I Can (Nas song)

Last updated
"I Can"
Nasican.jpg
Single by Nas
from the album God's Son
ReleasedFebruary 11, 2003
Recorded2002
Genre
Length4:13
Label
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s) Salaam Remi
Nas singles chronology
"Thugz Mansion"
(2002)
"I Can"
(2003)
"Get Down"
(2003)

"I Can" is a single by American rapper Nas from his sixth album, God's Son . It was released internationally February 11, 2003. Unlike the rest of the album, this does not have the Parental Advisory (or Explicit and other labeling on digital stores) label on the song, as it is aimed at children. The song peaked at #12 on the Billboard Hot 100.

Contents

Composition

Boasting production from Salaam Remi, the song samples Ludwig van Beethoven's "Für Elise" and the drum break from the Honey Drippers' "Impeach the President". [1]

The lyrics are positive encouraging kids to stay drug-free and to pursue their dreams, pointing to examples of powerful icons in the African-American community like Oprah Winfrey. Conversely, Nas raps about a friend who was moving up in the music scene, only to fall victim to a debilitating drug addiction that took her career and her looks.

Music video

The music video, directed by Chris Robinson, was shot in Los Angeles, and contains footage of Nas rapping while children stand around him. The video starts out with the music from the introduction of "Get Down," but it soon transitions into "I Can." As the video starts, a young girl plays Beethoven on a piano in a vacant lot. Later in the video, children are jumping on a mattress in the same lot. The video also contains footage of break dancing and famous Egyptian structures.

Reception

The single received positive reviews. Christian Hoard of Rolling Stone magazine labels "I Can" as "a silly stay-in-school ad attached to a Beethoven sample." [2] This comment may be attributed to the "singsongy" call and response chorus featuring the voices of young children. [3] Other reviewers appreciated "I Can" more: Jon Robinson of IGN.com claims that on his second single, "Nas delivers some of his most inspiring lyrics to date." [4]

"I Can" charted in 2003 at #12 in Billboard Hot 100, #7 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks, #6 on the Hot Rap Tracks and #58 on the Billboard Year-End Hot 100 singles of 2003. [5] This is Nas's highest charting single as a lead artist to date.

Media usage

In 2019, the song was used by French life insurance company AXA which dedicates to all people who want to be when they can pursue their dreams. Tennis player Serena Williams is featured in this advert.[ citation needed ]

Track listing

  1. "I Can" (Clean Version) (4:13)
  2. "I Can" (Instrumental) (4:14)
  3. "I Can" (Acappella) (4:03)

Charts

Weekly charts

Chart (2003)Peak
position
Australia (ARIA) [6] 43
Australian Urban (ARIA) [7] 11
Canada (Nielsen SoundScan) [8] 39
Denmark (Tracklisten) [9] 15
France (SNEP) [10] 72
Germany (Official German Charts) [11] 53
Ireland (IRMA) [12] 41
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40 Tipparade) [13] 2
Netherlands (Single Top 100) [14] 46
Scotland (OCC) [15] 28
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade) [16] 43
UK Hip Hop/R&B (OCC) [17] 6
UK Singles (OCC) [18] 19
US Billboard Hot 100 [19] 12
US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs ( Billboard ) [20] 8
US R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay ( Billboard ) [21] 6
US Hot Rap Songs ( Billboard ) [22] 6
US Pop Airplay ( Billboard ) [23] 27
US Rhythmic ( Billboard ) [24] 7

Year-end charts

Chart (2003)Position
US Billboard Hot 100 [25] 58

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nas</span> American rapper (born 1973)

Nasir bin Olu Dara Jones, known professionally as Nas, is an American rapper and entrepreneur. Rooted in East Coast hip hop, he is regarded as one of the greatest rappers of all time. The son of jazz musician Olu Dara, Nas began his musical career in 1989 under the moniker "Nasty Nas", and recorded demos under the wing of fellow East Coast rapper Large Professor. Nas made his recording debut on Professor's group, Main Source's 1991 song "Live at the Barbeque".

<i>Gods Son</i> (album) 2002 studio album by Nas

God's Son is the sixth studio album by American rapper Nas. It was released on December 13, 2002, by Ill Will and Columbia Records. Production took place during 2001 to 2002, and was handled by several producers, including Salaam Remi, Chucky Thompson, Ron Browz, Eminem, and The Alchemist. The album also includes guest appearances from artists such as Alicia Keys, Kelis, and a posthumous feature from 2Pac. Musically, God's Son blends hardcore hip hop with elements of soul and jazz. Partly inspired by the death of his mother in early 2002, God's Son covers lyrical themes such as religion, violence, grief, redemption and his own emotional experiences. It has been recognized by critics as some of Nas' most personal work.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">If I Ruled the World (Imagine That)</span> 1996 single by Nas featuring Lauryn Hill

