Frontin'
Encyclopedia
"Frontin'", is a 2003 song by producer
Pharrell. The title refers to putting up a facade (or false 'front'), typically to impress peers. The song features rapper Jay-Z
, is written by Pharrell and produced by The Neptunes
. At the time he insisted the single was a one-off, and that he was purely a producer and not a rapper/singer in his own right. However, he has since released his own solo album, In My Mind
.
"Frontin'" was a big summer hit (the 34th biggest selling single of 2003 in the U.S. according to Billboard
magazine), and was featured on the album The Neptunes Present... Clones
, which debuted at number one on the Billboard 200
in August 2003.
"Frontin'" was a #5 hit in the U.S. upon its June 2003 release and remains his biggest hit there to date. It also peaked at #1 in the U.S. R&B/Hip Hop and U.S. Rap charts. In the UK the single also charted inside the top 10, peaking at #6 in the UK official singles chart and spending 10 weeks within the top 75. It is Pharrell's biggest hit worldwide as a solo artist (his biggest hit as a collaboration being Drop It Like It's Hot
with Snoop Dogg
).
The lead girls in the video are Lanisha Cole
and Lauren London
.
neo-Jazz artist Jamie Cullum
, whose version, recorded on February 11, 2004 for BBC Radio 1
DJ Jo Whiley
's Live Lounge
, was played to Pharrell (who was clearly very impressed by the cover) on a visit to the show, which lead to Cullum's eventual signing to Star Trak. The cover also appeared on Cullum's US release of Twentysomething
as a bonus track. Cullum's version was released as a single and reached #12 in the UK.
It was also covered live by Maroon 5
, featuring Chad Hugo
and rapper Mos Def
, who replaced Jay-Z's verse with impromptu rapping from A Tribe Called Quest
's "Bonita Applebum
," in an apparent reference to similarities between parts of the tracks.
New Orleans native Trombone Shorty and his band and Orleans Avenue cover the song on their 2005 debut album, Orleans & Claiborne.
Record producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
Pharrell. The title refers to putting up a facade (or false 'front'), typically to impress peers. The song features 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...
, is written by Pharrell and produced by The Neptunes
The Neptunes
The Neptunes are a record production duo consisting of Pharrell Williams and Chad Hugo, who are credited with contributing the sound for many successful hip hop, R&B and pop artists in the late-1990s and 2000s...
. At the time he insisted the single was a one-off, and that he was purely a producer and not a rapper/singer in his own right. However, he has since released his own solo album, In My Mind
In My Mind (Pharrell album)
-Notes:* A song titled "Mamacita", which featured Reggaeton artist Daddy Yankee was leaked in early 2006 and was supposed to be the third single from the album, but it did not appear on the final track listing, nor was there a video for the song, but it is featured in the movie The Fast and the...
.
"Frontin'" was a big summer hit (the 34th biggest selling single of 2003 in the U.S. according to Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
magazine), and was featured on the album The Neptunes Present... Clones
The Neptunes Present... Clones
Clones is an album of songs from various artists, produced by the production duo of Chad Hugo and Pharrell Williams, known as The Neptunes. It was released on August 19, 2003, and debuted at #1 on the Billboard 200 Albums Chart...
, which debuted at number one on the Billboard 200
Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
in August 2003.
"Frontin'" was a #5 hit in the U.S. upon its June 2003 release and remains his biggest hit there to date. It also peaked at #1 in the U.S. R&B/Hip Hop and U.S. Rap charts. In the UK the single also charted inside the top 10, peaking at #6 in the UK official singles chart and spending 10 weeks within the top 75. It is Pharrell's biggest hit worldwide as a solo artist (his biggest hit as a collaboration being Drop It Like It's Hot
Drop It Like It's Hot
"Drop It Like It's Hot" is a 2004 rap number-one hit single by Snoop Dogg featuring Pharrell. Snoop performs the chorus and the second and third verses , while Pharrell performs the first verse....
with Snoop Dogg
Snoop Dogg
Calvin Cordozar Broadus, Jr. , better known by his stage name Snoop Dogg, is an American rapper, record producer, and actor. Snoop is best known as a rapper in the West Coast hip hop scene, and for being one of Dr. Dre's most notable protégés. Snoop Dogg was a Crip gang member while in high school...
).
The lead girls in the video are Lanisha Cole
Lanisha Cole
Lanisha Diane Cole is an American model that has been most recognizable as a rotating model on the game show The Price Is Right in both the Barker and Carey eras. She has also appeared in several hip-hop and rapmusic videos, and had a minor part in the movie Soul Plane...
and Lauren London
Lauren London
Lauren Nicole London is an American film and television actress, model, and occasional music video actress. Beginning her career in music videos and later transitioning into film and television, London earned recognition for her performances in the film ATL as well as the television shows 90210...
.
Personnel
- Written by Pharrell, Chad HugoChad HugoCharles Edward Hugo is an American musician and record producer. He is best known as one half of the music production and writing duo The Neptunes and as a member of the funk/rock band N.E.R.D. He is a saxophonist, pianist and guitarist...
