Dirt off Your Shoulder

"Dirt Off Your Shoulder"
Single by Jay-Z
from the album The Black Album
Released	March 2, 2004
Format	12" Single
Recorded	2003 The Hit Factory Criteria (Miami, Florida)
Genre	Hip hop, East Coast hip hop
Length	4:00
Label	Roc-A-Fella, Def Jam
Writer(s)	S. Carter T. Mosley
Producer	Timbaland
Certification	Gold (RIAA)
Jay-Z singles chronology
"Encore" (2003) "Dirt off Your Shoulder" (2004) "99 Problems (2004)

"Dirt off Your Shoulder" is the second single released from Jay-Z's 2003 album The Black Album.

In 2004, the song was combined with the Linkin Park single "Lying from You" and released as a single for the mash-up album Collision Course.

The mash-up with Linkin Park or another new mash-up will be a featured track in the music video game DJ Hero, for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 2 and Wii video game consoles.

Political influence

On April 17, 2008, Democratic presidential hopeful Barack Obama referenced the song in gesture, in response to sharp attacks from his rival Hillary Clinton and a debate which was widely criticized for focusing on campaign gaffes rather than on candidates' policy positions.^[1][2] Referencing his opponents' "textbook Washington" tactics, focusing on personal attacks and trivial issues, Obama used Jay-Z's hand signal to "brush the dirt" off his shoulders.^[3] When asked whether Obama was deliberately referencing the song, a campaign spokesman said, "He has some Jay-Z on his iPod."^[4]

Music video

The music video features Jay-Z entering a recording studio or radio station. He begins to sing and people listening brush their shoulder off in reference to the song. Later he is singing in the back of a car. The scene then goes to cars stuck in the middle of an intersection. People get out of their cars and guys start to hit on the girls to which the girls brush their shoulders off. It then goes back to Jay-Z in the car, he snaps his fingers and the lights go out in the city. Everyone is shown dancing in infrared. Beyonce Knowles appears in the video. Jay-Z then gets back into his car and tips his hat.

Track listings

A-Side

1. Dirt Off Your Shoulder (Radio Edit)
2. Dirt Off Your Shoulder (LP)
3. Dirt Off Your Shoulder (Instrumental)

B-Side

1. Encore (Radio Edit)
2. Encore (LP)
3. Encore (Instrumental)

99 Problems/Dirt Off Your Shoulder, Pt. 1

1. 99 Problems (Explicit)
2. Dirt Off Your Shoulder (Explicit)

99 Problems/Dirt Off Your Shoulder, Pt. 2

1. 99 Problems (Explicit)
2. Dirt Off Your Shoulder (Explicit)
3. 99 Problems (Video)
4. Dirt Off Your Shoulder (Video)

99 Problems/Dirt Off Your Shoulder, Vinyl

A-Side

1. 99 Problems (Explicit)
2. 99 Problems (Clean)

B-Side

1. Dirt Off Your Shoulder (Explicit)
2. Dirt Off Your Shoulder (Clean)

Charts

In the U.S. the song peaked at number 5 on the Billboard Hot 100 making it at the time Jay-Z's fourth highest peak on the chart (tied with Swagga Like Us) until his number 1 hit single Empire State of Mind.

Chart (2004)	Peak position
U.S. Billboard Hot 100	5
U.S. Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs	3
U.S. Billboard Hot Rap Tracks	2
UK Singles Chart	12
Irish Singles Chart	23
Canadian Singles Chart	6

See also

• List of Jay-Z songs

References

1. ^ Kurtz, Howard (2008-04-18). "Performance By ABC's Moderators Is a Matter Of Debate". Washington Post. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/04/17/AR2008041704303.html?hpid=topnews. Retrieved 2008-04-18. 
2. ^ Whitcomb, Dan (2008-04-18). "ABC criticized for handling of Democratic debate". Reuters. http://www.reuters.com/article/newsOne/idUSN1740256020080418?pageNumber=3&virtualBrandChannel=0&sp=true. Retrieved 2008-04-19. ^{[dead link]}
3. ^ Melber, Ari (2008-04-17). "Obama Meets Jay-Z in YouTube Mashup Slamming Clinton & Debate". The Nation. http://www.thenation.com/blogs/campaignmatters?bid=45&pid=312336. Retrieved 2008-04-18. 
4. ^ Wiltz, Teresa (2008-04-19). "Obama Has Jay-Z on His IPod and The Moves To Prove It". The Washington Post. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/04/18/AR2008041803282.html?hpid=topnews. Retrieved 2008-04-19. 

External links

• "Dirt off your Shoulder" music video on YouTube
• "Obama gets that dirt off his shoulder" speech excerpt on YouTube