Hypnotize (The Notorious B.I.G. song)
Encyclopedia
"Hypnotize" is the Grammy-nominated hip-hop
song recorded by rapper The Notorious B.I.G.
It was released as the first single from his album Life After Death
in December 13, 1996. It was the fifth song to hit #1 posthumously for a credited artist.
at number two, right behind labelmate and co-writer/co-producer Sean "Puff Daddy" Combs
("Can't Nobody Hold Me Down
"). When "Hypnotize" hit number one two weeks later, it made The Notorious B.I.G. the fifth artist in Hot 100 history to have a posthumous chart-topper (see List of Hot 100 (U.S.) chart achievements and trivia). It also gave back-to-back number-one hits to Sean Combs' Bad Boy Records
label. It was nominated for Best Rap Solo Performance at the 1998 Grammy Awards. The single reached #10 in the UK, making this his first top 10 hit in that country.
", a Herb Alpert
instrumental, written by Andy Armer and Randy Badazz Alpert, that was a number-one hit in the U.S. in 1979. The chorus of "Hypnotize", sung by Pamela Long of Total
, contains an interpolation of "La Di Da Di
" by Doug E. Fresh
and Slick Rick
.
The song features many pop culture references to television and film including Star Wars
, Roots
, Starsky and Hutch
, King of New York
, Richie Rich
and the pop hit "Da Doo Ron Ron
" by The Crystals
. Other references include popular fashion lines Versace
, DKNY
, Moschino
and Coogi
.
in a scene where an intoxicated Kat Stratford (played by Julia Stiles
) dances on a table at a party. The song is also featured in B.I.G.'s biopic Notorious
. It is considered the film's theme song, as it is played three times throughout the film, the DVD
's main menu, and it was used in most of the film's advertisements.
Hip hop music
Hip hop music, also called hip-hop, rap music or hip-hop music, is a musical genre consisting of a stylized rhythmic music that commonly accompanies rapping, a rhythmic and rhyming speech that is chanted...
song recorded by rapper The Notorious B.I.G.
The Notorious B.I.G.
Christopher George Latore Wallace , best known as The Notorious B.I.G., was an American rapper. He was also known as Biggie Smalls , Big Poppa, and The Black Frank White .Wallace was raised in the Brooklyn borough...
It was released as the first single from his album Life After Death
Life After Death
Life After Death is the second and final studio album by American rapper The Notorious B.I.G., released March 25, 1997 on Bad Boy Records. A double album, it was released posthumously following his death on March 9, 1997 and serves as his final studio album...
in December 13, 1996. It was the fifth song to hit #1 posthumously for a credited artist.
History
The song was already a hit on U.S. radio stations before its release. Once a single was issued, "Hypnotize" entered the Billboard Hot 100Billboard 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...
at number two, right behind labelmate and co-writer/co-producer Sean "Puff Daddy" Combs
Sean Combs
Sean John Combs , also known by his stage names Diddy and P. Diddy, is an American rapper, singer, record producer, actor, and entrepreneur. He has won three Grammy Awards and two MTV Video Music Awards, and his clothing line earned a Council of Fashion Designers of America award. He was originally...
("Can't Nobody Hold Me Down
Can't Nobody Hold Me Down
"Can't Nobody Hold Me Down" is a hip-hop song by Sean "Puff Daddy" Combs. It appears on Combs' debut album No Way Out and it was released as the first single in 1997....
"). When "Hypnotize" hit number one two weeks later, it made The Notorious B.I.G. the fifth artist in Hot 100 history to have a posthumous chart-topper (see List of Hot 100 (U.S.) chart achievements and trivia). It also gave back-to-back number-one hits to Sean Combs' Bad Boy Records
Bad Boy Records
Bad Boy Records is a record label founded in 1993 by producer/rapper/entrepreneur Sean "Diddy" Combs. Today it operates as a subsidiary of Warner Music Group, and is distributed by Atlantic Records.-Beginnings:...
label. It was nominated for Best Rap Solo Performance at the 1998 Grammy Awards. The single reached #10 in the UK, making this his first top 10 hit in that country.
Description
The rhythm track of "Hypnotize" is the rhythm track of "RiseRise (Herb Alpert song)
"Rise" is a song written by Andy Armer and Randy "Badazz" Alpert, and first recorded by trumpeter Herb Alpert. The instrumental track was included on Alpert's solo album Rise and released as a single in 1979. It reached number one on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 in October of that year and remained...
", a Herb Alpert
Herb Alpert
Herbert "Herb" Alpert is an American musician most associated with the group variously known as Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass, Herb Alpert's Tijuana Brass, or TJB. He is also a recording industry executive — he is the "A" of A&M Records...
instrumental, written by Andy Armer and Randy Badazz Alpert, that was a number-one hit in the U.S. in 1979. The chorus of "Hypnotize", sung by Pamela Long of Total
Total (band)
Total was an American R&B girl group and one of the signature acts of Sean Combs' Bad Boy Records imprint during the 1990s.-Emergence & Total:...
