Tripping Out

Released from Curtis Mayfield’s 1980 album Something to Believe In, “Tripping Out” was recorded at Curtom Studios in Chicago, Illinois, with Curtis Mayfield and Gil Askey handling production on the original release. The record features Mayfield on vocals and guitar, with Billy Sigler credited as the songwriter. On release, the track was singled out as one of the album’s strongest cuts, with contemporary coverage describing it as a standout example of Mayfield’s orchestrated R&B approach. It also reached the Billboard Black Contemporary chart, confirming it as a noticeable radio record in Mayfield’s early-1980s catalog. The song has remained a touchstone in Mayfield’s later reputation and has continued to circulate through sampling culture, including Camp Lo’s use of it on “Black Nostaljack AKA Come On.” Retrospectives still cite it as a definitive early-1980s Curtis Mayfield track.