99 Problems
4291380
225157961
2008-07-12T05:12:06Z
Valkyrie Missile
1958980
/* Mash-ups */
{{Infobox Single
| Name = 99 Problems
| Cover = Jayz99problemsdirtoffyourshoulder.jpg
| Artist = [[Jay-Z]]
| from Album = [[The Black Album (Jay-Z album)|The Black Album]]
| Released = [[April 13]] [[2004]]
| Format = [[12" single]]
| Recorded = [[2003]] at <br />[[The Mansion]]<br /><small>[[Laurel Canyon, Los Angeles, California]], [[United States|USA]] {{flagicon|USA}}</small><br />Akademie Mathematique of Philisophical Sound Research<br /><small>[[Los Angeles, California]], [[United States|USA]] {{flagicon|USA}}</small>|
| Genre = [[Hip hop music|Hip hop]]<br />[[Rapcore]]
| Length = 3:54
| Label = [[Roc-A-Fella]]/[[Def Jam]]
| Writer = Jay-Z<br />[[Norman Landsberg]]<br />[[Felix Pappalardi]]<br />[[Billy Squier]]<br />[[John Ventura]]<br />[[Leslie Weinstein]]
| Producer = [[Rick Rubin]]
| Reviews =
| Last single = "[[Dirt off Your Shoulder]]"<br />(2003)
| This single = "'''99 Problems'''"<br />(2003)
| Next single = "[[Numb / Encore]]"<br />(2004)
}}
"'''99 Problems'''" is the third [[single (music)|single]] released by American rapper [[Jay-Z]] in 2003 from the ''[[The Black Album (Jay-Z album)|The Black Album]]''. It reached number thirty on the [[United States|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 the type of stripped-down beat that was once [[Rick Rubin#Production trademarks|his trademark]]. The song features samples of "The Big Beat" by [[Billy Squier]], "Long Red" by [[Mountain (band)|Mountain]], "99 Problems" by [[Ice-T]] and "Touched" by [[UGK]]. Although it remains uncredited, "99 Problems" also contains samples of "Get Me Back on Time, Engine No. 9" by [[Wilson Pickett]].
The title and [[refrain|chorus]] are taken from [[Ice-T]]'s "99 Problems" from his [[1993]] album ''[[Home Invasion]]''. The song featured Brother Marquis of [[2 Live Crew]].
[[Trick Daddy]] released a track on his [[2001]] album ''[[Thugs Are Us]]'' titled "99 Problems", which also contains the lyrics "I got 99 problems, but a bitch ain't one."
On [[July 6]] [[2008]], the song entered the [[UK Singles Chart]] at #35 due to Jay-Z's appearance at [[Glastonbury Festival|Glastonbury]] and the [[O2 Wireless Festival]].
==Music video==
[[Image:99 probs.jpg|thumb|left|Rick Rubin and Jay-Z]]
The [[music video]] premiered in April [[2004]] and was directed by [[Mark Romanek]]. It received praises from critics such as [[Armond White]]<ref>[http://tw.youtube.com/watch?v=4qp_Hv1-Nog&feature=related YouTube - (Part 14) Armond White on Jay-Z "99 Problems" - Mark Romanek<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>, and was nominated for four [[Music Video Production Association|MVPA]] awards in 2005, of which it won three. It also won the [[MTV Video Music Awards]] for [[MTV Video Music Award for Best Rap Video|Best Rap Video]], [[MTV Video Music Award for Best Direction|Best Director]], [[MTV Video Music Award for Best Editing|Best Editing]]<ref>Editor: [[Robert Duffy (editor) |Robert Duffy]], [[Spot Welders]]</ref> and [[MTV Video Music Award for Best Cinematography|Best Cinematography]], as well as gaining nominations for [[MTV Video Music Award for Best Video of the Year|Video of the Year]] and [[MTV Video Music Award for Best Male Video|Best Male Video]]. It was criticized, however, by the [[Humane Society of the United States]] for what the organization alleged was glorification of [[dogfighting]].
[[Image:99problemsvideo.jpg|right|thumb|200px|Jay-Z being shot at the end of the video.]]
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:
*Jay-Z and Rubin in a car being stopped by the police (lyrical reenactment).
*Jay-Z in the [[Marcy Houses]] [[housing project]] where he grew up.
*[[Breakdancer]]s and a group doing a rhythm [[choreography]].
*Jay-Z performing in a small club.
*Jay-Z on the [[Brooklyn Bridge]].
*Inmates of a [[prison]] in the [[Bronx]].
*Rubin walking with [[Vincent Gallo]].
*A [[funeral director]] making preparations.
*A [[rabbi]] praying.
*An [[African-American]] [[motorcycle club]].
