"Ten Commandments" is a hip hop song by

Lil' Mo Cynthia Karen Loving (born November 19, 1978), known professionally as Lil' Mo, is an American singer, songwriter, rapper, television and radio personality. She is best known for her 2001 single " Superwoman Pt. II", featuring then-unknown rapper ...

featuring

Grammy Award The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pres ...

–winning rapper

Lil' Kim Kimberly Denise Jones (born July 11, 1974), Those giving 1974 include: * * * * * better known by her stage name Lil' Kim, is an American rapper and reality television personality. Born and raised in Brooklyn, New York City, she lived much of he ...

from the former's sophomore effort, ''

Meet the Girl Next Door ''Meet the Girl Next Door'' is the second studio album by American rapper and singer Lil' Mo. It was released on April 29, 2003 by Elektra Records. Written and recorded during her eighth-month pregnancy break in which she became a part-time anchor ...

'' (2003). Although

Elektra Records Elektra Records (or Elektra Entertainment) is an American record label owned by Warner Music Group, founded in 1950 by Jac Holzman and Paul Rickolt. It played an important role in the development of contemporary folk and rock music between the 1 ...

had announced in December 2002 that the song would be released as ''Meet the Girl Next Door'''s second single, plans for the release never followed resulting in a promotional "street" release a month prior to the release of ''Meet the Girl Next Door''.

Background

The song features a distinctive sample of

The Notorious B.I.G. Christopher George Latore Wallace (May 21, 1972 – March 9, 1997), better known by his stage names the Notorious B.I.G., Biggie Smalls, or simply Biggie, was an American rapper. Rooted in East Coast hip hop and particularly gangsta ...

's "10 Crack Commandments," featuring production by DJ Premier. The Biggie sample was also used in reference for

's feature, much similar to another single ("

Let It Go "Let It Go" is a song from Walt Disney Animation Studios, Disney's 2013 computer-animated feature film ''Frozen (2013 film), Frozen'', whose music and lyrics were composed by husband-and-wife songwriting team Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert L ...

") which would follow the same concept four years later. When asked on the meaning of the song, Lil' Mo told ''

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'': "...

t was T, or t, is the twentieth letter in the Latin alphabet, used in the modern English alphabet, the alphabets of other western European languages and others worldwide. Its name in English is ''tee'' (pronounced ), plural ''tees''. It is deri ...

to let adiesknow how to keep your man. Stop telling all your homegirls all your business and problems. The ones that be like, 'Girl, he ain't no good' are the main ones trying to holla t your man 'So, you gonna call me?' Sometimes you have to think for yourself." In addition, Lil' Mo told ''Honey'' magazine that Lil' Kim's feature was the "perfect match" for the song."FUSION: IT'S HOT > Mo Betta." ''Honey''. Vanguard Media Inc., 2003: 304. Print.

Critical reception

The song received generally mixed reviews. While critics praised the song for its "set of rules" and dubbed it as an anthem in its own right, others like Donnie Kwak of ''Vibe'' magazine were divided over the song's theme and sample.Kwak, Donnie. "START > Resurrection Songs." '' Vibe''. April 2003: 82. Print. Kwak criticized the song's composition as a "dull relationship advice column," and its use of sampling Biggie's "10 Crack Commandments," as "breaking an essential Hip-Hop Commandment: Thou shall not tarnish a classic." However, Kwak praised Lil' Kim's feature by remarking, "Kim's verse saves the day," while criticizing Lil' Mo's vocals by stating, "Mo should stick to hooks." By contrast, another ''Vibe'' editor, Akiba J. Solomon, called in Hilda Hutcherson, M.D. to list advice in examination of the song's synopsis and lyrical structure. Throughout the examination, Hutcherson opposed more than half of the song's "Ten Commandments," and listed full explanatorily advice for each of the song's "commandments."

Track listing

;12" vinyl # "Ten Commandments" (Amended Version) # "Ten Commandments" (Album Version) # "Ten Commandments" (Instrumental) # "Ten Commandments" (Amended Acappella)

Chart performance

References

{{Lil' Kim 2002 songs 2003 singles 2003 songs Lil' Mo songs Lil' Kim songs Songs written by Lil' Mo Elektra Records singles Songs written by Lil' Kim