"Welcome Back" | ||||
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Single by Mase | ||||
from the album Welcome Back | ||||
B-side | "Breathe, Stretch, Shake" | |||
Released | June 2004 | |||
Recorded | 2004 | |||
Genre | Hip hop | |||
Length | 4:22 3:45 (radio edit) | |||
Label | Bad Boy | |||
Songwriter(s) | John Sebastian | |||
Producer(s) | The Movement | |||
Mase singles chronology | ||||
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Music video | ||||
"Welcome Back" on YouTube |
"Welcome Back" is a song by American rapper Mase. It was released through Sean "Puffy" Combs' Bad Boy Entertainment as the first single off his third studio album. It marked the first single that Mase had released since 1999's "Get Ready", after he had taken a 5-year hiatus from the music industry.
"Welcome Back" garnered positive reception from critics who praised its catchability. The song peaked at number 8 on the Billboard Hot Rap Songs chart and number 32 on the Hot 100 chart. It also reached number 17 on both the Hot Rap Songs and Rhythmic charts respectively. The song has been certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), denoting sales of over 500,000 units in America. "Welcome Back" also reached the top 40 in countries like New Zealand, Switzerland and the United Kingdom.
The accompanying music video for the song, directed by Chris Robinson, parodies the opening to the children's show Mister Rogers' Neighborhood .
AllMusic's David Jeffries praised the track for being reminiscent of early Mase, saying that it's "lyric-filled, driven but effortless, and has a crafty interpolation of a pop tune, this time the Welcome Back, Kotter theme song." [1] Jessica Koslow of HipHopDX put it alongside "Breathe, Stretch, Shake" as being "sure-fire radio/club joints." [2] Rashaun Hall of Billboard said the production work by The Movement on the sample produced "infectious results." [3] Chadwicked of Tiny Mix Tapes praised Mase for maintaining his rap flow while under a different image, saying that "It proves that a man such as Mase can rhyme over a sample from Welcome Back, Kotter ; dress up like Mister Rogers in the video and have an 80-year old female back-up dancer, and still be taken seriously and appreciated." [4]
"Welcome Back" debuted at number 52 on the Billboard Hot 100 for the week of June 5, 2004. [5] It reached number 40 the week after and peaked at number 32 the week of June 19, [6] staying on the chart for eleven weeks. [7] On the Hot Rap Songs chart, it debuted at number 13 for the week of June 5, 2004. [8] Three weeks later, it peaked at number 8 the week of June 26. [9] It debuted at number 46 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart and then moved to number 23 for the week of June 5, 2004. [10] Four weeks later, it reached its peak at number 17 for the week of July 3, 2004. [11] It reached that same position on the Rhythmic chart for the week of July 10, 2004. [12] The song also charted in New Zealand, debuting at number 4 and staying there for four weeks, [13] remaining on the chart for seventeen weeks. [7] In Switzerland, it debuted at number 25 and stayed there for eight weeks and reached number 51 in Germany, with chart progression lasting for seven weeks. [7]
Directed by Chris Robinson, [14] the video begins as a parody of the opening to the 1968–2001 television series Mister Rogers' Neighborhood , being known in the video as Mister Betha's Neighborhood. The video also features Wyclef Jean pulling up in his Pagani Zonda and also features cameos from Sean Puffy Combs, Styles P, Loon, Cardan, Amerie, Pee Wee Kirkland, Fatman Scoop, E. Ness and Babs Bunny.
On August 20, 2004, Mase performed the song live on The Late Late Show with Craig Kilborn . [15]
"It's Alright" | |
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Song by Kanye West featuring Mase and John Legend | |
Released | March 22, 2005 |
Recorded | 2004 |
Genre | Hip hop |
Length | 3:52 |
Label | |
Songwriter(s) | |
Producer(s) | West |
The official remix to "Welcome Back" is titled "It's Alright", and it is by hip-hop artist Kanye West, with Mase being a featured artist along with singer John Legend. It was featured on the bonus CD of West's 2005 video album The College Dropout Video Anthology . [16]
Weekly charts
| Year-end charts
Certifications
|
Region | Date | Format(s) | Label(s) | Ref. |
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United States | June 14, 2004 | Rhythmic contemporary · urban contemporary radio | Bad Boy, Universal | [37] |
June 28, 2004 | Contemporary hit radio | [38] | ||
"Lean Back" is a song by American hip hop group Terror Squad. It was released as the second single from their second studio album, True Story, on June 1, 2004. An uptempo hip hop song built for the club environment, it contains vocal performances from group members Fat Joe and Remy and production from Scott Storch. It topped the US Billboard Hot 100 for three weeks, starting on August 21, 2004, and topped the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks chart for seven weeks. Worldwide, the song reached the top 20 in several other countries, including Denmark, where it peaked at number five.
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