"I Wanna Be Down" is the debut single of American recording artist
Brandy from her
self-titled debut album (1994). It was written by musicians
Keith Crouch and Kipper Jones, with production helmed by the former, it was released on September 5, 1994, by the
Atlantic Recording Corporation
Atlantic Recording Corporation (simply known as Atlantic Records) is an American record label founded in October 1947 by Ahmet Ertegun and Herb Abramson. Over its first 20 years of operation, Atlantic earned a reputation as one of the most i ...
. The song is a mid-tempo track that features a thunderous beat and light
synth
A synthesizer (also spelled synthesiser) is an electronic musical instrument that generates audio signals. Synthesizers typically create sounds by generating waveforms through methods including subtractive synthesis, additive synthesis and ...
riffs
A riff is a repeated chord progression or refrain in music (also known as an ostinato figure in classical music); it is a pattern, or melody, often played by the rhythm section instruments or solo instrument, that forms the basis or accomp ...
. Lyrically, "I Wanna Be Down" describes a flirt with a boy, who Norwood tries to convince of her loveliness.
The song's
music video
A music video is a video of variable duration, that integrates a music song or a music album with imagery that is produced for promotional or musical artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a music marketing device ...
was filmed by Keith Ward and released in October 1994. It features Norwood in her tomboyish image, dancing in front of a jeep near a forest, surrounded by backup dancers. "I Wanna Be Down" was performed on several television and award show ceremonies, such as ''
The Tonight Show with Jay Leno
''The Tonight Show with Jay Leno'' is an American late-night talk show hosted by Jay Leno that first aired from May 25, 1992, to May 29, 2009. It resumed production on March 1, 2010 and ended on February 6, 2014.
The fourth incarnation of the ...
'', the
1996 Soul Train Music Awards, and the
2014 BET Hip Hop Awards. It has been performed on almost every one of Norwood's concerts and tours, and is featured on the compilation album ''
The Best of Brandy
''The Best of Brandy'' is the first greatest hits album by American singer Brandy. It was released on March 28, 2005 by Atlantic Records, completing her contract with the label after being signed since 1994. The album comprises nearly all of Nor ...
'' (2005).
"I Wanna Be Down" was released to positive reaction by contemporary music critics. Its impact on the charts was comparatively large for a debut single: While it spent four weeks on top of the US ''
Billboard''
Hot R&B Singles
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, it reached number six on the
''Billboard'' Hot 100, and the top 20 in Australia and New Zealand. In 1995, a hip hop remix with new lyrics from female rappers
MC Lyte
Lana Michele Moorer (born October 11, 1970), better known by her stage name MC Lyte, is an American rap music, rapper, Disc jockey, DJ, actress and entrepreneur. Considered one of the pioneers of female rap, Lyte first gained fame in the late 19 ...
,
Queen Latifah
Dana Elaine Owens (born March 18, 1970), known professionally as Queen Latifah, is an American rapper, actress, and singer. Born in Newark, New Jersey, she signed with Tommy Boy Records in 1989 and released her debut album '' All Hail the Qu ...
, and
Yo-Yo
A yo-yo (also spelled yoyo) is a toy consisting of an axle connected to two disks, and a string looped around the axle, similar to a spool. It is an ancient toy with proof of existence since 500 BCE. The yo-yo was also called a bandalore in ...
was released.
Background
"I Wanna Be Down" was written by
Keith Crouch and Kipper Jones, while production and arrangement was also handled by the former for Human Rhythm Productions during 1993.
Darryl Simmons served as
executive producer, while
mastering was overseen by
Brian Gardner
Brian Knapp Gardner, also known as Brian "Big Bass" Gardner, is an American mastering engineer. He has worked on a number of recordings since the mid-1960s, including classic rock, funk, disco, alternative rock, R&B, hip hop, pop punk and dance- ...
.
Chosen by Norwood's record company,
Atlantic Records, as the leading single from her debut album, Norwood initially did not like the idea of releasing it as her first offering. "I Wanna Be Down' was interesting," she said in a retrospective interview with ''
Complex
Complex commonly refers to:
* Complexity, the behaviour of a system whose components interact in multiple ways so possible interactions are difficult to describe
** Complex system, a system composed of many components which may interact with each ...
'' magazine in 2012. "I didn't really get it at first, but I was young and I didn't really know what worked at radio or what it was. I liked the song, but I just didn't get it being the first thing that people heard from me."
