Whatever Happened to Tag Team — The Duo Behind the ’90s Party Anthem “Whoomp! (There It Is)”?

#NOLAZINE - If you attended a party, sporting event or school dance during the 1990s, chances are you heard an entire crowd screaming the same unforgettable phrase:

“Whoomp! There it is!”

In 1993, hip-hop duo Tag Team turned those four words into one of the biggest party records of the decade. Consisting of Cecil “DC The Brain Supreme” Glenn and Steve “Rolln” Gibson, Tag Team seemingly appeared overnight, dominated radio and became permanently connected to one massive hit.

But what happened after “Whoomp! (There It Is)”?

The answer is more interesting than simply calling Tag Team a one-hit wonder.

Before the Hit, They Were Two Friends Chasing Music

Glenn and Gibson originally met while attending high school in Denver, Colorado. Their musical partnership continued as they developed their skills before eventually relocating to Atlanta, where they became immersed in the city's emerging music scene. Tag Team: Whoomp There It Is

At the time, Atlanta hadn't yet become the worldwide center of hip-hop that it would eventually become.

Glenn worked as a DJ at Atlanta's Magic City while the pair continued recording music. In 1992, they created the record that would completely change their lives.

But getting the music industry to believe in it wasn't easy.

Record Labels Didn't Initially Want “Whoomp!”

According to a 1993 Los Angeles Times interview, major labels rejected “Whoomp! (There It Is),” in part because executives weren't convinced that its Southeastern bass-heavy sound could succeed nationally.

Instead of giving up, Glenn borrowed $2,500 from his parents to press 800 copies of the single themselves.

Those records quickly sold out around Atlanta through word of mouth and club exposure. That grassroots response eventually helped Tag Team secure a deal with Bellmark Records. Los Angeles Times

The labels that passed on the record were about to watch it become enormous.

“Whoomp! (There It Is)” Takes Over America

Released nationally in 1993, “Whoomp! (There It Is)” exploded.

The song reached No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 and No. 1 on the R&B chart. It ultimately sold millions of copies and became one of the defining party-rap records of its era. Kiwix Server

Its appeal was simple.

The beat was energetic. The hook was easy to remember. And unlike some of the harder-edged rap dominating headlines during the period, “Whoomp!” was designed around having fun.

Glenn told the Los Angeles Times at the time that the duo believed listeners sometimes needed a break from darker subject matter and wanted to create a record centered around pure enjoyment. Los Angeles Times

That decision gave them a song that could work almost anywhere.

Clubs.

House parties.

Basketball games.

Football stadiums.

Weddings.

School dances.

More than three decades later, it still works.

Then Came the Difficult Part: Following a Monster Hit

Tag Team released an album also titled Whoomp! (There It Is), but nothing they released afterward came close to matching the success of their breakthrough single.

The duo recorded additional songs and variations on their signature hit, including “Addams Family (Whoomp!),” but the public remained overwhelmingly attached to the original. Feenotes

Tag Team became something common throughout popular music history: artists whose first enormous record became so big that nearly everything they did afterward lived in its shadow.

Eventually, mainstream attention moved toward newer artists and sounds.

But “Whoomp!” refused to disappear.

The Song Became Bigger Than the Era That Created It

While many early-'90s hits eventually became nostalgia records, “Whoomp! (There It Is)” developed a second life.

The song continued appearing in movies, television programs, advertisements and sporting events. Its simple call-and-response hook made it particularly valuable anywhere producers needed to create an instant party atmosphere.

A younger generation was introduced to Tag Team again in 2021 when Glenn and Gibson appeared in a popular GEICO commercial built around the phrase “Scoop! There it is!” The commercial placed the duo in a kitchen helping make ice cream while reworking their famous hook. Reel 360 News

Suddenly, people who weren't even alive in 1993 knew Tag Team.

So, Whatever Happened to Tag Team?

They're still here.

Unlike many groups associated with one major record, Glenn and Gibson have continued embracing the song that made them famous rather than running from it.

Tag Team remains active, performing for audiences looking to relive the energy of the 1990s. Their official site continues to promote live appearances and describes Glenn and Gibson as an active touring act. Tag Team: Whoomp There It Is

As recently as 2025, Glenn spoke about performing on the I Love the '90s Tour and explained that the enjoyment of performing the record hasn't disappeared. He also acknowledged how movies, commercials and sports arenas have continually introduced the song to new audiences. Audacy

That's an accomplishment in itself.

One Hit Can Change Everything

Tag Team's career is also a reminder that being called a “one-hit wonder” doesn't necessarily tell the entire story.

Yes, they never duplicated the commercial success of “Whoomp! (There It Is).”

But very few artists ever create one song that remains recognizable more than 30 years later.

Glenn and Gibson took a record major labels initially didn't believe in, invested their own money into pressing copies and watched it become a multimillion-selling cultural phenomenon.

The song outlived the musical trends surrounding it.

It outlived the era.

And it continues generating new opportunities for its creators decades later.

Steve Gibson once summed up their career perfectly when discussing the one-hit-wonder label: “There’s people who can’t even do the one hit.” 5280

He had a point.

Tag Team may forever be associated with one record—but when that one record can still make an entire arena shout “Whoomp! There it is!” more than three decades later, that's a legacy most artists would gladly accept.