Ghetto Story (song)
Encyclopedia
"Ghetto Story" is a dancehall/ragga single performed by dancehall artist Baby Cham
signed to Atlantic Records
. It was the first single to be released off his album called Ghetto Story
. The song is most known for its reggae fusion
remix called "Ghetto Story Chapter 2" featuring Alicia Keys
. The single has peaked at number 77 on the Billboard Hot 100
trajectory, number 15 on the Billboard
s Hot Hip Hop/R&B Singles, and number 13 on the Billboard
s Rap Tracks. It received heavy airplay on MTV2
and BET
, and some airplay on Canada
's MuchMusic
. The song is about growing up in the ghetto
and how it was for Cham in his younger years. The video entered BET
's 106 & Park
at number 9 peaked at number 5, making it one of the very few reggae
videos to reach the top 5 on that countdown. Another remix features singer Akon
. Rapper Lil Wayne
has freestyled
over the instrumental
.
. The overall feel of the song is rage and celebration that the two have made it out of the ghetto
and out of their early struggles.
The lyrics are very informative as Cham and Alicia Keys explain how it felt to live in the ghetto. Cham says A lot of people like the song for its lyrics and overall feel of the song.
These are the first two lines in Cham's opening verse:
In the official remix, which also includes singer Akon
, he explains his way of living in the ghetto, and how he made it, the lines in his opening verse:
The song uses the "85" riddim.
. It was shot in Jamaica
by Sanaa Hamri
. It shows the storyline of the lyrics and what it was like for Cham and Alicia Keys to live in a ghetto area. The unofficial video was put on MTV in late March. The video premiered on BET
's 106 & Park
on August 8, 2006 and entered the countdown three weeks later to debut at number nine and stay there for four days in a row. Eventually it peaked at number five.
Cham (singer)
Cham is a Grammy Award-nominated Jamaican recording artist, most well known for his 2006 single "Ghetto Story" from his major label debut album of the same name, a song which led to multiple "story" songs by other artists in a similar vein. He is currently signed to Atlantic Records, and was...
signed to Atlantic Records
Atlantic Records
Atlantic Records is an American record label best known for its many recordings of rhythm and blues, rock and roll, and jazz...
. It was the first single to be released off his album called Ghetto Story
Ghetto Story
Ghetto Story is the major label debut album by Jamaican dancehall artist Cham, released on August 15, 2006. He used to be known as Baby Cham. Ghetto Storys title track caused internet rumours claiming that the Jamaican government had the track banned and they were picked up as a fact by couple of...
. The song is most known for its reggae fusion
Reggae fusion
Reggae fusion is a fusion genre of reggae that mixes reggae or dancehall with other genres, such as pop, rock, hip hop, R&B, house, jazz & drum and bass....
remix called "Ghetto Story Chapter 2" featuring Alicia Keys
Alicia Keys
Alicia Augello Cook , better known by her stage name Alicia Keys, is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, and occasional actress. She was raised by a single mother in the Hell's Kitchen area of Manhattan in New York City. At age seven, Keys began playing the piano...
. The single has peaked at number 77 on the 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...
trajectory, number 15 on the 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...
s Hot Hip Hop/R&B Singles, and number 13 on the 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...
s Rap Tracks. It received heavy airplay on MTV2
MTV2
MTV2 is a cable network that is widely available in the United States on digital cable and satellite television, and is progressively being added to analogue cable lineups across the nation...
and BET
Bet
Bet 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...
, and some airplay on Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
's MuchMusic
MuchMusic
MuchMusic is a Canadian English language Category A specialty channel owned by Bell Media. MuchMusic is dedicated to music-related programs, pop and youth culture.-History:...
. The song is about growing up in the ghetto
Ghetto
A ghetto is a section of a city predominantly occupied by a group who live there, especially because of social, economic, or legal issues.The term was originally used in Venice to describe the area where Jews were compelled to live. The term now refers to an overcrowded urban area often associated...
and how it was for Cham in his younger years. The video entered BET
Bet
Bet 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...
's 106 & Park
106 & Park
106 & Park is a Top Ten Hip-Hop and R&B music video show, set up in a countdown format, that airs weekdays at 6:00 PM on BET . Since its inception, it was the network's #1 rated show...
at number 9 peaked at number 5, making it one of the very few reggae
Reggae
Reggae is a music genre first developed in Jamaica in the late 1960s. While sometimes used in a broader sense to refer to most types of Jamaican music, the term reggae more properly denotes a particular music style that originated following on the development of ska and rocksteady.Reggae is based...
videos to reach the top 5 on that countdown. Another remix features singer Akon
Akon
Aliaune Damala Badara Thiam, better known as simply Akon , is a Senegalese American R&B recording artist and songwriter.According to Forbes, Akon grossed $21 million in 2010, $20 million in 2009 and $12 million in 2008. He rose to prominence in 2004 following the release of "Locked Up", the first...
. Rapper Lil Wayne
Lil Wayne
Dwayne Michael Carter, Jr. , better known by his stage name Lil Wayne, is an American rapper. At the age of nine, Lil Wayne joined Cash Money Records as the youngest member of the label, and half of the duo, The B.G.'z, with B.G.. In 1997, Lil Wayne joined the group Hot Boys, which also included...
has freestyled
Freestyle rap
Freestyle rap commonly refers to rap lyrics which are improvised through a acapella or with instrumental beats, i.e. performed with no previously composed lyrics, or "off the top of the head"...
over the instrumental
Instrumental
An instrumental is a musical composition or recording without lyrics or singing, although it might include some non-articulate vocal input; the music is primarily or exclusively produced by musical instruments....
