Mo Money Mo Problems
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| "Mo Money Mo Problems" | |||||
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| Single by The Notorious B.I.G. featuring Puff Daddy, Kelly Price and Mase | |||||
| from the album Life After Death | |||||
| Released | July 21, 1997 | ||||
| Format | CD single, 7" vinyl, 12" vinyl | ||||
| Recorded | 1996 | ||||
| Genre | East Coast hip hop | ||||
| Length | 4:17 | ||||
| Label | Bad Boy Records/Arista Records | ||||
| Writer(s) | Bernard Edwards Mason Betha Nile Rodgers Steven Jordan Sean Combs Christopher Wallace |
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| Producer | Stevie J | ||||
| The Notorious B.I.G. singles chronology | |||||
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"Mo Money Mo Problems" is the Grammy-nominated second single & tenth track on the first disc of the Notorious B.I.G. album, Life After Death. It features guest vocals from Mase and Sean "Puff Daddy" Combs. The instrumental contains a sample of the Diana Ross song "I'm Coming Out". The refrain, sung by Kelly Price, goes "I don't know what they want from me, it's like the more money we come across, the more problems we see."
The single, released posthumously, topped the Billboard Hot 100 for two weeks in 1997. It replaced "I'll Be Missing You", which is Puff Daddy's song about the death of Notorious B.I.G. This is Notorious B.I.G's second posthumous number one single, a record which has never been equaled. The song was nominated for a Grammy in 1998 for Best Rap Collaboration by a Duo or Group.
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[edit] Chart Performance
"Mo Money Mo Problems" was able to top the Billboard Hot 100 for two weeks giving Biggie his second number 1 hit in the US. The song hit number 1 after he had died. It was preceded by "I'll Be Missing You" by Puff Daddy featuring 112 & Faith Evans and was succeeded by "Honey" by Mariah Carey. The single reached #6 in the UK charts.
[edit] Music video
The video directed by Hype Williams featured Mase and Combs in futuristic locations, including a tunnel lined with fluorescent lamps and a stark white chamber with pressurized air blowing out of the floor, allowing the two to float in midair. This video is also famous for the red shiny jackets that are worn by Combs and Mase. The "air chamber" also had a video screen showing, at first, images of Kelly Price lip-synching to the sample of Diana Ross' voice and singing the song's chorus. During the final verse, which the Notorious B.I.G. performed, Mase and Puffy looked on as the video screen showed archival footage of B.I.G. performing, run at a speed so that the footage seemed to sync with B.I.G.'s vocals; since the rapper had died just prior to the release of Life After Death, and well before the filming of the video, this was the only way to have him appear in the video. Song produced by Steven "Stevie J." Jordan and Sean Combs. The video also has a short story, which is about how Combs was competing in a golf tournament and gained help from the spirit of The Notorious B.I.G, who helps him win the tournament.
MuchMoreMusic ranked "Mo Money Mo Problems" #31 on Listed's "40 Most Memorable Videos Pt. 1 & 2" for its flashy wardrobe, and use of syncing old footage with the lyrics. VH1 ranked the song #63 as one of the "100 Greatest Songs of the 90s". The song was also partially influenced by the 1992 movie Mo' Money.
[edit] Track listing
[edit] CD Single
- "Mo Money Mo Problems" Produced by Steven "Stevie J." Jordan and Sean Combs(Radio Mix) (4:12)
- "Lovin You Tonight" (Radio Mix) (5:07)
- "Mo Money Mo Problems" (Instrumental) (4:12)
- "Mo Money Mo Problems" (Razor-N-Go Club mix, short version) (4:09)
- "Mo Money Mo Problems" (Razor-N-Go Club mix, long version) (10:33)
[edit] Chart positions
| Chart (1997) | Peak position |
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| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 | 1 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs | 2 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot Rap Tracks | 1 |
| Preceded by "I'll Be Missing You" by Puff Daddy featuring Faith Evans and 112 |
Billboard Hot 100 number one single August 30, 1997- September 6, 1997 |
Succeeded by "Honey" by Mariah Carey |
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