Girls, Girls, Girls (Jay-Z song)

"Girls, Girls, Girls"
Single by Jay-Z
from the album The Blueprint
ReleasedOctober 2, 2001
RecordedApril 2001
Genre
Length4:35
Label
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)Just Blaze
Jay-Z singles chronology
"20 Bag Shorty"
(2001) 		"Girls, Girls, Girls"
(2001) 		"Honey"
(2002)

"Girls, Girls, Girls" is the second single from rapper Jay-Z's album The Blueprint (2001). The single was released on October 2, 2001. It is a playful description of the artist's promiscuous lifestyle. The song contains a sample of "There's Nothing In This World That Can Stop Me From Loving You" by Tom Brock, who died a year later. The chorus features a lyrical interpolation of "High Power Rap" by Crash Crew. The song has additional vocals sung by Q-Tip, Slick Rick and Biz Markie, but they are not credited as featured guests on the back artwork; they are, however, credited in the album's liner notes.

A remix of the song produced by Kanye West can be found as a hidden track on The Blueprint after the songs "Blueprint (Momma Loves Me)" and the other hidden song "Lyrical Exercise". The remix is composed of new verses by Jay-Z, a new instrumental sampling "Trying Girls Out" by The Persuaders and uncredited vocals from Michael Jackson and Chante Moore. Just Blaze originally produced the song for Ghostface Killah.[1]

Music video

The video (directed by Marc Klasfeld) was filmed in September 2001 in Los Angeles, California. Jay-Z stated in a 2011 interview that he was in Los Angeles preparing for the shoot when the September 11 terrorist attacks took place:

I flew to L.A. I was shooting a video for a song called 'Girls, Girls, Girls,'" he began. "I'd dropped my album The Blueprint on the same day. And I just remember waking up in LA and thinking everybody was playing, like 'That can't be,' then turning on the TV and it looked like something from one of those apocalyptic movies.

— Jay-Z, in a 2011 interview with Hiphopdx.com[2]

Actresses Carmen Electra, Tamala Jones, and Paula Jai Parker, all make cameo appearances in the song's music video. Damon Dash, Biz Markie, and Kanye West also make brief appearances in the video.

Jay-Z wore the Mitchell & Ness 1947 Washington Redskins jersey of Hall of Fame quarterback Sammy Baugh as well as a 1982 San Diego Padres jersey. This increased demand for the throwback jersey and renewed popular awareness of Baugh.[3]

Credits and personnel

The credits for "Girls, Girls, Girls" are adapted from the liner notes of The Blueprint.[4]

Studio locations
  • Mastered at Masterdisk, New York City, New York.
  • Mixed and recorded at Baseline Studios, New York City, New York.
Personnel
Samples
  • "Girls, Girls, Girls" contains samples of "There's Nothing in This World That Can Stop Me from Loving You", as performed by Tom Brock and written by Brock and Robert Relf.

Charts

Weekly charts

Chart (2001–2002) Peak
position
Australia (ARIA)[5] 63
Australian Urban (ARIA)[6] 15
US Billboard Hot 100[7] 17
US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (Billboard)[8] 4
US Hot Rap Songs (Billboard)[9] 9

Year-end charts

Chart (2001) Position
US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (Billboard)[10] 94
Chart (2002) Position
US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (Billboard)[11] 93

Certifications

Region Certification Certified units/sales
United States (RIAA)[12] Gold 500,000‡

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

See also

References

  1. ^ :50
  2. ^ NadeskaAlexis (2011-09-14). "Jay-Z Shares 9/11 Memories, Dropping "The Blueprint"". HipHopDX. Retrieved 2016-04-29.
  3. ^ Rovell, Darrenn (2003-02-06). "Old-school is new again". ESPN.com. Retrieved 2012-07-19.
  4. ^ The Blueprint (Liner notes). Jay-Z. Roc-A-Fella Records. 2001. 586 396-2.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  5. ^ Ryan, Gavin (2011). Australia's Music Charts 1988–2010 (PDF ed.). Mt Martha, Victoria, Australia: Moonlight Publishing. p. 143.
  6. ^ "Issue 633" ARIA Top 40 Urban Singles. National Library of Australia. Retrieved February 27, 2022.
  7. ^ "Jay-Z Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved May 11, 2020.
  8. ^ "Jay-Z Chart History (Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved May 11, 2020.
  9. ^ "Jay-Z Chart History (Hot Rap Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved May 11, 2020.
  10. ^ "Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs – Year-End 2001". Billboard. Retrieved May 11, 2020.
  11. ^ "Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs – Year-End 2002". Billboard. Retrieved May 11, 2020.
  12. ^ "American single certifications – Jay-Z – Girls, Girls, Girls". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved December 4, 2023.