- 99 Problems
Infobox Single
Name = 99 Problems
Artist =Jay-Z
from Album = The Black Album
Released =April 13 2004
Format =12" single
Recorded =2003 atThe Mansion Laurel Canyon, Los Angeles, California , USA
Akademie Mathematique of Philisophical Sound ResearchLos Angeles, California , USA
Genre = Hip hopRapcore
Length = 3:54
Label =Roc-A-Fella /Def Jam
Writer = Jay-ZNorman Landsberg Felix Pappalardi Billy Squier John Ventura Leslie Weinstein
Producer =Rick Rubin
Reviews =
Last single = "Dirt off Your Shoulder "
(2003)
This single = "99 Problems"
(2003)
Next single = "Numb / Encore "
(2004)"99 Problems" is the third single released by American rapperJay-Z in 2003 from the "The Black Album". It reached number thirty on the U.SBillboard Hot 100 singles chart. The track was produced byRick Rubin , his firsthip hop production in many years. Rubin provided Jay-Z with the type of stripped-down beat that was once his trademark. The song features samples of "The Big Beat" byBilly Squier , "Long Red" by Mountain, "99 Problems" byIce-T and "Touched" byUGK . Although it remains uncredited, "99 Problems" also contains samples of "Get Me Back on Time, Engine No. 9" byWilson Pickett .The title and chorus are taken from
Ice-T 's "99 Problems" from his1993 album "Home Invasion ". The song featured Brother Marquis of2 Live Crew .Trick Daddy released a track on his2001 album "Thugs Are Us " titled "99 Problems", which also contains the lyrics "I got 99 problems, but a bitch ain't one."On
July 6 2008 , the song entered theUK Singles Chart at #35 due to Jay-Z's appearance at Glastonbury and theO2 Wireless Festival .Music video
The
music video premiered in April2004 and was directed byMark Romanek . It received praises from critics such asArmond White [ [http://tw.youtube.com/watch?v=4qp_Hv1-Nog&feature=related YouTube - (Part 14) Armond White on Jay-Z "99 Problems" - Mark Romanek ] ] , and was nominated for four MVPA awards in 2005, of which it won three. It also won theMTV Video Music Awards for Best Rap Video, Best Director, Best Editing [Editor: Robert Duffy,Spot Welders ] and Best Cinematography, as well as gaining nominations for Video of the Year and Best Male Video. It was criticized, however, by theHumane Society of the United States for what the organization alleged was glorification ofdogfighting .The video is shot entirely in
black-and-white . It consists mainly of scenes filmed inBrooklyn ,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 theMarcy Houses housing project where he grew up.
*Breakdancer s and a group doing a rhythmchoreography .
*Jay-Z performing in a small club.
*Jay-Z on theBrooklyn Bridge .
*Inmates of aprison in theBronx .
*Rubin walking withVincent Gallo .
*Afuneral director making preparations.
*Arabbi praying.
*AnAfrican-American motorcycle club .
*Jay-Z being shot with multiple bullets by unseen assailants. This final scene was very controversial asmusic video networks normally remove any scenes with violent content. OnMTV , 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 featuredJay-Z explaining why he felt the scene was important to the video. Jay-Z also made a special introduction forBET . 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. [ [http://www.markromanek.com/press/nytimesd.html Mark Romanek.com on "99 Problems"] ]Track listings
99 Problems/My 1st Song
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/Dirt Off Your Shoulder, Pt. 1
# 99 Problems (Explicit)
# Dirt Off Your Shoulder (Explicit)99 Problems/Dirt Off Your Shoulder, Pt. 2
# 99 Problems (Explicit)
# Dirt Off Your Shoulder (Explicit)
# 99 Problems (Video)
# Dirt Off Your Shoulder (Video)99 Problems/Dirt Off Your Shoulder, Vinyl
A-Side
# 99 Problems (Explicit)
# 99 Problems (Clean) B-Side
# Dirt Off Your Shoulder (Explicit)
# Dirt Off Your Shoulder (Clean)Remixes
* Rapper
T.I. used the song's beat to diss fellow southern rapperLil' Flip . The diss track was called "99 Problemz (Lil' Flip Ain't One)".
* Hardcore techno artistsPaco Rincon vs. The Guardian &Supreme Entity created a song called "99 Problems", which relies heavily on the vocals, but has an entirely different instrumental accompaniment. [http://www.discogs.com/release/976438]
* RapperSkillz used the instrumental of this song to dissShaquille O'Neal . The song was called "99 Free Throws."Mash-ups
*
Phish performed the song on 06/18/2004 with Jay-Z during their concert at Brooklyn'sKeySpan Park .
*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.
* Another mashup is the one found onDanger Mouse 's "The Grey Album " whose beat is composed of samples from "Helter Skelter" byThe Beatles .
* One of the more interesting mashups is from The Argyle Album by 100dBs, where the melody is carried by a synthesizer over a Modest Mouse sample.
* There is a mashup of "99 Problems" and "99 Red Balloons (Luftballons)" byNena called "99 Luftproblems".
* There is a mashup done by Tapemasters Inc. & DJ Chachi named "99 Hills" which features this song lyrics and the beat and chorus from "Beverly Hills" byWeezer .
* The song was mashed with theRed Hot Chilli Peppers 's song Give It Away on DJ Vlad andRoc Raida 'sRock Phenomenon album.
* A rare mashup by TimG ( [http://www.timgmusic.co.uk timgmusic.co.uk] ) featuringJimi Hendrix 's "Voodoo Child (Slight Return) " also exists. This track was commissioned to be used on a car advert for the new Dodge Charger, but due to a copyright dispute, was never shown.
* A mashup of this song andBon Jovi 's "Wanted Dead or Alive" is available.
* A Remix Version by Pete Rock also appears on The DJ Jazzy Jeff Live from No where mix cd
* There is a mashup called "99 On a High", featuring "99 Problems" and "I'm On a High" by Millionaire, done by Skyve Reuter. [ [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dyTfeWjUDe8&feature=related YouTube - Jay-Z vs Millionaire "99 On A High" (Skyve Reuter mash-up) ] ]
* When Jay-Z himself performs the song live with hisbacking band , they often integrate the main riff of theAC/DC song, Back in Black.
*Silverchair mashed-up the Chrous with their own song "The Man That Knew Too Much" Live.ee also
*
List of Jay-Z songs References
External links
* [http://www.mvdbase.com/video.php?id=31571 Entry] on [http://www.mvdbase.com/ mvdbase.com]
* [http://www.markromanek.com/video/22.html Page on Mark Romanek's official site] . Includes screenshot gallery, treatment, credits and production stills.
*youtube|WwoM5fLITfk|Music video for "99 Problems"
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.