop
Gonna take you to the top like crazy rocks
She likes rock and loves hip hop
Play the lead use one for the clock
I wanna give you something that you really want
A guy asked your number, why you so hot?
Mostly be straight to the heart
Baby girl, it's you I wanna flaunt
Come on baby, come on baby
No this ain't Hollywood and you ain't gonna change me
Come on baby, come on baby
Jack it up, jack it up 'coz you drive me crazy
Come on baby, come on baby
No this ain't Hollywood, so you ain't gonna change me
Come on baby, come on baby
Don't kid and play me
Can't stop a hit when I makin' a mix
Your like a drug and I need another fix
And you'd jump of the bridge if you knew I would
Got me running around crazy like a boy in the hood
Stop, drop, take cover and roll
'Coz sweet chic hero in cruise control
Yeah baby, and throw your head back
Leather up, you ain't got a shot man give it up
'Coz once you turn it up, I shall lose you
Then you get left in the dust like loser
Don't give a second chance she'd fool ya
Then you get sucked in like a Hoover
Dummy, why act so foolish?
Honey, why you wanna do this?
Is it because I'm the rudest
Rough neck brother from out the Jules?
Come on baby, come on baby
No this ain't Hollywood and you ain't gonna change me
Come on baby, come on baby
Jack it up, jack it up 'coz you drive me crazy
Come on baby, come on baby
No this ain't Hollywood, so you ain't gonna change me
Come on baby, come on baby
Don't kid and play me
The song "This Ain't Hollywood" by Armand Van Helden and featuring Will "Tha Wiz" Lemay is a high-energy, upbeat song with a focus on love and lust. The lyrics are primarily about the rapper's desire for a woman who he believes is his style and wants to be with. He is confident and assertive, telling her to not hesitate and take what she wants, while also expressing his own desires for her. The chorus, repeated throughout the song, emphasizes that their love is not like a Hollywood romance, but is genuine and real.
The rapper's lyrics are filled with wordplay and pop culture references. He compares himself to a Stone Cold wrestler, saying he's unstoppable, and also references the movie "Boyz n the Hood." He uses high-energy phrases like "jack it up" and "stop, drop, take cover and roll" to add excitement and momentum to the song. The electronic beat and fast-paced tempo add to the overall energy and make the song perfect for a dance party or club scene.
Line by Line Meaning
Let me try, you can't stop this
I am going to try and succeed, nothing can hinder me
Stone cold when I rock it
I am confident and unemotional when performing
Take it manipulate and drop it
I will use my skills to control and release music
Fell flat and step up and hop
I may have failed before, but I will keep moving forward
Keep down and don't hesitate
Stay low and move quickly without hesitation
Penetrate then evacuate
Enter forcefully and then withdraw abruptly
Make your phone call late don't hesitate
Take your time before making a call, but don't wait too long
Baby girl, I wanna be your date
I am interested in dating you
Your my style and you don't stop
You fit my aesthetic and I won't stop pursuing you
Gonna take you to the top like crazy rocks
I will elevate you to the highest level, like precious and valuable rocks
She likes rock and loves hip hop
She enjoys listening to different genres of music
Play the lead use one for the clock
Take the main role and control time with precision
I wanna give you something that you really want
I want to satisfy your desires
A guy asked your number, why you so hot?
Another man wants your phone number because you are attractive
Mostly be straight to the heart
I try to be honest and genuine with my feelings
Baby girl, it's you I wanna flaunt
I want to show off my relationship with you
Can't stop a hit when I makin' a mix
I cannot be stopped when creating a great music mix
Your like a drug and I need another fix
You are addictive and I crave more of you
And you'd jump of the bridge if you knew I would
You would take a risky action if I were to join you
Got me running around crazy like a boy in the hood
You have me acting wild and out of control, like a young man in a difficult neighborhood
Stop, drop, take cover and roll
Try to avoid danger by following these safety procedures
'Coz sweet chic hero in cruise control
I am a smooth and confident hero in complete control
Yeah baby, and throw your head back
Relax and enjoy the moment
Leather up, you ain't got a shot man give it up
Put on a leather jacket, because you have no chance and should give up
'Coz once you turn it up, I shall lose you
If you raise the intensity, I may not be able to keep up
Then you get left in the dust like loser
You will be left behind, abandoned like a failure
Don't give a second chance she'd fool ya
I won't give you another opportunity, because you would take advantage of me
Then you get sucked in like a Hoover
You will get absorbed, like dirt being sucked in by a vacuum cleaner
Dummy, why act so foolish?
Why are you acting so stupid?
Honey, why you wanna do this?
Why are you acting like this, my dear?
Is it because I'm the rudest?
Are you reacting badly because I am impolite?
Rough neck brother from out the Jules?
Am I acting too tough and intimidating from the streets of Jules?
Jack it up, jack it up 'coz you drive me crazy
Turn up the volume, it excites me
No this ain't Hollywood and you ain't gonna change me
This is not a movie and you will not change my behavior
Don't kid and play me
Don't deceive or lie to me
Contributed by Hailey V. Suggest a correction in the comments below.