"Knock Knock" is a song by American R&B recording artist
Monica. It was written and produced by rappers
Missy Elliott and
Kanye West
Ye ( ; born Kanye Omari West ; June 8, 1977) is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, record producer, and fashion designer.
Born in Atlanta and raised in Chicago, West gained recognition as a producer for Roc-A-Fella Records in the ea ...
for her fourth studio album ''
After the Storm'' (2003). Commissioned following the delay and subsequent reconstruction of Monica's third album ''
All Eyez on Me
''All Eyez on Me'' is the fourth studio album by American rapper 2Pac and the last to be released during his lifetime. Released on February 13, 1996, by Death Row and Interscope Records, the album features guest appearances from Dr. Dre, Sno ...
'' (2002), the song is built around excerpts of the composition "It's a Terrible Thing to Waste Your Love" (1976) by American vocal group The Masqueraders. Due to the sample, Lee Hatim is also credited as a songwriter. On breezy, summer-tinged "Knock Knock," a blending of 1970s-style
soul
In many religious and philosophical traditions, there is a belief that a soul is "the immaterial aspect or essence of a human being".
Etymology
The Modern English noun '' soul'' is derived from Old English ''sāwol, sāwel''. The earliest atte ...
and
hip hop set against steely keyboards and a stony bass, the protagonist warns a cheating boyfriend not to come calling.
J Records
J Records was an American record label owned and operated by Bertelsmann Music Group until it was transferred to Sony Music Entertainment when they acquired all of BMG’s record labels in late 2008. It was distributed through the RCA Music Gro ...
released "Knock Knock" alongside fellow Elliott production "
Get It Off" as one of two singles that followed leading single "
So Gone
"So Gone" is a song by American R&B recording artist Monica. It was one out of several tracks rapper-producer Missy Elliott wrote and produced along with Kenneth Cunningham and Jamahl Rye from production duo Spike & Jamahl for Monica's fourth stu ...
" during the third quarter of 2003. The song was lauded by critics, who praised its streetwise production and Monica's rap part on the track. A moderate success at the charts, it peaked at number 75 on the US
''Billboard'' Hot 100 and number 24 on the
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. Its accompanying
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 ...
, directed by
Chris Robinson, was filmed as a two-part story with "So Gone". A demo version of the song, featuring vocals from West, titled "Apologize" would later be found on an unofficial 2005 mixtape ''
Freshmen Adjustment'', while
Tyler, the Creator
Tyler Gregory Okonma (born March 6, 1991), known professionally as Tyler, the Creator, is an American rapper and record producer. He is one of the founding members of the music collective Odd Future.
Okonma self-released his debut mixtape ' ...
sampled it on his single "Potato Salad" (2018).
Writing and recording
"Knock Knock" was written and produced by
Missy Elliott for Mass Confusion Productions, with additional production by
Kanye West
Ye ( ; born Kanye Omari West ; June 8, 1977) is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, record producer, and fashion designer.
Born in Atlanta and raised in Chicago, West gained recognition as a producer for Roc-A-Fella Records in the ea ...
.
The song contains excerpts from the opening piano riff of The Masqueraders' "tearful" 1977 single "It's a Terrible Thing to Waste Your Love."
Due to this band member and original writer Lee Hatim is also credited as a songwriter.
West previously
sampled
Sample or samples may refer to:
Base meaning
* Sample (statistics), a subset of a population – complete data set
* Sample (signal), a digital discrete sample of a continuous analog signal
* Sample (material), a specimen or small quantity of so ...
the track in his own
demo recording
A demo (shortened from "demonstration") is a song or group of songs typically recorded for limited circulation or for reference use, rather than for general public release. A demo is a way for a musician to approximate their ideas in a fixed for ...
, "Apologize", which was recorded during the sessions for West’s debut studio album,
The College Dropout
''The College Dropout'' is the debut studio album by American rapper and producer Kanye West. It was released on February 10, 2004, by Def Jam Recordings and Jay-Z's Roc-A-Fella Records. In the years leading up to release, West had received pr ...
. The song was ultimately not used.
