"My Nigga" (edited version titled as "My Hitta" or "My N*gga") is a song by American rapper
YG, released on September 17, 2013, as the lead single from his debut studio album ''
My Krazy Life
''My Krazy Life'' is the debut studio album by American rapper YG (rapper), YG. It was released on March 18, 2014, through CTE World and Pushaz Ink, and distributed by Def Jam Recordings. The album features guest appearances from Kendrick Lamar, ...
'' (2014). The song, produced by frequent collaborator
DJ Mustard
Dijon Isaiah McFarlane (born June 5, 1990), known professionally as Mustard (also known as DJ Mustard), is an American record producer and beatmaker. He is a frequent collaborator of fellow California-bred artists YG and Ty Dolla Sign; among var ...
, features
guest appearance
In show business, a guest appearance is the participation of an outsider performer (such as a musician or actor) in an event such as a music record or concert, show, etc., when the performer does not belong to the regular band, cast, or other p ...
s from CTE World founder
Jeezy
Jay Wayne Jenkins (born September 28, 1977), known by his stage name Jeezy (or Young Jeezy), is an American rapper. Signing to Def Jam Recordings in 2004, his major label debut, '' Let's Get It: Thug Motivation 101'', was released the followin ...
and
Rich Homie Quan
Dequantes Lamar (born October 4, 1989), known professionally as Rich Homie Quan, is an American rapper. He was previously signed to labels T.I.G. Entertainment and Motown, and is an independent artist as of 2021. Quan experienced commercial suc ...
. It
interpolates "The Sky is the Limit", as written and performed by
Lil Wayne
Dwayne Michael Carter Jr. (born September 27, 1982), known professionally as Lil Wayne, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, and record executive. His career began in 1995, at the age of 12, when he was signed by rapper Birdman (rapper), ...
as well as the popular
refrain
A refrain (from Vulgar Latin ''refringere'', "to repeat", and later from Old French ''refraindre'') is the line or lines that are repeated in music or in poetry — the "chorus" of a song. Poetic fixed forms that feature refrains include the vi ...
from
C-Murder
Corey Miller (born March 9, 1971), better known by his stage name C-Murder, is an American rapper and songwriter. He initially gained fame in the mid-1990s as a part of his brother Master P's label No Limit Records, primarily as a member of the ...
's single "
Down for My N's
"Down for My N's" (written and stylized as Down 4 My N's on the Snoop Dogg releases) is a song by C-Murder featuring Snoop Dogg and Magic from Dogg's fourth album, '' No Limit Top Dogg'' and C-Murder's '' Trapped in Crime''. Kanye West included an ...
".
YG and Jeezy appeared on
MTV
MTV (Originally an initialism of Music Television) is an American cable channel that launched on August 1, 1981. Based in New York City, it serves as the flagship property of the MTV Entertainment Group, part of Paramount Media Networks, a di ...
's RapFix on September 4, 2013. At the closing of the show, the two premiered the music video for "My Nigga", which had been filmed a month prior in
Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,715 ...
. On December 3, 2013, YG performed "My Nigga" for the first time on national television, on
DJ Skee
Scott Keeney (born 15 November 1983), better known by his stage name DJ Skee, is an American artist, television host, radio personality, and entrepreneur. Skee rose to fame as the first DJ to discover and play superstar artists on the radio incl ...
's ''SKEE Live'' on
AXS TV
AXS TV is an American cable television channel. Majority-owned by Anthem Sports & Entertainment, it is devoted primarily to music-related programming (such as concert films, documentaries, and reality series involving musicians) and combat sport ...
. The next month he performed the song alongside Rich Homie Quan, DJ Mustard and Jeezy on ''
The Arsenio Hall Show
''The Arsenio Hall Show'' is an American syndicated late-night talk show created by and starring comedian Arsenio Hall.
There have been two different incarnations of ''The Arsenio Hall Show''. The original series premiered on January 3, 1989, ...
