21 Questions Explained

21 Questions
Cover:50 Cent featuring Nate Dogg - 21 Questions - CD cover.jpg
Border:yes
Type:single
Artist:50 Cent featuring Nate Dogg
Album:Get Rich or Die Tryin'
B-Side:
Producer:Dirty Swift
Chronology:50 Cent
Prev Title:Magic Stick
Prev Year:2003
Next Title:P.I.M.P.
Next Year:2003

"21 Questions" is a song by American rapper 50 Cent featuring American singer Nate Dogg. Released in March 2003 through Interscope Records, Dr. Dre's Aftermath Entertainment, Eminem's Shady Records, and 50 Cent's own G-Unit Records as the second single from 50 Cent's debut studio album Get Rich or Die Tryin', it differs from his previous singles and most of the songs on the album by being an R&B-influenced love song, largely themed around a series of questions pertaining to a relationship between 50 Cent and an unnamed girlfriend, and contains elements of Barry White's 1978 song "It's Only Love Doing Its Thing".

"21 Questions" peaked at #1 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart in May 2003, becoming the second consecutive chart-topping single for 50 Cent, following the album's lead single "In da Club", and the first for Nate Dogg.[1] Overall, the song spent four consecutive weeks atop the Hot 100 and twenty-three weeks on the chart. It was also successful internationally, reaching the top ten in the Netherlands, New Zealand and the United Kingdom, and the top five in Canada and Australia.

Background

When producer Dr. Dre worked with 50 Cent on his debut album, he objected to the song being included on the tracklist. According to 50 Cent;.50 Cent responded saying;

Music video

Directed by Damon Johnson, Dr. Dre and Phillip Atwell in March 2003,[2] the music video for "21 Questions" depicts 50 Cent being arrested and confined to prison, where he tries to keep in touch with his girlfriend, played by Meagan Good. In prison, he is constantly harassed by a rival inmate (Tyson Beckford). The video ends with a continuation of the beginning, showing 50 Cent and his girlfriend watching from their home as the police arrest Beckford instead; the prison scenes are revealed to be a hypothetical scenario imagined by a worried 50 Cent. The video has cameo appearances by Nate Dogg (who provides vocals on the chorus and the outro) and fellow G-Unit members Lloyd Banks and Young Buck as other inmates.

On April 15, 2003, the video debuted on MTV's Total Request Live at number six, reached number one two days later, and stayed on the chart for 50 days.[2] [3] It also reached number two on the MuchMusic video charts.[4]

The music video on YouTube has received over 605 million views as of July 2024.[5]

Remixes

Official remixes of the single includes featured artists among the likes of Nate Dogg, Monica, Free and Lil' Mo, all of whom have either rapped or sung their own verses over the song's instrumentals.

"21 Answers"

21 Answers
Type:promo
Artist:Lil' Mo featuring Free
Album:Meet the Girl Next Door
Recorded:2003
Genre:
Label:Elektra
Producer:Dirty Swift of Midi Mafia

"21 Answers" is remix recorded by American singer and rapper Lil' Mo and former 106 & Park co-host Free, as an answer song to "21 Questions." Kevin "Dirty Swift" Risto, one-half of Midi Mafia, originally conceived the idea of creating a female response record; he immediately got in touch with Lil' Mo and added Free as a collaborator. The song subsequently premiered on New York's Hot 97 radio station—resulting in numerous rotations on various radio stations across the United States—and later debuted on the US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs at number 77.[6] Although the song went on to spend 11 weeks on the chart based solely on airplay, it failed to be included on Lil' Mo's second studio album Meet the Girl Next Door (2003), due to the song not being finalized in time to meet the album's deadline.[6] [7] However, because of Elektra Records' 2004 merging with Atlantic, the song appeared on the 2011 re-release of Meet the Girl Next Door.[8]

Charts

Chart (2003)! style="text-align:center;"
Peak
position
US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (Billboard)[9] 50

Track listings

  1. "21 Questions" - 3:44
  2. "Soldier (Freestyle with G-Unit) - 3:18
  3. "21 Questions" (Live from New York) - 4:54
  4. "21 Questions" (Music Video) - 3:49
  1. "21 Questions" - 3:44
  2. "21 Answers" (featuring Monica) - 4:03

Credits and personnel

Charts

Weekly charts

Chart (2003)!scope="col"
Peak
position
Canada (Canadian Singles Chart)[12] 5
Canada CHR (Nielsen BDS)[13] 5

