Why Young MC’s ‘Bust a Move’ Was Nothing but Bad News for Flea

Flea has always been known for his off-the-wall fashion sense, but he recently revealed that one of his signature items of clothing met a tragic fate when he moved into a new house.

The Red Hot Chili Peppers bassist played on Young MC's 1989 song "Bust a Move" and appeared in the music video, where he wore a pair of baggy pants made of stuffed animals. The hip-hop classic became a No. 1 hit in Australia and reached No. 7 on the Billboard Hot 100, but Flea did not get to enjoy the spoils of success.

When asked on Twitter what happened to the gloriously bizarre trousers, Flea responded, "They were stolen from the trunk of my car along with my badass leather jacket. I had just moved into a nice house for the first time in my life and got robbed on the first night."

Watch Young MC's 'Bust a Move' Video

The bassist also revealed years ago that he received little financial compensation for his contributions to the song. "I have a bitter taste in my mouth about that, though, because I feel as though I got ripped off," he told Bass Player magazine in 1996. "The bass line I wrote ended up being a major melody of the tune, and I felt I deserved songwriting credit and money because it was a No. 1 hit. They sold millions of records, and I got $200!

"Afterwards, my lawyer told them, 'You should throw down Flea some cash,' but the record company said, 'We told him exactly what to play,'" he added. "No one was even in the room at the time but me and the engineer! It was ridiculous, but I learned from it."

Needless to say, Flea ended up on firm financial footing despite the alleged snub from Young MC. Red Hot Chili Peppers are currently in the midst of a global stadium tour in support of their most recent albums, 2022's Unlimited Love and Return of the Dream Canteen.