Don't Let Me Die

"Don't Let Me Die"
Single by Jay-Z and R. Kelly
from the album Unfinished Business
ReleasedOctober 26, 2004
StudioThe Chocolate Factory and Rock Land Studios
(Chicago)
Baseline Recording Studios
(New York City)
Genre
Length4:51
Label
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
Jay-Z singles chronology
"Big Chips"
(2004) 		"Don't Let Me Die"
(2004) 		"Numb/Encore"
(2004)
R. Kelly singles chronology
"Big Chips"
(2004) 		"Don't Let Me Die"
(2004) 		"In the Kitchen"
(2005)

"Don't Let Me Die" is a song by American rapper Jay-Z and American singer R. Kelly. It is the second single from their collaboration album Unfinished Business (2004). The song was produced by Tone of the Trackmasters and Kelly, with co-production from Alexander "Spanador" Mosley.

Critical reception

Tom Breihan of Pitchfork wrote that the song's gospel choir, which he described as "bazonkers", was one of the better aspects of the Trackmasters' "clean" sound throughout Unfinished Business.[1] Nathan Rabin of The A.V. Club wrote the song "amplifies the disc's abundant cheese to operatic levels, complete with a choir and an unhinged Kelly vocal".[2]

In the 2013 film G.I. Joe: Retaliation, Roadblock invokes Jay-Z's lyrics from the song: "Whatever deity guides my life / Dear Lord, don't let me die tonight".[3]

Charts

Chart (2004) Peak
position
U.S. Bubbling Under Hot 100[4] 24
U.S. Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs[5] 58
U.S. Billboard Rhythmic Top 40[6] 34

Release history

Region Date Format(s) Label(s) Ref.
United States October 4, 2004 (2004-10-04) Rhythmic contemporary · urban contemporary radio Jive, Roc-A-Fella, IDJMG [7]

References

  1. ^ Breihan, Tom (October 27, 2004). "JAY-Z / R. Kelly: Unfinished Business Album Review". Pitchfork.
  2. ^ Rabin, Nathan (November 1, 2004). "R. Kelly & Jay-Z: Unfinished Business". The A.V. Club.
  3. ^ Jagernauth, Kevin (February 1, 2012). "The Rock Quotes Jay-Z In Horrible/Awesome Super Bowl Teaser For 'G.I. Joe 2: Retaliation'". IndieWire.
  4. ^ "Jay-Z Chart History (Bubbling Under Hot 100)". Billboard.
  5. ^ "R Kelly Chart History (Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs)". Billboard.
  6. ^ "Jay-Z Chart History (Rhythmic Top 40)". Billboard.
  7. ^ "Going for Adds" (PDF). Radio & Records. No. 1575. October 1, 2004. p. 21. Retrieved July 6, 2022.