99 Problems
Encyclopedia
"99 Problems" is the third single
released by American rapper Jay-Z
in 2004 from The Black Album
. Throughout the song Jay-Z tells a story about dealing with a racist cop who wants to illegally search his car, dealing with rap critics, and dealing with an aggressor. While the song's meaning is widely debated, the chorus "If you're having girl problems, I feel bad for you son, I've got 99 problems but a bitch
ain't one" was defined in Jay-Z's book entitled "decoded." Jay-Z wrote that in 1994 he was pulled over by police while carrying cocaine in a secret compartment in his sun roof. Jay-Z refused to let the police search the car and the police called for the drug sniffing dogs. However the dogs never showed and the police had to let Jay-Z go. Moments after he drove away he writes that he saw the police car with the dogs drive by.
It reached number 30 on the U.S
Billboard Hot 100
singles chart. The track was produced by Rick Rubin
, his first hip hop production
in many years. Rubin provided Jay-Z with a guitar riff and stripped-down beat that were once his trademarks. In creating the track Rubin used some classic 80s sample staples such as "The Big Beat" by Billy Squier
, "Long Red" by Mountain
, and "Get Me Back On Time" by Wilson Pickett
. These songs were long coveted by early hip hop producers, in particular the drum beat from Big Beat, used most famously by Run–D.M.C. on Here We Go in 1985 and by British rapper Dizzee Rascal
a year prior to Jay-Z on his break-through hit Fix Up, Look Sharp
. It also featured on the popular Ultimate Breaks and Beats
series.
The title and chorus
are taken from Ice-T
's "99 Problems" from his 1993 album Home Invasion. The song featured Brother Marquis of 2 Live Crew
. The original song was more profane and describes a wide range of sexual conquests. Portions of Ice-T's original lyrics were similarly quoted in a song by fellow rapper Trick Daddy
on a track also titled "99 Problems" from his 2001 album Thugs Are Us
. Jay-Z begins his third verse directly quoting lines from Bun B
's opening verse off Touched, from the UGK album Ridin' Dirty
On July 6, 2008, more than four years after the song's initial release, "99 Problems" entered at #35 (after reaching #12 on initial release) in the United Kingdom
. This was attributed to Jay-Z's appearance at Glastonbury
and the O2 Wireless Festival, two popular British summer music festivals.
On January 21, 2009, Jay-Z performed the song as part of his set at the Staff Ball, the last official event of Barack Obama's inauguration. The ball was exclusively for 4,000 staffers who had worked on Obama's campaign. Jay-Z tweaked the lyrics to suit the historic atmosphere, and the crowd sang along: "I Got 99 problems but a Bush ain't one", replacing "bitch" with the name of the former President
.
The song was listed at #14 on Pitchfork Media
's top 500 songs of the 2000s.
The song came in at #2 on Rolling Stone
s top 100 songs of the '00s. On the updated list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time
, the song was added and came in at #172.
The song won Best Rap Solo Performance
at the 47th Grammy Awards.
In October 2011, NME
placed it at number 24 on its list "150 Best Tracks of the Past 15 Years".
premiered in April 2004 and was directed by Mark Romanek
. It received praises from critics such as Armond White
, and was nominated for four MVPA
awards in 2005, of which it won three. It also won the MTV Video Music Awards
for Best Rap Video
, Best Director
, Best Editing
and Best Cinematography
, as well as gaining nominations for Video of the Year and Best Male Video
. It was criticized, however, by the Humane Society of the United States
for what the organization alleged was glorification of dog fighting
.
The video is shot entirely in black-and-white
. It consists mainly of scenes filmed in Brooklyn
, New York
showing life in the city in an elegant and celebratory fashion. The scenes include:
B-Side
B-Side
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
released by American rapper Jay-Z
Jay-Z
Shawn Corey Carter , better known by his stage name Jay-Z, is an American rapper, record producer, entrepreneur, and occasional actor. He is one of the most financially successful hip hop artists and entrepreneurs in America, having a net worth of over $450 million as of 2010...
in 2004 from The Black Album
The Black Album (Jay-Z album)
The Black Album is the eighth studio album by American rapper Jay-Z, released November 14, 2003, on Roc-A-Fella Records. It was promoted as his final studio album, which serves as a recurring theme, although Jay-Z returned to solo recording with Kingdom Come in 2006.The album debuted at number one...
