"I Got That" is a hip-hop song by American rapper Amil, featuring Beyoncé, from the former's album All Money Is Legal (2000). She wrote the track with its producers, L.E.S. and Poke & Tone, along with Jay-Z, Makeda Davis, and Tamy Lestor Smith. "I Got That" uses a sample from the 1985 Gwen Guthrie song "Seventh Heaven". Beyoncé performs the song's chorus and backing vocals, as her label was trying to assess her viability as a solo artist outside of her girl group Destiny's Child. It marked the first song released by Beyoncé outside of Destiny's Child. The lyrics revolve around female empowerment and independence.
The song received primarily positive reviews from music critics. It peaked at number one on the Bubbling Under R&B/Hip-Hop Singles Billboard chart. The song was promoted through a music video directed by Jay-Z and Darren Grant, and featured on the list of the most-played clips on BET and played on The Box. It was also included on the compilation albums R&B Masters (2001) and Urban Sounds: Hip-Hop & Reggae 1996–2000 (2003).
Background and recording[]
Jay-Z signed Amil to his record label Roc-A-Fella after she was featured on his 1998 single "Can I Get A...". She was the first female rapper on Roc-A-Fella, working as what music journalist Clover Hope described as "the crew's go-to female voice". A high-profile member in the label, being promoted as its First Lady, Amil continued to collaborate with Jay-Z for "N***a What, N***a Who (Originator 99)" and "Do It Again (Put Ya Hands Up)" (both in 1999) and "Hey Papi" (2000), and she appeared on several songs by other Roc-A-Fella artists. Her features received a significant amount of radio airplay; VH1's Renaud Jean-Baptiste Jr. singled out the success of her songs with Jay-Z as leading to the creation of her 2000 album All Money Is Legal.
Amil wrote "I Got That" with its producers—L.E.S. and Poke & Tone members Jean-Claude Olivier and Samuel J. Barnes—along with Jay-Z, Makeda Davis, and Tamy Lestor Smith. In The Source magazine, Aliya S. King contrasted Poke & Tone's work on the song with the rest of the album, which she said was handled by "a slew of up-and-comer producers". "I Got That" was recorded by Steve Sauder at the Hit Factory in New York City, where it was mixed by Rich Travali, and by Mark Mason at Platinum Post Studios in Winter Park, Florida. All of the tracks for All Money Is Legal, including "I Got That", were mastered by Chris Gehringer at Sterling Sound Studios in New York City.
"I Got That" features Beyoncé, who performs the chorus and provides backing vocals. It was her first collaboration with her future husband Jay-Z. Beyoncé recorded her parts in early 2000 during a separate recording session. Her then-manager Mathew Knowles paid Roc-A-Fella for the feature as a way to assess her viability as a solo artist, since she was still a part of girl group Destiny's Child at the time. Beyoncé pursued a solo career three years after "I Got That", releasing her debut album Dangerously in Love in 2003.
Release and promotion[]
Roc-A-Fella and Columbia Records released "I Got That" as All Money Is Legal's lead single on July 5, 2000. It was made available on the 12-inch and CD formats, including as a double A-side with the album's second single "4 da Fam" (2000).
Jay-Z and Darren Grant directed the single's music video, which features Amil and Beyoncé shopping at stores. American rapper Eve makes a cameo appearance, and Beyoncé wears an outfit that Billboard described as resembling a "fiery cowgirl". It was Beyoncé's first music video as a solo artist. The video was on the list of BET's most-played clips for the weeks of August 1 and 8, 2000, and it also played on The Box—a now-defunct music video network—during the same two weeks.
"I Got That" reached number one on the US Billboard Bubbling Under R&B/Hip-Hop Singles chart for the week of September 16, 2000; it was on the chart for twelve weeks. On the urban contemporary radio chart published by Radio & Records, the song peaked at number forty-six. According to retrospective articles, the single was not well-remembered, either being forgotten or overlooked. In 2018, Desire Thompson wrote that the single had "slipped between the cracks" because of the abundance of female rappers in the early 2000s, such as Da Brat, Eve, Lil' Kim, Missy Elliott, and Trina.
Critical reception[]
Most of the critical commentary focused on Beyoncé's feature, which Camille Augustin felt complimented Amil's rapping style. Andrew Unterberger believed that the single deserved more commercial success, largely in part to Beyoncé's performance of the chorus. Kathy Iandoli, writing for Dazed, said that Beyoncé turned "I Got That" more into a Destiny's Child song, considering this proof that she was the lead of the group. Amil was also praised by critics, who said she had a "one-of-a-kind sound" and the potential for a longer music career. In a more negative review, a writer for Vibe magazine cited "I Got That" as one of the worst hip-hop collaborations in 2000.