''. Following that performance, YG was presented with the official platinum plaque from the
RIAA
The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is a trade organization that represents the music recording industry in the United States. Its members consist of record labels and distributors that the RIAA says "create, manufacture, and/o ...
commemorating the sales of over a million copies of the single. The song later went quadruple platinum.
It was met with generally positive reviews from
music critics
Music journalism (or music criticism) is media criticism and reporting about music topics, including popular music, classical music, and traditional music. Journalists began writing about music in the eighteenth century, providing commentary on w ...
. ''
XXL'' and ''
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 ...
'' named it one of the best songs of 2013. Many critics also praised the chemistry of the collaborators and the song's minimalistic production. The song peaked at number 19 on the US ''
Billboard
A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...
''
Hot 100
The ''Billboard'' Hot 100 is the music industry standard record chart in the United States for songs, published weekly by '' Billboard'' magazine. Chart rankings are based on sales (physical and digital), radio play, and online streaming ...
and at number 53 on the
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart (currently titled Official Singles Chart, with the upper section more commonly known as the Official UK Top 40) is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC), on behalf of the British record industry, listing the top-s ...
. As of March 16, 2014 the song has sold 1,204,457 copies in the United States according to
Nielsen Soundscan
Luminate (formerly Nielsen SoundScan, Nielsen Music Products, and MRC Data) is a provider of music sales data. Established by Mike Fine and Mike Shalett in 1991, data is collected weekly and made available every Sunday (for albums sales) and eve ...
.
Background
After
YG announced that his debut album would be
executive produced
Executive producer (EP) is one of the top positions in the making of a commercial entertainment product. Depending on the medium, the executive producer may be concerned with management accounting or associated with legal issues (like copyrights o ...
by
Atlanta
Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,715 ...
rapper
Jeezy
Jay Wayne Jenkins (born September 28, 1977), known by his stage name Jeezy (or Young Jeezy), is an American rapper. Signing to Def Jam Recordings in 2004, his major label debut, '' Let's Get It: Thug Motivation 101'', was released the followin ...
, the two began frequently collaborating. In June 2013, YG revealed that he had signed to Jeezy's record label
CTE World
CTE World (or Corporate Thugz Entertainment also relaunched on October 14, 2022 as CTE New World) is an American record label founded by American rapper Jeezy & his former manager Demetrius “Kinky B” Ellerbee. In December 2012, Young Jeezy s ...
. Prior to the signing announcement "My Nigga" was released as a track on a CTE World
EP, ''#It'sThaWorld''. The song was then included on the first official CTE World mixtape, ''
Boss Yo Life Up Gang
''Boss Yo Life Up Gang'' is a compilation mixtape by American rapper Young Jeezy's record label CTE World. The mixtape was released for free on August 13, 2013, by CTE World. The mixtape featured guest appearances by Nipsey Hussle and Rich Homie ...
'', which was released in August 2013. Following the music video's release, the song was released by
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 ...
as the mixtape's
lead single
A lead single (also known as a debut single) is the first single to be released from a studio album by an artist or a band, usually before the album itself is released and also occasionally on the same day of the album's release date.
Release s ...
on September 17, 2013.
Composition
"My Nigga" was written by
Keenon Jackson,
Jay Jenkins,
Dequantes Lamar and
produced by
DJ Mustard
Dijon Isaiah McFarlane (born June 5, 1990), known professionally as Mustard (also known as DJ Mustard), is an American record producer and beatmaker. He is a frequent collaborator of fellow California-bred artists YG and Ty Dolla Sign; among var ...
and Mikely Adam. It
interpolates "The Sky is the Limit", as written and performed by
Lil Wayne
Dwayne Michael Carter Jr. (born September 27, 1982), known professionally as Lil Wayne, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, and record executive. His career began in 1995, at the age of 12, when he was signed by rapper Birdman (rapper), ...