, contains an interpolation of "La Di Da Di
La Di Da Di
"La Di Da Di" is a rap song performed by Doug E. Fresh the beatboxer, and MC Ricky D as the rapper. It was originally released in 1985 as the B-side to "The Show". The song has since gained a reputation as an early hip hop classic, having been referenced in other hip hop songs.There are two...
" by Doug E. Fresh
Doug E. Fresh
Douglas E. Davis , better known by the stage name Doug E. Fresh, is an American rapper, record producer, and beat boxer, also known as the Human Beat Box...
and Slick Rick
Slick Rick
Richard Walters , better known by his stage name Slick Rick is a Grammy-nominated English-American rapper...
.
The song features many pop culture references to television and film including Star Wars
Star Wars
Star Wars is an American epic space opera film series created by George Lucas. The first film in the series was originally released on May 25, 1977, under the title Star Wars, by 20th Century Fox, and became a worldwide pop culture phenomenon, followed by two sequels, released at three-year...
, Roots
Roots (TV miniseries)
Roots is a 1977 American television miniseries based on Alex Haley's fictional novel Roots: The Saga of an American Family. Roots received 36 Emmy Award nominations, winning nine. It also won a Golden Globe and a Peabody Award. It received unprecedented Nielsen ratings with the finale still...
, Starsky and Hutch
Starsky and Hutch
Starsky and Hutch is a 1970s American cop thriller television series that consisted of a 90-minute pilot movie and 92 episodes of 60 minutes each; created by William Blinn, produced by Spelling-Goldberg Productions, and broadcast between April 30, 1975 and May 15, 1979 on the ABC...
, King of New York
King of New York
King of New York is a 1990 American crime drama film, starring Christopher Walken, Laurence Fishburne, David Caruso, Wesley Snipes, Victor Argo, and Giancarlo Esposito. It was directed by independent filmmaker Abel Ferrara and written by Nicholas St...
, Richie Rich
Richie Rich
Richard "Richie" Rich, Jr. is a fictional character that debuted in Harvey Comics' Little Dot #1, cover-dated September 1953. Dubbed "the poor little rich boy", Richie is the only child of fantastically wealthy parents and is the world's richest kid. He lives and works in an expensive mansion and...
and the pop hit "Da Doo Ron Ron
Da Doo Ron Ron
"Da Doo Ron Ron" is a 1963 hit single by The Crystals, produced by Phil Spector in his Wall of Sound style. The song was written by Jeff Barry, Ellie Greenwich and Spector. The drummer was Hal Blaine....
" by The Crystals
The Crystals
The Crystals are an American vocal group based in New York, considered one of the defining acts of the girl group era of the first half of the 1960s. Their 1961–1964 chart hits, including "Uptown", "He's a Rebel", "Da Doo Ron Ron " and "Then He Kissed Me", featured three successive female lead...
. Other references include popular fashion lines Versace
Versace
Gianni Versace S.p.A. , usually referred to as Versace, is an Italian fashion label founded by Gianni Versace in 1978.The first Versace boutique was opened in Milan's Via della Spiga in 1978, and its popularity was immediate. Today, Versace is one of the world's leading international fashion houses...
, DKNY
DKNY
DKNY is a label of fashion designer Donna Karan. It is also the name of a clothing store in New York City featuring Donna Karan's associated line.-History:...
, Moschino
Moschino
Moschino is an Italian fashion design house and manufacturer of women's, men's and children's fashion.-History:The brand was originally created in 1983 by the late Franco Moschino...
and Coogi
Coogi
Coogi is a fashion label known for its colorful knitwear. Founded in 1969 as Cuggi in Toorak, Melbourne, Australia, the label was renamed in 1987 to sound more like an indigenous Australian name....
.
In popular culture
The song is featured in the film 10 Things I Hate About You10 Things I Hate about You
10 Things I Hate About You is a 1999 American teen romantic comedy film. It is directed by Gil Junger and stars Heath Ledger, Julia Stiles, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Larisa Oleynik, David Krumholtz, and Larry Miller...
in a scene where an intoxicated Kat Stratford (played by Julia Stiles
Julia Stiles
Julia O'Hara Stiles is an American actress.After beginning her career in small parts in a New York City theatre troupe, she has moved on to leading roles in plays by writers as diverse as William Shakespeare and David Mamet...
) dances on a table at a party. The song is also featured in B.I.G.'s biopic Notorious
Notorious (2009 film)
Notorious is a 2009 American biographical film about the life of iconic hip hop star The Notorious B.I.G. who is played by Jamal Woolard. The film co-stars Angela Bassett as his mother Voletta Wallace, Derek Luke as Sean Combs, and Anthony Mackie as Tupac Shakur...
. It is considered the film's theme song, as it is played three times throughout the film, the DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
's main menu, and it was used in most of the film's advertisements.
Single tracklist
- Hypnotize (Radio Mix) (4:05)
- Hypnotize (Instrumental) (3:59)
- Hypnotize (Album Version) (5:32)
Charts
| Chart (1997) | Position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 | 1 |