. Throughout the song Jay-Z tells a story about dealing with a racist cop who wants to illegally search his car, dealing with rap critics, and dealing with an aggressor. While the song's meaning is widely debated, the chorus "If you're having girl problems, I feel bad for you son, I've got 99 problems but a bitch
Bitch (disambiguation)
Bitch can refer to:*A female dog*Bitch , a pejorative term, usually considered profane*In slang, a complaint*Bitch *"Bitch" , by Roald Dahl...
ain't one" was defined in Jay-Z's book entitled "decoded." Jay-Z wrote that in 1994 he was pulled over by police while carrying cocaine in a secret compartment in his sun roof. Jay-Z refused to let the police search the car and the police called for the drug sniffing dogs. However the dogs never showed and the police had to let Jay-Z go. Moments after he drove away he writes that he saw the police car with the dogs drive by.
It reached number 30 on the U.S
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
singles chart. The track was produced by Rick Rubin
Rick Rubin
Frederick Jay "Rick" Rubin is an American record producer and the co-president of Columbia Records. Along with Russell Simmons, Rubin was the co-founder of Def Jam Records and also established American Recordings...
, his first hip hop production
Hip hop production
Hip hop production is the creation of hip hop music. Though the term encompasses all aspects of hip hop music, it's most commonly used to refer to the instrumental, non-lyrical aspects of hip hop. This means that hip hop producers are the instrumentalists involved in a work...
in many years. Rubin provided Jay-Z with a guitar riff and stripped-down beat that were once his trademarks. In creating the track Rubin used some classic 80s sample staples such as "The Big Beat" by Billy Squier
Billy Squier
William Haislip "Billy" Squier is an American rock musician. Squier had a string of arena rock hits in the 1980s. He is best known for the song "The Stroke" on his 1981 album release Don't Say No...
, "Long Red" by Mountain
Mountain (band)
Mountain is an American hard rock band that formed in Long Island, New York in 1969. Originally comprising vocalist and guitarist Leslie West, bassist Felix Pappalardi and drummer N. D. Smart, the band broke up in 1972 before reuniting in 1974 and remaining active until today...
, and "Get Me Back On Time" by Wilson Pickett
Wilson Pickett
Wilson Pickett was an American R&B/Soul singer and songwriter.A major figure in the development of American soul music, Pickett recorded over 50 songs which made the US R&B charts, and frequently crossed over to the US Billboard Hot 100...
. These songs were long coveted by early hip hop producers, in particular the drum beat from Big Beat, used most famously by Run–D.M.C. on Here We Go in 1985 and by British rapper Dizzee Rascal
Dizzee Rascal
Dylan Kwabena Mills , better known by his stage name Dizzee Rascal, is a Ghanaian British rapper, songwriter and record producer. His music is a blend of garage, hip hop, grime, ragga, pop and electronic music, with eclectic samples and more exotic styles...
a year prior to Jay-Z on his break-through hit Fix Up, Look Sharp
Fix Up, Look Sharp
"Fix Up, Look Sharp" is the second single by British rapper Dizzee Rascal and second from his debut album Boy in da Corner. The single became his second top forty hit and his first to peak inside the top twenty. "Fix Up, Look Sharp" peaked at number seventeen and spent three weeks inside the top...
. It also featured on the popular Ultimate Breaks and Beats
Ultimate Breaks and Beats
Ultimate Breaks and Beats was a series of 25 compilation albums released from 1986 to 1991 by Street Beat Records...
series.
The title and chorus
Refrain
A refrain is the line or lines that are repeated in music or in verse; the "chorus" of a song...
are taken from Ice-T
ICE-T
* Ice-T, an American rapper and actor* ICE T , a tilting model of the German InterCityExpress series of high-speed trains...
's "99 Problems" from his 1993 album Home Invasion. The song featured Brother Marquis of 2 Live Crew
2 Live Crew
2 Live Crew was a hip hop group from Miami, Florida. They caused considerable controversy with the sexual themes in their work, particularly on their 1989 album As Nasty As They Wanna Be.- Early career :...
. The original song was more profane and describes a wide range of sexual conquests. Portions of Ice-T's original lyrics were similarly quoted in a song by fellow rapper Trick Daddy
Trick Daddy
Maurice Young , better known by his stage name Trick Daddy, is a certified platinum American rapper and producer from Miami, Florida.-Music career:...
on a track also titled "99 Problems" from his 2001 album Thugs Are Us
Thugs Are Us
Thugs Are Us is the fourth studio album by rapper Trick Daddy, released March 20, 2001, on Slip-n-Slide Records. The album debuted at #4 on the Billboard 200 with 116,000 copies sold in the first week released. The single "I'm a Thug" peaked at #17 on the Hot 100, making it the rapper's second...