"Knock Knock" was recorded by Carlos Bedoya at
The Hit Factory Criteria in
Miami, Florida
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 ...
with further assistance from
Marcella Araica.
Scott Kieklak
mixed the song, while
mastering was overseen by
Tom Coyne Tom Coyne may refer to:
* Tom Coyne (writer), American writer and professor
* Tom Coyne (broadcaster) (1930–2015), British television presenter
* Tom Coyne (music engineer) (1954–2017), American mastering engineer
* Thomas Coyne (cricketer) ( ...
.
Elliott also provided additional vocals.
Musically, "Knock Knock" is a "cool and contemptuous" mid-tempo track with "steely keyboards and stony bass" that servas as a gloating kiss-off to an inattentive partner."
The song is one out of three Elliott-produced records on ''
After the Storm'', commissioned by
J Records
J Records was an American record label owned and operated by Bertelsmann Music Group until it was transferred to Sony Music Entertainment when they acquired all of BMG’s record labels in late 2008. It was distributed through the RCA Music Gro ...
head and executive producer
Clive Davis after the release of Elliott's acclaimed studio album ''
Under Construction'' (2002) and the delay of Monica's original third studio album ''
All Eyez on Me
''All Eyez on Me'' is the fourth studio album by American rapper 2Pac and the last to be released during his lifetime. Released on February 13, 1996, by Death Row and Interscope Records, the album features guest appearances from Dr. Dre, Sno ...
'' the year before.
It was conceived during a studio session week in Miami in early 2003, and was produced as a
sequel
A sequel is a work of literature, film, theatre, television, music or video game that continues the story of, or expands upon, some earlier work. In the common context of a narrative work of fiction, a sequel portrays events set in the same ...
to "
So Gone
"So Gone" is a song by American R&B recording artist Monica. It was one out of several tracks rapper-producer Missy Elliott wrote and produced along with Kenneth Cunningham and Jamahl Rye from production duo Spike & Jamahl for Monica's fourth stu ...
," another Elliott track.
In an interview with ''
MTV News'' at the 2003
BET Awards
The BET Awards is an American award show that was established in 2001 by the Black Entertainment Television network to celebrate black entertainers and other minorities in music, film, sports and philanthropy. The awards, which are presented annua ...
, Monica stated that "'Knock Knock' is
..like a follow-up to 'So Gone,' just saying that, 'All right, we went through all that stuff, now it's time for you to get lost. This is the end of the road for you.' So, it's kind of like a 'get back' record."
Commenting on the recording process, she added: "She
lliottdoesn't have any fear
..When she goes in the studio, her goal is to be creative and to give something new and she could care less
icwhat else is current. And she creates new trends by doing that."
Release and reception
"Knock Knock" received generally positive reviews from music critics.
Allmusic
AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databa ...
editor Andy Kellman felt that the song, along with Elliott's other contributions on the album, provides "a bulk of the most exciting material, with just the right amount of swagger added to the singer's more wide-eyed personality of the '90s."
[Kellman, Andy. " After the Storm – Monica. ]Allmusic
AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databa ...
. Retrieved on 2010-03-12. Melisa Tang from ''The Situation'' called Monica's vocals "exceptional" and felt that she "does a pretty decent job" at
emceeing on the track. ''
Entertainment Weekly
''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, and popular cu ...
''s Vanessa Jones declared "Knock Knock" a "streetwise party anthem."
Elias Light from ''
Rolling Stone
''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first known for its ...
'' named the song "the centerpiece" of parent album ''After the Storm'' and complimented West's production on the track.
''
Billboard'' ranked the song among the album's highlights.
First released in the United States, "Knock Knock" debuted at number 89 on the national
''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart in the week of October 2, 2003.
The fifth-highest debut of the week, it remained eighteen weeks on the chart and peaked at number 75, making it the lowest-charting single from Monica's ''After the Storm'' album.
Like its predecessor "
So Gone
"So Gone" is a song by American R&B recording artist Monica. It was one out of several tracks rapper-producer Missy Elliott wrote and produced along with Kenneth Cunningham and Jamahl Rye from production duo Spike & Jamahl for Monica's fourth stu ...
