Sources
Help build the largest human-edited directory on the web.
Submit a site - Become an editor
Wikipedia. Licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License.
Are you an expert in this subject? Join the discussion and share your knowledge at Wikipedia.org.
99 Problems
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| "99 Problems" | ||
|---|---|---|
 |
||
| Single by Jay-Z | ||
| from the album The Black Album | ||
| Released | June 11, 2004 | |
| Format | 12" single | |
| Genre | Hip hop | |
| Length | 3:54 | |
| Label | Roc-A-Fella/Def Jam | |
| Writer(s) | Jay-Z Norman Landsberg Felix Pappalardi Billy Squier John Ventura Leslie Weinstein |
|
| Producer(s) | Rick Rubin | |
| Chart positions | ||
|
||
| Jay-Z singles chronology | ||
| "Dirt off Your Shoulder" (2003) |
"99 Problems" (2003) |
"Numb / Encore" (2004) |
"99 Problems" is a single released by American rapper Jay-Z in 2003 from the The Black Album. It reached number thirty on the U.S Billboard Hot 100 singles chart. The track was produced by Rick Rubin, his first hip hop production in many years. Rubin provided Jay-Z with the type of stripped-down beat that was once his trademark. The song features a sample of "The Big Beat" by Billy Squier.
The title and chorus are taken from Ice-T's "99 Problems" from his 1993 album Home Invasion. The song featured Brother Marquis of 2 Live Crew.
Trick Daddy released a track on his 2001 album Thugs Are Us titled "99 Problems", which also contains the lyrics "I got 99 problems, but a bitch ain't one."
Contents |
The music video premiered in April 2004 and was directed by Mark Romanek. It has been critically acclaimed, and was nominated for four MVPA awards in 2005, of which it won three. It also won the MTV Video Music Awards for Best Rap Video, Best Director, Best Editing and Best Cinematography, as well as gaining nominations for Video of the Year and Best Male Video
The video is shot entirely in black-and-white. It consists mainly of scenes filmed in Brooklyn, New York showing life in the city in an elegant and celebratory fashion. The scenes include:
- Jay-Z and Rubin in a car being stopped by the police (lyrical reenactment).
- Jay-Z in the Marcy Houses housing project where he grew up.
- Breakdancers and a group doing a rhythm choreography.
- Jay-Z performing in a small club.
- Inmates of a prison in the Bronx.
- Rubin walking with Vincent Gallo.
- A funeral director making preparations.
- A rabbi praying.
- An African-American motorcycle club.
- Jay-Z being shot with multiple bullets by unseen assailants. This final scene was very controversial as music video networks normally remove any scenes with violent content. On MTV, every airing of the video featured an introduction by John Norris explaining why the network felt it was proper to air the video unedited. The introduction also featured Jay-Z explaining why he felt the scene was important to the video. Jay-Z also made a special introduction for BET. Jay-Z explained that him getting gunned down at the end of the video means, basically, that it was the "death" of Jay-Z, and the "rebirth" of Shawn Carter.[1]
A-Side
- 99 Problems (Clean)
- 99 Problems (Main)
- 99 Problems (Instrumental)
B-Side
- My 1st Song (Clean)
- My 1st Song (Main)
- My 1st Song (Instrumental)
- 99 Problems (Explicit)
- Dirt Off Your Shoulder (Explicit)
- 99 Problems (Explicit)
- Dirt Off Your Shoulder (Explicit)
- 99 Problems (Video)
- Dirt Off Your Shoulder (Video)
A-Side
- 99 Problems (Explicit)
- 99 Problems (Clean)
B-Side
- Dirt Off Your Shoulder (Explicit)
- Dirt Off Your Shoulder (Clean)
- Another major remix is the one found on Danger Mouse's The Grey Album whose beat is composed of samples from "Helter Skelter" by The Beatles.
- Rapper T.I. used the song's beat to diss fellow southern rapper Lil' Flip. The diss track was called "99 Problemz (Lil' Flip Ain't One)
- There is a mashup of 99 Problems and 99 Red Balloons (Luftballons) by Nena called 99 Luftproblems.
- A rare remix featuring Jimi Hendrix's Voodoo Child (Slight Return) also exists
Linkin Park did a mashup with Jay-Z that put this song together with their songs "One Step Closer" and "Points of Authority" on the Collision Course album.
- Entry on mvdbase.com
- Page on Mark Romanek's official site. Includes screenshot gallery, treatment, credits and production stills.
- Screenshots gallery
| Shawn "Jay-Z" Carter |
|---|
| Discography |
| Albums: Reasonable Doubt • In My Lifetime • Hard Knock Life • Life and Times of S. Carter • Roc La Familia • The Blueprint • Unplugged • The Best of Both Worlds • The Gift & the Curse • The Blueprint 2.1 • The Black Album • Unfinished Business • Collision Course • Kingdom Come |
| Related articles |
| Roc-A-Fella • Def Jam • The 40/40 Club • NJ Nets • Fade to Black • Streets Is Watching • Nas vs. Jay-Z feud • Nas • The Notorious B.I.G. • Damon Dash • Jaz-O • Memphis Bleek • Beyoncé |