I Got a Man
| "I Got a Man" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by Positive K | ||||
| from the album The Skills Dat Pay Da Bills | ||||
| Released | December 1, 1992 | |||
| Format | CD single, 7", 12" | |||
| Recorded | 1992 | |||
| Genre | Hip hop | |||
| Length | 3:52 | |||
| Label | Island | |||
| Producer(s) | Positive K | |||
| Positive K singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
"I Got a Man" is a song by American hip-hop rapper Positive K. It was released in December 1992 as the first single from his debut album The Skills Dat Pay Da Bills. Positive K provides not only the male vocals on the song but also the female vocals,[1] raising the pitch of his voice with studio technology.
The single peaked at #14 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 on the chart week of March 20, 1993, making it the rapper's only Top 40 hit. It sold over 500,000 copies and was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America.[2][3]
Analysis
The song is about a man's desire to engage romantically with a woman he meets on the street. Although the woman is already in a relationship, the man refuses to consider this relevant to his pursuit. She continues to reject him and persists in explaining her satisfaction with her current relationship. She even offers to alternatively pursue a platonic friendship with the man, but he declines. He further suggests that he is not interested in a committed relationship or plying her with gifts; rather he is in favor of physical pleasures they can experience together. She rebukes him and remarks that she prefers what she has.
Samples
The music behind the lyrics samples the 1980 disco single "Rescue Me" by A Taste of Honey as well as the song "Spread Love" by the a cappella group Take 6, the song "High Power Rap" by the rap group Crash Crew, and the electric guitar riff from "Mama Used To Say" by Junior, and the horn from "Get Up and Dance" by Freedom. The spoken intro of the song is sampled from the 1990 film Die Hard 2 in which John McClane (played by Bruce Willis) complains about his bad luck.
Music video
There were two music videos for "I Got a Man". The first version was directed by Hype Williams,[4] while the second version was directed by Jeff Byrd.[5]
Legacy
In 1999, Chanté Moore and Jermaine Dupri used an interpolation of the song on their remix of "Chanté's Got a Man".
Charts
Peak positions
| Chart (1992–1993) | Peak Position |
|---|---|
| Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[6] | 12 |
| New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[7] | 41 |
| UK Singles (The Official Charts Company) | 43 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 | 14 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 Airplay | 19 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot Dance Music/Maxi-Singles Sales | 14 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs | 10 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles Sales | 4 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot Rap Singles | 1 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot Singles Sales | 5 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot Singles Recurrents | 2 |
| U.S. Billboard Rhythmic Top 40 | 12 |
End of year charts
| End of year chart (1993) | Position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100[8] | 63 |
References
- ↑ Willman, Chris (1993-05-16). "Rap and Feminism Do Mix - Surprise! Videos by Positive K and Paris put a positive spin on respect for women". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2009-01-02.
- ↑ "Best-Selling Records of 1993". Billboard (BPI Communications) 106 (3): 73. January 15, 1994. ISSN 0006-2510. Retrieved May 4, 2015.
- ↑ "American certifications – Positive K – I Got a Man". Recording Industry Association of America.
- ↑ "I Got A Man (Version 1)". mvdbase.com. Music Video Database. Retrieved 2015-12-13.
|first1=missing|last1=in Authors list (help) - ↑ "I Got A Man (Version 2)". mvdbase.com. Music Video Database. Retrieved 2015-12-13.
|first1=missing|last1=in Authors list (help) - ↑ "Nederlandse Top 40 – Positive K search results" (in Dutch) Dutch Top 40.
- ↑ "Charts.org.nz – Positive K – I Got a Man". Top 40 Singles.
- ↑ "Billboard Top 100 - 1993". Retrieved 2010-08-27.