"Wifey" is a song by American R&B trio Next. The song was written by Eddie Berkeley, Keir Gist, band member Robert "RL" Huggar, and singer Lil' Mo for the group's second studio album, Welcome II Nextasy (2000). The song was released as the album's lead single on May 8, 2000. "Wifey" peaked at number one on the US Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks chart while reaching number seven on the Billboard Hot 100. It also entered the top 20 in New Zealand and the United Kingdom. In 2001, the song won an AWARD Rhythm & Soul Award for in the Award-Winning R&B/Hip-Hop Songs category.
"When the Lights Go Out" is the second single released from British group Five's debut studio album, Five (1998). It was released in early 1998. The song was co-written by the group alongside Eliot Kennedy, Tim Lever and Mike Percy, and John McLaughlin. It was co-produced by Kennedy, Lever and Percy, with the US version receiving additional production from Cutfather & Joe.
"The First Night" is a song by American singer Monica for her second studio album, The Boy Is Mine (1998). It was written by Tamara Savage and Jermaine Dupri, featuring production and additional vocals from the latter. Built around a sample of Diana Ross's 1976 recording "Love Hangover", penned by Marilyn McLeod and Pam Sawyer, who share co-writing credits, the song is about the protagonist's battle with sexual temptations on the night of her first date, despite her conflicting emotions and strong sexual desires.
"Doo Wop (That Thing)" is a song by American rapper and singer Lauryn Hill from her debut solo studio album, The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill (1998). It was written and produced by Hill. The song was released as her solo debut and lead single from The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill on August 10, 1998, by Ruffhouse Records and Columbia Records. No commercial release was originally intended for the single in the US, but limited-quantity physical formats were issued two months later, on October 27.
American singer Mary J. Blige began her career as a backing vocalist for Uptown Records in the early 1990s. In a career spanning more than 30 years, she has released 15 studio albums and 83 singles—including more than 20 as a featured artist. The "Queen of Hip-Hop Soul" has sold an estimate of over 100 million records worldwide, and over 20 million in the United States alone. Billboard ranked Blige as the 18th Greatest Billboard 200 Woman of all time, the 45th Greatest Hot 100 Woman of all time and 88th Greatest Artist of all time.
"U Know What's Up" is a song by American R&B singer Donell Jones. It was written by Edward "Eddie F." Ferrell, Darren Lighty, Clifton Lighty, Balewa Muhammad, Anthony Hamilton, and Veronica McKenzie for his second studio album, Where I Wanna Be (1999), while production was helmed by Ferrell and Darren Lighty for Untouchables Entertainment.
"Most Girls" is a song by American singer Pink, released as the second single from her debut album, Can't Take Me Home (2000). It was released on June 6, 2000, and, after spending 16 weeks on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart, peaked at number four on November 25. The song also reached number one in Australia, where it was certified platinum, number two in Canada and New Zealand, and number five in the United Kingdom.
"So Fresh, So Clean" is a song by American hip hop duo Outkast from their fourth studio album, Stankonia (2000), featuring uncredited vocals from singer-songwriter Sleepy Brown. It was produced by longtime collaborators Organized Noize. The song reached number 30 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart and was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) in October 2020.
"Nobody's Supposed to Be Here" is a song by Canadian recording artist Deborah Cox, released as the lead single from her second studio album, One Wish (1998). Written by Montell Jordan and its producer, Anthony "Shep" Crawford, the song was released on the same day as the album, on September 15, 1998, by Arista Records. It is Cox's most successful song, peaking at number two on the Billboard Hot 100 for eight weeks and spending a then-record 14 weeks at number one on the Hot R&B Singles & Tracks chart. In 2017, Billboard ranked the song at number five on its "Greatest of All Time Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs" chart.
A Rose Is Still a Rose is the thirty-fourth studio album by American recording artist Aretha Franklin. It was released on March 24, 1998, by Arista Records. Conceived after a longer hiatus and a complete departure from her previous studio album What You See Is What You Sweat (1991), the album includes influences of 1990s hip hop as well as modern-day contemporary R&B and soul music. Throughout the project, Franklin worked with many famed hip hop producers and rappers, such as Lauryn Hill, Sean "Puffy" Combs, Jermaine Dupri, and Daryl Simmons. With the latter acts producing most of the album, A Rose Is Still a Rose deviated from the adult contemporary sound of Franklin's older work.
