Runaway Love (Ludacris song)
Encyclopedia
"Runaway Love" is the third single
released from Ludacris
' fifth album
, Release Therapy
(2007). The song, which features Mary J. Blige
on the vocals, was produced by Polow da Don
and reached #2 on the Billboard Hot 100
singles chart. The song was the first single from Release Therapy in the UK
and was released as a double A-side with "Girls Gone Wild" included. The song was performed at the 2007 Grammy Awards show by Ludacris, Mary J. Blige and Earth, Wind & Fire
. A remix of the song is available by T-Pain
featuring Cassie.
telling the troubles in the lives of three runaway
female adolescents; a nine-year-old named Lisa, a ten-year-old named Nicole, and an eleven-year-old named Erica each ending up running away to escape each of her own problems. There is a very short, commonly used sample of Slick Rick
saying "Like this" in the beginning and at approximately 1:22 in the song. At the end of the song Ludacris informs women that he feels like running away himself some times.
), a lonely ten-year-old girl. Nicole believes she is not beautiful
but she is, and thinks nobody likes her, and wonders why this is so. Her stepfather (played by Jon Seda
) is an alcoholic and physically abuses her. Nicole's schoolteachers constantly ask her why she has bruise
s (which are by her stepfather), and she lies to them. Nicole promises her only best friend, Stacy, that they'll be close forever. However, one day, Stacy dies in a drive-by shooting
and feeling alone again, Nicole decides to run away.
) who is an eleven-year-old girl who is popping pills to dull pain. She is also, with guilt, having sex with her sixteen-year-old boyfriend (played by Andrene Jones). As things go deeper, Erica starts to believe she is truly in love with her boyfriend, and so her boyfriend uses no protection
. After Erica becomes pregnant by having sex with her boyfriend, he bails out on her because he feels he is not ready to have a child. In addition, her family is poor
, so Erica has no money for an abortion
. Erica knows that if she tells her mom she is pregnant, her mom will be very angry and disappointed with her. In the video, it is shown that as Erica looks through a window, she imagines her mom beating her. She is seen crying on a park bench while Mary J. Blige sings next to her.
for "Runaway Love" was directed by Jessy Terrero
. It premiered first on the internet
on November 29, 2006, on Yahoo! Music
. A day later it premiered on television
, on BET
's 106 & Park
as a New Joint. The video, which is also divided in three situations, follows a storyline faithfully based on the song. Mary J. Blige is featured in all of the three situations as a pedestrian that passes by the runaway girls. Actors Michael Rapaport
, Jon Seda
, and actress Keke Palmer
(who played Erica) also have small cameos in the video. Featured in the background are orange posters for the National Runaway Switchboard
, a crisis hotline
serving runaway and homeless youth and their families. The hotline for the National Runaway Switchboard is also displayed on several of the "missing child" posters that are shown in the music video. This promotional effort highlights the partnership between The Ludacris Foundation and the National Runaway Switchboard to promote November as National Runaway Prevention Month and to increase awareness of issues related to runaway adolescents.
Nicole's story:
Erica's story:
All stories:
Recording
Personnel
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 from Ludacris
Ludacris
Christopher Brian Bridges , better known by his stage name Ludacris, is an American rapper and actor. Along with his manager, Chaka Zulu, Ludacris is the co-founder of Disturbing tha Peace, an imprint distributed by Def Jam Recordings...
' fifth album
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
, Release Therapy
Release Therapy
The album debuted at #1 on the Billboard 200 album chart selling over 309,000 copies in the first week making it Ludacris' third number one album in a row. To date, the album has sold about 1.3 million copies.-Track listing:-Charts:Album-References:...
(2007). The song, which features Mary J. Blige
Mary J. Blige
Mary Jane Blige is an American singer-songwriter, record producer and occasional actress. She is a recipient of nine Grammy Awards and four American Music Awards, and has recorded eight multi-platinum albums. She is the only artist with Grammy Award wins in Pop, Rap, Gospel, and R&B. Blige has...
on the vocals, was produced by Polow da Don
Polow Da Don
Polow-Freache Jamal Fincher Jones , better known by known by professional name Polow da Don or Awesome Jones, is an American record producer, songwriter, rapper, and singer. His cousin is Atlanta singer Monica. He has produced for a variety of artists including Usher, Nelly, Christina Aguilera, T.I...
and reached #2 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...
singles chart. The song was the first single from Release Therapy in the UK
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...
and was released as a double A-side with "Girls Gone Wild" included. The song was performed at the 2007 Grammy Awards show by Ludacris, Mary J. Blige and Earth, Wind & Fire
Earth, Wind & Fire
Earth, Wind & Fire is an American soul and R&B band formed in Chicago, Illinois, in 1969 by Verdine and Maurice White. Also known as EWF, the band has won six Grammy Awards and four American Music Awards. They have been inducted into both the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the Vocal Group Hall of...