, and 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... - Produced by The NeptunesThe NeptunesThe Neptunes are a record production duo consisting of Pharrell Williams and Chad Hugo, who are credited with contributing the sound for many successful hip hop, R&B and pop artists in the late-1990s and 2000s...
- All instruments by Pharrell Williams and Chad Hugo
Covers
The track was covered by UKUnited 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...
neo-Jazz artist Jamie Cullum
Jamie Cullum
Jamie Cullum is an English pop and jazz-pop singer-songwriter. Though he is primarily a vocalist/pianist he also accompanies himself on other instruments including guitar and drums. Since April 2010, he has been presenting a weekly jazz show on BBC Radio 2, broadcast on Tuesdays from 19:00.- Early...
, whose version, recorded on February 11, 2004 for BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation which also broadcasts internationally, specialising in current popular music and chart hits throughout the day. Radio 1 provides alternative genres after 7:00pm including electronic dance, hip hop, rock...
DJ Jo Whiley
Jo Whiley
Johanne "Jo" Whiley is a British radio disc jockey and television presenter. She was the host of the long running weekday Jo Whiley Show on Radio 1.-Early life and education:...
's Live Lounge
Live Lounge
The Live Lounge is a segment on the British radio station BBC Radio 1. Originally hosted by Jo Whiley on her mid-morning radio show and now hosted by Fearne Cotton, it exhibits well-known artists usually performing one song of their own and one by another artist, in an acoustic format...
, was played to Pharrell (who was clearly very impressed by the cover) on a visit to the show, which lead to Cullum's eventual signing to Star Trak. The cover also appeared on Cullum's US release of Twentysomething
Twentysomething (album)
Twentysomething is the third album by Jamie Cullum. It was released in 2003 in his native UK, and in May 2004 in the United States.On this release Cullum performs some original material as well as some covers and standards...
as a bonus track. Cullum's version was released as a single and reached #12 in the UK.
It was also covered live by Maroon 5
Maroon 5
Maroon 5 is an American pop rock band from Los Angeles, California. While they were in high school, lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist Adam Levine, keyboardist Jesse Carmichael, bass guitarist Mickey Madden, and drummer Ryan Dusick formed a garage band called Kara's Flowers and released one album...
, featuring Chad Hugo
Chad Hugo
Charles Edward Hugo is an American musician and record producer. He is best known as one half of the music production and writing duo The Neptunes and as a member of the funk/rock band N.E.R.D. He is a saxophonist, pianist and guitarist...
and rapper Mos Def
Mos Def
Dante Terrell Smith is an American actor and Emcee known by the stage names Mos Def and Yasiin Bey. He started his hip hop career in a group called Urban Thermo Dynamics, after which he appeared on albums by Da Bush Babees and De La Soul. With Talib Kweli, he formed the duo Black Star, which...
, who replaced Jay-Z's verse with impromptu rapping from A Tribe Called Quest
A Tribe Called Quest
A Tribe Called Quest is an American hip hop group, formed in 1985, and is composed of rapper/producer Q-Tip , rapper Phife Dawg , and DJ/producer Ali Shaheed Muhammad. A fourth member, rapper Jarobi White, left the group after their first album but rejoined in 2006...
's "Bonita Applebum
Bonita Applebum
"Bonita Applebum" was the second single from A Tribe Called Quest's debut album People's Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm. It is believed to be based on an actual young woman from the group's high school...
," in an apparent reference to similarities between parts of the tracks.
New Orleans native Trombone Shorty and his band and Orleans Avenue cover the song on their 2005 debut album, Orleans & Claiborne.
Track listing
UK CD- "Frontin'" (featuring 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...
) (Radio Edit) - "Hot Damn" (featuring Ab Liva)
- "Popular Thug" (KelisKelisKelis Rogers Kelis Rogers Kelis Rogers (born August 21, 1971 is an American musical artist. She is a BRIT Award, Q Award and NME Award winner and has been nominated for two Grammy Awards. She has had nine top 10 singles on the UK Singles Chart...
Featuring NasNasNasir bin Olu Dara Jones, who performs under the name Nas , formerly Nasty Nas, is an American rapper and actor. He is regarded as one of the most important figures in hip hop and one of the most skilled and influential rappers of all-time...
) - "Frontin'" (Video)
Charts
| Country | Peak position |
|---|---|
| U.S. 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... |
5 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, is a chart released weekly by Billboard in the United States.The chart, initiated in 1942, is used to track the success of popular music songs in urban, or primarily African American, venues. Dominated over the years at various times by jazz, rhythm and blues, doo-wop, soul,... |
1 |
| Canadian Singles Chart Canadian Singles Chart The Canadian Singles Chart is currently compiled by the U.S.-based music sales tracking company, Nielsen SoundScan . The chart is compiled every Wednesday, and is published by Jam! Canoe on Thursdays.... |
15 |
| UK Singles Chart UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ... |
6 |