"What's It Gonna Be?!" is a single released in 1999 by rapper Busta Rhymes Featuring R&B singer Janet Jackson. It proved to be an international success, gaining the highest peak on the Billboard Hot 100 chart at #3.
For the first time, Jackson included the song as an interlude on her Number Ones: Up Close and Personal tour.
[edit] Music video
The music video for the song by Hype Williams. It was one of the most expensive videos ever made, costing upwards of $2 million, and was big on special effects. The video begins with a glass filled with liquid moving toward the edge of its resting area. The glass falls then the liquid makes its way back up to its resting area, transforming into Busta Rhymes as a knight in shining armour, then begins performing.
The video is full of sexual innuendo, visually based on the song's wet dream and wetness imagery. Janet Jackson is shown in a tunnel made of liquid and Busta Rhymes turns into a sperm-like creature then he floats through into the tunnel. Drummer boys appear through the tunnel's walls and Busta Rhymes turns from the sperm-like creature into one of the drummer boys as they march through the tunnel. After a little rapping, Busta then changes back to the sperm-like creature and rises through into the ceiling of the tunnel. After an electric spark, little versions of himself fall like rain from the ceiling onto Janet. Eventually Busta and Janet meet up for a performance together. Everything in the scenes explode into thin air including Busta and Janet. The video then ends with Busta and Janet turning into the original liquid that Busta appeared from. There are also women throughout the video dancing in silver body suits and Busta playing an electric guitar with a sound amplifier system behind him.
[edit] Track listings
[edit] US - 12" vinyl Maxi Single
- A1. What's It Gonna Be?! (LP Version - Dirty) (5:28)
- A2. What's It Gonna Be?! (Instrumental) (5:28)
- A3. What's It Gonna Be?! (LP Version Clean - Edit) (4:19)
- B1. What's It Gonna Be?! (LP Version - Clean) (5:28)
- B2. What's It Gonna Be?! (Instrumental) (5:28)
[edit] Germany 5" CD Single
- What's It Gonna Be?! (Soul Society Remix) (3:56)
- What's It Gonna Be?! (LP Clean Version - Edit) (4:04)
- What's It Gonna Be?! (Micky Finn D&B Remix) (5:59)
[edit] US 5" CD Single
- What's It Gonna Be?! (LP Version Clean - Edit) (4:09)
- What's It Gonna Be?! (LP Version Clean) (5:29)
[edit] UK - Cassette Single
- A1. What's It Gonna Be?! (LP Version Clean - Edit) (4:09)
- A2. What's It Gonna Be?! (Soul Society Remix) (3:53)
- B1. What's It Gonna Be?! (LP Version Clean - Edit) (4:09)
- B2. What's It Gonna Be?! (Soul Society Remix) (3:53)
[edit] Official Versions/Remixes
- 2000 Watts Extended Vocal Remix (6:56)
- 2000 Watts Radio Edit (3:53)
- 2000 Watts Dub (6:46)
- 2000 Watts Instrumental (6:42)
- Acappella (4:19)
- Album Version [Dirty] (5:28)
- Album/LP Edit [Clean] (4:09)
- David Anthony Remix (4:21)
- Instrumental/TV track (5:28)
- Micky Finn D&B Remix (6:00)
- Soul Society Remix (3:53)
- Soul Society Remix Extended (4:52)
[edit] Charts
The song peaked at number three on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 singles chart and hit number one on both the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks and Hot Rap Tracks charts. It was also a top ten hit in the UK and Australia. It was a moderate success in Europe reaching the top forty in most countries. The song sold 850,000 copies in the USA.
[edit] Peak positions
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[edit] End of year charts
| End of year chart (1999) |
Position |
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100[1] |
27 |
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[edit] See also
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