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Hypnotize (The Notorious B.I.G. song)

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"Hypnotize"
Single by The Notorious B.I.G.
from the album Life After Death
ReleasedMarch 4, 1997 (1997-03-04)
Recorded1996
Genre
[2]
Length
  • 3:49 (album version)
  • 3:59 (CD single)
Label
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
The Notorious B.I.G. singles chronology
"You Can't Stop the Reign"
(1996) 		"Hypnotize"
(1997) 		"Mo Money Mo Problems"
(1997)
Music video
"Hypnotize" on YouTube

"Hypnotize" is a song by American rapper the Notorious B.I.G. featuring uncredited vocals by Pamela Long,[A] released as the first single from his album Life After Death by Bad Boy and Arista Records on March 4, 1997. The last song released before his death in a drive-by shooting a week later, it was the fifth song by a credited artist to peak the Billboard Hot 100 posthumously since "(Just Like) Starting Over" by John Lennon in 1980.[5] Rolling Stone ranked the song as number 30 on their list of the "100 Greatest Hip-Hop Songs of All Time".[1]

Background

[edit]

Diddy (known then as Puff Daddy) produced "Hypnotize" and sampled Herb Alpert's 1979 hit "Rise" which was written by Andy Armer and Herb's nephew, Randy "Badazz" Alpert.[6] Randy recalled, "I asked Puffy, in 1996 when he first called me concerning using 'Rise' for 'Hypnotize,' why he chose the 'Rise' groove. He told me that in the summer of 1979 when he was I think 10 years old the song was a huge hit everywhere in New York and 'Rise' along with Chic's 'Good Times' were 'the songs' that all the kids were dancing and roller skating to that summer. He had always remembered that summer and that song. When he first played the loop for Biggie, (he said that) Biggie smiled and hugged him."[7]

Randy continued, "Over the years I was approached by Ice Cube, Eazy-E, Vanilla Ice, and maybe another 4–5 artists to use the song and I never said 'yes' until I heard a rough version of Biggie's recording produced by Sean 'Puffy' Combs, D-Dot, and Ron Lawrence. I was sent a cassette from Puffy and when I cranked it up I not only immediately loved it but my gut thought that this could be a number one record once again. The original 'Rise' record climbed the chart all summer and became number one around the end of October; Biggie's version was released and charted its first week at number two and went to number one the second week."[7]

"That was us saying our franchise player, our Michael Jordan, is here, and you other guys gotta top this. We're both from the same hood, and my goal was to give him that king-of-Brooklyn status with that track… That record was more of a statement of where he came from and how high the bar was going to be raised for the rest of the rappers." – Deric 'D-Dot' Angelettie[8]

The melody and phrasing of the chorus is interpolated from a lyrical section of Slick Rick's song "La Di Da Di", and it is also from these lyrics that the title "Hypnotize" is derived. Often misattributed to Lil' Kim, Pamela Long from the group Total sang this part.[6]

In 2013, asked about the lyrics, "Escargot, my car go...", Lil' Cease of Junior M.A.F.I.A. stated, "That's the shit that made B.I.G. dope B.I.G. used to talk about all the cars but, nigga didn't even know how to drive. He wouldn't dare get in the driver seat."[9]

Reception

[edit]

The song was a hit on U.S. radio before being issued as a single. On its release, "Hypnotize" entered the Billboard Hot 100 at number two, right behind labelmate and co-writer and co-producer Sean "Puff Daddy" Combs ("Can't Nobody Hold Me Down"). When "Hypnotize" reached 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 Billboard Hot 100 chart achievements and milestones). It also gave back-to-back number-one hits to Combs' Bad Boy Records label. Nominated for Best Rap Solo Performance at the 1998 Grammy Awards, it lost to "Men in Black" by Will Smith. The single reached number 10 in the UK, B.I.G.'s first top 10 hit in that country. Kris Ex of Pitchfork wrote "Big was a master of flow, sounding unforced and unlabored over a bevy of pristine, hi-fidelity maximalist beats that seemed to always bow to his intent."[10]

50 Cent told NME that the song was the one he would want played at his funeral: "I'd just want everyone to have as much of a party as possible."[11]

Billboard and The Guardian both ranked the song number two on their lists of the greatest Notorious B.I.G. songs,[12][13] and Rolling Stone ranked the song number seven on their list of the 50 greatest Notorious B.I.G. songs.[14]

Music video

[edit]