. The song also interpolates the popular
refrain
A refrain (from Vulgar Latin ''refringere'', "to repeat", and later from Old French ''refraindre'') is the line or lines that are repeated in music or in poetry — the "chorus" of a song. Poetic fixed forms that feature refrains include the vi ...
from
C-Murder
Corey Miller (born March 9, 1971), better known by his stage name C-Murder, is an American rapper and songwriter. He initially gained fame in the mid-1990s as a part of his brother Master P's label No Limit Records, primarily as a member of the ...
's single "
Down 4 My Niggaz". The song is a street anthem that celebrates friendship. Overall its message is that to hang with YG and his crew, "it's a requirement that you don’t trip over potential romantic interests, be averse to snitching, be willing to catch a case when necessary, and just be about getting money."
Critical reception
"My Nigga" was met with generally positive reviews from
music critic
''The Oxford Companion to Music'' defines music criticism as "the intellectual activity of formulating judgments on the value and degree of excellence of individual works of music, or whole groups or genres". In this sense, it is a branch of mus ...
s. Brian Josephs from ''
XXL'' stated the song, "is still the best song on ''My Krazy Life'', but part of the reason it succeeds represents why the project as a whole is a solid effort. It represents Compton recklessness to the fullest, but that sensibility never comes in the way of relating basic thrills, resulting in an instantly gratifying reward."
David Jeffries from
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 databas ...
said the collaborators chemistry is perfect and called the song great overall. Michael Madden of ''
Consequence of Sound
''Consequence'' (previously ''Consequence of Sound'') is an independently owned New York-based online magazine featuring news, editorials, and reviews of music, movies, and television. In addition, the website also features the Festival Outlook ...
'' called it one of the album's essential tracks saying, the song is "YG sound in miniature" and an instant banger. Jordan Sowunmi of ''
Now
Now most commonly refers
to the present time.
Now, NOW, or The Now may also refer to:
Organizations
* Natal Organisation of Women, a South African women's organization
* National Organization for Women, an American feminist organization
* Now ...
'' called it notably smooth and credited it for fitting perfectly with the cohesion and strong sequencing of ''
My Krazy Life
''My Krazy Life'' is the debut studio album by American rapper YG (rapper), YG. It was released on March 18, 2014, through CTE World and Pushaz Ink, and distributed by Def Jam Recordings. The album features guest appearances from Kendrick Lamar, ...
''. Jesal 'Jay Soul' Padania of RapReviews said it was an "inescapable street anthem." Dorian Mendoza of PrettyMuchAmazing stated, "the unabashed homie loyalty anthem of the year, serves powerfully as the centerpiece of the album." Jesse Fairfax of ''
HipHopDX
''HipHopDX'' is an online magazine of hip hop music criticism and news. The website's current president and publisher is Sharath Cherian and the Head Of Content is Jerry L. Barrow. ''HipHopDX'' is the flagship publication of Cheri Media Group.
...
'' called it repetitive and catchy.
''
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 ...
'' ranked "My Nigga" number 30 on their list of the 50 best songs of 2013. They commented saying,
To YG fans, it may have come as a surprise that "My Nigga" took off the way it did. After all, dude had been making comparable if not better and catchier songs with DJ Mustard for years. Somehow though, the stars aligned for this one, and by stars we mean Rich Homie Quan and Young Jeezy. Having catapulted himself to the forefront of catchy-hook stardom with that song about vague emotional responses to jealousy, Quan was able to strike again while the iron was still hot with the "My Nigga" chorus. YG himself switches up his own flow for this one, sing-rapping through his ode to his fellow man. Young Jeezy comes through as the older brother to shine his veteran sense of camaraderie onto the young bucks, and it feels genuine. Having one of Mustard's meanest beats set the didn't hurt, either.
''
XXL'' positioned it at number 22 on their list of the best songs of 2013. In February 2014, ''Complex'' named it the fifth best song that DJ Mustard had produced.
