Still in his teens when he emerged on the West Coast hip hop scene, California rapper Ahmad Lewis (born October 12th, 1975 in Los Angeles), better known mononymously as Ahmad, first made a name for himself in 1993 with “Who Can”, a swaggering contribution to the soundtrack for superhero film The Meteor Man. His debut single, “Back in the Day”, arrived the following year via Giant Records, proving to be a massive success. Co-produced by Lewis himself alongside Redfoo of LMFAO, the track found him pining for the simplicity of his childhood and poetically reminiscing on nostalgic fashion trends. Aged just eighteen at the time, Lewis demonstrated a maturity beyond his years which resonated with audiences of all ages. Assisted by a slick remix from Maurice Thompson, the track reached #26 in the US and #64 in the UK, soon obtaining gold certification. Lewis’s eponymous debut album landed later in 1994, peaking at #8 on the Billboard Top Heatseekers Albums Chart. While it failed to produce any additional hits, the uptempo, funk-infused album cut “We Want the Funk” would go on to be sampled by Kendrick Lamar on his To Pimp the Butterfly single “King Kunta” more than two decades later. In 1997, Lewis co-founded the alt-rap group 4th Avenue Jones, with whom he recorded a run of non-charting albums and obtained a short-lived deal with Interscope. After a lengthy hiatus, he returned in 2010 with a second solo LP, The Death of Me, which garnered critical acclaim despite failing to make a commercial impact. Remaining his biggest hit to date, “Back in the Day” has since enjoyed an enduring legacy, with GRAMMY winners and nominees Mariah Carey, J. Cole and Jeremih among the many artists to incorporate elements of the song into their 21st-century recordings.
