"This Is How We Do It" is the debut single of American singer-songwriter Montell Jordan. It was released by Def Jam Recordings on February 6, 1995, as the lead single from his debut studio album of the same name (1995). The single was Def Jam's first R&B release, and is Jordan's signature song.
"Hypnotize" is a song by American rapper the Notorious B.I.G. featuring uncredited vocals by Pamela Long, 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. Rolling Stone ranked the song as number 30 on their list of the "100 Greatest Hip-Hop Songs of All Time".
Chyna Doll is the second studio album by American rapper Foxy Brown. It was released on January 26, 1999, by Ill Na Na Entertainment, Violator Records and Def Jam Recordings. After the commercial success of her debut album, Ill Na Na (1996), Brown began working on her second album. This time, she insisted on being the executive producer to have a creative control over the album. She collaborated with a number of producers, such as Kanye West, D-Dot, Irv Gotti, Lil Rob, Swizz Beatz and Tyrone Fyffe, among others.
Broken Silence is the third studio album by American rapper Foxy Brown, released on June 5, 2001, by Violator and Ill Na Na Entertainment; distributed under Def Jam Recordings. The album debuted at number five on the Billboard 200 with first-week sales of 131,000 copies. It has been certified gold by the RIAA for shipments of 500,000 copies in the United States. This is Foxy's only album to be released in the 2000s, and remains her most recent release.
"Girlfriend/Boyfriend" is a song by American R&B group Blackstreet. It was released in May 1999 as the second and final single from their third album Finally. Janet Jackson is also featured in the song as well as rappers Ja Rule and Eve. The song is co-written by R&B singer and Ja Rule's former associate Cynthia "Lil' Mo" Loving. It was a minor hit in the United States and achieved moderate success in some other countries.
"Luv U Better" is a song by LL Cool J, released as the lead single from his ninth studio album, 10 (2002). Released on August 13, 2002, by Def Jam Recordings, it was produced by The Neptunes and features additional vocals from Marc Dorsey. "Luv U Better" was a huge success in the United States, reaching the top five of three major Billboard charts: it peaked at number four on the Billboard Hot 100, number two on the Hot Rap Tracks, and number one the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs.
"Let's Ride" is the lead single released from Montell Jordan's third album of the same name. The song was produced by Teddy Bishop, arranged by R&B singer Case and featured verses from American rappers Master P and Silkk the Shocker.
"Hip Hop Hooray" is a song by American hip hop group, Naughty by Nature, released in December 1992 by Tommy Boy Records as the first single from their third album, 19 Naughty III (1993). The song spent one week at number one on the US Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, and reached number eight on the Billboard Hot 100. It contains samples from "Funky President" by James Brown, "Don't Change Your Love" by Five Stairsteps, "Make Me Say it Again, Girl" by Isley Brothers, "You Can't Turn Me Away" by Sylvia Striplin and "Sledgehammer" by Peter Gabriel. Pete Rock made a remix that samples Cannonball Adderley's "74 Miles Away". It was certified Platinum by the RIAA and has sold over 1,100,000 copies in the United States. The music video for "Hip Hop Hooray" was directed by Spike Lee and filmed in Brooklyn, New York City.
"What's Your Fantasy" is a song and debut single by American rapper Ludacris from his independently released debut album Incognegro and his first major label studio album Back for the First Time. As a single, it was released on September 12, 2000, via Disturbing tha Peace/Def Jam South. Produced by Shondrae "Bangladesh" Crawford, it features guest appearance from fellow DTP signee Shawnna. The song is focused around the narration of explicit sexual fantasies. In addition to discussion of sexual intercourse and fellatio, Ludacris hints at cunnilingus and role-playing in the song.
"No One Else" is a song by American girl group Total featuring American rapper Da Brat. It was released as the second single from Total's self-titled debut studio album on November 28, 1995, by Bad Boy and Arista Records. The song was produced by Bad Boy founder Sean "Puffy" Combs and Poke of the Trackmasters, while the songwriting was handled by the two alongside the featured Da Brat and Terri & Monica vocalist Terri Robinson. The song also contains a sample from the track "South Bronx" by Boogie Down Productions.
