"Ain't No Nigga" is the second single from the American

rapper Rapping (also rhyming, spitting, emceeing or MCing) is a musical form of vocal delivery that incorporates "rhyme, rhythmic speech, and street vernacular". It is performed or chanted, usually over a backing beat or musical accompaniment. The ...

Jay-Z Shawn Corey Carter (born December 4, 1969), known professionally as Jay-Z, is an American rapper, record producer, entrepreneur, and founder of Manhattan-based conglomerate talent and entertainment agency Roc Nation. He is regarded as one of ...

's first album, ''

Reasonable Doubt Beyond a reasonable doubt is a legal standard of proof required to validate a criminal conviction in most adversarial legal systems. It is a higher standard of proof than the balance of probabilities standard commonly used in civil cases, becau ...

'', and is featured on the soundtrack to the

1996 File:1996 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: A Centennial Olympic Park bombing, bomb explodes at Centennial Olympic Park in Atlanta, set off by a radical Anti-abortion violence, anti-abortionist; The center fuel tank explodes on TWA Flight 8 ...

Eddie Murphy Edward Regan Murphy (born April 3, 1961) is an American actor, comedian, writer, producer, and singer. He rose to fame on the sketch comedy show ''Saturday Night Live'', for which he was a regular cast member from 1980 to 1984. Murphy has als ...

movie A film also called a movie, motion picture, moving picture, picture, photoplay or (slang) flick is a work of visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, perceptions, feelings, beauty, or atmosphere ...

The Nutty Professor The Nutty Professor may refer to: * ''The Nutty Professor'' (1963 film), directed by and starring Jerry Lewis * ''The Nutty Professor'' (1996 film), directed by Tom Shadyac and starring Eddie Murphy ** ''The Nutty Professor'' (soundtrack), sound ...

''. It was released on March 19, 1996. The track features Foxy Brown, and uncredited vocals by

Jaz-O Jonathan Burks (born October 4, 1964), better known by his stage name Jaz-O (formerly The Jaz), is an American rapper and record producer active in the late 1980s through the 1990s, best known for being the mentor of Brooklyn rapper Jay-Z. Burks ...

Background

The song's beat is produced by

Big Jaz Jonathan Burks (born October 4, 1964), better known by his stage name Jaz-O (formerly The Jaz), is an American rapper and record producer active in the late 1980s through the 1990s, best known for being the mentor of Brooklyn rapper Jay-Z. Burks ...

who samples "Seven Minutes of Funk" by the funk band The Whole Darn Family. The song's chorus was sung by Jaz-O, and interpolates " Ain't No Woman (Like the One I've Got)" by the

Four Tops The Four Tops are an American vocal quartet from Detroit who helped to define the city's Motown sound of the 1960s. The group's repertoire has included soul music, R&B, disco, adult contemporary, doo-wop, jazz, and show tunes. Founded as the ...

. The "Ain't No Nigga" single goes under the clean alias "Ain't No Playa". Foxy Brown was 17 at the time when the song was recorded and the music video was filmed. Citing the funky production and lyrics about unfaithful relationships, Spence D. of IGN.com describes it as "one of the better opposite sex rap duets ever laid on wax."Spence D
"Reasonable Doubt Review"
. IGN.com. November 10, 2003. Retrieved June 25, 2007. "Ain't No Nigga" is cited as playing a significant role in securing Jay-Z's record deal"Interview With Nick Raphael"
, ''

HitQuarters HitQuarters was an international music industry publication and contact database founded in 1999. It was noted for its in-depth interviews with industry figures, as well as its A&R and manager contact directory, free artist promo pages and song ...

'', 25 May 2005. with

Def Jam Def Jam Recordings (also simply known as Def Jam) is an American multinational record label owned by Universal Music Group. It is based in Manhattan, New York City, specializing predominantly in hip hop, contemporary R&B, soul and pop. The ...

. According to Sony BMG A&R

Nick Raphael Nick may refer to: * Nick (given name) * A cricket term for a slight deviation of the ball off the edge of the bat * British slang for being arrested * British slang for a police station * British slang for stealing * Short for nickname Place ...

, "Will Socolof of Freeze Records sent me a CD and a video and said to me, "This guy is incredible, but he needs a bigger label to take over. Are you interested?" The record he sent to me was "Ain't No Nigga" and I went crazy, thinking that I had to sign him!"

Music video

The music video of the song, which was shot in

Miami Miami ( ), officially the City of Miami, known as "the 305", "The Magic City", and "Gateway to the Americas", is a East Coast of the United States, coastal metropolis and the County seat, county seat of Miami-Dade County, Florida, Miami-Dade C ...

, starts with a scene similar to a scene of the film '' Scarface''. It is the second time the album references the film, the first with the start of " Can't Knock the Hustle". The music video features a cameo by

The Notorious B.I.G. Christopher George Latore Wallace (May 21, 1972 – March 9, 1997), better known by his stage names the Notorious B.I.G., Biggie Smalls, or simply Biggie, was an American rapper. Rooted in East Coast hip hop and particularly gangsta ...

Formats and track listings

Vinyl

A-Side # "Ain't No Playa (Rae & Christian Mix)" # "Ain't No Playa (Original Mix)" B-Side # "Ain't No Playa (Fresh to Def Mix)" # "Ain't No Playa (New York Street Mix)"

Vinyl (remixes)

A-Side # "Ain't No Nigga (Ganja Kru Mix)" B-Side # "Can't Knock the Hustle (Desired State Remix)"

Charts

Weekly charts

References

{{authority control 1996 singles Jay-Z songs Foxy Brown (rapper) songs Songs written by Dennis Lambert Songs written by Brian Potter (musician) Songs written by Jay-Z Songs written by Jaz-O Song recordings produced by Jaz-O 1996 songs Roc-A-Fella Records singles Songs written by Foxy Brown (rapper)