"Sittin' Up in My Room" is a song by American recording artist Brandy. It was written and produced by Babyface and recorded by Norwood for the soundtrack of the 1995 film Waiting to Exhale, starring Whitney Houston and Angela Bassett. The song was among five of the album's singles and peaked at number two on the US Billboard Hot 100, seeing Norwood's furthest commercial success on the chart at that time. The bass intro is similar to that of the riff performed by bassist Larry Graham, of Sly and the Family Stone, on their hit "Thank You ", and its remix featuring LL Cool J contains a sample of "Haven't You Heard" by Patrice Rushen.
"Roses" is a song by American hip hop duo OutKast. It was released on March 1, 2004, as the third single from their 2003 double album, Speakerboxxx/The Love Below. It appears on André 3000's The Love Below disc and is the only track on his disc to feature Big Boi. The track was largely popular in the United Kingdom and the United States, peaking at number four on the UK Singles Chart and number nine on the Billboard Hot 100. It also found popularity in Australia, reaching number two on the Australian Singles Chart. It was their fourth and final top-10 song in the United States.
Somewhere in My Lifetime is the third studio album by singer Phyllis Hyman. It was released by Arista Records in 1979, becoming Hyman's debut Arista release.
"The Whole World" is the first single released from American hip hop duo Outkast's first compilation album, Big Boi and Dre Present... Outkast (2001). The song was written by Outkast, produced by Earthtone III, and features Killer Mike and Joi. Upon its release as a single in November 2001, "The Whole World" peaked at number 19 on both the US Billboard Hot 100 and the UK Singles Chart. The song won the 2003 Grammy Award for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group.
"Angel" is a soul ballad recorded by American singer Aretha Franklin. The song was co-written by Aretha's sister, Carolyn, and Sonny Sanders. Aretha co-produced the song with Quincy Jones and it originally appeared on Aretha's nineteenth album, Hey Now Hey (1973). It was released as a single by Atlantic in June 1973 and went on to top the US R&B Singles chart for two weeks while reaching number twenty on the Pop chart. The single sold over 900,000 copies.
"Ex-Factor" is a song by American recording artist Lauryn Hill for her debut solo studio album The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill (1998). Written and produced by Hill herself, it incorporates elements of R&B, neo soul and hip hop soul. The song features a sample of "Can It Be All So Simple" by Wu-Tang Clan. It has been claimed to be about Hill's former Fugees groupmate Wyclef Jean. The song was released as the second single from The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill on December 14, 1998, by Ruffhouse Records and Columbia Records.
"Turn Your Lights Down Low" is a song by Jamaican reggae band Bob Marley and the Wailers from their 1977 album, Exodus. It is the only song on side B of the album that was not released as a single. However, a remastered version featuring Lauryn Hill was released in 1999. The duet was commercially successful, peaking at number one on the UK R&B Chart while topping the charts in New Zealand and Romania. It received a nomination for Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals at the 43rd Grammy Awards.
"Holiday" is the fourth and final single released from American hip hop trio Naughty by Nature's fifth album, Nineteen Naughty Nine: Nature's Fury. The song is built entirely around a dramatically slowed down sample of Change's 1980 number-one US dance hit "A Lover's Holiday". The song was released in October 1999 and was the final release that Naughty by Nature released during their short-lived tenure at Arista Records.
"Here We Go Again" is a song by American singer and songwriter Aretha Franklin. It was written by Trina Broussard, Jermaine Dupri and Trey Lorenz for Franklin's thirty-fourth studio album, A Rose Is Still a Rose (1998), while production was helmed by Dupri and Manuel Seal. The song is built around replayed portions of "The Glow of Love" (1980) by Italian-American post-disco group Change. Due to the inclusion of the sample, Mauro Malavasi, David Romani and Wayne K. Garfield are also credited as songwriters. The song was the second single released from A Rose Is Still a Rose in June 1998 and reached number 76 on the Billboard Hot 100, also becoming Franklin's fifth number one on the US Dance Club Songs.
"Rumble in the Jungle" is a song recorded for the 1996 documentary film When We Were Kings, which depicts the 1974 boxing match between Muhammad Ali and George Foreman that the song is named after: The Rumble in the Jungle. The song was written and performed by American hip hop group Fugees along with fellow hip hop artists A Tribe Called Quest, Busta Rhymes, and John Forté. Additional writers credited on the song are Benny Andersson, Björn Ulvaeus, Stig Anderson, and Chip Taylor since "Rumble in the Jungle" samples recordings written by them. The lyrics of the song focus mostly on Ali and his life, as well as the boxing match itself.
