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21 Questions

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For the guessing game, see Twenty Questions.

"21 Questions"
Single by 50 Cent featuring Nate Dogg
from the album Get Rich or Die Tryin'
B-side
ReleasedMarch 4, 2003 (2003-03-04)
Genre
Length3:44
Label
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)Dirty Swift
50 Cent singles chronology
"Magic Stick"
(2003) 		"21 Questions"
(2003) 		"P.I.M.P."
(2003)
Nate Dogg singles chronology
"Get Up"
(2003) 		"21 Questions"
(2003) 		"Gangsta Nation"
(2003)
Music video
"21 Questions" on YouTube

"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

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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;

"Dre was, like, 'How you goin' to be gangsta this and that and then put this sappy love song on?'"

. 50 Cent responded saying;

"I'm two people. I've always had to be two people since I was a kid, to get by. To me that's not diversity, it's necessity."[2]

Music video

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Directed by Damon Johnson, Dr. Dre and Phillip Atwell in March 2003,[3] 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)[3] 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.[3][4] It also reached number two on the MuchMusic video charts.[5]

The music video on YouTube has received over 605 million views as of July 2024.[6]

Remixes

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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"

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"21 Answers"
Promotional single by Lil' Mo featuring Free
from the album Meet the Girl Next Door
Released2003 (2003)
Recorded2003
Genre
Length4:02
LabelElektra
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)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.[7] 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.[8] Although the song went on to spend 11 weeks on the chart based solely on airplay,[9] 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.[8][10] However, because of Elektra Records' 2004 merging with Atlantic, the song appeared on the 2011 re-release of Meet the Girl Next Door.[11]

Charts

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Weekly chart performance for "21 Answers"
Chart (2003) Peak
position
US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (Billboard)[9] 50

Track listings

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  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
  • French CD single[13]
  1. "21 Questions" - 3:44
  2. "21 Answers" (featuring Monica) - 4:03

Credits and personnel

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  • 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

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Certifications

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Certifications and sales for "21 Questions"
Region Certification Certified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)[49] Platinum 70,000^
Brazil (Pro-Música Brasil)[50] Gold 30,000‡
Denmark (IFPI Danmark)[51] Gold 45,000‡
Germany (BVMI)[52] Gold 150,000‡
Spain (PROMUSICAE)[53] Gold 30,000‡
United Kingdom (BPI)[54] 2× Platinum 1,200,000‡
United States (RIAA)[55] 4× Platinum 4,000,000‡
United States (RIAA)[56]
Mastertone 		Gold 500,000*

* Sales figures based on certification alone.
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Release history

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Release dates and formats for "21 Questions"
Region Date Format(s) Label(s) Ref.
United States March 4, 2003 (2003-03-04) Digital download
[55]
April 8, 2003 (2003-04-08)
[57]
May 13, 2003 (2003-05-13) 12-inch vinyl
[58]
Germany June 23, 2003 (2003-06-23) Maxi CD Universal Music
[24]
Australia June 30, 2003 (2003-06-30)
[59]
United Kingdom
Polydor
[60]
France August 19, 2003 (2003-08-19) CD
[61]

Myke Towers version

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"Girl"
Single by Myke Towers
from the album Easy Money Baby
Released23 January 2020 (2020-01-23)
Recorded2020
GenreReggaeton
Length3:10
LabelSony Latin
Songwriter(s)
Myke Towers singles chronology
"Piensan"
(2019) 		"Girl"
(2020) 		"Diosa"
(2020)
Music video
"Girl" on YouTube

In 2020, Puerto Rican rapper/singer Myke Towers released a Spanish version of the song titled "Girl" for his album Easy Money Baby.[62] His version is all in the same rhythm as the original but the message of the lyrics is different.[63] His version entered the charts in the Hispanic market and was certified quintuple platinum in the United States.