The music video, directed by Paul Hunter and filmed in California, was released in March 1997. It begins with the caption: Florida Keys 5:47 pm, with B.I.G. and Diddy mingling with women on a Tempest yacht. Helicopters disrupt their bash and attempt to capture them. It cuts to B.I.G. and Diddy in an underground parking lot, where they spot a black Hummer and men dressed in black riding motorcycles. They attempt to get away by driving their vehicle in reverse in the streets. The video cuts to a pool party that's set underwater, where mermaid models can be seen singing through the windows, and ends with B.I.G. and Diddy escaping the helicopters. Intercut throughout the video are scenes of B.I.G. and Diddy behind a sepia background with female dancers and B.I.G. dancing behind a black background while pieces of the chorus are captioned below. This video foreshadows Diddy’s legal troubles.

"For a big guy, he could really dance, but because his leg was still messed up [from a car accident that shattered his thighbone] he had to stay in one spot. But he was smiling, because he was happy to be stepped up. It was like, 'I'm free to really kill this.'" – Deric 'D-Dot' Angelettie[15]

Track listing

[edit]
  1. "Hypnotize" (radio mix) – 4:06
  2. "Hypnotize" (instrumental) – 3:59
  3. "Hypnotize" (album version) – 5:32[16]

Charts

[edit]

Certifications

[edit]
Region Certification Certified units/sales
Denmark (IFPI Danmark)[45] Gold 45,000‡
Italy (FIMI)[46]
sales since 2009 		Gold 35,000‡
Spain (PROMUSICAE)[47] Gold 30,000‡
United Kingdom (BPI)[48] 3× Platinum 1,800,000‡
United States (RIAA)[50] Platinum 1,200,000[49]

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Release history

[edit]
Region Date Format(s) Label(s) Ref.
United States March 4, 1997 Rhythmic contemporary radio
[51]
April 4, 1997
  • 12-inch vinyl
  • CD
  • cassette
 [50]
United Kingdom April 21, 1997
  • CD
  • cassette
  • Arista
  • Puff Daddy
 [52]

See also

[edit]

