"Grillz" is a song by American rapper Nelly featuring fellow American rappers

Paul Wall Paul Michael Slayton (born March 11, 1981), better known by his stage name Paul Wall, is an American rapper and DJ. He has spent much of his career affiliated with Swishahouse Records, and has released several albums under the label and collabor ...

, Ali & Gipp, and uncredited vocals from American singer Brandi Williams (of the group

Blaque Blaque is an American girl group that charted from 1999 to 2004. Outside of the United States, they are known as Blaque Ivory. Their self-titled debut album ''Blaque'' sold more than 1 million copies and was certified Platinum. The group's d ...

). The song was written by Nelly,

Jermaine Dupri Jermaine Dupri Mauldin (born September 23, 1972) is an American rapper, songwriter, record producer, record executive, entrepreneur, and DJ. Early life Jermaine Dupri Mauldin was born on September 23, 1972, the son of Tina (Mosley) and Michael ...

, Paul Wall, Ali, Gipp and James Phillips; it contains samples of Destiny's Child's "

Soldier A soldier is a person who is a member of an army. A soldier can be a conscripted or volunteer enlisted person, a non-commissioned officer, or an officer. Etymology The word ''soldier'' derives from the Middle English word , from Old French ...

", written by

Beyoncé Knowles Beyoncé Giselle Knowles-Carter ( ; born September 4, 1981) is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. Beyoncé's boundary-pushing artistry and vocals have made her the most influential female musician of the 21st century, according to ...

, Kelendria Rowland, Tenitra Williams, Garrett Hamler, and

Rich Harrison Richard Christopher Harrison (born 1979) is an American record producer and songwriter from Washington, D.C., specializing in R&B and hip hop music. The winner of a Grammy Award, Harrison is well known for producing songs such as " Get Right ...

; it also contains samples of "Left Me Lonely" by

MC Shan Shawn Moltke (born September 6, 1965) better known by his stage name MC Shan, is an American hip hop and R&B recording artist. He is best known for his song "The Bridge" produced by Marley Marl, and for collaborating with Snow on " Informe ...

. Production was handled by Dupri. Following its release, it topped the US ''Billboard'' Hot 100 and reached the top 20 in Australia, Ireland, and New Zealand.

Music video

The song's

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 Fat Cats, was released in 2005. Jermaine Dupri,

Big Boi Antwan André Patton (born February 1, 1975), better known by his stage name Big Boi, is an American rapper, songwriter, record producer and actor. He is best known for being a member of the southern hip hop duo Outkast alongside André 300 ...

Iamsu! Sudan Ameer Williams (born November 16, 1989), better known by his stage name Iamsu! (stylized as IamSu! or IAMSU!), is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, and record producer. He is also a part of the production team The Invasion and lead ...

, Avery Storm, St. Lunatics, Taylor Made, Jung Tru, Chocolate Tai, and Johnny Dang make cameo appearances throughout the video.

Remixes

The official remix, featuring rapper

Chingo Bling Pedro Herrera III (born August 23, 1979 in Houston, Texas), better known by his stage name Chingo Bling, is an American rapper, producer, and comedian of Mexican descent. Early life and education Chingo attended Peddie School, a private college ...

, was released in 2006. Another official remix features rappers Diamonique and

Lil Rob Roberto L. Flores (born September 21, 1975), better known by his stage name Lil Rob, is an American rapper, producer, and actor. Biography Flores was born in San Diego and raised in La Colonia de Eden Gardens, a Mexican American neighborhood i ...

Usage as sample

Fabolous John David Jackson (born November 18, 1977), better known by his stage name Fabolous, is an American rapper. Raised in Brooklyn, he first gained recognition while still a senior in high school, when he performed live on American music executive ...

interpolated lines from the chorus in the beginning of his song "The Wake" from '' There is no Competition 2: The Grieving Music EP''.

Chart performance

"Grillz" reached number one on the US ''Billboard'' Hot 100. It stayed on the top spot for two consecutive weeks. At the end of the year it was ranked number 12 on the ''Billboard'' 2006 year-end chart.

Awards

In 2007, the song was nominated for Best Rap Performance as a Duo or Group at the

49th Annual Grammy Awards The 49th Annual Grammy Awards was a ceremony honoring the best in music for the recording year beginning October 1, 2005 and ending September 30, 2006 in the United States. The awards were handed out on Sunday, February 11, 2007 at the Staples C ...

. The RIAA certified it Platinum in the United States.

Charts

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

Certifications

Release history

References

{{Authority control 2005 singles 2006 singles Nelly songs Paul Wall songs Billboard Hot 100 number-one singles Song recordings produced by Jermaine Dupri Songs written by Jermaine Dupri Songs written by Beyoncé Songs written by Sean Garrett Songs written by LRoc Songs written by Rich Harrison Songs written by T.I. Songs written by Kelly Rowland Songs written by Nelly Universal Records singles Songs written by Paul Wall Songs written by Michelle Williams (singer) 2005 songs