Charts

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Chart (2020) Peak
position
Spain (PROMUSICAE)[64] 28
US Hot Latin Songs (Billboard)[65] 23

Certifications

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Region Certification Certified units/sales
United States (RIAA)[66] 5× Platinum (Latin) 300,000‡

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

References

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  1. ^ "50 Cent Chart History: Billboard Hot 100". Billboard. Retrieved July 13, 2018.
  2. ^ Allison Samuels, February 21, 2007. The Flip Side of 50 Cent Archived August 10, 2010, at the Wayback Machine. MSNBC. Retrieved July 7, 2007.
  3. ^ a b c Reid, Shaheem (May 2, 2003). 50 Cent: Still Hungry After 4 Million Records. MTV. Retrieved July 7, 2007.
  4. ^ TRL Archive Debuts Archived January 2, 2008, at the Wayback Machine. Popfusion. Retrieved July 7, 2007.
  5. ^ Universal Urban (April 24, 2007). 50 Cent's new album, Curtis, takes Hip-Hop to the bank Archived July 6, 2007, at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved July 7, 2007.
  6. ^ 50 Cent - 21 Questions (Official Music Video) ft. Nate Dogg.YouTube
  7. ^ Bronson, Fred (2003), The Billboard Book of Number One Hits: Updated and Expanded 5th Edition, Watson-Guptill Publications, p. 932, ISBN 0-8230-7677-6
  8. ^ a b Jessen, Wade. "Singles Minded > Back and Forth." Billboard. May 10, 2003: 67. Print.
  9. ^ a b "Lil' Mo - Chart history". Billboard. Retrieved May 22, 2013.
  10. ^ Brown, Jamie Foster. "Lil' Mo has '21 Answers' for 50 Cent." Sister 2 Sister. September 2003: 27. Print.
  11. ^ "Meet The Girl Next Door: Lil' Mo". Amazon. Retrieved May 22, 2013.
  12. ^ "21 Questions – 50 Cent". AllMusic. April 13, 2011. Retrieved April 14, 2011.
  13. ^ "21 Questions". Amazon UK. Retrieved July 13, 2018.
  14. ^ "50 Cent – 21 Questions". ARIA Top 50 Singles. Retrieved January 3, 2012.
  15. ^ "Issue 705" ARIA Top 40 Urban Singles. National Library of Australia. Retrieved February 27, 2022.
  16. ^ "50 Cent – 21 Questions" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved January 3, 2012.
  17. ^ "50 Cent – 21 Questions" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved January 3, 2012.
  18. ^ "50 Cent – 21 Questions" (in French). Ultratop 50. Retrieved January 3, 2012.
  19. ^ "50 Cent Chart History (Canadian Digital Song Sales)". Billboard. Retrieved August 31, 2023.
  20. ^ "Canadian Top 20 in 2003" (PDF). Cross Canada Countdown. Archived from the original (PDF) on April 7, 2005. Retrieved June 4, 2024.
  21. ^ "50 Cent – 21 Questions". Tracklisten. Retrieved January 3, 2012.
  22. ^ "50 Cent: 21 Questions" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat. Retrieved January 3, 2012.
  23. ^ "50 Cent – 21 Questions" (in French). Les classement single. Retrieved January 3, 2012.
  24. ^ a b "50 Cent – 21 Questions" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved October 10, 2018.
  25. ^ "Archívum – Slágerlisták – MAHASZ" (in Hungarian). Dance Top 40 lista. Magyar Hanglemezkiadók Szövetsége.
  26. ^ "The Irish Charts – Search Results – 21 Questions". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved January 15, 2020.
  27. ^ "Nederlandse Top 40 – week 31, 2003" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved January 3, 2012.
  28. ^ "50 Cent – 21 Questions" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved January 7, 2020.
  29. ^ "50 Cent – 21 Questions". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved January 3, 2012.
  30. ^ "50 Cent – 21 Questions". VG-lista. Retrieved January 3, 2012.
  31. ^ "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved May 7, 2022.
  32. ^ "50 Cent – 21 Questions". Singles Top 100. Retrieved January 3, 2012.
  33. ^ "50 Cent – 21 Questions". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved January 3, 2012.