"(Always Be My) Sunshine" is a hip hop song by American rapper Jay-Z with guest vocals from fellow femcee Foxy Brown and R&B singer-songwriter Babyface who performs the song's chorus. It serves as the first single from his second album In My Lifetime, Vol. 1 (1997). The track features production by Daven "Prestige" Vanderpool. Vanderpool samples MC Lyte's "Cha Cha Cha", Alexander O'Neal's "Sunshine", Kraftwerk's "The Man-Machine" and The Fearless Four's "Rockin' It" for the track's beat. In addition, George Fonenette plays keyboards on this song. The song's lyrics helped indicate Jay-Z's change from his Mafioso rap style to a more commercial "shiny suit" style. Steve Juon of RapReviews.com supports the song claiming that it is a less gangsta version of The Notorious B.I.G.'s "Me & My Bitch", a well-received track. Jay-Z cites this song as "what killed the album."
"Take Me There" is a song by American quartet Blackstreet and singer Mya, featuring Bad Boy rappers Mase and Blinky Blink. It was written by Mase, Michael Foster, Madeline Nelson, Tamara Savage and Teddy Riley. Riley also produced the song. The song serves as the theme song for the animated feature film The Rugrats Movie and was released on November 30, 1998, as the lead and only single from the soundtrack. It also appeared on Blackstreet's third studio album, Finally.
"Sock It 2 Me" is a song recorded by American rapper Missy "Misdemeanor" Elliott featuring American rapper Da Brat. It was written by Shawntae Harris, William Hart, Thom Bell and producer Timothy "Timbaland" Mosley for her debut album Supa Dupa Fly (1997) and released as the album's second single in a slightly re-recorded form. The song is based on a sample from the 1968 single "Ready or Not Here I Come " by the Delfonics.
"Firm Biz" is the first and only single by the hip hop supergroup The Firm from their singular collaborative LP The Album. The song was produced by L.E.S, who based the song's track on a sample of Teena Marie's 1981 hit "Square Biz". "Firm Biz" also features a chorus performed by former En Vogue singer Dawn Robinson, reworked from the "Square Biz" chorus. AZ raps the first verse of the song, Nas the second, and Foxy Brown the third and final verse. The song did not reach any US chart positions, but was a UK top 20 hit in 1997. A remix of the song was released, featuring a verse from Half-A-Mill and a chorus by Mary J. Blige, replacing Dawn Robinson. The word "feds" is censored in the explicit version, in verse 2, performed by Nas, when he raps "Never that though Black .4-4's for feds".
"I'll Be" is a song recorded by American rapper Foxy Brown for her debut studio album, Ill Na Na (1996), featuring Brooklyn-based rapper Jay-Z. It was released as the second single from the album on March 4, 1997, by Violator and Def Jam Recordings. The song was written by Shawn Carter, Jean-Claude Olivier, Samuel Barnes, Angela Winbush, René Moore, Bobby Watson and Bruce Swedien with production by Trackmasters, and samples René & Angela's 1985 song "I'll Be Good". It was recorded at Chung King Studios in New York City, while the mixing of the track was finished at The Hit Factory. "I'll Be" is a hip hop and R&B song with explicit lyrics that revolve around sex and money.
"Big Bad Mama" is a single by American rapper Foxy Brown and American R&B group Dru Hill from the soundtrack to the 1997 film, How to Be a Player. The song also appeared on the European re-issue of Foxy Brown's debut album, Ill Na Na.
"Nothin'" is the lead single from American rapper N.O.R.E.'s third studio album, God's Favorite (2002). The song was produced by the Neptunes and features Neptunes member Pharrell Williams performing the song's hook. "Nothin'" reached No. 10 on the Billboard Hot 100, surpassing his 1998 hit "Superthug" as his biggest solo hit. At the end of 2002, "Nothin'" was ranked No. 37 on the Billboard Year-End Hot 100 singles of 2002.
"Turn It Up (Remix) / Fire It Up" is a song by American rapper Busta Rhymes. It was released as the fourth and last single from his second studio album, When Disaster Strikes... (1997), and as the second single from the Can't Hardly Wait soundtrack on May 15, 1998, by Flipmode Entertainment and Elektra Records. The song was written and produced by Busta Rhymes, and contains co-production by Flipmode Squad member and Busta's hype man Spliff Star.
"Oh Yeah" is the first single from Trinidadian American female hip-hop artist Foxy Brown's third album Broken Silence.
"Someone" is a song by American R&B group SWV, released as the second single from their third studio album Release Some Tension on June 24, 1997. It features a guest appearance from American rapper and producer Sean Combs. The song samples "Ten Crack Commandments" and "The World is Filled..." both by The Notorious B.I.G. from his album Life After Death.
