| I'll Be | |
| Cover: | I'll Be Foxy.jpg |
| Border: | yes |
| Type: | single |
| Artist: | Foxy Brown featuring Jay-Z |
| Album: | Ill Na Na |
| B-Side: | La Familia |
| Genre: | Hip hop |
| Producer: | Trackmasters |
| Chronology: | Foxy Brown |
| Prev Title: | Get Me Home |
| Prev Year: | 1996 |
| Next Title: | Big Bad Mamma |
| Next Year: | 1997 |
"I'll Be" is a song recorded by American rapper Foxy Brown for her debut studio album, Ill Na Na (1996), featuring Brooklyn-based rapper Jay-Z. It was released as the second single from the album on March 4, 1997, by Violator and Def Jam Recordings. The song was written by Shawn Carter, Jean-Claude Olivier, Samuel Barnes, Angela Winbush, René Moore, Bobby Watson and Bruce Swedien with production by Trackmasters, and samples René & Angela's 1985 song "I'll Be Good". It was recorded at Chung King Studios in New York City, while the mixing of the track was finished at The Hit Factory. "I'll Be" is a hip hop and R&B song with explicit lyrics that revolve around sex and money.
"I'll Be" received positive reviews from music critics and was a commercial success. In the United States, it peaked at number seven on the Billboard Hot 100, becoming both Brown and Jay-Z's highest charting single at the time. On the Hot Rap Singles chart, it reached number two and also peaked within the top 40 in other countries, such as Netherlands, New Zealand and the United Kingdom. "I'll Be" was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) two months after its release. It has sold over 500,000 copies and became one of the best-selling records of 1997.[1] To date it remains Brown's only solo top-40 single and her only single to earn a certification.
An accompanying music video was directed by Brett Ratner. "I'll Be" was nominated for Top Hot Rap Single at the 1997 Billboard Music Awards and was ranked number 52 on VH1's "100 Greatest Hip-Hop Songs" list.[2]
Credits are adapted from the Ill Na Na album liner notes.[6]
| Chart (1997) | Position | |
|---|---|---|
| US Billboard Hot 100[8] | 54 | |
| US Hot R&B Singles (Billboard)[9] | 32 | |
| US Hot Rap Singles (Billboard)[10] | 4 | |
| US Maxi-Singles Sales (Billboard)[11] | 31 | |
| US Rhythmic Top 40 (Billboard)[12] | 72 |
| Region | Date | Format(s) | Label(s) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States | February 11, 1997 | Rhythmic contemporary radio | [13] | |
| March 4, 1997 | ||||
| United Kingdom | June 9, 1997 | [14] |