4 da Fam
"4 da Fam" | ||||
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Single by Amil featuring Jay-Z, Memphis Bleek & Beanie Sigel | ||||
from the album All Money Is Legal | ||||
Released | September 13, 2000 | |||
Length | 4:19 | |||
Label | Roc-A-Fella | |||
Songwriter(s) |
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Producer(s) | Ty Fyffe | |||
Amil singles chronology | ||||
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Jay-Z singles chronology | ||||
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Memphis Bleek singles chronology | ||||
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Beanie Sigel singles chronology | ||||
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"4 da Fam" is a song by American rapper Amil, featuring verses from American rappers Jay-Z, Memphis Bleek, and Beanie Sigel. Ty Fyffe produced the song. It was released on Roc-A-Fella as the second single from her debut album All Money Is Legal. In the song's lyrics, Amil boasts about being the best female rapper, and Jay-Z discusses his fears of becoming a father, which his verse suggests he believed was about to occur at the time.
"4 da Fam" received mixed reviews from music critics; some critics praised Jay-Z's verse, while others criticized Amil's contributions. It appeared on several Billboard charts. The song peaked at No. 99 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs Billboard chart and No. 97 on the Hot Rap Songs Billboard chart. "4 da Fam" was promoted with a music video, which was played on the music show Artist Corner and the BET network.
Recording and release
[edit]Ty Fyffe produced "4 da Fam" and wrote it with Amil Whitehead, Shawn Carter (Jay-Z), Dwight Grant (Beanie Sigel), and Malik Cox (Memphis Bleek). The track was mixed by Pat Viala and recorded by Just Blaze.[1] It was released on September 13, 2000 as the second single from Amil's debut album, All Money Is Legal (2000).[2] The song was made available as a 12-inch single through Roc-A-Fella.[3] It was also included on a double A-side with the album's lead single "I Got That".[4] In advertisements for All Money Is Legal, "4 da Fam" was promoted as one of its "blazin' joints".[5]
A music video, directed by Nick Quested, was released for "4 da Fam" in 2000.[6][7] It was played that year on the music show Artist Corner and BET.[6][8] The video was uploaded to Amil's Vevo account on October 25, 2009.[9]
Composition and lyrics
[edit]At 4 minutes and 19 seconds long,[10] "4 da Fam" includes verses from Amil, Jay-Z, Memphis Bleek, and Beanie Sigel.[1] Steve Rivers of Ebony described it as a "crew love record".[11] In her part, Amil brags about her career through the lyrics: "I'm the illest female that you heard thus far."[12] In his verse, Jay-Z raps about becoming a father in the verse: "I got four nephews and they're all writing ... and I'm having a child, which is more frightening."[a] Rob Markman of MTV News wrote that fatherhood was a subject that Jay-Z explored from his debut album Reasonable Doubt (1996).[15] Jay-Z's other lyrics include: "Y'all niggas truly ain't ready for this dynasty thing / Y'all thinking Blake Carrington, I'm thinking more like Ming."[16] and "I got 4 nephews, and they all write-ing / They all young and wild, plus they all like Beans."[11]
Reception
[edit]"4 da Fam" received mixed reviews from music critics. Andrew Barber and Al Shipley of Complex praised Jay-Z's contribution, and wrote that "he had the best verse and batted clean up". In a 2018 article, they included "4 da Fam" in their list of the top-100 best Jay-Z songs.[17] John Kennedy of Vulture.com identified the single as an improvement over the track "Pop 4 Roc" from Jay-Z's fourth studio album Vol. 3... Life and Times of S. Carter (1999), and described "4 da Fam" as "the real deal".[18] While critical of Amil, Son Raw of Fact referred to the single as a "prime Roc La Familia-era posse cut".[19] A writer for Bossip criticized Amil's verse, and included her boast as the best female rapper on their list of the top-ten greatest lies in hip hop music.[12]
"4 da Fam" peaked at No. 99 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs Billboard chart on July 22, 2000, and remained on the chart for a week.[20] On the same day, it reached a peak position of No. 97 on the R&B/Hip-Hop Streaming Songs Billboard chart, staying on the chart for a week.[21] It also peaked at No. 29 on the Hot Rap Songs Billboard chart, and remained on that chart for 11 weeks.[22]
Track listings
[edit]No. | Title | Length |
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1. | "For Da Fam" (radio edit) | 4:19 |
2. | "For Da Fam" (album version) | 6:52 |
3. | "For Da Fam" (instrumental) | 4:19 |
4. | "For Da Fam" (a capella) | 4:19 |
No. | Title | Length |
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1. | "I Got That" (radio edit) (featuring Beyoncé Knowles) | 3:21 |
2. | "I Got That" (album version) (featuring Beyoncé Knowles) | 3:19 |
3. | "4 Da Fam" (radio edit) (featuring Beanie Sigel, Jay-Z, Memphis Bleek) | 4:19 |
4. | "4 Da Fam" (album version) (featuring Beanie Sigel, Jay-Z, Memphis Bleek) | 6:52 |
Credits and personnel
[edit]Credits adapted from the liner notes of All Money Is Legal:[1]
- Featuring – Beanie Sigel, Jay-Z, Memphis Bleek
- Mixed by – Pat Viala
- Producer – Ty Tyfife
- Recorded by – Just Blaze
- Written by – Ty Tyfife, Amil Whitehead, Shawn Carter, Dwight Grant, and Malik Cox
Charts
[edit]Chart (2000) | Peak position |
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US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (Billboard)[20] | 99 |
US Hot Rap Songs (Billboard)[22] | 29 |
US R&B/Hip-Hop Streaming Songs (Billboard)[21] | 97 |
Release history
[edit]Country | Date | Format | Label | Ref. |
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United States | September 13, 2000 | 12-inch single | Roc-A-Fella | [3] |
Notes
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ a b c Amil (September 19, 2000). All Money Is Legal (Inlay cover). Roc-A-Fella Records, Columbia Records, and Sony Music.
