"It Ain't Hard to Tell" is the second single and last track from American rapper Nas' debut album, Illmatic. Although the track was technically the second single on the album, it was the first single to be released after the album was pressed in 1994. The first single, "Halftime," was released two years prior to Illmatic's debut.
"Ain't It Funny (Murder Remix)" is a song by American singer Jennifer Lopez for her remix album J to tha L–O! The Remixes (2002). The song was marketed as a remix of "Ain't It Funny", but is actually an entirely different song with the same title. It features guest vocals from Ja Rule (Jeffrey Atkins) and Caddillac Tah (Tiheem Crocker). It was written by Lopez, Atkins, Tah, Cory Rooney, Irving Lorenzo, and Ashanti. Over a reworking of the beat to Craig Mack's "Flava in Ya Ear" (produced by Easy Mo Bee), Lopez sings about "dropping a boyfriend who keeps messing up".
"So Gone" is a song by American R&B recording artist Monica. It was one out of several tracks rapper-producer Missy Elliott wrote and produced along with Kenneth Cunningham and Jamahl Rye from production duo Spike & Jamahl for Monica's fourth studio album, After the Storm (2003), following the delay and subsequent reconstruction of her 2002 album, All Eyez on Me. Incorporating elements of hip hop and 1970s-style smooth jazz as well as soul music, it features a sample from the 1976 song "You Are Number One", penned by Zyah Ahmonuel and performed by The Whispers.
"Diary" is a song by American singer-songwriter Alicia Keys from her second studio album, The Diary of Alicia Keys (2003). Written by Keys and Kerry Brothers, Jr. and produced by Keys, the song features the American group Tony! Toni! Toné! on bass, piano, guitar, organ and Wurlitzer, while Jermaine Paul provides uncredited additional vocals. It was released on May 24, 2004, as the album's third single. At one time, "Diary" had been released as a double A-side with "If I Ain't Got You".
"If I Ain't Got You" is a song recorded by American singer-songwriter Alicia Keys for her second studio album The Diary of Alicia Keys (2003). Inspired by the 2001 death of singer Aaliyah, the September 11 attacks, and other events in the world and in Keys' life, the song is about "how material things don't feed the soul". It was released as the second single from The Diary of Alicia Keys on February 17, 2004, by J Records. The single cover depicts Keys similarly to the subject of Man Ray's 1924 photograph Le Violon d'Ingres.
"Be Without You" is a song by American recording artist Mary J. Blige. It was written by Johnta Austin, Bryan Michael Cox, Jason Perry, and Blige for her seventh studio album, The Breakthrough (2005). Production was helmed by Cox and Young Smoke, while vocal production was overseen by Ron Fair and Blige. It was released as the album's first official single on November 14, 2005.
"Nobody's Supposed to Be Here" is the lead single released by Canadian recording artist Deborah Cox from her second studio album One Wish (1998). The song was released on the same day as the album on September 15, 1998 by Arista Records. It is written by Montell Jordan and its producer Anthony "Shep" Crawford. 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/Hip-Hop Songs chart. In 2017, Billboard ranked the song at number five on its "Greatest of All Time Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs" chart.
"Why I Love You So Much" is a song by American R&B singer Monica, composed by Daryl Simmons for Monica's debut studio album, Miss Thang (1995). The ballad was released as the album's fourth and final single on a double A-side with "Ain't Nobody" during the second quarter of 1996. The double-A-side single became Monica's third consecutive top ten hit on the US Billboard Hot 100 with a peak position of number 9.
"Ain't Nobody" is a song by American funk band Rufus and American singer Chaka Khan. It was released on November 4, 1983, as one of four studio tracks included on their live album, Stompin' at the Savoy (1983). "Ain't Nobody" quickly gathered popularity, and reached number one on the US Billboard R&B chart and number 22 on the US Billboard Hot 100. It has become one of Khan's signature songs.
"Last Night" is a song by American R&B group Az Yet, produced by Babyface and Mervyn Warren, and released as the first single from the group's debut album, Az Yet (1996). The song became the group's first hit, reaching number nine on the US Billboard Hot 100, number one on the Billboard Hot R&B Singles chart, and number four on the Billboard Rhythmic Top 40 chart. Additionally, it reached number two in Australia, number six in New Zealand, and number eight in the Netherlands. The song was also included on The Nutty Professor soundtrack.