Year-end charts

Chart (2003)!scope="col"
Position
Australia (ARIA)[14] 44
Ireland (IRMA)[15] 97
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[16] 99
Netherlands (Single Top 100)[17] 99
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[18] 80
UK Singles (OCC)[19] 129
UK Urban (Music Week)[20] 6
US Billboard Hot 100[21] 14
US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (Billboard)[22] 7

Release history

Region! scope="col"
DateFormat(s)Label(s)
United StatesDigital download
12-inch vinyl
GermanyMaxi CDUniversal Music
Australia
United KingdomPolydor
FranceCD

Myke Towers version

Girl
Border:yes
Type:single
Artist:Myke Towers
Album:Easy Money Baby
Recorded:2020
Genre:Reggaeton
Label:Sony Latin
Chronology:Myke Towers
Prev Title:Piensan
Prev Year:2019
Next Title:Diosa
Next Year:2020

In 2020, Puerto Rican rapper/singer Myke Towers released a Spanish version of the song titled Girl for his album Easy Money Baby.[23] His version is all in the same rhythm as the original but the message of the lyrics is different.[24] His version entered the charts in the Hispanic market and was certified quintuple platinum in the United States.

Certifications

Notes and References

  1. 50 Cent Chart History: Billboard Hot 100. Billboard. July 13, 2018.
  2. Reid, Shaheem (May 2, 2003). 50 Cent: Still Hungry After 4 Million Records. MTV. Retrieved July 7, 2007.
  3. http://host17.hrwebservices.net/~atrl/trlarchive/db.html TRL Archive Debuts
  4. Universal Urban (April 24, 2007). 50 Cent's new album, Curtis, takes Hip-Hop to the bank . Retrieved July 7, 2007.
  5. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cDMhlvbOFaM 50 Cent - 21 Questions (Official Music Video) ft. Nate Dogg
  6. Jessen, Wade. "Singles Minded > Back and Forth." Billboard. May 10, 2003: 67. Print.
  7. Brown, Jamie Foster. "Lil' Mo has '21 Answers' for 50 Cent." Sister 2 Sister. September 2003: 27. Print.
  8. Web site: Meet The Girl Next Door: Lil' Mo. Amazon . May 22, 2013.
  9. [{{BillboardURLbyName|artist=lil' mo|chart=R&B/Hip-Hop Songs}} Lil' Mo - Chart history]. May 22, 2013. Billboard.
  10. Web site: 21 Questions – 50 Cent. AllMusic. April 14, 2011. April 13, 2011.
  11. Web site: 21 Questions. Amazon UK . July 13, 2018.
  12. 50 Cent Chart History (Canadian Digital Song Sales). Billboard. August 31, 2023.
  13. Web site: https://web.archive.org/web/20050407223203/http://www.crosscanadacountdown.com/pdfs/2003.pdf. April 7, 2005. Canadian Top 20 in 2003. Cross Canada Countdown. June 4, 2024.
  14. Web site: ARIA Top 100 Singles for 2003. Australian Recording Industry Association. January 7, 2020.
  15. Web site: Top 100 Songs of 2003. Raidió Teilifís Éireann. 2003. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20040602113024/http://www.rte.ie/2fm/charts/top100_2003.html. June 2, 2004. March 16, 2022.
  16. Web site: Top 100–Jaaroverzicht van 2003. Dutch Top 40. January 7, 2020.
  17. Web site: Jaaroverzichten – Single 2003. MegaCharts. nl. January 7, 2020.
  18. Web site: Schweizer Jahreshitparade 2003. hitparade.ch. January 10, 2020.
  19. Web site: The Official UK Singles Chart 2003. UKChartsPlus. January 13, 2020.
  20. 2003 Urban top 30. Music Week. 18. January 17, 2004. August 4, 2023.
  21. 2003 – Billboard Top 100. Billboard. August 16, 2019.
  22. Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs – Year-End 2003. Billboard. October 6, 2019.
  23. https://galaxymusicpromo.com/myke-towers-lanza-su-tan-esperado-album-inedito-easy-money-baby/ MYKE TOWERS LANZA SU TAN ESPERADO ÁLBUM INÉDITO «EASY MONEY BABY»
  24. https://estacion40.com.py/myke-towers-samplea-a-50-cent-en-girl/ MYKE TOWERS SAMPLEA A 50 CENT EN “GIRL”