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Doin' It (LL Cool J song)

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"Doin It"
Single by LL Cool J featuring LeShaun
from the album Mr. Smith
B-side"Hey Lover"
ReleasedFebruary 20, 1996 (1996-02-20)
Recorded1995
GenreDirty rap
Length4:54
Label
Songwriter(s)James Todd Smith
Producer(s)
LL Cool J featuring LeShaun singles chronology
"Hey Lover"
(1995) 		"Doin It"
(1996) 		"Loungin"
(1996)

"Doin It" is a song by American rapper LL Cool J, released by Def Jam Recordings on February 20, 1995, as the second single from his sixth album, Mr. Smith. Based on a sample of Grace Jones' "My Jamaican Guy", it contains a guest appearance from LeShaun (who previously released a song with the same sample and theme in 1988 titled "Wild Thang"), while production was handled by Rashad "Ringo" Smith and LL Cool J. Its B-side was the album's previous single, "Hey Lover".

"Doin It" peaked at number nine on the Billboard Hot 100, and number seven on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs Billboard chart. In several interviews, both the artist and producer have stated that the instrumental was originally meant for the Notorious B.I.G. on his Life After Death album.[1] The crowd noise heard throughout the song, shouting "Go Brooklyn!", is sampled from "Go Stetsa" by Stetsasonic. Furthermore, the hook of "Doin It" interpolates "Wild Thang" by 2 Much, a group LeShaun was part of.

Content

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Lyrically, the song finds its performers discussing their sexual desire for each other.[2][3]

Remix

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The remix featured on the soundtrack to The Nutty Professor samples the Art of Noise's song "Moments in Love."

Legacy

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American singer Keri Hilson sampled this song in her song "Do It" (featuring Tank), from her debut album In a Perfect World... (2009). Fabolous, LL Cool J's fellow New York native, sampled the song for his song "Doin it Well" (featuring Nicki Minaj and Trey Songz), from his mixtape Summertime Shootout (2015).

Music video

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The music video, directed by Hype Williams, was shot in January 1996.[4] LeShaun did not appear in the music video, as she was pregnant at the time, although several models took her place and lip synced her parts.

Track listing

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A-side

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  1. "Doin It" (LP Version)- 4:40
  2. "Doin It" (Unarmed Version)- 4:05

B-side

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  1. "Hey Lover" (Street Version)- 4:04
  2. "Hey Lover" (Street Instrumental)- 4:04

Charts

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Certifications and sales

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Region Certification Certified units/sales
United States (RIAA)[26] Platinum 1,000,000[25]

References

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  1. ^ "Did You Know? LL Cool J's "Doin It" Was Meant for Biggie". Djbooth.
  2. ^ The Genres, Prosody and Pragmatics of Rap Said Abir Anbari - 2011 - Page 6 "There are also songs in which a male and a female performer rap together about their (sexual) desire for each other, for instance, in the song “Doin It” (1996) of LL Cool J and LeShaun (see app., p. 42)."
  3. ^ S2S Magazine - "Jamie Foster Brown - 1996 Page 22-"LL Cool J: Sexually explicit? All right, if you want to call it that. Jennifer: You don't agree? LL Cool J: I mean, not particularly. I think that some of it is adult oriented, but that's the nature of that particular song, "Doin It." That's the only song.
  4. ^ TeamDeSymber (December 2013). "LeShaun – Still "Doin It" Well Since LL". AllHipHop.
  5. ^ Ryan, Gavin (2011). Australia's Music Charts 1988–2010 (PDF ed.). Mt Martha, Victoria, Australia: Moonlight Publishing. p. 169.
  6. ^ "LL Cool J – Doin It" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved March 2, 2020.
  7. ^ "Nederlandse Top 40 – week 28, 1996" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved February 27, 2020.
  8. ^ "LL Cool J – Doin It" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved March 17, 2014.
  9. ^ "LL Cool J – Doin It". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved March 17, 2014.
  10. ^ "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved March 19, 2023.
  11. ^ "LL Cool J – Doin It". Singles Top 100. Retrieved May 25, 2014.
  12. ^ "LL Cool J – Doin It". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved May 25, 2014.
  13. ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved March 19, 2023.
  14. ^ "Official Dance Singles Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved March 19, 2023.
  15. ^ "Official Hip Hop and R&B Singles Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved March 19, 2023.
  16. ^ "LL Cool J Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard.
  17. ^ "LL Cool J Chart History (Dance Singles Sales)". Billboard. Retrieved March 19, 2023.
  18. ^ "LL Cool J Chart History (Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs)". Billboard.
  19. ^ "LL Cool J Chart History (Hot Rap Songs)". Billboard.
  20. ^ "LL Cool J Chart History (Rhythmic)". Billboard.
  21. ^ "Top 100-Jaaroverzicht van 1996". Dutch Top 40. Retrieved February 27, 2020.
  22. ^ "Jaaroverzichten – Single 1996". dutchcharts.nl. Retrieved February 27, 2020.
  23. ^ "Billboard Top 100 - 1996". Archived from the original on March 1, 2009. Retrieved August 27, 2010.
  24. ^ "Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs – Year-End 1996". Billboard. Archived from the original on August 3, 2015. Retrieved December 1, 2021.
  25. ^ "Best-Selling Records of 1996". Billboard. Vol. 109, no. 3. BPI Communications Inc. January 18, 1997. p. 61. ISSN 0006-2510. Retrieved May 8, 2015.
  26. ^ "American single certifications – L.L. Cool J – Doin' It". Recording Industry Association of America.
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