Rahul Sharma (Editor)

Keep Their Heads Ringin'

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Format
  
CD single 12" single

Length
  
5:06

Recorded
  
1994

B-side
  
"Take a Hit" by Mack 10

Released
  
March 7, 1995 (1995-03-07)

Genre
  
West Coast hip hop, gangsta rap g-funk

"Keep Their Heads Ringin'" is a single by American rapper Dr. Dre featuring vocalist Nanci Fletcher, taken from the soundtrack of the movie Friday.

Contents

Background

Although the soundtrack was released on Epic Records, Death Row Records still owns the masters to the song. In the United States, the song topped the Hot Rap Tracks chart and peaked at number ten on the Billboard Hot 100. It was certified gold by the RIAA on May 10, 1995 and sold 700,000 copies domestically. It interpolates "Funk You Up" by The Sequence from their 1980 single released under Sugar Hill. The song also appears on Death Row Greatest Hits released in 1996. The intro "Hey. Whatup?" is done by Dr. Dre while the intro continues with the music on with KRS-One saying his trademark shout "Buck, buck, buck". There is an alternate version of the song that can be found on Death Row Greatest Hits and the compilation album Death Row Dayz, where Dr. Dre uses the line on verse 1: "Just chill, listen to the beats I spill, I use Crest, so ain't no cavity creeps in my grill", instead of the more mainstream version of: "Just chill, listen to the beats I spill, keepin' it real, enables me to make another mill'" and on verse 3 "Dre came to wax you, hoe just call me Mop 'n Glow" instead of "Dre came to wax you, so just call me Mop 'n Glow".

Music video

The music video was directed by F. Gary Gray and takes place in a plane hangar, in a Convair 880, with Dr. Dre, and his crew taking over air control. It features cast members from Friday including Chris Tucker, Faizon Love, and Nia Long, to name a few. It ends with Chris Tucker and Faizon Love taking the plane and flying away from the police. Chris Tucker says "I'm on probation, I can't go back to jail" referring to the character "Smokey" who was having trouble with the law in Friday. Lead vocalist Nanci Fletcher's intro marked the first time a female from the Death Row camp was featured in a video.

The video was played before showings of Friday in most cities.

Track listing

  • CD single / 12" vinyl
    1. "Keep Their Heads Ringin'" (LP Version) — 5:01
    2. "Keep Their Heads Ringin'" (Instrumental) — 4:57
    3. "Take a Hit" (by Mack 10) (LP Version) — 4:34
    4. "Take a Hit" (by Mack 10) (Instrumental) — 4:34
  • US 12" vinyl
    1. "Keep Their Heads Ringin'" (Radio Version) — 5:02
    2. "Keep Their Heads Ringin'" (LP Version) — 5:01
    3. "Keep Their Heads Ringin'" (Instrumental) — 4:57

    Personnel

  • Co-producer - Sam Sneed
  • Engineer - Tommy D. Daugherty and Keston Wright
  • Keyboards - Stu "Fingas" Bullard
  • Producer - Dr. Dre
  • Chorus Sample - KRS-One
  • Lead vocals - Nanci Fletcher
  • Background Vocals - Nanci Fletcher, Barbara Wilson, Dorothy Coleman
  • Video director - F. Gary Gray
  • Actors - Chris Tucker, Nia Long and Tiny Lister
  • Angie Stone is credited for writing the song due to her writing to "Funk You Up". She is credited as A. Brown in the credits of the song since she did not go by Angie Stone at the time she recorded "Funk You Up". Angela Brown is Angie Stone's birth name.

    • References

    Keep Their Heads Ringin' Wikipedia
    (Text) CC BY-SA