"I'll Be"
Single by Foxy Brown featuring Jay-Z
from the album Ill Na Na
B-side"La Familia"
ReleasedMarch 4, 1997 (1997-03-04)
GenreHip hop
Length3:00
Label
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)Trackmasters
Foxy Brown singles chronology
"Get Me Home"
(1996)		 "I'll Be"
(1997)		 "Big Bad Mamma"
(1997)
Jay-Z singles chronology
"Can't Knock the Hustle"
(1996)		 "I'll Be"
(1997)		 "Feelin' It"
(1997)

"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.

"I'll Be" received positive reviews from music critics and was a commercial success. In the United States, it peaked at number seven on the Billboard Hot 100, becoming both Brown and Jay-Z's highest charting single at the time. On the Hot Rap Singles chart, it reached number two and also peaked within the top 40 in other countries, such as Netherlands, New Zealand and the United Kingdom. "I'll Be" was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) two months after its release. It has sold over 500,000 copies and became one of the best-selling records of 1997.[1] To date it remains Brown's only solo top-40 single and her only single to earn a certification.

An accompanying music video was directed by Brett Ratner. "I'll Be" was nominated for Top Hot Rap Single at the 1997 Billboard Music Awards and was ranked number 52 on VH1's "100 Greatest Hip-Hop Songs" list.[2]

Track listings

  • US CD single[3]
  1. "I'll Be" (LP version) – 3:00
  2. "I'll Be" (instrumental)
  3. "La Familia" (unreleased LP version)
  • UK CD single[4]
  1. "I'll Be" (D&A radio mix) – 3:00
  2. "I'll Be" (radio edit) – 2:30
  • US CD maxi-single[5]
  1. "I'll Be" (LP version) – 3:00
  2. "I'll Be" (D&A Remix) – 4:47
  3. "I'll Be" (Foxy Brown Mix) – 7:18
  4. "I'll Be" (DM Club Mix) – 8:38

Credits and personnel

Credits are adapted from the Ill Na Na album liner notes.[6]

Charts

Certifications

Region CertificationCertified units/sales
United States (RIAA)[24] Gold 500,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

Release history

Region Date Format(s) Label(s) Ref.
United States February 11, 1997 Rhythmic contemporary radio [25]
March 4, 1997
  • 12-inch vinyl
  • CD
  • cassette
United Kingdom June 9, 1997 [26]

References

  1. ↑ "Best-Selling Records of 1997". Billboard. Vol. 110, no. 5. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. January 31, 1998. p. 76. Retrieved May 31, 2015.
  2. ↑ Singh, Amrit (September 29, 2008). "VH1's 100 Greatest Hip-Hop Songs". Stereogum. SpinMedia. Retrieved May 18, 2016.
  3. ↑ I'll Be (US CD Single liner notes). Foxy Brown featuring Jay-Z. Rush Associated Labels. 1997. 314 574 028-2.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  4. ↑ I'll Be (UK CD Single liner notes). Foxy Brown featuring Jay-Z. Rush Associated Labels. 1997. 571 042-2.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  5. ↑ I'll Be (US CD Maxi-Single liner notes). Foxy Brown featuring Jay-Z. Rush Associated Labels. 1997. 571 043-2.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  6. ↑ Ill Na Na (Inlay cover). Foxy Brown. Violator. 1996. 314 533 684-2.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  7. ↑ "Eurochart Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 14, no. 26. June 28, 1997. p. 18. Retrieved June 21, 2018.
  8. ↑ "Foxy Brown feat. Jay-Z – I'll Be" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved October 14, 2018.
  9. ↑ "Nederlandse Top 40 – week 30, 1997" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved March 25, 2018.
  10. ↑ "Foxy Brown feat. Jay-Z – I'll Be" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved May 18, 2016.
  11. ↑ "Foxy Brown feat. Jay-Z – I'll Be". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved May 18, 2016.
  12. ↑ "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved March 25, 2018.
  13. ↑ "Foxy Brown feat. Jay-Z – I'll Be". Singles Top 100. Retrieved May 18, 2016.
  14. ↑ "Official Hip Hop and R&B Singles Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved March 25, 2018.
  15. ↑ "Official Dance Singles Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved March 25, 2018.
  16. ↑ "Foxy Brown: Artist Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved June 1, 2021.
  17. ↑ "Foxy-Brown Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved May 18, 2016.
  18. ↑ "Foxy-Brown Chart History (Dance Singles Sales)". Billboard. Retrieved April 10, 2022.
  19. ↑ "Foxy-Brown Chart History (Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved May 18, 2016.
  20. ↑ "Foxy-Brown Chart History (Hot Rap Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved May 18, 2016.
  21. ↑ "Foxy-Brown Chart History (Rhythmic)". Billboard. Retrieved May 18, 2016.
  22. ↑ "Billboard Top 100 – 1997". Archived from the original on June 11, 2009. Retrieved August 28, 2010.
  23. ↑ "Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs – Year-End 1997". Billboard. Archived from the original on August 3, 2015. Retrieved October 19, 2021.
  24. ↑ "American single certifications – Foxy Brown – I'll Be". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved May 18, 2016.
  25. ↑ "New Releases" (PDF). Radio & Records. No. 1183. February 7, 1997. p. 45. Retrieved September 3, 2021.
  26. ↑ "New Releases: Singles" (PDF). Music Week. June 7, 1997. p. 33. Retrieved September 3, 2021.
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