Upon its chart success, she changed her mind on their decision however: "
..Once it was released and I saw why everyone responded to the title phrase, I understood why!"
Norwood signed with Teaspoon Productions, directed by Chris Stokes and Earl Harris, in 1990, which led to a role as a backing singer for the boy band,
Immature
Mature is the adjectival form of maturity, as immature is the adjectival form of immaturity, which have several meanings.
Mature or immature may also refer to:
* Mature, a character from ''The King of Fighters'' series
*"Mature 17+", a rating in ...
. She met Darryl Williams , who at the time was the record company manager for
Capitol Records.
Composition and lyrics
"I Wanna Be Down" is a
contemporary R&B
Contemporary R&B (or simply R&B) is a popular music genre that combines rhythm and blues with elements of pop, soul, funk, hip hop, and electronic music.
The genre features a distinctive record production style, drum machine-backed rhy ...
production that lasts for four minutes and fifty-one seconds (4:51). The mid-tempo song contains keyboards and drums and is influenced by the music genre
hip hop soul
Hip hop soul is a subgenre of contemporary R&B music, most popular during the early and mid 1990s, which fuses R&B or soul singing with hip hop musical production. The subgenre had evolved from a previous R&B subgenre, new jack swing, which ha ...
. It was written, produced and arranged by Keith Crouch and Kipper Jones at Human Rhythm Studios. The background song was performed by Norwood and Tiara Le Macks. Booker T. Jones was responsible for the
sound mix. The lyrics are about a young woman's love for a man. In the chorus, Brandy sings: "I wanna be down with what you're going through / I wanna be down / I wanna be down with you". Atlantic decided to release the song as Brandy's debut single, something she, at first, did not like. In an interview with Complex Magazine several years later, she stated: "'I Wanna Be Down' was interesting" and continued: "I did not understand the thing first. I was young and did not understand what would and what would not go home at radio stations "I liked the song but did not like the idea that it was the first single that people would hear from me." After the single became a hit, Brandy changed his mind about Atlantic's choice: later understood why they wanted to publish it. Everyone started using the phrase 'I wanna be down ..' and I had an 'aha' experience! "
Release
Atlantic printed thirteen different single versions of "I Wanna Be Down". The most common CD / Maxi release included the album version, an extended mix called "Cool Out" and an
a cappella version. On the cover, Brandy is seen sitting in an overall in front of a blue gate. The photo was taken by photographer Michael Miller who has previously worked with artists such as
Cypress Hill and Daddy Freddy. In Europe, the song was released via
East West Records
East West Records (stylized as east''west'') is a record label formed in 1955, distributed and owned by Warner Music Group, headquartered in London, England.
History
Upon its creation in 1955 by Atlantic Records, the label had one hit with t ...
and had the same table of contents as on the CD / Maxi single in the USA. In the UK, the song was printed on "12 vinyl records that were identical to the North American vinyl records. These editions included remix versions of the song such as" Carson CA Edit "and" 3 Boyz Dub ".
Human Rhythm Hip Hop Remix
At the release of "I Wanna Be Down",
Sylvia Rhone , Atlantic Records' record label manager, came up with the idea of re-recording the song with a group of female rappers. A new, more hip-hop-influenced instrumentation was created as well as new verses performed by the female rappers
MC Lyte
Lana Michele Moorer (born October 11, 1970), better known by her stage name MC Lyte, is an American rap music, rapper, Disc jockey, DJ, actress and entrepreneur. Considered one of the pioneers of female rap, Lyte first gained fame in the late 19 ...
,
Queen Latifah
Dana Elaine Owens (born March 18, 1970), known professionally as Queen Latifah, is an American rapper, actress, and singer. Born in Newark, New Jersey, she signed with Tommy Boy Records in 1989 and released her debut album '' All Hail the Qu ...
and
Yo-Yo
A yo-yo (also spelled yoyo) is a toy consisting of an axle connected to two disks, and a string looped around the axle, similar to a spool. It is an ancient toy with proof of existence since 500 BCE. The yo-yo was also called a bandalore in ...
