"Still Not a Player" is the second single from
Big Pun's debut album ''
Capital Punishment
Capital punishment, also known as the death penalty, is the state-sanctioned practice of deliberately killing a person as a punishment for an actual or supposed crime, usually following an authorized, rule-governed process to conclude that t ...
''. The song was produced by
Knobody
Jerome Foster, better known as Knobody, is an American music producer and A&R. Knobody has produced records across different genres including soul, R&B, hip hop and rock for several multi-platinum artists including Jay-Z, Ne-Yo, Akon, The Game, ...
and features
R&B singer
Joe
Joe or JOE may refer to:
Arts
Film and television
* ''Joe'' (1970 film), starring Peter Boyle
* ''Joe'' (2013 film), starring Nicolas Cage
* ''Joe'' (TV series), a British TV series airing from 1966 to 1971
* ''Joe'', a 2002 Canadian animated ...
.
Composition
The song is a remix of Big Pun's previous single "
I'm Not a Player
"I'm Not a Player" is the debut single from rapper Big Pun (then known as Big Punisher), produced by Minnesota. The song peaked at number 57 of the ''Billboard'' Hot 100. "I'm Not a Player" helped the album become number one on the ''Billboard'' ...
" produced by Minnesota and contains an interpolation of Joe's "
Don't Wanna Be a Player
"Don't Wanna Be a Player" is a song by the American R&B singer Joe. It was written by Joe, Japhe Tejeda, Jolyon Skinner, Michele Williams and Rodney Jerkins, and produced by the latter for Joe's second studio album '' All That I Am'' (1997). Relea ...
". It also samples "A Little Bit of Love" by
Brenda Russell. In addition to samples, the song contains interpolations of
Earth, Wind & Fire
Earth, Wind & Fire (EW&F or EWF) is an American band whose music spans the genres of jazz, R&B, soul, funk, disco, pop, big band, Latin, and Afro pop. They are among the best-selling bands of all time, with sales of over 90 million re ...
's "Brazilian Rhyme (Beijo)"; towards the end of the song, the refrain "Punisher...Punisher...Punisher, Big Punisher" is sung to the tune and rhythm of the lead vocals from the track.
Chart performance
The song peaked at No. 24 on the
''Billboard'' Hot 100 and at No. 6 on the ''Billboard''
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, making it the most successful single released by Big Pun. It was ranked the 108th best song of 1980-2005 by ''
Blender
A blender (sometimes called a mixer or liquidiser in British English) is a kitchen appliance, kitchen and laboratory appliance used to mix, crush, purée or emulsion, emulsify food and other substances. A stationary blender consists of a blender ...
'' magazine, and was ranked #76 on
VH1's list of the 100 Greatest Hip Hop Songs.
Music video
Cormega
Cory McKay (born December 3, 1970), better known by his stage name Cormega, is an American rapper who attained notice when he was shouted out by Nas on his song "One Love", from the critically acclaimed 1994 album ''Illmatic''. The album was re ...
,
Onyx
Onyx primarily refers to the parallel banded variety of chalcedony, a silicate mineral. Agate and onyx are both varieties of layered chalcedony that differ only in the form of the bands: agate has curved bands and onyx has parallel bands. The c ...
,
the Beatnuts
The Beatnuts are an American hip hop group and production duo from New York City. Its current members are JuJu and Psycho Les. JuJu (born Jerry Tineo on December 14, 1968) is a Dominican American from Corona and Psycho Les (born Lester Fernande ...
,
Guru
Guru ( sa, गुरु, IAST: ''guru;'' Pali'': garu'') is a Sanskrit term for a "mentor, guide, expert, or master" of certain knowledge or field. In pan-Indian traditions, a guru is more than a teacher: traditionally, the guru is a reverentia ...
,
Tony Touch
Joseph Anthony Hernandez (born July 2, 1969), professionally known as Tony Touch, is an American hip hop break dancer, rapper, record producer and DJ of Puerto Rican descent.
Career
Tony Touch began as a B-boy during the rap music renaissance ...
and Loud Records R&B artist Davina all made featured appearances in the music video as cameos.
Cover versions and samples
In the
Up in Smoke Tour
The Up in Smoke Tour was a West Coast hip hop tour in 2000 which was headlined by Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg, also featuring artists and disc jockeys Ice Cube, Eminem, Proof, Nate Dogg, Kurupt, D12, MC Ren, Westside Connection, Chilldrin of d ...
in 2000,
Snoop Dogg
Calvin Cordozar Broadus Jr. (born October 20, 1971), known professionally as Snoop Dogg (previously Snoop Doggy Dogg and briefly Snoop Lion), is an American rapper. His fame dates back to 1992 when he featured on Dr. Dre's debut solo single, " ...
and
Dr. Dre
Andre Romelle Young (born February 18, 1965), known professionally as Dr. Dre, is an American rapper and record producer. He is the founder and CEO of Aftermath Entertainment and Beats Electronics, and previously co-founded, co-owned, and ...
played this song as a tribute to Big Pun. The song was also remixed by
Incubus
An incubus is a demon in male form in folklore that seeks to have sexual intercourse with sleeping women; the corresponding spirit in female form is called a succubus. In medieval Europe, union with an incubus was supposed by some to result in t ...
which featured Big Pun's vocals on the 2000 rap rock album ''
Loud Rocks'', released 7 months after his death.
A demo version of the song featuring former
Terror Squad member
Cuban Link
Felix Delgado (born December 18, 1974), better known by his stage name Cuban Link, is a Cuban American rapper and original member of Terror Squad.
Biography
Delgado was born in Havana, Cuba, in 1974. He and his family emigrated to the Unite ...
leaked 14 years after the song's initial release.
The song was sampled in
Ariana Grande
Ariana Grande-Butera ( ; born June 26, 1993) is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. Her four-octave vocal range has received critical acclaim, and her personal life has been the subject of widespread media attention. She has received ...
's 2013 single "
The Way", which also samples
Brenda Russell's "
A Little Bit of Love".
Mac Miller Gives Ariana Grande 'Butterflies' On 'The Way'
Jocelyn Vena, MTV.com, March 27, 2013
Charts
References
External links
*
1998 songs
1998 singles
Big Pun songs
Joe (singer) songs
Music videos directed by Darren Grant
Songs written by Big Pun
Loud Records singles
RCA Records singles
{{1990s-single-stub