"Nigga What, Nigga Who (Originator 99)" (or "Jigga What, Jigga Who (Originator 99)" for the song's title was often changed to avoid airing the word "

Nigga ''Nigga'' () is a colloquial and vulgar term used in African-American Vernacular English that began as a dialect form of the word ''nigger'', an ethnic slur against black people. The word is commonly associated with hip hop music and Afri ...

") is a single by

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's third album '' Vol. 2... Hard Knock Life''. It was released on March 1, 1999. The song is produced by

Timbaland Timothy Zachery Mosley (born March 10, 1972), known professionally as Timbaland, is an American record producer, rapper, singer, songwriter, and record executive. He has received widespread acclaim for his innovative production work and distinc ...

and features two artists: Big Jaz, who raps one verse and

Amil Amil Kahala Whitehead (born September 19, 1973) is an American former rapper and singer. She was prominent in the late 1990s as a Jay-Z protégé, and recorded the single " Can I Get A..." with him for the '' Rush Hour'' soundtrack. Amil's d ...

, who speaks the track's chorus. In 2004, the song was mashed with Linkin Park's " Faint" in the six track EP ''

Collision Course {{wiktionary A collision course, also known as a ''kamikaze run'', is the deliberate maneuver by the operator of a moving object (or often in Sci-Fi a spaceship) to collide with another object. It is a desperate maneuver since it often damages ...

''.

Track listing

# "Nigga What, Nigga Who (Originator 99)" # " Ain't No Nigga" # "Bring It On"

Vinyl

B-Side # "Ain't No Nigga"

Critical reception

In 2015, ''

NME ''New Musical Express'' (''NME'') is a British music, film, gaming, and culture website and brand. Founded as a newspaper in 1952, with the publication being referred to as a 'rock inkie', the NME would become a magazine that ended up as a f ...

'' ranked the song number seven on their list of the ten greatest Jay-Z songs, and in 2019, ''

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 ...

'' ranked the song number eight on their list of the 50 greatest Jay-Z songs.

Charts

References

External links