  34. ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved January 3, 2012.
  35. ^ "Official Hip Hop and R&B Singles Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved January 3, 2012.
  36. ^ "50 Cent Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved January 3, 2012.
  37. ^ "50 Cent Chart History (Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved January 3, 2012.
  38. ^ "50 Cent Chart History (Hot Rap Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved January 3, 2012.
  39. ^ "50 Cent Chart History (Pop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved January 3, 2012.
  40. ^ "ARIA Top 100 Singles for 2003". Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved January 7, 2020.
  41. ^ "Top 100 Songs of 2003". Raidió Teilifís Éireann. 2003. Archived from the original on June 2, 2004. Retrieved March 16, 2022.
  42. ^ "Top 100–Jaaroverzicht van 2003". Dutch Top 40. Retrieved January 7, 2020.
  43. ^ "Jaaroverzichten – Single 2003" (in Dutch). MegaCharts. Retrieved January 7, 2020.
  44. ^ "Schweizer Jahreshitparade 2003". hitparade.ch. Retrieved January 10, 2020.
  45. ^ "The Official UK Singles Chart 2003" (PDF). UKChartsPlus. Retrieved January 13, 2020.
  46. ^ "2003 Urban top 30" (PDF). Music Week. January 17, 2004. p. 18. Retrieved August 4, 2023.
  47. ^ "2003 – Billboard Top 100". Billboard. Retrieved August 16, 2019.
  48. ^ "Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs – Year-End 2003". Billboard. Retrieved October 6, 2019.
  49. ^ "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2003 Singles" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association.
  50. ^ "Brazilian single certifications – 50 Cent – 21 Questions" (in Portuguese). Pro-Música Brasil. Retrieved December 10, 2023.
  51. ^ "Danish single certifications". IFPI Danmark. Retrieved June 15, 2022.
  52. ^ "Gold-/Platin-Datenbank (50 Cent; '21 Questions')" (in German). Bundesverband Musikindustrie. Retrieved March 30, 2023.
  53. ^ "Spanish single certifications – 50 Cent – 21 Questions". El portal de Música. Productores de Música de España. Retrieved October 9, 2024.
  54. ^ "British single certifications – 50 Cent – 21 Questions". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved September 28, 2024.
  55. ^ a b "American single certifications – 50 Cent – 21 Questions". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved January 20, 2023.
  56. ^ "American single certifications – 50 Cent – 21 Questions". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved March 6, 2023.
  57. ^ "Going for Adds" (PDF). Radio & Records. April 4, 2003. p. 28. Retrieved August 31, 2023 – via World Radio History.
  58. ^ "21 Questions – 50 Cent". Interscope Records. May 13, 2003. Retrieved August 31, 2023 – via AllMusic.
  59. ^ "New Releases Singles – Week Commencing 30th June 2003" (PDF). The ARIA Report (697). Australian Recording Industry Association: 26. June 30, 2003. Archived from the original (PDF) on July 7, 2003. Retrieved August 31, 2023 – via Pandora archive.
  60. ^ "New Releases – For Week Starting 30 June 2003" (PDF). Music Week. June 28, 2003. p. 31. Retrieved August 31, 2023 – via World Radio History.
  61. ^ "21 questions – 50 Cent – CD single" (in French). France: Polydor Records. August 19, 2003. Retrieved August 31, 2023 – via Fnac.
  62. ^ MYKE TOWERS LANZA SU TAN ESPERADO ÁLBUM INÉDITO «EASY MONEY BABY»
  63. ^ MYKE TOWERS SAMPLEA A 50 CENT EN “GIRL”
  64. ^ "Myke Towers – Girl" Canciones Top 50. Retrieved 17 May 2020.
  65. ^ "Myke Towers Chart History (Hot Latin Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved September 19, 2020.
  66. ^ "American single certifications – Myke Towers – Girl". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved January 15, 2021.
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