| "Get Money" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Cover artwork for the official remix | ||||
| Single byJunior M.A.F.I.A. featuringthe Notorious B.I.G. | ||||
| from the albumConspiracy | ||||
| B-side | "White Chalk" | |||
| Released | February 3, 1996 (1996-02-03) | |||
| Genre | Gangsta rap | |||
| Length | 4:34 | |||
| Label | ||||
| Songwriters |
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| Producer | EZ Elpee | |||
| Junior M.A.F.I.A. singles chronology | ||||
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| The Notorious B.I.G. singles chronology | ||||
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| Music video | ||||
| "Get Money" onYouTube | ||||
"Get Money" is a song by the American rap groupJunior M.A.F.I.A., released as the third and final single from their debut albumConspiracy (1995).[1] "Get Money," whose instrumental is fundamentally a sample of R&B singerSylvia Striplin's 1981 song "You Can't Turn Me Away," was produced by EZ Elpee, rapped bythe Notorious B.I.G. andLil' Kim, and received a music video. B.I.G., formally, wasfeatured,[2] but at times was deemed, like Lil' Kim andLil' Cease, a Junior M.A.F.I.A. member.[3]
The single included also "Gettin' Money (The Get Money Remix)."[4] Using a different instrumental, a sample of R&B singerDennis Edwards's 1984 single "Don't Look Any Further,"[4][5] this was produced byDJ Enuff,Lance 'Un' Rivera, andthe Notorious B.I.G., and includes new verses by B.I.G, Lil' Kim, and Lil' Cease. The single spent 20 weeks on the main popular songs chart, theBillboard Hot 100, where it entered on February 10 and peaked at #17 on May 25.[6]Certified platinum, one million copies sold,[7] "Get Money" ranked #89 inBillboard magazine'sTop Hot 100 Hits of 1996.[8]
As the "platinum smash" that reinforced Lil' Kim's performance on the gold hit "Player's Anthem," the single critically motivatedher debut solo album, a November 1996 release.[9] Meanwhile, spinning the original'sGet money hook is theTake moneyrefrain of rapper2Pac's June 1996 single "Hit 'Em Up,"[4] the legendarydiss track—answering B.I.G's renowned single "Who Shot Ya," a February 1995 release bySean "Puffy" Combs'sBad Boy label—that maligns and menaces B.I.G. and Puffy, and shares an instrumental with the "Get Money" remix.[4] "Get Money" has appeared elsewhere in music and in movies.[10]
The song inspired the iconic"Money Nails" design bynail artist Bernadette Thompson, which Lil' Kim wore during a denim shoot in 1999.[11] This look became highly influential in both hip-hop and fashion culture and was later exhibited at the Museum of Modern Art.[12]
The video was released for the week ending on January 7, 1996.
The video opens with Biggie sitting coolly in court as his defense attorney and the prosecutor have a heated argument in front of the judge, who then threatens to hold themin contempt. Other scenes depict Biggie and his wife (played byCharli Baltimore, intentionally made to look like Biggie's then-wifeFaith Evans) and their tumultuous relationship, which ultimately leads to Biggie kicking her out of the house.
Meanwhile, Kim is seen having an extravagant girls' day at a spa with male strippers alongside friends likeSalt N Pepa,Vanessa del Rio,Mary J. Blige and Mary's sister LaTonya.
Weekly charts[edit]
| Year-end charts[edit]
|
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom (BPI)[20] Sales since 2008 | Silver | 200,000‡ |
| United States (RIAA)[21] | Platinum | 1,000,000^ |
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. | ||