. In an interview in 2012, Brandy said; "The hip-hop remix meant everything to me. I'm a newcomer and all these superstars are on my song! I was a big Queen Latifah fan and thought, 'Oh my God ... I can not believe this is really happening to me.' I had the opportunity to hang out with all three. They took care of me like I was their little sister. I became one of the first artists to introduce hip hop on R&B beats . It had never been done the same way. I knew it was a especially song. " "Human Rhythm Hip Hop Remix" was released as a b-side to "Baby", Brandy's second single released on December 24, 1994.
Critical reception
Steve Baltin from ''
Cash Box'' concluded that "I Wanna Be Down" "has the teen-aged Brandy poised to be the next big thing in the
R&B market." He explained further, "By mixing a traditional r&b style with a
hip-hop groove. Brandy has created a song with across-the-board appeal that will continue to rise on the pop charts." Pan-European magazine ''
Music & Media'' wrote, "One
Bourbon, one
Scotch, one
beer
Beer is one of the oldest and the most widely consumed type of alcoholic drink in the world, and the third most popular drink overall after water and tea. It is produced by the brewing and fermentation of starches, mainly derived from ce ...
; in the world of music, that used to be the order booze poured in, until this teenage girl entered the
swingbeat ring. Slowly you'll be
punch
Punch commonly refers to:
* Punch (combat), a strike made using the hand closed into a fist
* Punch (drink), a wide assortment of drinks, non-alcoholic or alcoholic, generally containing fruit or fruit juice
Punch may also refer to:
Places
* Pun ...
drunk." Alan Jones from ''
Music Week
''Music Week'' is a trade publication for the UK record industry distributed via a website and a monthly print magazine. It is published by Future.
History
Founded in 1959 as '' Record Retailer'', it relaunched on 18 March 1972 as ''Music W ...
'' deemed the song as "a slow, sinewy number in the
TLC
TLC may refer to:
Arts and entertainment Television
* ''TLC'' (TV series), a 2002 British situational comedy television series that aired on BBC2
* TLC (TV network), formerly the Learning Channel, an American cable TV network
** TLC (Asia), an A ...
mould". Ralp Tee from the magazine's ''RM'' Dance Update wrote, "Just 16 years old, Brandy ventures into the same musical territory as fellow teenager
Aaliyah. Simply exploding on import over last weekend, the track is essentially a catchy two-stepper with the arrangement kept to a basic drum and bass pattern, interspersed with subtle keyboard and synth guitar. An impressive debut." Another editor,
James Hamilton described it as a "slinky girls' superb smoochy
Isleys-ish guitar backed 86bpm US smash".
Music video
The original
music video
A music video is a video of variable duration, that integrates a music song or a music album with imagery that is produced for promotional or musical artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a music marketing device ...
for "I Wanna Be Down" was directed by Keith Ward and premiered prior to the single's official release in September 1994. The video portrays Norwood in her tomboyish image, dancing in front of a Hummer near a forest, surrounded by backup dancers.
Her first video shooting, Norwood explained the filming a great experience: "I was so excited about the video. I got a chance to work with some great people like
Frank Gatson. All my friends were in the video. My brother was in the video
..He was there and we had this little dance, and that became really popular. That was a fun time. I was so excited because my dream was coming through right before my eyes... at the age of 15".
Hip hop remix
Upon its release, Atlantic Records head
Sylvia Rhone came up with the idea of re-recording the track with a group of
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 ...
s.
"I Wanna Be Down" was eventually remixed with new lyrics from female rappers
MC Lyte
Lana Michele Moorer (born October 11, 1970), better known by her stage name MC Lyte, is an American rap music, rapper, Disc jockey, DJ, actress and entrepreneur. Considered one of the pioneers of female rap, Lyte first gained fame in the late 19 ...
,
Queen Latifah
Dana Elaine Owens (born March 18, 1970), known professionally as Queen Latifah, is an American rapper, actress, and singer. Born in Newark, New Jersey, she signed with Tommy Boy Records in 1989 and released her debut album '' All Hail the Qu ...