. Jay-Z begins his third verse directly quoting lines from Bun B
Bun B
Bernard Freeman better known by his stage name Bun B, is an American rapper and was one half of the southern hip hop duo UGK . He is also a guest lecturer at Rice University located in Houston, Texas...
's opening verse off Touched, from the UGK album Ridin' Dirty
Ridin' Dirty
Ridin' Dirty is the third album by UGK. Despite no music videos or official singles being released, it is their best selling album with 847,454 copies sold as of 2011.-Track listing:-Chart positions:...
On July 6, 2008, more than four years after the song's initial release, "99 Problems" entered at #35 (after reaching #12 on initial release) in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. This was attributed to Jay-Z's appearance at Glastonbury
Glastonbury Festival
The Glastonbury Festival of Contemporary Performing Arts, commonly abbreviated to Glastonbury or even Glasto, is a performing arts festival that takes place near Pilton, Somerset, England, best known for its contemporary music, but also for dance, comedy, theatre, circus, cabaret and other arts.The...
and the O2 Wireless Festival, two popular British summer music festivals.
On January 21, 2009, Jay-Z performed the song as part of his set at the Staff Ball, the last official event of Barack Obama's inauguration. The ball was exclusively for 4,000 staffers who had worked on Obama's campaign. Jay-Z tweaked the lyrics to suit the historic atmosphere, and the crowd sang along: "I Got 99 problems but a Bush ain't one", replacing "bitch" with the name of the former President
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
.
The song was listed at #14 on Pitchfork Media
Pitchfork Media
Pitchfork Media, usually known simply as Pitchfork or P4k, is a Chicago-based daily Internet publication established in 1995 that is devoted to music criticism and commentary, music news, and artist interviews. Its focus is on underground and independent music, especially indie rock...
's top 500 songs of the 2000s.
The song came in at #2 on Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
s top 100 songs of the '00s. On the updated list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time
The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time
"The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time" was the cover story of a special issue of Rolling Stone, issue number 963, published December 9, 2004, a year after the magazine published its list of "The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time"....
, the song was added and came in at #172.
The song won Best Rap Solo Performance
Grammy Award for Best Rap Solo Performance
The Grammy Award for Best Rap Solo Performance was awarded from 1991 to 2011, alongside the Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group. Previously a single award was presented for Best Rap Performance....
at the 47th Grammy Awards.
In October 2011, NME
NME
The New Musical Express is a popular music publication in the United Kingdom, published weekly since March 1952. It started as a music newspaper, and gradually moved toward a magazine format during the 1980s, changing from newsprint in 1998. It was the first British paper to include a singles...
placed it at number 24 on its list "150 Best Tracks of the Past 15 Years".
Music video
The music videoMusic video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
premiered in April 2004 and was directed by Mark Romanek
Mark Romanek
Mark Romanek is an American filmmaker, whose directing work includes feature films, music videos and commercials.He wrote and directed the critically acclaimed 2002 film One Hour Photo starring Robin Williams...
. It received praises from critics such as Armond White
Armond White
Armond White is a New York-based film and music critic known for his provocative and idiosyncratic film criticism, which some have characterized as contrarian. He is currently the editor of City Arts, for which he also writes articles and reviews...
, and was nominated for four MVPA
Music Video Production Association
The Music Video Production Association is a music industry trade organization, based in Los Angeles, that is made up of producers, directors, and other professionals involved in the creation of music videos....
awards in 2005, of which it won three. It also won the MTV Video Music Awards
MTV Video Music Awards
An MTV Video Music Award , is an award presented by the cable channel MTV to honor the best in music videos...
for Best Rap Video
MTV Video Music Award for Best Rap Video
The MTV Video Music Award for Best Rap Video was first given out in 1989, and it was one the four original genre categories added at the 1989 MTV Video Music Awards. This award was last given out in 2006, as MTV did not bring it back in 2008 like it did with other genre awards...
, Best Director
MTV Video Music Award for Best Direction
The following is a list of MTV Video Music Awards winners for Best Direction in a Video. In 2007, the award was briefly renamed Best Director, but it returned to its original name for the 2008 awards....
