Ain't No Nigga
1996 single by Jay-Z featuring Foxy Brown
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"Ain't No Nigga" (edited as "Ain't No Playa") is the second single from American rapper Jay-Z's first album, Reasonable Doubt, and is featured on the soundtrack to the 1996 film The Nutty Professor. It was released on March 19, 1996. The track features Foxy Brown and contains uncredited vocals by Jaz-O.
| "Ain't No Nigga" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Single by Jay-Z featuring Foxy Brown | ||||
| from the album Reasonable Doubt and The Nutty Professor | ||||
| Released | March 19, 1996 | |||
| Recorded | 1995 | |||
| Genre | East Coast hip-hop | |||
| Length | 4:03 | |||
| Label | ||||
| Songwriters |
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| Producer | Big Jaz | |||
| Jay-Z singles chronology | ||||
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| Foxy Brown singles chronology | ||||
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| Big Jaz singles chronology | ||||
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Background
The song's beat is produced by Big Jaz who samples "Seven Minutes of Funk" by the funk band The Whole Darn Family. The song's chorus was sung by Jaz-O, and interpolates "Ain't No Woman (Like the One I've Got)" by the Four Tops. The "Ain't No Nigga" single goes under the clean alias "Ain't No Playa". Foxy Brown was 17 at the time when the song was released.
Citing the funky production and lyrics about unfaithful relationships, Spence D. of IGN describes it as "one of the better opposite sex rap duets ever laid on wax."[1]
"Ain't No Nigga" is cited as playing a significant role in securing Jay-Z's record deal[2] with Def Jam. According to Sony BMG A&R Nick Raphael, "Will Socolof of Freeze Records sent me a CD and a video and said to me, "This guy is incredible, but he needs a bigger label to take over. Are you interested?" The record he sent to me was "Ain't No Nigga" and I went crazy, thinking that I had to sign him!"[2]
Music video
The music video of the song, which was shot in Miami, starts with a scene similar to a scene of the film Scarface. It features cameos by The Notorious B.I.G., Irv Gotti, and Mic Geronimo.
Formats and track listings
Vinyl
A-Side
- "Ain't No Playa (Rae & Christian Mix)"
- "Ain't No Playa (Original Mix)"
B-Side
- "Ain't No Playa (Fresh to Def Mix)"
- "Ain't No Playa (New York Street Mix)"
Vinyl (remixes)
A-Side
- "Ain't No Nigga (Ganja Kru Mix)"
B-Side
- "Can't Knock the Hustle (Desired State Remix)"
Charts
| Chart (1996) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| US Billboard Hot 100[3] | 50 |
| US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (Billboard)[4] | 17 |
| US Hot Rap Songs (Billboard)[5] | 4 |
| US R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay (Billboard)[6] | 24 |