It's All About the Benjamins

"It's All About the Benjamins" is the third single released from the Puff Daddy album No Way Out. "Benjamins" is slang for $100 bills (USD), a reference to Benjamin Franklin's image on the bills. The Notorious B.I.G. used the slang on his debut album "Ready To Die". The song featured an uncredited vocal arrangement by Missy "Misdemeanor" Elliott,^[1] and featured a signature guitar hook played by Marc Solomon.

History

The song debuted in 1996 on DJ Clue's Holiday Holdup mixtape. This version of the song only featured Puff Daddy and the rap act The LOX (excluding Styles P who still appears in the video). The song was later added to Puffy's debut album, No Way Out, in a remix, "It's All About the Benjamins (Remix)", which added two new verses by Lil' Kim and Notorious B.I.G. Lil' Kim also provided the song with a chorus which the original version lacked. This version of the song also omitted the word "Hebrews" out of Jadakiss' verse; however, the word was left in on the first pressing. Subsequent pressings removed the word. Additionally, when it was released on the Bad Boy's Greatest Hits Vol. I album, it retained the word. This single made it to #1 on the Hot 100 Airplay chart and its video won a Viewer's Choice award at the 1998 MTV Video Music Awards show. Due to the rarity of the obscure mixtape version, the remix featured on No Way Out is often considered the song's definitive version to avoid confusion.

The song samples two pieces of music. The first sample heard up to the end of Lil' Kim's verse is taken from the song "I Did It for Love" performed by the Love Unlimited written by Linda Laurie and Terry Etlinger. The verse performed by Notorious B.I.G. contains a sample from The Jackson 5 song "It's Great to Be Here." This latter sample is exclusive to the No Way Out remix. After the final verse, the song reverts to the first sample and ends shortly after.

In 2008, it was ranked number 32 on VH1's 100 Greatest Songs of Hip Hop.

Puffy also released a rock version of the song, "It's All About the Benjamins (Rock Remix)". This collaboration, also known as "Shot-Caller Rock Remix" and "Rock Remix I", featured Tommy Stinson, Fuzzbubble, Rob Zombie and Dave Grohl on drums. This remix added guitar riffs and live drums, as well as a more "in your face" approach to the song's chorus. This version had its own music video, directed by Spike Jonze, which was nominated for Best Video of the Year on MTV Video Music Awards in 1998 which was won by Madonna with "Ray of Light".

In 1999, Puffy performed this remix with a live band at Giants Stadium for the NetAid benefit concert. This performance featured Slash on guitar as well as Lil' Cease and Lil' Kim on vocals.

There is also a slightly different alternative to this remix called, "It's All About the Benjamins (Rock Remix II)." This lesser known version adds Size 14 to the song's already long collaboration line-up.

Both rock remixes of the song were released as edited versions; the explicit versions were only released on promo CDs.

Covers and samples

In 1999, "Weird Al" Yankovic performed a parody of the rock remix of "It's All About the Benjamins". His version, "It's All About the Pentiums", features himself boasting about the superiority of his computer hardware.

Diddy sampled the song in the remix to "Shot Caller" by French Montana.

The song has also been covered by the Ballas Hough Band who performed the song with Grammy Award winning multi-platinum rap superstar Lil' Kim in 2009.

Formats and track listings

Been Around the World (Single)

Been Around the World (Radio Edit)
It's All About the Benjamins (Shot-Caller Rock Remix)

Been Around the World (Maxi-single)

Been Around the World (Radio Edit)
It's All About the Benjamins (Rock Remix I)
It's All About the Benjamins (Rock Remix II)
It's All About the Benjamins (Album Version)

Single (U.K. and Canada only)

It's All About the Benjamins (Rock Remix I)
It's All About the Benjamins (Album Version)
It's All About the Benjamins (Rock Remix II)
It's All About the Benjamins (DJ Ming_(DJ) & FS Drum N' Base Mix)

Chart positions

Chart (1997)	Peak position
UK Singles Chart	18
U.S. Billboard Hot 100	2
U.S. Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks	1
U.S. Billboard Hot Rap Singles	1

Notes

↑ "Memory Lane: Sheek recalls how Missy Elliot saved his verse on "It’s All About The Benjamins"". MissInfo.tv. 28 September 2010. Retrieved 3 April 2014.