, Best Editing
MTV Video Music Award for Best Editing
The following is a list of MTV Video Music Awards winners for Best Editing in a Video. Five artists are tied for the record of biggest winner in this category, each having won the award twice: Peter Gabriel, R.E.M., Madonna, The White Stripes, and Gnarls Barkley. The latter two, in fact, won...
and Best Cinematography
MTV Video Music Award for Best Cinematography
The following is a list of MTV Video Music Award winners for Best Cinematography in a Video. Madonna is the biggest Winner in this category with 3 wins....
, as well as gaining nominations for Video of the Year and Best Male Video
MTV Video Music Award for Best Male Video
The MTV Video Music Award for Best Male Video is one of the four original general awards that have been handed out every year since the very first MTV Video Music Awards in 1984. In 2007, though, the award was briefly renamed Male Artist of the Year, and it awarded the artist's whole body of work...
. It was criticized, however, by the Humane Society of the United States
Humane Society of the United States
The Humane Society of the United States , based in Washington, D.C., is the largest animal advocacy organization in the world. In 2009, HSUS reported assets of over US$160 million....
for what the organization alleged was glorification of dog fighting
Dog fighting
Dog fighting is a form of blood sport in which game dogs are made to fight, sometimes to the death. It is illegal in most developed countries. Dog fighting is used for entertainment and may also generate revenue from stud fees, admission fees and gambling....
.
The video is shot entirely in black-and-white
Black-and-white
Black-and-white, often abbreviated B/W or B&W, is a term referring to a number of monochrome forms in visual arts.Black-and-white as a description is also something of a misnomer, for in addition to black and white, most of these media included varying shades of gray...
. It consists mainly of scenes filmed in Brooklyn
Brooklyn
Brooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
showing life in the city in an elegant and celebratory fashion. The scenes include:
- Jay-Z and Rubin in a Lexus GS300 being stopped by the police (lyrical reenactment).
- Jay-Z in the Marcy HousesMarcy HousesMarcy Houses, or Marcy Projects, is a public housing complex built and operated by the New York City Housing Authority and located in the Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood of Brooklyn in New York City, at . The complex was named after William L. Marcy , a lawyer, soldier, and statesman...
housing project where he grew up. - Breakdancers and a group doing a rhythm choreographyChoreographyChoreography is the art of designing sequences of movements in which motion, form, or both are specified. Choreography may also refer to the design itself, which is sometimes expressed by means of dance notation. The word choreography literally means "dance-writing" from the Greek words "χορεία" ...
. - Jay-Z performing in a small club.
- Jay-Z on the Brooklyn BridgeBrooklyn BridgeThe Brooklyn Bridge is one of the oldest suspension bridges in the United States. Completed in 1883, it connects the New York City boroughs of Manhattan and Brooklyn by spanning the East River...
. - A woman putting on makeup.
- Inmates of a prisonPrisonA prison is a place in which people are physically confined and, usually, deprived of a range of personal freedoms. Imprisonment or incarceration is a legal penalty that may be imposed by the state for the commission of a crime...
in the Bronx. - Rick RubinRick RubinFrederick Jay "Rick" Rubin is an American record producer and the co-president of Columbia Records. Along with Russell Simmons, Rubin was the co-founder of Def Jam Records and also established American Recordings...
walking with Vincent GalloVincent GalloVincent Gallo is an Italian-American film director and actor. Though he has had minor roles in mainstream films such as Goodfellas, he is most associated with independent movies, including Buffalo '66, which he wrote, directed, did the music for and starred in; The Brown Bunny, which he also...
. - A funeral directorFuneral directorA funeral director , also known as a mortician or undertaker, is a professional involved in the business of funeral rites. These tasks often entail the embalming and burial or cremation of the dead, as well as the planning and arrangement of the actual funeral ceremony...
making preparations. - A rabbiRabbiIn Judaism, a rabbi is a teacher of Torah. This title derives from the Hebrew word רבי , meaning "My Master" , which is the way a student would address a master of Torah...
praying. - Members of Alpha Phi AlphaAlpha Phi AlphaAlpha Phi Alpha is the first Inter-Collegiate Black Greek Letter fraternity. It was founded on December 4, 1906 at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York. Its founders are known as the "Seven Jewels". Alpha Phi Alpha developed a model that was used by the many Black Greek Letter Organizations ...
performing a complex SteppingStepping (African-American)Stepping or step-dancing is a form of percussive dance in which the participant's entire body is used as an instrument to produce complex rhythms and sounds through a mixture of footsteps, spoken word, and hand claps...
routine. - Jay-Z's lawyer, facilitating bail then reacting to news of his death.
