Ain't No Nigga
| "Ain't No Nigga" | |||||||||||||||||||
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| Single by Jay-Z featuring Foxy Brown | |||||||||||||||||||
| from the album Reasonable Doubt and The Nutty Professor | |||||||||||||||||||
| Released | March 26, 1996 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Format | 12-inch single, Vinyl | ||||||||||||||||||
| Recorded | 1995 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Genre | East Coast hip hop | ||||||||||||||||||
| Length | 4:03 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Label | Roc-A-Fella | ||||||||||||||||||
| Writer(s) |
Shawn Carter Inga Marchand Jonathan Burks Dennis Lambert Brian Potter Tyrone Thomas August Moon | ||||||||||||||||||
| Producer(s) | Big Jaz | ||||||||||||||||||
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"Ain't No Nigga" is the second single from the rapper Jay-Z's first album, Reasonable Doubt, and is featured on the soundtrack to the 1996 Eddie Murphy movie, The Nutty Professor. It features a long verse of rapping from a then 18-year-old Foxy Brown.
Background
The song's beat is produced by Big Jaz who samples "Seven Minutes of Funk" by the funk band The Whole Darn Family. The song's chorus interpolates "Ain't No Woman (Like the One I've Got)" by The Four Tops. The "Ain't No Nigga" single goes under the clean alias "Ain't No Playa". The music video of the song starts with a scene similar to a scene of the film Scarface. It is the second time the album references the film, the first with the start of "Can't Knock the Hustle". The video also features a cameo appearance from close friend and fellow Brooklyn rapper The Notorious B.I.G.
Citing the funky production and lyrics about unfaithful relationships, Spence D. of IGN.com describes it as "one of the better opposite sex rap duets ever laid on wax."[1]
"Ain't No Nigga" is cited as playing a significant role in securing Jay-Z's record deal[2] with Def Jam. According to Sony BMG A&R Nick Raphael, "Will Socolof of Freeze Records sent me a CD and a video and said to me, “This guy is incredible, but he needs a bigger label to take over. Are you interested?” The record he sent to me was “Ain’t No Nigga” and I went crazy, thinking that I had to sign him!"[2]
Single track list
Vinyl
A-Side
- "Ain't No Playa (Rae & Christian Mix)"
- "Ain't No Playa (Original Mix)"
B-Side
- "Ain't No Playa (Fresh to Def Mix)"
- "Ain't No Playa (New York Street Mix)"
Vinyl (remixes)
A-Side
- "Ain't No Nigga (Ganja Kru Mix)"
B-Side
- "Can't Knock the Hustle (Desired State Remix)"
References
- ↑ Spence D. . "Reasonable Doubt Review". IGN.com. November 10, 2003. Retrieved June 25, 2007.
- 1 2 "Interview With Nick Raphael", HitQuarters, 25 May 2005.