," the song was more successful on ''Billboard''s component charts,
where "Knock Knock" reached number 24 on the
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 and number 37 on the
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay
R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay (previously known as Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay) is a chart published by ''Billboard'' magazine that ranks the top R&B and hip hop songs in the United States, based on audience impressions from a panel of radio stations monitored ...
chart.
In 2004, J Records issued the song on a remix EP along with "Get If Off."
Music video
The
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 "Knock Knock" was shot by director
Chris Robinson, and produced by Dawn Rose for Partizan Entertainment. It was filmed in various locations throughout Miami, Florida on in mid-late July 2003, and widely serves as the sequel ("Part II") to the video for "
So Gone
"So Gone" is a song by American R&B recording artist Monica. It was one out of several tracks rapper-producer Missy Elliott wrote and produced along with Kenneth Cunningham and Jamahl Rye from production duo Spike & Jamahl for Monica's fourth stu ...
", the first single released from ''After the Storm''. The video features a second appearance by actor
Derek Luke
Derek Nathanial Luke (born April 24, 1974) is an American actor. He won the Independent Spirit Award for his big-screen debut performance as the titular character in the 2002 film '' Antwone Fisher'', directed and produced by Denzel Washington. ...
(Antwone Fisher), who plays Monica's boyfriend, and intercuts a clip of simultaneously released club single "
Get It Off" with a dance scene.
The "Knock Knock" video premiered worldwide in July 2003. It charted well on several video-chart countdowns, including peak positions of number 3 on
BET
Black Entertainment Television (acronym BET) is an American basic cable channel targeting African-American audiences. It is owned by the CBS Entertainment Group unit of Paramount Global via BET Networks and has offices in New York City, Los ...
's ''
106 & Park
''106 & Park'' is an American hip hop and R&B music video show, set up in a countdown format, that was broadcast on weekdays at 6:00 pm ET/5:00 pm CT on BET; it aired on a one-day delay on BET International. It was the network's highest- rate ...
''.
There are two versions of the video, both featuring the same premise but with certain different scenes.
Track listings
Notes
* denotes co-producer(s)
* denotes additional producer(s)
Sample credits
*"Knock Knock" contains excerpts from the composition "It's a Terrible Thing to Waste Your Love" (1976) by
The Masqueraders
''The Masqueraders'' is a 1928 novel written by Georgette Heyer. It is set in Britain at a time shortly after the 1745 Jacobite rising and is concerned with a family of adventurers and escaped Jacobites.
Plot summary
To escape exposure as a ...
.
*"Get It Off" contains a sample from the composition "Set It Off" (1985) by
Strafe.
Credits and personnel
Credits adapted from the liner notes of ''After the Storm''.
*
Marcella Araica – audio engineering
* Monica Arnold –
lead vocals, background vocals
* Carlos Bedoya –
recording
A record, recording or records may refer to:
An item or collection of data Computing
* Record (computer science), a data structure
** Record, or row (database), a set of fields in a database related to one entity
** Boot sector or boot record, r ...
*
Tom Coyne Tom Coyne may refer to:
* Tom Coyne (writer), American writer and professor
* Tom Coyne (broadcaster) (1930–2015), British television presenter
* Tom Coyne (music engineer) (1954–2017), American mastering engineer
* Thomas Coyne (cricketer) ( ...
–
mastering
*
Missy Elliott –
production
Production may refer to:
Economics and business
* Production (economics)
* Production, the act of manufacturing goods
* Production, in the outline of industrial organization, the act of making products (goods and services)
* Production as a stati ...
, additional vocals, writer
* Lee Hatim – writer
* Scott Kieklak –
mixing
*
Kanye West
Ye ( ; born Kanye Omari West ; June 8, 1977) is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, record producer, and fashion designer.
Born in Atlanta and raised in Chicago, West gained recognition as a producer for Roc-A-Fella Records in the ea ...
– production, writer
Charts
Release history
References
{{authority control
2003 singles
Monica (singer) songs
Music videos directed by Chris Robinson (director)
Song recordings produced by Kanye West
Songs written by Kanye West
Songs written by Missy Elliott
2003 songs
J Records singles
Sequel songs