Awards and nominations
Chart performance
![Young Jeezy (cropped)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a4/Young_Jeezy_%28cropped%29.jpg)
"My Nigga" debuted at number 67 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 the week of October 19, 2013. Six weeks later, it peaked at number 19 on the week of November 30, 2013. It stayed in the Top 30 for fourteen weeks before reaching number 19 again on the week of March 15, 2014. It spent a total of twenty-eight weeks on the chart. As of March 16, 2014, the song has sold 1,204,457 copies in the United States according to
Nielsen SoundScan
Luminate (formerly Nielsen SoundScan, Nielsen Music Products, and MRC Data) is a provider of music sales data. Established by Mike Fine and Mike Shalett in 1991, data is collected weekly and made available every Sunday (for albums sales) and eve ...
. On April 4, 2018, the single was certified
quadruple platinum by the
Recording Industry Association of America
The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is a trade organization that represents the music recording industry in the United States. Its members consist of record labels and distributors that the RIAA says "create, manufacture, and/o ...
(RIAA) for combined sales and streaming data of over four million units in the United States.
Live performances
In promotion of the single, YG performed it many times on television and other major venues. On December 3, 2013, YG performed the song for the first time on national television, on
DJ Skee
Scott Keeney (born 15 November 1983), better known by his stage name DJ Skee, is an American artist, television host, radio personality, and entrepreneur. Skee rose to fame as the first DJ to discover and play superstar artists on the radio incl ...
's ''SKEE Live'' on
AXS TV
AXS TV is an American cable television channel. Majority-owned by Anthem Sports & Entertainment, it is devoted primarily to music-related programming (such as concert films, documentaries, and reality series involving musicians) and combat sport ...
. On January 28, 2014, YG performed "My Nigga" alongside Rich Homie Quan, DJ Mustard and Jeezy on ''
The Arsenio Hall Show
''The Arsenio Hall Show'' is an American syndicated late-night talk show created by and starring comedian Arsenio Hall.
There have been two different incarnations of ''The Arsenio Hall Show''. The original series premiered on January 3, 1989, ...
''. Following the performance, YG was presented with the official platinum plaque from the
RIAA
The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is a trade organization that represents the music recording industry in the United States. Its members consist of record labels and distributors that the RIAA says "create, manufacture, and/o ...
commemorating sales of over 1,000,000 copies of the single. YG then performed the song multiple times during
SXSW
South by Southwest, abbreviated as SXSW and colloquially referred to as South By, is an annual conglomeration of parallel film, interactive media, and music festivals and conferences organized jointly that take place in mid-March in Austin, Te ...
during March 2014. Then on March 19, 2014, YG performed "My Nigga" along with DJ Mustard and Jeezy on ''
Jimmy Kimmel Live!
''Jimmy Kimmel Live!'' is an American late-night talk show, created and hosted by Jimmy Kimmel, broadcast on American Broadcasting Company, ABC. The nightly hour-long show debuted on January 26, 2003, at Hollywood Masonic Temple in Hollywood, Los ...
''.
Music video
On August 16, 2013, CTE World released the trailer to the music video, shortly after the release of ''Boss Yo Life Up Gang''. On September 4, 2013, YG and Jeezy appeared on
MTV
MTV (Originally an initialism of Music Television) is an American cable channel that launched on August 1, 1981. Based in New York City, it serves as the flagship property of the MTV Entertainment Group, part of Paramount Media Networks, a di ...
's RapFix. During the interview YG announced that his debut album would be titled ''
My Krazy Life
''My Krazy Life'' is the debut studio album by American rapper YG (rapper), YG. It was released on March 18, 2014, through CTE World and Pushaz Ink, and distributed by Def Jam Recordings. The album features guest appearances from Kendrick Lamar, ...
'', and be released on November 19, 2013. At the closing of the show they premiered the music video for "My Nigga", which had been filmed a month prior in
Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,715 ...
. As of April 2020, the music video has over 329 million views on YouTube.
Kid Ink
Brian Todd Collins (born April 1, 1986), known professionally as Kid Ink, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, and record producer from Los Angeles. He released his debut independent album ''Up & Away (Kid Ink album), Up & Away'' in 2012, f ...
makes a cameo appearance.