- An African-American motorcycle clubMotorcycle clubA motorcycle club is a group of individuals whose primary interest and activities involve motorcycles.In the U.S. the abbreviation, MC or MCC, can have a special social meaning from the point of view of the outlaw subcultures, and is usually reserved by them for those clubs that are mutually...
performing street stunts. - Jay-Z being shot with multiple bullets by unseen assailants. This final scene was very controversial as music videoMusic videoA music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
networks normally remove any scenes with violent content. On MTVMTVMTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
, every airing of the video featured an introduction by John NorrisJohn Norris (MTV News reporter)John Norris is a reporter who previously worked for MTV as a reporter and special correspondent for MTV News and the MTV Radio Network. He joined MTV as a writer in 1986 and became an on-air alternate for news anchor Kurt Loder in 1988...
explaining why the network felt it was proper to air the video unedited. The introduction also featured Jay-ZJay-ZShawn Corey Carter , better known by his stage name Jay-Z, is an American rapper, record producer, entrepreneur, and occasional actor. He is one of the most financially successful hip hop artists and entrepreneurs in America, having a net worth of over $450 million as of 2010...
explaining why he felt the scene was important to the video. Jay-Z also made a special introduction for BETBetBet or BET may refer to:* A wager in gambling* Basic Economics Test * Bet , the second letter in many Semitic alphabets, including Aramaic, Hebrew, Phoenician and Syriac* Brunauer-Emmett-Teller isotherm. See BET_theory...
. Jay-Z explained that the depiction of a shooting is analogous to the "death" of Jay-Z, and the "rebirth" of Shawn Carter.
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)
Soundtrack appearances
- The song was featured in the opening credits of the 2009 film The Taking of Pelham 123, starring Denzel WashingtonDenzel WashingtonDenzel Hayes Washington Jr. is an American actor, screenwriter, director, and film producer. He first rose to prominence when he joined the cast of the medical drama, St. Elsewhere, playing Dr...
and John TravoltaJohn TravoltaJohn Joseph Travolta is an American actor, dancer and singer. Travolta first became known in the 1970s, after appearing on the television series Welcome Back, Kotter and starring in the box office successes Saturday Night Fever and Grease...
. - A reinterpretation by HugoHugo (musician)Hugo Chakrabongse Levy , known under the mononym Hugo is a half-Thai, half-British singer-songwriter. Based in New York City and signed to Jay-Z's Roc Nation label, his musical style has been dubbed by Roc Nation as "gangsta-rock"...
was featured in Fright NightFright Night# "Fright Night" – 3:45# "You Can't Hide from the Beast Inside" – 4:14# "Good Man in a Bad Time" – 3:41# "Rock Myself to Sleep" – 2:57# "Let's Talk" – 2:52# "Armies of the Night" – 4:34...
and No Strings Attached. - A remix of the song was featured in a commercial for Battlefield 3Battlefield 3Battlefield 3 is a first-person shooter video game developed by EA Digital Illusions CE and published by Electronic Arts. The game was released in North America on October 25, 2011 and in Europe on October 28, 2011 for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and EA Mobile confirmed a port for...
. - An instrumental cover was featured in the trailer for the 2012 film This Means WarThis Means War (film)This Means War is an upcoming 2012 action comedy film directed by McG, starring Tom Hardy, Chris Pine and Reese Witherspoon.-Plot:Two CIA agents go to war with one another after they discover they are dating the same woman .-Cast:* Reese Witherspoon as Lauren Scott* Chris Pine* Tom Hardy* Chelsea...
. - Danger Mouse famously remixed this song with samples from "Helter Skelter" by the Beatles as part of his oft-bootleged album The Grey AlbumThe Grey AlbumThe Grey Album is a mashup album by Danger Mouse, released in 2004. It uses an a cappella version of rapper Jay-Z's The Black Album and couples it with instrumentals created from a multitude of unauthorized samples from The Beatles' LP The Beatles...
.
Critical response
- "99 Problems" was number two on Rolling Stones 2009 list of the 50 Best Songs of the Decade.
- Jack WhiteJack White (musician)Jack White , often credited as Jack White III, is an American musician, songwriter, record producer and occasional actor...
has hailed the song, describing it as "the story of America ... in a nutshell, [it's] the story of all the struggles in America, black or white, [and of] class systems".
External links
- Entry on mvdbase.com
- Page on Mark Romanek's official site. Includes screenshot gallery, treatment, credits and production stills.