"I Ain't Thru" is a song by American singer

Keyshia Cole Keyshia Myeshia Cole (née Johnson; born October 15, 1981) is an American singer, songwriter, television personality and actress. Dubbed by critics as the " Princess of Hip-Hop Soul", she is known for her soulful voice and heartfelt lyrics. Bor ...

. It features

Nicki Minaj Onika Tanya Maraj-Petty (born December 8, 1982), known professionally as Nicki Minaj ( ), is a Trinidadian rapper, singer, and songwriter. Regarded as the "Queen of Rap" and one of the most influential rappers of all time, she is noted for her ...

rapping the second verse of the song. Written by Cole, Minaj and Russell Gonzalez, the up-tempo

hip hop Hip-hop or hip hop (originally disco rap) is a popular music genre that emerged in the early 1970s from the African-American community of New York City. The style is characterized by its synthesis of a wide range of musical techniques. Hip- ...

/ R&B song is the lead single taken from Cole's fourth studio album '' Calling All Hearts'' (2010). The song's lyrics revolve around Cole trying to do her own thing well while maintaining ignorance toward people who are against her. It was produced by The ARE and

Ron Fair Ronald Fair is an American record producer, record executive, musical arranger, recording engineer and conductor. A traditional record producer since 1970, Fair has been credited with orchestral production work on several commercially success ...

as Cole's 'statement record'. It was released for download in the United States on December 7, 2010. "I Ain't Thru" was described by critics as the most grit-flecked Cole has ever sounded. It was moderately successful across the airplay formats as it debuted on the US

Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs The Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart ranks the most popular R&B and hip hop songs in the United States and is published weekly by '' Billboard''. Rankings are based on a measure of radio airplay, sales data, and streaming activity. The chart had 100 ...

chart at number 78 on November 18, 2010. In subsequent weeks, the single peaked at number 54. An accompanying music video for "I Ain't Thru", directed by

Benny Boom Benny Douglas (born July 22, 1971), professionally known as Benny Boom, is an American director who has worked in music, television, and film. His most commercially successful film was the 2017 Tupac Shakur biopic '' All Eyez on Me''. Career Do ...

, was premiered on November 12, 2010 alongside the music video for follow-up single " Long Way Down".

Background and meaning

Cole described "I Ain't Thru" as a "statement single". During an interview with

Associated Press The Associated Press (AP) is an American not-for-profit organization, not-for-profit news agency headquartered in New York City. Founded in 1846, it operates as a cooperative, unincorporated association, and produces news reports that are dist ...

, Cole admitted that she should not have released 'I Ain't Thru' as the lead single. She stated, "The label didn't really want to drop the record because they knew … that people wanted a more intense, soulful record from me about love and I really should have followed (their) direction," she said. "But I wanted that to be a statement record. It's like saying, 'I'm doing me, you know. I don't have no regrets for nothing that I'm doing.'" Some speculate that Minaj's verse in the song is a diss at

Lil' Kim Kimberly Denise Jones (born July 11, 1974), Those giving 1974 include: * * * * * better known by her stage name Lil' Kim, is an American rapper. She was born and raised in New York City and lived much of her adolescent life on the streets after ...

, with lines like "I took the spot, she's gone, poof!" being subliminally directed at the rapper.

Music video

The video premiered on November 12, 2010. The production of the video was shot in Los Angeles. The visual was overseen by

Track listing and formats

; US standard digital download # "I Ain't Thru" (Featuring Nicki Minaj) (Clean or Explicit) - 3:59 ; US and Canadian Mega-Deluxe EP # "I Ain't Thru" (Explicit Version featuring Nicki Minaj) - 3:59 # "I Ain't Thru" (Clean Version featuring Nicki Minaj) - 3:59 # "I Ain't Thru" (Explicit Leak Mix featuring Nicki Minaj) - 4:04 # "I Ain't Thru" (Clean Leak Mix featuring Nicki Minaj) - 4:04 # "I Ain't Thru" (Video) - 4:08

Charts

Release history

References

{{authority control 2010 singles Keyshia Cole songs Nicki Minaj songs Songs written by Nicki Minaj Music videos directed by Benny Boom American hip-hop songs Song recordings produced by Ron Fair Songs written by Keyshia Cole 2010 songs