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21 Questions
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Wikipedia article
{{Infobox song
| name = 21 Questions
| cover = 50 Cent featuring Nate Dogg - 21 Questions - CD cover.jpg
| alt =
| type = single
| artist = 50 Cent featuring Nate Dogg
| album = Get Rich or Die Tryin'
| released =
| recorded = 2002
| B-side = "Many Men (Wish Death)"
| studio =
| venue =
| genre =
| length =
| label =
| writer = * Curtis Jackson
* Nick Corrado
* Kevin Risto
* Jimmy Cameron
* Vela M. Cameron
| producer = Dirty Swift
| chronology = 50 Cent
| prev_title = Magic Stick
| prev_year = 2003
| next_title = Many Men (Wish Death)
| next_year = 2003
| misc =
}}
"'21 Questions'" is a song by American rapper 50 Cent featuring guest vocals from American singer Nate Dogg. It was released in March 2003 through Interscope Records, Dr. Dre's Aftermath Entertainment, Eminem's Shady Records, and 50 Cent's G-Unit Records as the second single from 50 Cent's debut studio album Get Rich or Die Tryin'.
In contrast to his previous singles and much of the songs on his debut studio album, "21 Questions" is an R&B influenced love song, largely themed around a series of questions pertaining to a relationship between 50 Cent and an unnamed girlfriend. It 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 featured artist Nate Dogg. In total, '21 Questions' spent four 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 did not want the song on the album. According to 50 Cent;.
50 Cent responded saying;
Music video
The music video for "21 Questions" was directed by Damon Johnson, Dr. Dre and Phillip Atwell in March 2003.Reid, Shaheem (May 2, 2003). [http://www.mtv.com/bands/123/50_cent/news_feature_050203/index2.jhtml 50 Cent: Still Hungry After 4 Million Records]. MTV. Retrieved July 7, 2007. It depicts 50 Cent 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 and G-Unit members Lloyd Banks and Young Buck as other inmates. Nate Dogg also provides the chorus and the outro.
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.[http://host17.hrwebservices.net/~atrl/trlarchive/db.html TRL Archive Debuts] . 'Popfusion'. Retrieved July 7, 2007. It also reached number two on the 'MuchMusic' video charts.Universal Urban (April 24, 2007). [http://universalurban.com/50cent/ 50 Cent's new album, Curtis, takes Hip-Hop to the bank] . Retrieved July 7, 2007.
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'" is a remix by Lil' Mo and former 106 & Park co-host Free, which was released as an 'answer track' to "21 Questions." Kevin "Dirty Swift" Risto, one-half of Midi Mafia, originally penned the idea of creating a female response record; he immediately got in touch with R&B singer Lil' Mo and added former '106 & Park' personality Free to the mix. The song then premiered on New York's Hot 97 radio stationresulting in numerous rotations on various radio stations around the countryand later debuted on 'Billboard' Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs at number 77.Jessen, Wade. "Singles Minded > Back and Forth." 'Billboard'. May 10, 2003: 67. Print. Although the song went on to spend eleven weeks on the chart based solely on airplay, it failed to see a release on Lil' Mo's second album 'Meet the Girl Next Door' (2003), due to the song not being finalized in time to meet the album's deadline.Brown, Jamie Foster. "Lil' Mo has '21 Answers' for 50 Cent." 'Sister 2 Sister'. September 2003: 27. Print. However, because of Elektra Records' 2004 merging with Atlantic, the song appeared on the 2011 re-release of 'Meet the Girl Next Door'.
Charts
{| class="wikitable sortable"|-
! style="text-align:center;"|Charts (2003)
! style="text-align:center;"|Peak
position
|-
|US 'Billboard' Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay
| style="text-align:center;"|51
|-
|US 'Billboard' Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs
| style="text-align:center;"|50
|}
Track listings
* 'UK CD single'
# "21 Questions" - 3:44
# "Soldier (Freestyle with G-Unit) - 3:18
# "21 Questions" (Live from New York) - 4:54
# "21 Questions" (Music Video) - 3:49
* 'French CD single'
# "21 Questions" - 3:44
# "21 Answers" (featuring Monica) - 4:03
Credits and personnel
* Producer: Dirty Swift of Midi Mafia
* Mixed by: Dr. Dre
* Recorded by: Sha Money XL and Maurico "Veto" Iragorri
* Protool edits by: Carlise Young
* Assisted by: Ruben Rivera
Charts
Weekly charts
{| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;"|-
!scope="col"| Chart (2003)
!scope="col"| Peak
position
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!scope="row"|Canada (Canadian Singles Chart)
| 5
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Year-end charts
Certifications
Myke Towers version
{{Infobox song
| name = Girl
| cover =
| alt =
| border = yes
| type = single
| artist = Myke Towers
| album = Easy Money Baby
| released =
| recorded = 2020
| studio =
| venue =
| genre = Reggaeton
| length =
| label = Sony Latin
| writer = * Curtis Jackson
* Nick Corrado
* Kevin Risto
* Jimmy Cameron
* Vela M. Cameron
| producer =
| chronology = Myke Towers
| prev_title = Piensan
| prev_year = 2019
| next_title = Diosa
| next_year = 2020
| misc =
}}
In 2020, Puerto Rican rapper/singer Myke Towers released a Spanish version of the song titled 'Girl' for his album 'Easy Money Baby'.[https://galaxymusicpromo.com/myke-towers-lanza-su-tan-esperado-album-inedito-easy-money-baby/ MYKE TOWERS LANZA SU TAN ESPERADO LBUM INDITO EASY MONEY BABY] His version is all in the same rhythm as the original but the message of the lyrics is different.[https://estacion40.com.py/myke-towers-samplea-a-50-cent-en-girl/ MYKE TOWERS SAMPLEA A 50 CENT EN GIRL] His version entered the charts in the Hispanic market and was certified quintuple platinum in the United States.
Charts
Certifications
References
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