Critics compared "I Got That" to other All Money Is Legal tracks. A Billboard reviewer regarded the song as catchy and fit for radio airplay, but preferred Amil rapping about personal issues on "Smile 4 Me" and "Quarrels". The Michigan Chronicle journalist Says Who enjoyed the album and encouraged listeners to explore beyond "I Got That", which was noted as an "easy first single".
Music video[]
A music video directed by Jay-Z and Darren Grant, filmed in June 2000. was released to promote the single, and included scenes with Beyoncé. Rapper Eve makes a cameo appearance. It was featured on the list of the most-played clips on BET and played on The Box for the weeks of August 1 and August 8, 2000. The video was uploaded to Amil's Vevo channel on October 7, 2009.
Lyrics[]
[Intro: Amil, (Beyoncé)]
Uh, uh-huh
Amil-lion, yeah
Roc-A-Fella (Oh)
What? Uh, uh-huh (Oh yeah)
Ch-ch-yeah (Oh), uh
I got that (Oh-yeah)
(Beyoncé, Trackmasters, Amil)
Uh-huh, yo, yo
[Verse 1: Amil]
I make n****s pay like their way
Owe like they stole
On somethin' on fame, I got that from Hov
Plus, I got my own bread
You ain't gotta wave dinner over my head
I got that
And you can't leave me stranded
'Cause I got a ride back, and besides that
What chick you know got cock, Glocks back?
Eight in the back, they rockin' hot jacks
In high heels, mini-skirts and thighs fat
My style's like the international
Pancake house or whatever avenue
I got that, I got that
[Chorus: Beyoncé]
Think I need you 'cause the rent is due?
You can be outta here, baby (Baby)
'Cause I got it (Hey)
I got it, I got it
'Cause cash, coupes, credit cards
All the exotic things, baby (Oh-oh)
I got it (I got it)
I got it, I got it
[Verse 2: Amil]
Ever since cats found out I ran with the Roc
They wanna take a closer look, wanna examine the box
Magazines want cameras to pop
They wanna catch me in the nude like a Samantha Fox
Listen dude, but I got dollars and cents
You don't gotta promise me to pay my rent
I got that
Catch me in a drop black, playin' Speedy Gonzalez
Toes never unpolished
The way I be dressin', dudes wanna toss the salad
The way I be dressin' got broads actin' childish
But I pay my own bills
Amil-lion always has and always will
Y'all got that?
[Chorus: Beyoncé]
Think I need you 'cause the rent is due?
You can be outta here, baby (Baby)
'Cause I got it (I got, I got it)
I got it, I got it (I got, I got it)
'Cause cash, coupes, credit cards (Whoa)
All the exotic things, baby
I got it (Did you hear me? I got it)
I got it, I got it
[Bridge: Beyoncé]
I got that
The house that you live in
I got that
The bed that you sleep in
I got that
The Benz that you're drivin'
I got that, I got that
I got that
The ice that you're wearin'
I got that
So, why you complainin'?
I got that
Who you gamin'?
I got that, I got that
I got that
[Verse 3: Amil, (Beyoncé)]
Yo, my life's still on
Gas bill caught up
Indian Amil, call me chief runnin' water
Cable still in order
Phone still dials out
Money still long, but my patience got shorter (Oh)
You can leave me, but gimme everything I bought you
Like you leavin' me was some type of torture (Oh)
I don't need no man to
Do for Amil what Amil can do
You got that?
[Chorus: Beyoncé]
Think I need you 'cause the rent is due?
You can be outta here, baby
'Cause I got it (I got it)
I got it, I got it (I got it)
'Cause cash, coupes, credit cards (Credit card)
All the exotic things, baby
I got it (I got it)
I got it, I got it (Baby)
Think I need you 'cause the rent is due?
You can be outta here, baby (The house that you live in)
'Cause I got it (The bed that you sleep in)
I got it, I got it (I got it)
'Cause cash, coupes, credit cards (The cash that you're spendin')
All the exotic things, baby (The ice that you're wearin')
I got it (I got it)
I got it, I got it (I got it)
[Outro: Amil]
That's right, baby
Amil-lion, uh
I got this, what?