External links

Music video (original song)

Sean Combs

Discography Production discography Accolades

Studio albums	No Way Out Forever The Saga Continues... Press Play Last Train to Paris MMM

Remix albums	We Invented the Remix

Singles	"Can't Nobody Hold Me Down" "I'll Be Missing You" "It's All About the Benjamins" "Been Around the World" "Victory" "Come with Me" "P.E. 2000" "Satisfy You" "Do You Like It...Do You Want It" "Best Friends" "Let's Get It" "Bad Boy for Life" "Diddy" "I Need a Girl (Part 1)" "I Need a Girl (Part 2)" "Special Delivery (Remix)" "Come to Me" "Tell Me" "Last Night" "Through the Pain (She Told Me)" "Angels" "Love Come Down" "Hello Good Morning" "Loving You No More" "Coming Home" "Your Love" "Ass on the Floor" "Workin (Remix)"

Featured singles	"No Time" "Someone" "Mo Money Mo Problems" "Honey" "Lookin' at Me" "Hate Me Now" "All Night Long" "Notorious B.I.G." "Son of a Gun" "Show Stopper" "No More Drama" "Pass the Courvoisier, Part II" "Trade It All (Part 2)" "Bump, Bump, Bump" "I Do (Wanna Get Close to You)" "Shake Ya Tailfeather" "I Don't Wanna Know" "Nasty Girl" "Take You There" "Imma Put It on Her" "Must Be Love" "Better on the Other Side "All I Do Is Win (Remix)" "I’m on You" "Someone to Love Me (Naked)" "Scream & Shout (Remix)"

Related articles	Bad Boy Records Sean John P. Diddy's Starmaker The Notorious B.I.G. I Want to Work for Diddy A Raisin in the Sun Diddy – Dirty Money

Lil' Kim

Studio albums and singles

Hard Core	"No Time" "Crush on You" "Not Tonight"

The Notorious K.I.M.	"No Matter What They Say" "How Many Licks?"

La Bella Mafia	"The Jump Off" "Magic Stick"

The Naked Truth	"Lighters Up" "Whoa"

Mixtapes

Soundtrack and Promotional

Featured singles

Film work

The Notorious B.I.G.

Discography Awards and nominations Death

Studio albums	Ready to Die Life After Death

Posthumous albums	Born Again Duets: The Final Chapter

Compilations	Greatest Hits Notorious: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack

Singles	"Party and Bullshit" "Juicy" "Big Poppa" / "Who Shot Ya?" "One More Chance" "Hypnotize" "Mo Money Mo Problems" "Sky's the Limit" "Notorious B.I.G." "Dead Wrong" "Nasty Girl" "Spit Your Game"

Featured singles	"Flava in Ya Ear (Remix)" "Can't You See" "The Points" "Runnin' (From tha Police)" "This Time Around" "It's All About the Benjamins" "Victory" "Runnin' (Dying to Live)"

Other songs	"Suicidal Thoughts" "Going Back to Cali" "Old Thing Back (Matoma Remix)"

Related articles	Sean Combs Faith Evans Junior M.A.F.I.A. Conspiracy "Player's Anthem" "I Need You Tonight" "Get Money" Lil' Cease Lil' Kim East Coast-West Coast hip hop rivalry "I'll Be Missing You" Biggie & Tupac Notorious

The LOX

Jadakiss Sheek Louch Styles P

Studio albums	Money, Power & Respect (1998) We Are the Streets (2000)

Compilations	No Security (2009)

EPs	The Trinity (2013) The Trinity 2nd Sermon (2014)

Singles	"If You Think I'm Jiggy" "Money, Power & Respect" "We'll Always Love Big Poppa" "Ryde or Die, Bitch" "Wild Out"

Featured singles	"It's All About the Benjamins" "Banned From T.V." "Jenny From The Block"

Other songs	"24 Hrs. to Live"

See also	Discography D-Block Records Ruff Ryders Entertainment Bad Boy Records Wu Block

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