. A remix of the song is available by T-Pain
T-Pain
Faheem Rasheed Najm , better known by his stage name T-Pain, is an American singer-songwriter, rapper, record producer, and actor, currently signed to Young Money Entertainment. His debut album, Rappa Ternt Sanga, was released in 2005. In 2007, T-Pain released his second studio album Epiphany,...
featuring Cassie.
Song information
Each one of the three verses of a fictional accountFiction
Fiction is the form of any narrative or informative work that deals, in part or in whole, with information or events that are not factual, but rather, imaginary—that is, invented by the author. Although fiction describes a major branch of literary work, it may also refer to theatrical,...
telling the troubles in the lives of three runaway
Runaway youth
A runaway is a minor or a person under an arbitrary age, depending upon the local jurisdiction, who has left the home of his or her parent or legal guardian without permission, or has been thrown out by his or her parent and is considered by the local authorities to lack the capacity to live under...
female adolescents; a nine-year-old named Lisa, a ten-year-old named Nicole, and an eleven-year-old named Erica each ending up running away to escape each of her own problems. There is a very short, commonly used sample of Slick Rick
Slick Rick
Richard Walters , better known by his stage name Slick Rick is a Grammy-nominated English-American rapper...
saying "Like this" in the beginning and at approximately 1:22 in the song. At the end of the song Ludacris informs women that he feels like running away himself some times.
Lisa
The 1st account involves Lisa (played by Arielle Lopez), a nine-year-old girl who has never met her family or father, has a mother who is addicted to drugs and also brings home men at different hours of the night. When her mom is knocked out from the drugs, the men that her mother brought home go to Lisa's and have sex with her. Lisa tries to explain this to her mom but her mother does not believe her.Nicole
The second plot involves Nicole (played by Raquel CastroRaquel Castro
Raquel Castro is an American teen actress and singer. She is best known for her role in the 2004 film Jersey Girl as Gertie Trinké, the daughter of Ollie Trinké and Gertrude Steiney , the role for which Castro won the Young Artist Award for the Best Performance in a Feature Film - Young Actress...
), a lonely ten-year-old girl. Nicole believes she is not beautiful
Pretty
Pretty may refer to:*Beauty* "Pretty", a song on Korn's third album, Follow the Leader* "Pretty", a song on The Cranberries's debut album, Everybody Else Is Doing It, So Why Can't We?...
but she is, and thinks nobody likes her, and wonders why this is so. Her stepfather (played by Jon Seda
Jon Seda
Jonathan Seda is an American actor, possibly best known for his role as Detective Paul Falsone on NBC's: Homicide: Life on the Street....
) is an alcoholic and physically abuses her. Nicole's schoolteachers constantly ask her why she has bruise
Bruise
A bruise, also called a contusion, is a type of relatively minor hematoma of tissue in which capillaries and sometimes venules are damaged by trauma, allowing blood to seep into the surrounding interstitial tissues. Bruises can involve capillaries at the level of skin, subcutaneous tissue, muscle,...
s (which are by her stepfather), and she lies to them. Nicole promises her only best friend, Stacy, that they'll be close forever. However, one day, Stacy dies in a drive-by shooting
Drive-by shooting
A drive-by shooting is a form of hit-and-run tactic, a personal attack carried out by an individual or individuals from a moving or momentarily stopped vehicle without use of headlights to avoid being noticed. It often results in bystanders being shot instead of, or as well as, the intended target...
and feeling alone again, Nicole decides to run away.
Erica
The final tale involves Erica, (played by Keke PalmerKeke Palmer
Lauren Keyana "Keke" Palmer is an American actress and singer who rose to fame for her performance in the 2006 film Akeelah and the Bee. She also starred as the title character in the Nickelodeon sitcom True Jackson, VP...
) who is an eleven-year-old girl who is popping pills to dull pain. She is also, with guilt, having sex with her sixteen-year-old boyfriend (played by Andrene Jones). As things go deeper, Erica starts to believe she is truly in love with her boyfriend, and so her boyfriend uses no protection
Contraception
Contraception is the prevention of the fusion of gametes during or after sexual activity. The term contraception is a contraction of contra, which means against, and the word conception, meaning fertilization...