.
Song information
These are the lyrics to the intro sung by Alicia KeysAlicia Keys
Alicia Augello Cook , better known by her stage name Alicia Keys, is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, and occasional actress. She was raised by a single mother in the Hell's Kitchen area of Manhattan in New York City. At age seven, Keys began playing the piano...
. The overall feel of the song is rage and celebration that the two have made it out of the ghetto
Ghetto
A ghetto is a section of a city predominantly occupied by a group who live there, especially because of social, economic, or legal issues.The term was originally used in Venice to describe the area where Jews were compelled to live. The term now refers to an overcrowded urban area often associated...
and out of their early struggles.
The lyrics are very informative as Cham and Alicia Keys explain how it felt to live in the ghetto. Cham says A lot of people like the song for its lyrics and overall feel of the song.
These are the first two lines in Cham's opening verse:
In the official remix, which also includes singer Akon
Akon
Aliaune Damala Badara Thiam, better known as simply Akon , is a Senegalese American R&B recording artist and songwriter.According to Forbes, Akon grossed $21 million in 2010, $20 million in 2009 and $12 million in 2008. He rose to prominence in 2004 following the release of "Locked Up", the first...
, he explains his way of living in the ghetto, and how he made it, the lines in his opening verse:
The song uses the "85" riddim.
Music video
"Ghetto Story"'s video is the Chapter 2 featuring Alicia KeysAlicia Keys
Alicia Augello Cook , better known by her stage name Alicia Keys, is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, and occasional actress. She was raised by a single mother in the Hell's Kitchen area of Manhattan in New York City. At age seven, Keys began playing the piano...
. It was shot in Jamaica
Jamaica
Jamaica is an island nation of the Greater Antilles, in length, up to in width and 10,990 square kilometres in area. It is situated in the Caribbean Sea, about south of Cuba, and west of Hispaniola, the island harbouring the nation-states Haiti and the Dominican Republic...
by Sanaa Hamri
Sanaa Hamri
Sanaa Hamri is a Moroccan American music video and film director. She is one of the few prominent female film and music video directors of color.-Early life and breakthrough:...
. It shows the storyline of the lyrics and what it was like for Cham and Alicia Keys to live in a ghetto area. The unofficial video was put on MTV in late March. The video premiered on BET
Bet
Bet 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...
's 106 & Park
106 & Park
106 & Park is a Top Ten Hip-Hop and R&B music video show, set up in a countdown format, that airs weekdays at 6:00 PM on BET . Since its inception, it was the network's #1 rated show...
on August 8, 2006 and entered the countdown three weeks later to debut at number nine and stay there for four days in a row. Eventually it peaked at number five.
Track listings
- CD 1
- "Ghetto Story Chapter 2" (featuring Alicia KeysAlicia KeysAlicia Augello Cook , better known by her stage name Alicia Keys, is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, and occasional actress. She was raised by a single mother in the Hell's Kitchen area of Manhattan in New York City. At age seven, Keys began playing the piano...
) (Dameon Beckett, Dave Kelly, Alicia Keys) – 4:46 - "Hood" (Dameon Beckett, Dave Kelly) – 4:30
- CD 2
- "Ghetto Story Chapter 2" (featuring Alicia Keys) (Dameon Beckett, Dave Kelly, Alicia Keys) – 4:46
- "Ghetto Story" (Album Version) (Dameon Beckett, Dave Kelly) – 4:12
- "Hood" (Dameon Beckett, Dave Kelly) – 7:01
- "Mytone" (CD-ROM Track)
Versions
- "Ghetto Story Chapter 1" (Cham)
- "Ghetto Story Chapter 2" (Cham featuring Alicia Keys)
- "Ghetto Story Chapter 3" (Cham featuring AkonAkonAliaune Damala Badara Thiam, better known as simply Akon , is a Senegalese American R&B recording artist and songwriter.According to Forbes, Akon grossed $21 million in 2010, $20 million in 2009 and $12 million in 2008. He rose to prominence in 2004 following the release of "Locked Up", the first...
) - "Ghetto Story Chapter 4" (Cham featuring Alicia Keys and Akon)
Charts
| Chart (Original) (2006) | 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... |
99 |
| 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,... |
22 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot Rap Tracks Hot Rap Tracks Rap Songs is a chart released weekly by Billboard in the United States. It lists the 25 most popular hip-hop/rap songs, calculated weekly by airplay on rhythmic and urban radio stations and sales in hip hop-focused or exclusive markets. From 1989 through 2001, it was based on how much the single... |
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 ... |
62 |
| Chart (Chapter Two featuring Alicia Keys) (2006) | 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... |
77 |
| 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,... |
15 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot Rap Tracks Hot Rap Tracks Rap Songs is a chart released weekly by Billboard in the United States. It lists the 25 most popular hip-hop/rap songs, calculated weekly by airplay on rhythmic and urban radio stations and sales in hip hop-focused or exclusive markets. From 1989 through 2001, it was based on how much the single... |
13 |