"If I Ruled the World (Imagine That)" is a song by American rapper Nas featuring American singer and rapper Lauryn Hill. It was released as the lead single from Nas' second studio album It Was Written on June 4, 1996, by Columbia Records. Produced by Trackmasters, with some uncredited input by Rashad Smith, it is based on the 1985 hit of the same name by American rapper Kurtis Blow and samples the beat of "Friends" by Whodini. Lauryn Hill's verse interpolates the song "Walk Right Up To The Sun" by The Delfonics. The single marked Hill's first musical appearance outside of the Fugees.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nas discography</span> East Coast hip hop recording artist discography

The discography of Nas, an American rapper, consists of seventeen studio albums, one collaborative album, one group album, five compilations, four mixtapes, one extended play, and seventy-nine singles. Nas has sold over 20 million records in the United States alone, and 35 million albums worldwide.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The World Is Yours (Nas song)</span> 1994 single by Nas

"The World Is Yours" is a 1994 song by American rapper Nas, for his debut album, Illmatic. The song was released one month after the released as the album's fourth single. The song was written by Nas and Peter Phillips. The song is considered by music critics as one of the greatest hip-hop songs ever recorded; About.com ranked it seventh greatest rap song of all time. It reached number 13 on the Hot Rap Singles chart in 1994. The song, produced by Pete Rock, samples Ahmad Jamal's I Love Music.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">One Mic</span> 2002 single by Nas

"One Mic" is a song by American rapper Nas, released April 16, 2002 on Columbia Records and distributed through Ill Will Records in the United States. It was issued as the third single from his fifth studio album, Stillmatic (2001). The single peaked at number 43 on the Billboard Hot 100, making it Nas's third top-fifty hit on the chart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Made You Look (Nas song)</span> 2002 single by Nas

"Made You Look" is the first single from Nas' 2002 album, God's Son. Built around several samples lifted from the Incredible Bongo Band's "Apache", the single was important in establishing Nas' direction following his battle with Jay-Z and the Stillmatic album in its reliance on intricate lyricism and an old-school aesthetic. The song reached much commercial success, on the level of "I Can", and it was a sizeable hit among urban audiences and remains one of the more popular tracks on the God's Son album. It is his third highest charting single to date.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Frontin'</span> 2003 single by Pharrell Williams featuring Jay-Z

"Frontin'" is the debut single by American singer-songwriter Pharrell Williams featuring American rapper Jay-Z. It was written by the artists alongside Chad Hugo, who produced it with Williams as the Neptunes. At the time of its release, Williams insisted the single was a one-off, and that he was purely a producer and not an artist in his own right. However, he released his own solo studio album, In My Mind, in 2006.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">It's Okay (One Blood)</span> 2006 single by The Game

"It's Okay (One Blood)" is a song by American rapper and West Coast hip hop artist The Game featuring vocals from reggae singer Junior Reid, from his second studio album Doctor's Advocate. Released as the album's lead single on July 24, 2006, the song was written by The Game himself and Junior Reid, and it was produced by D-Roc, and Reefa. The Game himself revealed that the song would be released on July 31, 2006, but actually was released on July 24, 2006. The song was originally to be released on July 4, 2006 but got pushed back by The Game. Jimmy Rosemond, head of Czar Entertainment and The Game's manager, explained how "One Blood" would receive positive radio airplay and prove the talent that The Game had. A supposed original version of the song was released in late January 2011.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Oh Boy (Cam'ron song)</span> 2002 single by Camron featuring Juelz Santana

"Oh Boy" is a 2002 Grammy-nominated hip hop single by Cam'ron from his album Come Home with Me, and features Juelz Santana. The single was released through Jay-Z's Roc-A-Fella Records, Cam'ron's Diplomats Records and Def Jam Recordings.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Thugz Mansion</span> 2002 single by 2Pac featuring Nas and J. Phoenix

"Thugz Mansion" is a song by 2Pac, released as a posthumous single with two known popular versions both released on the 2002 album Better Dayz. It was nominated by the Source Awards for Single of the Year.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">You (Lloyd song)</span> 2006 single by Lloyd featuring Lil Wayne

"You" is a song by American R&B singer Lloyd, featuring rapper Lil Wayne. It was the lead single from Lloyd's sophomore studio album, Street Love (2007). "You" was produced by Big Reese and Jasper Cameron, and recorded in their basement. Lloyd himself reportedly leaked the track to an Atlanta radio station with the intention to receive airplay. Originally, the single featured Atlanta rapper Tango Redd, who was replaced with Lil Wayne before the official release. Notably, the chorus of "You" features an interpolation of Spandau Ballet's "True" (1983).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hip Hop Is Dead (song)</span> 2006 single by Nas featuring will.i.am

"Hip Hop Is Dead" is the first and title single taken from Nas' 2006 album of the same name. It is produced by and features will.i.am. It peaked at number 48 on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, as well as number 41 on the Billboard Hot 100. On December 31, 2007, the music video for "Hip Hop Is Dead" appeared at number 93 on BET's Notarized: Top 100 Videos of 2007 countdown, even though the video was released in December 2006.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hero (Nas song)</span> 2008 single by Nas featuring Keri Hilson