*Jay-Z being shot with multiple bullets by unseen assailants. This final scene was very controversial as [[music video]] networks normally remove any scenes with violent content. On [[MTV]], every airing of the video featured an introduction by [[John Norris (MTV News reporter)|John Norris]] explaining why the network felt it was proper to air the video unedited. The introduction also featured [[Jay-Z]] explaining why he felt the scene was important to the video. Jay-Z also made a special introduction for [[BET]]. Jay-Z explained that him getting gunned down at the end of the video means, basically, that it was the "death" of Jay-Z, and the "rebirth" of Shawn Carter.[http://www.markromanek.com/press/nytimesd.html]
==Track listings==
[[Image:Jayz99problemsdirtoffyourshoulder.jpg|thumb|150px|right||"''99 Problems/Dirt Off Your Shoulder, Pt. 1'''" single cover]]
[[Image:Jay-Z - 99 Problems+Dirt Off Your Shoulder (CD2).jpg|thumb|150px|right||"''99 Problems/Dirt Off Your Shoulder, Pt. 2'''" single cover]]
[[Image:Jayz99problems.jpg|thumb|150px|right||"''99 Problems''" promo cover]]
===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)
==Remixes==
* Rapper [[T.I.]] used the song's beat to diss fellow southern rapper [[Lil' Flip]]. The diss track was called "99 Problemz (Lil' Flip Ain't One)".
* Hardcore techno artists [[Paco Rincon]] vs. [[The Guardian (producer)|The Guardian]] & [[Supreme Entity]] created a song called "99 Problems", which relies heavily on the vocals, but has an entirely different instrumental accompaniment. [http://www.discogs.com/release/976438]
* Rapper [[Skillz]] used the instrumental of this song to diss [[Shaquille O'Neal]]. The song was called "99 Free Throws."
==Mash-ups==
* [[Linkin Park]] did a [[mashup (music)|mashup]] with Jay-Z that put this song together with their songs "[[One Step Closer (Linkin Park song)|One Step Closer]]" and "Points of Authority" on the ''[[Collision Course (album)|Collision Course]]'' album.
* Another mashup is the one found on [[Danger Mouse]]'s ''[[The Grey Album]]'' whose beat is composed of samples from "[[Helter Skelter (song)|Helter Skelter]]" by [[The Beatles]].
* One of the more interesting mashups is from The Argyle Album by 100dBs, where the melody is carried by a synthesizer over a Modest Mouse sample.
* There is a mashup of "99 Problems" and "[[99 Luftballons|99 Red Balloons]] (Luftballons)" by [[Nena]] called "99 Luftproblems".
* There is a mashup done by Tapemasters Inc. & DJ Chachi named "99 Hills" which features this song lyrics and the beat and chorus from "[[Beverly Hills (song)|Beverly Hills]]" by [[Weezer]].
* The song was mashed with the [[Red Hot Chilli Peppers]]'s song [[Give It Away]] on DJ Vlad and [[Roc Raida]]'s [[Rock Phenomenon]] album.
* A rare mashup by TimG ([http://www.timgmusic.co.uk timgmusic.co.uk]) featuring [[Jimi Hendrix]]'s "[[Voodoo Child (Slight Return)]]" also exists. This track was commissioned to be used on a car advert for the new Dodge Charger, but due to a copyright dispute, was never shown.
* A mashup of this song and [[Bon Jovi]]'s "[[Wanted Dead or Alive (Bon Jovi song)|Wanted Dead or Alive]]" is available.
* A Remix Version by Pete Rock also appears on The DJ Jazzy Jeff Live from No where mix cd
* There is a mashup called "99 On a High", featuring "99 Problems" and "I'm On a High" by [[Millionaire (band)|Millionaire]], done by Skyve Reuter.<ref>[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dyTfeWjUDe8&feature=related YouTube - Jay-Z vs Millionaire "99 On A High" (Skyve Reuter mash-up)<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>
* When Jay-Z himself performs the song live with his [[backing band]], they often integrate the main riff of the [[AC/DC]] song, [[Back in Black (song)|Back in Black]].
==See also==
*[[List of Jay-Z songs]]
== References ==
<References/>
==External links==
*[http://www.mvdbase.com/video.php?id=31571 Entry] on [http://www.mvdbase.com/ mvdbase.com]
*[http://www.markromanek.com/video/22.html Page on Mark Romanek's official site]. Includes screenshot gallery, treatment, credits and production stills.
*{{youtube|WwoM5fLITfk|Music video for "99 Problems"}}
{{Jay-Z}}
[[Category:2003 singles]]
[[Category:Jay-Z songs]]
[[Category:Music videos directed by Mark Romanek]]
[[Category:Songs that sample previously recorded songs]]