. After Erica becomes pregnant by having sex with her boyfriend, he bails out on her because he feels he is not ready to have a child. In addition, her family is poor
Poverty
Poverty is the lack of a certain amount of material possessions or money. Absolute poverty or destitution is inability to afford basic human needs, which commonly includes clean and fresh water, nutrition, health care, education, clothing and shelter. About 1.7 billion people are estimated to live...
, so Erica has no money for an abortion
Abortion
Abortion is defined as the termination of pregnancy by the removal or expulsion from the uterus of a fetus or embryo prior to viability. An abortion can occur spontaneously, in which case it is usually called a miscarriage, or it can be purposely induced...
. Erica knows that if she tells her mom she is pregnant, her mom will be very angry and disappointed with her. In the video, it is shown that as Erica looks through a window, she imagines her mom beating her. She is seen crying on a park bench while Mary J. Blige sings next to her.
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...
for "Runaway Love" was directed by Jessy Terrero
Jessy Terrero
Jessy Terrero is a Dominican film and music video director.-Life and career:Terrero began his filmmaking career working as an intern on the set of Darnell Martin's I Like It Like That. His acting credits include appearances in Law & Order, The Sopranos and In Search of a Dream...
. It premiered first on the internet
Internet
The Internet is a global system of interconnected computer networks that use the standard Internet protocol suite to serve billions of users worldwide...
on November 29, 2006, on Yahoo! Music
Yahoo! Music
Yahoo! Music, owned by Yahoo!, is the provider of a variety of music services, including Internet radio, music videos, news, artist information, and original programming...
. A day later it premiered on television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
, on BET
Black Entertainment Television
Black Entertainment Television is an American, Viacom-owned cable network based in Washington, D.C.. Currently viewed in more than 90 million homes worldwide, it is the most prominent television network targeting young Black-American audiences. The network was launched on January 25, 1980, by its...
'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...
as a New Joint. The video, which is also divided in three situations, follows a storyline faithfully based on the song. Mary J. Blige is featured in all of the three situations as a pedestrian that passes by the runaway girls. Actors Michael Rapaport
Michael Rapaport
Michael David Rapaport is an American, actor, director and a comedian. He has acted in more than forty films since the early 1990s...
, Jon Seda
Jon Seda
Jonathan Seda is an American actor, possibly best known for his role as Detective Paul Falsone on NBC's: Homicide: Life on the Street....
, and actress Keke Palmer
Keke Palmer
Lauren Keyana "Keke" Palmer is an American actress and singer who rose to fame for her performance in the 2006 film Akeelah and the Bee. She also starred as the title character in the Nickelodeon sitcom True Jackson, VP...
(who played Erica) also have small cameos in the video. Featured in the background are orange posters for the National Runaway Switchboard
National Runaway Switchboard
The National Runaway Switchboard is the federally designated national communications system for runaway and homeless youth, their parents and families, teens in crisis, and anyone else who might benefit from its services. It is confidential, anonymous, non-judgmental, non-directive, and free. The...
, a crisis hotline
Crisis hotline
A crisis hotline is a phone number people can call to get immediate emergency telephone counseling, usually by trained volunteers. Such hotlines have existed in most major cities of the United States at least since the mid-1970s. Initially set up to help those contemplating suicide, many have...
serving runaway and homeless youth and their families. The hotline for the National Runaway Switchboard is also displayed on several of the "missing child" posters that are shown in the music video. This promotional effort highlights the partnership between The Ludacris Foundation and the National Runaway Switchboard to promote November as National Runaway Prevention Month and to increase awareness of issues related to runaway adolescents.
Cast
Lisa's story:- Arielle Lopez - Lisa
- Kim DelaneyKim DelaneyKim Delaney is an American actress best known for her starring role as Detective Diane Russell on the ABC drama television series, NYPD Blue. Early in her career, she played the role of Jenny Gardner in the hugely popular ABC daytime television drama, All My Children...
- Lisa's Mother - Michael RapaportMichael RapaportMichael David Rapaport is an American, actor, director and a comedian. He has acted in more than forty films since the early 1990s...
- Mother's boyfriend
Nicole's story:
- Raquel CastroRaquel CastroRaquel Castro is an American teen actress and singer. She is best known for her role in the 2004 film Jersey Girl as Gertie Trinké, the daughter of Ollie Trinké and Gertrude Steiney , the role for which Castro won the Young Artist Award for the Best Performance in a Feature Film - Young Actress...
- Nicole - Michelle Garcia - Nicole's Teacher
- Georgia Jones- Stacy
- Jon SedaJon SedaJonathan Seda is an American actor, possibly best known for his role as Detective Paul Falsone on NBC's: Homicide: Life on the Street....
