latter ranking it as the 20th greatest music video of all time. Background The hip hop and R&B song is a warning from Lauryn Hill to African-American men and women caught in "the struggle". Both the women who "[try to] be a hard rock when they really are a gem", and the men who are "more concerned with his rims, and his Timbs, than women", are admonished by Hill, who warns them not to allow "that thing" to ruin their lives. The chorus seems to promote egalitarianism between the sexes, but the overall message of the lyrics has been described as conservative. In terms of production value, Hill borrows heavily from elements of soul music and doo-wop, lending credence to the song's title. In its official album and single release, several of the song's lyrics are censored, though the original words can be found in the liners. The only noted semi-official release of the uncensored version is in a 12-inch promo labelled as "(Album Version)" (different from the 5:21 version) at 4 minutes in length. Commercial performance In the United States, "Doo Wop (That Thing)" debuted at number one on the Billboard Hot 100, making it the tenth song in the chart's history to debut atop the chart. The track became the first single since Debbie Gibson's 1989 single "Lost in Your Eyes" to reach number one in the US, that was written, produced and recorded by one sole woman. Hill joined Roberta Flack, Linda Goldstein, and Sinéad O'Connor as the only women at the time to solely produce a number one single, and joined the latter three woman along with Valerie Simpson and Ellie Greenwich as the sixth woman overall to produce a number one single. It marked the first time that a female rapper peaked or debuted at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. "Doo Wop (That Thing)" also became the first debut single to enter atop the chart. Additionally, it was the first and only solo hip hop song to debut at number one, until "Not Afraid" by Eminem debuted atop the chart in 2010. "Doo Wop (That Thing)" remained the only single by a female rapper to debut atop the chart until Nicki Minaj's "Trollz" with 6ix9ine began at number one in 2020. While the song remained the only solo release by a female rapper to debut at number one, until Minaj's "Super Freaky