Notes

[edit]
  1. ^ Long is only credited with providing "background vocals" in the Life After Death album and "Hypnotize" CD single liner notes. She is not given a "featuring" credit like other artists on the album.[3][4]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b "100 Greatest Hip-Hop Songs of All Time". Rolling Stone. June 2, 2017. Retrieved May 7, 2020.
  2. ^ https://www.whosampled.com/The-Notorious-B.I.G./Hypnotize/ [bare URL]
  3. ^ Life After Death (booklet). Bad Boy. 1997. 78612-73011-2.
  4. ^ Hypnotize (liner notes). Arista. 1997. 74321-46643-2.
  5. ^ Zellner, Xander (June 27, 2018). "Artists Who Hit No. 1 On The Hot 100 Posthumously: XXXTentacion & More". Billboard. Retrieved May 23, 2021.
  6. ^ a b Liner Notes, Liner notes from both Life After Death as well as Hypnotize reference this sample.
  7. ^ a b Quoting Randy Alpert from personal interview,.
  8. ^ Lynskey, Dorian (May 2015). "The Greatest Songs Ever! Hypnotize". Blender: 64.
  9. ^ Ralph Bristout (March 25, 2013). "Lil Cease & Banger Give Details Behind Classic Life After Death References". XXL Magazine. Retrieved December 20, 2021.
  10. ^ Ex, Kris (March 9, 2017). "Pitchfork Life After Death review". Pitchfork. Retrieved March 26, 2017.
  11. ^ Haynes, Gavin (October 1, 2015). "Soundtrack of my life". NME. p. 48.
  12. ^ Josephs, Brian (March 9, 2020). "The Notorious B.I.G.'s 25 Best Songs: Critic's Picks". Billboard. Retrieved March 15, 2022.
  13. ^ Petridis, Alexis (March 5, 2021). "The Notorious BIG: his 20 greatest tracks – ranked!". The Guardian. Retrieved March 15, 2022.
  14. ^ "The 50 Best Notorious B.I.G. Songs". Rolling Stone. March 9, 2022. Retrieved March 15, 2022.
  15. ^ Lynskey, Dorian (May 2015). "The Greatest Songs Ever! Hypnotize". Blender: 65.
  16. ^ "Billboard Top 100 - 1997". Archived from the original on June 11, 2009. Retrieved August 28, 2010.
  17. ^ Ryan, Gavin (2011). Australia's Music Charts 1988–2010 (PDF ed.). Mt Martha, Victoria, Australia: Moonlight Publishing. p. 206.
  18. ^ "The Notorious B.I.G. – Hypnotize" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved January 30, 2021.
  19. ^ "The Notorious B.I.G. Chart History (Canadian Digital Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved February 8, 2021.
  20. ^ "Top RPM Dance/Urban: Issue 3205." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved February 8, 2021.
  21. ^ "Eurochart Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 14, no. 29. July 19, 1997. p. 12. Retrieved February 8, 2021.
  22. ^ "The Notorious B.I.G. – Hypnotize" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved January 30, 2021.
  23. ^ "Íslenski Listinn Topp 40 (12.6. '97 – 18.6. '97)". Dagblaðið Vísir (in Icelandic). June 13, 1997. p. 20. Retrieved February 8, 2021.
  24. ^ "Nederlandse Top 40 – week 28, 1997" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved February 8, 2021.
  25. ^ "The Notorious B.I.G. – Hypnotize" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved April 13, 2016.
  26. ^ "The Notorious B.I.G. – Hypnotize". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved April 13, 2016.
  27. ^ "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved February 8, 2021.
  28. ^ "The Notorious B.I.G. – Hypnotize". Singles Top 100. Retrieved April 13, 2016.
  29. ^ "The Notorious B.I.G.: Artist Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved April 13, 2016.
  30. ^ "Official Dance Singles Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved February 8, 2021.
  31. ^ "Official Hip Hop and R&B Singles Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved February 8, 2021.
  32. ^ "The Notorious B.I.G. Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved April 13, 2016.
  33. ^ "The Notorious B.I.G. Chart History (Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved April 13, 2016.
  34. ^ "The Notorious B.I.G. Chart History (Hot Rap Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved April 13, 2016.
  35. ^ "The Notorious B.I.G. Chart History (Rhythmic)". Billboard. Retrieved April 13, 2016.
  36. ^ "The Notorious B.I.G. Chart History (Canadian Digital Song Sales)". Billboard. Retrieved July 12, 2022.
  37. ^ "RPM '97 Year End Top 50 Dance Tracks". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved February 8, 2021.
  38. ^ "Árslistinn 1997 – Íslenski Listinn – 100 Vinsælustu Lögin". Dagblaðið Vísir (in Icelandic). January 2, 1998. p. 25. Retrieved February 8, 2021.
  39. ^ "Top 100 Single–Jahrescharts 1997" (in German). GfK Entertainment. Retrieved April 17, 2018.
  40. ^ "Jaaroverzichten – Single 1997" (in Dutch). MegaCharts. Retrieved February 8, 2021.
  41. ^ "The Urban Top 40 Tracks Of 1997" (PDF). Music Week. January 10, 1998. Retrieved August 6, 2023.
  42. ^ "Billboard Top 100 – 1997". Archived from the original on June 11, 2009. Retrieved August 28, 2010.
  43. ^ "Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs – Year-End 1997". Billboard. Retrieved October 17, 2021.
  44. ^ "Billboard Hot 100 Decade-End 1990-1999" (PDF). Retrieved May 20, 2018.
  45. ^ "Danish single certifications – Notorious B.I.G. – Hypnotize". IFPI Danmark. Retrieved April 21, 2023.
  46. ^ "Italian single certifications – Notorious B.I.G. – Hypnotize" (in Italian). Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana. Retrieved May 4, 2021. Select "2021" in the "Anno" drop-down menu. Type "Hypnotize" in the "Filtra" field. Select "Singoli" under "Sezione".
  47. ^ "Spanish single certifications – The Notorious B.I.G. – Hypnotize". El portal de Música. Productores de Música de España. Retrieved November 12, 2024.
  48. ^ "British single certifications – Notorious BIG – Hypnotize". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved September 13, 2024.
  49. ^ "Best-Selling Records of 1997". Billboard. Vol. 110, no. 5. January 31, 1998. p. 76. ISSN 0006-2510. Retrieved May 29, 2015.
  50. ^ a b "American single certifications – Notorious B.I.G. – Hypnotize". Recording Industry Association of America.
  51. ^ "New Releases". Radio & Records. No. 1186. February 28, 1997. p. 53.
  52. ^ "New Releases: Singles". Music Week. April 19, 1997. p. 35.
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