"Hero" is a song by American rapper Nas, released June 2008 as the lead single from his untitled album. The song, which features vocals from American R&B singer Keri Hilson, was produced by Polow da Don.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">DJ Khaled discography</span> Hip hop disc jockey discography

The discography of American disc jockey DJ Khaled consists of thirteen studio albums which contain 54 singles ; his videography consists of at least 58 music videos. Khaled's value proposition is his extensive network of artists of whom he enlists to perform on studio recordings. While first accumulating such connections from his work as a live DJ and radio personality, he's since become known himself for numerous quips and phrases uttered on these records—many of which became Internet memes. Furthermore, his interviews, quotes, or other presentative qualities have often been described as "motivational" or "inspirational". Despite commercial success, the albums in Khaled's discography have often garnered largely mixed receptions from music critics.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pusha T discography</span> Hip hop recording artist discography

The discography of American rapper Pusha T consists of four studio albums, one extended play (EP), two mixtapes, 53 singles, two promotional singles and 33 music videos.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">I'm on One</span> 2011 single by DJ Khaled

"I'm on One" is a song by American hip hop artist DJ Khaled, released as the second single from his fifth studio album, We the Best Forever. The hip hop song features Canadian rapper Drake and American rappers Rick Ross and Lil Wayne and features production from Canadian producers T-Minus, Nikhil S. and Noah "40" Shebib. It was released for digital download in the United States on May 20, 2011. Remixes and freestyles were released from rappers such as Tyga, Meek Mill, Jamie Drastik, including other rappers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Did You Ever Think</span> 1999 single by R. Kelly featuring Nas and Tone

"Did You Ever Think" is a single by American musician R. Kelly, on his third solo studio album titled R. It was the seventh single on that album and charted at the top 40 on the Billboard Hot 100, at number 27. The remix features rapper Nas and a video has been made for the remix, but not the original. It charted at number eight on the R&B/Hip Hop chart and at number 20 on the UK Singles Chart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rap God</span> 2013 single by Eminem

"Rap God" is a song by American rapper Eminem. The song premiered via YouTube on October 14, 2013, and was released in the United States on October 15, 2013, as the third single from Eminem's eighth studio album, The Marshall Mathers LP 2 (2013). It contains references to previous conflicts in Eminem's career, as well as to other rappers' conduct.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Street Dreams (song)</span> 1996 single by Nas

"Street Dreams" is a 1996 single by American rapper Nas. The song was It Was Written's second single, following "If I Ruled the World ". "Street Dreams" contains an interpolation from the Eurythmics song "Sweet Dreams " and a sample from Linda Clifford's "Never Gonna Stop". A remix, including an appearance by R. Kelly, was released shortly after the original. It featured samples from The Isley Brothers' "Choosey Lover" along with some elements from Marvin Gaye's "Mercy Mercy Me." The remix version was performed live on an episode of the Nickelodeon series All That in February 1997.

References

  1. SamplesDB - Nas's Tracks
  2. Hoard, Christian. Review: God's Son Archived 2017-12-06 at the Wayback Machine . Rolling Stone . Retrieved on 2012-02-14.
  3. Kim, Serena. "Review: God's Son". Vibe : 135–136. February 2003.
  4. Robinson, Jon. "God's Son review at IGN". Archived from the original on October 15, 2007. Retrieved February 3, 2007.
  5. "Nas' Billboard singles chart positions at Allmusic" . Retrieved January 17, 2007.
  6. "Nasir Jones – I Can". ARIA Top 50 Singles. Retrieved May 28, 2022.
  7. "Issue 697" ARIA Top 40 Urban Singles. National Library of Australia. Retrieved February 27, 2022.
  8. "Top 50 Singles". Jam! . Archived from the original on May 21, 2003. Retrieved May 11, 2024.
  9. "Nasir Jones – I Can". Tracklisten. Retrieved May 28, 2022.
  10. "Nasir Jones – I Can" (in French). Les classement single. Retrieved May 28, 2022.
  11. "Nasir Jones – I Can" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved May 28, 2022.
  12. "Irish-charts.com – Discography Nasir Jones". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved May 28, 2022.
  13. "Tipparade-lijst van week 17, 2003" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40 . Retrieved March 18, 2023.
  14. "Nasir Jones – I Can" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved May 28, 2022.
  15. "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved May 28, 2022.
  16. "Nasir Jones – I Can". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved May 28, 2022.
  17. "Official Hip Hop and R&B Singles Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved May 28, 2022.
  18. "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved May 28, 2022.
  19. "Nas Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved May 28, 2022.
  20. "Nas Chart History (Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved May 28, 2022.
  21. "Nas Chart History (Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay)". Billboard. Retrieved February 22, 2024.
  22. "Nas Chart History (Hot Rap Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved May 28, 2022.
  23. "Nas Chart History (Pop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved May 28, 2022.
  24. "Nas Chart History (Rhythmic)". Billboard. Retrieved May 28, 2022.
  25. "2003 Year End Charts – The Billboard Hot 100 Singles & Tracks". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved January 3, 2012.