- Nicole's Stepfather
Erica's story:
- Keke PalmerKeke PalmerLauren Keyana "Keke" Palmer is an American actress and singer who rose to fame for her performance in the 2006 film Akeelah and the Bee. She also starred as the title character in the Nickelodeon sitcom True Jackson, VP...
- Erica - Julito McCullumJulito McCullumJulito McCullum is an American actor of Afro-Colombian descent best known for his role as Namond Brice on the HBO series The Wire. Currently lives in Staten Island....
- Erica's boyfriend - Anndretta Lyle - Boyfriend's new girlfriend
All stories:
- Ludacris
- Mary J. Blige
Reviews
"Runaway Love" has received positive reviews by the majority of music and pop culture critics. Reviews note that in this work Ludacris has covered a more sensitive subject than he previously has.- Stylus Magazine:
Credits and personnel
The credits for "Runaway Love" are adapted from the liner notes of Release Therapy.Recording
- Recorded at: The Ludaplex in Atlanta, GeorgiaGeorgia (U.S. state)Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
and Right Track Sound on Sound Recording, New York CityNew York CityNew York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
.
Personnel
- LudacrisLudacrisChristopher Brian Bridges , better known by his stage name Ludacris, is an American rapper and actor. Along with his manager, Chaka Zulu, Ludacris is the co-founder of Disturbing tha Peace, an imprint distributed by Def Jam Recordings...
– vocalsSingingSinging is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...
, songwriting - Polow da DonPolow Da DonPolow-Freache Jamal Fincher Jones , better known by known by professional name Polow da Don or Awesome Jones, is an American record producer, songwriter, rapper, and singer. His cousin is Atlanta singer Monica. He has produced for a variety of artists including Usher, Nelly, Christina Aguilera, T.I...
– producersRecord producerA record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
, songwriting - Mary J. BligeMary J. BligeMary Jane Blige is an American singer-songwriter, record producer and occasional actress. She is a recipient of nine Grammy Awards and four American Music Awards, and has recorded eight multi-platinum albums. She is the only artist with Grammy Award wins in Pop, Rap, Gospel, and R&B. Blige has...
– vocals - Keri HilsonKeri HilsonKeri Lynn Hilson is an American R&B singer-songwriter. Born and raised in Decatur, Georgia, Hilson began her music career as a songwriter, penning tracks for several artists in the mid-2000s as part of the five-person production and songwriting team, The Clutch...
– background vocals, songwriting - Mike Hartnett – guitar, bassBass (instrument)Bass describes musical instruments that produce tones in the low-pitched range. They belong to different families of instruments and can cover a wide range of musical roles...
- Jason Perry – keyboardsKeyboard instrumentA keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...
- J. R. RotemJ. R. Rotem- Early life :Rotem was born in South Africa to Israeli immigrant Jewish parents. He moved to Toronto at the age of two and finally to Moraga, California when he was twelve.Rotem's entry point into music was in receiving classical piano tuition at a young age...
– keyboards - Ricky Walters – songwriting
- Douglas Davis – songwriting
- Phil Tan – mixingAudio mixingAudio mixing may refer to:*Audio mixing *Audio mixing *Live sound mixing...
- Josh Houghkirk – engineeringAudio engineeringAn audio engineer, also called audio technician, audio technologist or sound technician, is a specialist in a skilled trade that deals with the use of machinery and equipment for the recording, mixing and reproduction of sounds. The field draws on many artistic and vocational areas, including...
- Bernie Grundman – masteringAudio masteringMastering, a form of audio post-production, is the process of preparing and transferring recorded audio from a source containing the final mix to a data storage device ; the source from which all copies will be produced...
Charts
| Chart (2007) | Peak Position |
|---|---|
| Ireland (IRMA Irish Recorded Music Association Irish Recorded Music Association is the Irish record industry association. IRMA is a non-profit association set up to manage and control the music industry in the Republic of Ireland.-Goals and activities:... ) |
37 |
| New Zealand (RIANZ Recording Industry Association of New Zealand The Recording Industry Association of New Zealand is a non-profit trade association of record producers, distributors and recording artists who sell music in New Zealand... ) |
21 |
| UK Singles (The Official Charts Company) | 52 |
| US 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... |
2 |
| US 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,... (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... ) |
3 |
| US Rap Songs Hot Rap Songs 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... (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... ) |
1 |
| US Pop 100 Pop 100 The Pop 100 was a songs chart that debuted in February 2005 and was released weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States until its discontinuation in 2009... (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... ) |
9 |
External links
- "Runaway Love" Public Service Anouncment at The Ludacris Foundation web site