Remixes
On December 27, 2013,
Rick Ross
William Leonard Roberts II (born January 28, 1976), known professionally as Rick Ross, is an American rapper.
Prior to releasing his debut single, "Hustlin'", in 2006, Ross was the subject of a bidding war, receiving offers from Sean Combs, D ...
and
Triple C's
Triple C's, also known as Carol City Cartel, is an American hip hop group founded by Rick Ross in 2005. The group takes its name from the Carol City neighborhood of Miami Gardens, and consists of Gunplay from Miami, Torch from the Bronx, New Yo ...
Young Breed released a remix to "My Nigga" dubbed as the "Black Bottle Boys MMGMIX". They then released a music video for their remix three days later. On January 12, 2014,
Chinx Drugz
Lionel Du Fon Pickens (December 4, 1983 – May 17, 2015), better known by his stage name Chinx (formerly Chinx Drugz), was an American rapper. He was a member of The Rockaway Riot Squad alongside fellow slain rapper Stack Bundles. Chinx later jo ...
and
Troy Ave
Roland Collins (born November 23, 1985), better known by the stage name Troy Ave, is an American rapper from the Crown Heights neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York City. His moniker derives from Troy Avenue, a street near his childhood home. In N ...
released a remix to the song.
On January 22, 2014, the official remix to the song was released, it featured
Lil Wayne
Dwayne Michael Carter Jr. (born September 27, 1982), known professionally as Lil Wayne, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, and record executive. His career began in 1995, at the age of 12, when he was signed by rapper Birdman (rapper), ...
,
Meek Mill
Robert Rihmeek Williams (born May 6, 1987), known professionally as Meek Mill, is an American rapper. Born and raised in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, he embarked on his music career as a battle rapper, and later formed a short-lived rap group, ...
, Rich Homie Quan and
Nicki Minaj
Onika Tanya Maraj-Petty (; born December 8, 1982), known professionally as Nicki Minaj ( ), is a Trinidadian-born rapper based in the United States. She is known for her musical versatility, animated flow in her rapping, alter egos and accent ...
. Five days later, the music video for the remix took place in Los Angeles with YG, Lil Wayne, Meek Mill, Nicki Minaj, and Jeezy among others. The remix was also released as a single for
digital download on the same day.
On February 20, 2014, YG premiered a preview of the music at a listening session for ''My Krazy Life''. The video featured cameo appearances from
Lil Durk
Durk Derrick Banks (born October 19, 1992), known professionally as Lil Durk, is an American rapper and singer. He is the lead member and founder of the collective and record label Only the Family (OTF). Durk garnered a cult following with the ...
, DJ Mustard and
Ty Dolla Sign
Tyrone William Griffin Jr. (born April 13, 1982), known professionally as Ty Dolla Sign (stylized as Ty Dolla $ign or Ty$), is an American singer, songwriter and record producer. He first gained major recognition in 2010 for his feature on Ameri ...
among others.
In 2022 Dominican rapper
El Alfa
Emanuel Herrera Batista (born 18 December 1990), known professionally as El Alfa El Jefe, or simply as El Alfa, is a Dominican rapper, known as "The King of Dembow". Batista was born in Bajos de Haina, Santo Domingo. He is known for his sensual ...
released a remix of My Nigga titled “Ma Nigga” which features YG, Braulio Fogon, Almighty, and Dowba Montana.
Charts
Weekly charts
Year-end charts
Certifications
Release history
References
External links
*
*
{{authority control
2013 singles
2013 songs
YG (rapper) songs
Jeezy songs
Rich Homie Quan songs
Def Jam Recordings singles
Song recordings produced by Mustard (record producer)
Songs written by Jeezy
Songs written by Lil Wayne
Songs written by Snoop Dogg
Songs written by Mustard (record producer)
Gangsta rap songs
Songs written by YG (rapper)
Songs about friendship