American R&B singer Monica has released 8 studio albums, one extended play, and 35 singles. Since the beginning of her career in 1995, she has sold 5.3 million albums in the United States, In 1999, Billboard included her among the top twenty of the Top Pop Artists of the 1990s, and in 2010, the magazine ranked her 24th on its list of the Top 50 R&B and Hip Hop Artists of the past 25 years. With a career lasting over 20 years, Monica became the first artist to top the US Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart in the 1990s, 2000s, and 2010s.
"That's That" is the second single by Snoop Dogg from the album Tha Blue Carpet Treatment. The song was the first single taken from the album in the United Kingdom, however the single only achieved notable success in the U.S., where it reached #20 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. The song samples the melody played in the 1988 film Coming to America during the bathroom scene when Eddie Murphy gets washed by female servants.
"All Eyez on Me" is a song by American singer Monica. It was written in collaboration with Rodney "Darkchild" Jerkins and LaShawn Daniels for her original third studio album of the same name, while production was helmed by the former. The song incorporates excerpts of "P.Y.T. " (1983) by American singer Michael Jackson. Due to the inclusion of the sample, Quincy Jones and James Ingram are also credited as songwriters. A lighthearted party jam that is built on a danceable groove, "All Eyez on Me" talks about self-confidence.
"Can't You See" is a 1995 song by American R&B girl group Total, released as their debut single. The track was released from the New Jersey Drive soundtrack and also later appeared on their debut album, Total. After making their recording debut on his tracks "Juicy", "One More Chance" and "One More Chance" ", The Notorious B.I.G. returned the favor with an intro rap verse to the song. The track was written and arranged by Terri & Monica's Terri Robinson, produced entirely by Sean "Puffy" Combs with instrumentation provided by associates Rashad Smith, Herb Middleton and Chucky Thompson and contains a sample from James Brown's "The Payback". The track was a success both on the mainstream US Billboard Hot 100 chart, reaching number thirteen and the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, where it made number three. The song also peaked at number forty-three on the UK Singles Chart, where it charted for two weeks.
"Ain't No Nigga" is the second single from the American rapper Jay-Z's first album, Reasonable Doubt, and is featured on the soundtrack to the 1996 Eddie Murphy movie The Nutty Professor. It was released on March 19, 1996. The track features Foxy Brown, and uncredited vocals by Jaz-O.
"Hands Up" a song by American girl group TLC. It was written and produced by both Babyface and Daryl Simmons for the band's fourth studio album, 3D (2002), and released as the album's second single following "Girl Talk" in the United States in November 2002. The sensual mid-tempo song became the band's first single release to neither enter the US Billboard Hot 100 nor the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks chart. It, however, reached number 18 on the Billboard Hot Singles Sales chart. The song was not included on any of the group's official greatest hits albums. Remixes for the track were used as the B-side to follow-up single "Damaged" in European countries.
The Nutty Professor Soundtrack is the soundtrack to Tom Shadyac's 1996 comedy film The Nutty Professor. It was released in June 1996 via Def Jam Recordings, and contained hip hop and R&B music.
"Make It Clap" is the first single released from Busta Rhymes's sixth studio album, It Ain't Safe No More..., released on the following month, which is November 26, 2002. The remix version was released on January 13, 2003 as the official single in place of the original, released two months earlier, which is October 22, 2002. It features Sean Paul and Spliff Star. The single peaked at #46 on the Billboard Hot 100.
"Do You Mind" is a single by American musician DJ Khaled featuring Trinidadian musician Nicki Minaj and fellow American musicians Chris Brown, Jeremih, Future, August Alsina, and Rick Ross. It was released on July 28, 2016 by We the Best Music Group and Epic Records as the fourth single of the former's ninth studio album, Major Key. The song peaked at number 27 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and number 9 on the US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs charts. It was eventually certified triple platinum by the RIAA.
"Ain't Safe" is a song by American rappers and singers Trippie Redd and Don Toliver. It was released on October 28, 2022 as the fourth single for the former's upcoming mixtape A Love Letter to You 5. The song peaked at number 92 on the Billboard Hot 100.