- ^ "4 Da Fam (Explicit Album Version) [Explicit]". Amazon. September 13, 2000. Archived from the original on March 14, 2017.
- ^ a b c Amil (2000). "4 da Fam" (Media notes). Roc-A-Fella. 12852.
- ^ a b I got that : 4 da fam. WorldCat. OCLC 74825265.
- ^ "Roc-A-Fella Presents…Amil". Vibe. Vol. 8, no. 8. October 2000. p. 18. Archived from the original on April 4, 2018 – via Google Books.
- ^ a b Hay, Carla (July 29, 2000). "MTV, Refac Team to Create Consumer Electronics Line". Billboard. Vol. 112, no. 31. p. 99. Archived from the original on April 3, 2018 – via Google Books.
- ^ "Amil feat. Beanie Sigel- Memphis Bleek & Jay-Z – 4 Da Fam". Vimeo. Archived from the original on April 4, 2018.
- ^ "Video Monitor". Billboard. Vol. 112, no. 21. May 20, 2000. p. 109. Archived from the original on April 3, 2018 – via Google Books.
- ^ "Amil, Beanie Sigel, Memphis Bleek, Jay-Z – 4 Da Fam". Vevo. October 25, 2009. Archived from the original on May 9, 2016.
- ^ Wilson, MacKenzie. "AllMusic Review". AllMusic. Archived from the original on October 12, 2016.
- ^ a b Rivers, Steve (October 4, 2012). "The Carter Administration: Jay-Z's Nephew Mel Makes His Own Way". Ebony. Archived from the original on April 4, 2018.
- ^ a b "Rappers Be Lyin: 10 Greatest Rap Lies". Bossip. December 12, 2012. Archived from the original on February 19, 2015.
- ^ Ex, Kris (December 2000). "Jayhova's Witness". Vibe. Vol. 8, no. 10. pp. 129–130, 132–136. Archived from the original on April 3, 2018 – via Google Books.
- ^ Cowie, Del F. (August 23, 2009). "Jay-Z: Beyond Reasonable Doubt". Exclaim!. Archived from the original on March 29, 2016.
- ^ a b c Markman, Rob (January 9, 2012). "Jay-Z Takes on Fatherhood: From 'Glory' to 'Can't Be Life'". MTV News. Archived from the original on December 15, 2017.
- ^ Preezy (October 31, 2015). "How Jay Z's 'The Dynasty: Roc La Familia' Helped Solidify His Legacy in Hip-Hop". The Boombox. Archived from the original on May 9, 2017.
- ^ Barber, Andrew; Shipley, Al (March 20, 2018). "The 100 Best Jay-Z Songs". Complex. Archived from the original on April 3, 2018.
- ^ Kennedy, John (September 5, 2017). "All 274 Jay-Z Songs, Ranked From Worst to Best". Vulture.com. Archived from the original on February 25, 2018.
- ^ Raw, Son (June 10, 2015). "The Rise and Fall of Roc-A-Fella Records". Fact. Archived from the original on April 4, 2018.
- ^ a b "Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (4 da Fam)". Billboard. Archived from the original on December 15, 2017.
- ^ a b "R&B/Hip-Hop Streaming Songs (4 da Fam)". Billboard. Archived from the original on December 15, 2017.
- ^ a b "Hot Rap Songs (4 da Fam)". Billboard. Archived from the original on December 15, 2017.
External links
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