, and
Yo-Yo
A yo-yo (also spelled yoyo) is a toy consisting of an axle connected to two disks, and a string looped around the axle, similar to a spool. It is an ancient toy with proof of existence since 500 BCE. The yo-yo was also called a bandalore in ...
. "The hip-hop remix meant the world to me," Norwood stated in 2012. "I'm fresh out of the box and these superstars are a part of my first single! They are my mentors and I looked up to them. I was a huge Queen Latifah fan. I'm thinking, 'Oh my God...I can't believe this is happening to me.' I got the chance to vibe with all three of them. They embraced me as a little sister. I was one of the first R&B artists to welcome hip-hop onto an R&B beat. It had never been done before quite like that
..I knew it was a special record."
Music video
A
music video
A music video is a video of variable duration, that integrates a music song or a music album with imagery that is produced for promotional or musical artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a music marketing device ...
for the ''Human Rhythm Hip Hop Remix'' premiered in February 1995. It was filmed by director
Hype Williams
Harold Williams (born August 1, 1970) is an American music video director, film director, film producer, and screenwriter.
Early life
Williams was born in Queens, New York. He is of mixed African-American and Honduran descent. He attended Adel ...
whose remix video for
Craig Mack
Craig Jamieson Mack (May 10, 1971 – March 12, 2018) was an American rapper and record producer, and was famous during his tenure under Bad Boy Records.
Early life and career
Craig Jamieson Mack was born in The Bronx, New York, and raised on ...
's 1994 song "
Flava in Ya Ear
"Flava in Ya Ear" is the debut single by American rapper Craig Mack, from his album ''Project Funk da World''. The original club mix single was released on 12" vinyl in July 1994 on the Bad Boy Entertainment record label, packaged with a series of ...
" served as inspiration for the video.
A simple performance video, it features appearances by Lyte, Latifah, and Yo-Yo and was photographed "in glamorous black and white and vivacious color, complete with flashbulbs popping to the beat."
Norwood's younger brother
Ray J
William Ray Norwood Jr. (born January 17, 1981), known professionally as Ray J, is an American singer, actor, and television personality. Born in McComb, Mississippi, and raised in Carson, California, he is the younger brother of recording a ...
made a cameo appearance in the video. This version eventually earned Norwood her first nomination for a
MTV Video Music Award for Best Rap Video The MTV Video Music Award for Best Rap Video was first given out in 1989, and it was one of the four original genre categories added at the 1989 MTV Video Music Awards. This award was last given out in 2006, as MTV did not bring it back in 2008 like ...
at the 1995 ceremony.
Track listings
All tracks written by
Keith Crouch and Kipper Jones, and produced by the former.
Credits and personnel
Credits adapted from the liner notes of ''Brandy''.
*
Keith Crouch – producer, recording, writer
*
Brian Gardner
Brian Knapp Gardner, also known as Brian "Big Bass" Gardner, is an American mastering engineer. He has worked on a number of recordings since the mid-1960s, including classic rock, funk, disco, alternative rock, R&B, hip hop, pop punk and dance- ...
–
mastering
*Booker T. Jones –
mixing
*Kipper Jones – writer
*Tiara LeMack – backing vocals
*
Brandy Norwood
Brandy Rayana Norwood (born February 11, 1979), better known by her mononym Brandy, is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, actress and model. She is known for her distinctive sound, characterized by her peculiar timbre, voice-layer ...
– backing vocals, lead vocals
Charts
Weekly charts
Year-end charts
All-time charts
Certifications
See also
*
R&B number-one hits of 1994 (USA)
These are the ''Billboard magazine'' R&B singles chart number one hits of 1994:
Chart history
See also
*1994 in music
* List of number-one R&B hits (United States)
* List of number-one R&B albums of 1994 (U.S.)
References
{{DEFAULTSORT: ...
References
External links
ForeverBrandy.com— official site
{{authority control
1994 debut singles
Brandy Norwood songs
Music videos directed by Hype Williams
Songs written by Keith Crouch
Songs written by Kipper Jones
1994 songs
Atlantic Records singles