1991 single by TLC
"Ain't 2 Proud 2 Beg " is the debut single byAmerican girl group TLC , from their debut album,Ooooooohhh... On the TLC Tip LaFace Records on November 22, 1991 (promo) and late January 1992 (retail). The song would ultimately peak at number six on the USBillboard Hot 100Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks . The single also reached the top 20 in theUK Singles Chart . The song describes the group explaining that they don't mind begging for attention from their significant others. SongwritersDallas Austin andLisa 'Left Eye' Lopes received a nomination for the 1993Grammy Award for Best R&B Song . The song appeared in video gamesDance Central 3 Saints Row
In a retrospective review, Daryl McIntosh from Albumism remarked that on the song, "the fresh look and unique sound of the southern fried trio exploded with flavor that satisfied every taste bud asChilli ’s sweetsoprano contrastedT-Boz ’s tangycontralto , andLeft Eye ’s spicy lyrics and natural charisma brought all of the ingredients together." He added, "Throw inDallas Austin ’s production, and you had the perfect musical gumbo that listeners never imagined could be enjoyed in a single serving."[ 4] Robert Hilburn fromLos Angeles Times ‘60s Motown hit , but the playful, kinetichip-hop attitude--youthful with a feminist edge--is right to the minute."[ 5]
The accompanying music video for "Ain't 2 Proud 2 Beg", filmed and produced in late 1991, features the girls wearingcondoms , baggy clothes, and Lisa with a big hat and sunglasses. The video shows the girls singing, dancing and rapping and will occasionally have the girl's nicknames at the bottom of the screen. Some shots feature the group outside with people in the background and then them in front of a white background. In aBET interview, T-Boz and Chilli said they were trying to warm-up to the cameras in this video because it was their first one, and that Lisa was a natural because it was her "big break" and what she had "been waiting for". T-Boz also said amusedly that you can see her playing with her side-burns in the beginning, and Chilli stated it was her least favorite video they did. The end of the video shows the girls in character as hillbillies. The radio edit of the song is used instead of the album version. Their then-manager,Pebbles , also appears at the end of the video.
US 12-inch vinyl (73008-24009-1; Released: 1992) A: "Ain't 2 Proud 2 Beg" (Smoothed Down Extended Remix) - 5:52 AA: "Ain't 2 Proud 2 Beg" (Album Version) - 5:38 B: "Ain't 2 Proud 2 Beg" (Dallas' Dirt Mix) - 5:52 BB: "Ain't 2 Proud 2 Beg" (Left Eye's "3 Minutes And Counting") - 5:41 BBB: "Ain't 2 Proud 2 Beg" (Rap Version) - 4:51 BBBB: "Ain't 2 Proud 2 Beg" (Instrumental) - 5:37 UK CD (665 265; Released: 1992) "Ain't 2 Proud 2 Beg" (U.S. 7-inch Edit) - 4:10 "Ain't 2 Proud 2 Beg" (Skratch 7-inch Edit) - 4:20 "Ain't 2 Proud 2 Beg" (Ben Liebrand 12-inch Club Mix) - 6:20 "Ain't 2 Proud 2 Beg" (Smoothed Down Extended Remix) - 5:55 UK CD (665 265; Released: 1992) "Ain't 2 Proud 2 Beg" (U.S. 7-inch Edit) "Ain't 2 Proud 2 Beg" (Skratch Mix 7-inch Edit) "Ain't 2 Proud 2 Beg" (Smoothed Down Extended Mix) "Ain't 2 Proud 2 Beg" (Ben Liebrand 12-inch Club Mix) "Ain't 2 Proud 2 Beg" (Left Eye's "3 Minutes And Counting") UK 12-inch vinyl (615 265; Released: 1992) A: "Ain't 2 Proud 2 Beg" (Smoothed Down Extended Remix) AA: "Ain't 2 Proud 2 Beg" (Left Eye's "3 Minutes And Counting") AAA: "Ain't 2 Proud 2 Beg" (Rap Version) B: "Ain't 2 Proud 2 Beg" (Ben Liebrand 12-inch Club Mix) BB: "Ain't 2 Proud 2 Beg" (Ben Liebrand 12-inch Dub Mix) German 7-inch vinyl (115 265; Released: 1992) A: "Ain't 2 Proud 2 Beg" (U.S. 7-inch Edit) - 4:10 B: "Ain't 2 Proud 2 Beg" (Skratch 7-inch Edit) - 4:20 German 12-inch vinyl (615 265; Released: 1992) A: "Ain't 2 Proud 2 Beg" (Ben Liebrand 12-inch Club Mix) - 6:20 AA: "Ain't 2 Proud 2 Beg" (Ben Liebrand 12-inch Dub Mix) - 5:44 B: "Ain't 2 Proud 2 Beg" (Smoothed Down Extended Remix) - 5:55 US CD (73008-24009-2; Released: 2001; Reissue) "Ain't 2 Proud 2 Beg" (Album Version) - 5:39 "Ain't 2 Proud 2 Beg" (Smoothed Down Radio Remix) - 4:37 "Ain't 2 Proud 2 Beg" (Smoothed Down Extended Remix) - 5:53 "Ain't 2 Proud 2 Beg" (Dallas' Dirt Mix) - 5:56 "Ain't 2 Proud 2 Beg" (Left Eye's "3 Minutes And Counting") - 5:47 "Ain't 2 Proud 2 Beg" (Rap Version) - 4:52
The song uses seven samples. The most notable sample used is a sped-up sample of "School Boy Crush " byAverage White Band . This same sample was used onFloetry 's "Wanna B Where U R ", "Microphone Fiend " byEric B. & Rakim andImmature 's "Watch Me Do My Thing ".Immature ,Eric B. & Rakim andFloetry also sped up their sample. The song also samples "Jungle Boogie " byKool & the Gang , "Escapism" byJames Brown , "Fly, Robin, Fly " bySilver Convention , "Get Me Back on Time, Engine Number 9, Pt. 1" byWilson Pickett , "Take Me to the Mardi Gras" byBob James and "I Want to Take You Higher " by Sly and the Family Stone.
Chart (1992) Position USBillboard Hot 100[ 20] 36 US Hot R&B Singles (Billboard )[ 21] 26 US Maxi-Singles Sales (Billboard )[ 22] 10
Region Certification Certified units /salesUnited States (RIAA )[ 23] Platinum 1,000,000^ ^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.
Region Date Format(s) Label(s) Ref. United States November 22, 1991 LaFace [ 24] Australia April 20, 1992 [ 25] United Kingdom June 8, 1992 7-inch vinyl 12-inch vinyl CD cassette [ 26] Sweden June 29, 1992 CD [ 27]
^ Bronson, Fred (2003).The Billboard Book of Number One Hits ISBN 9780823076772 the original on January 3, 2014. RetrievedDecember 24, 2017 . ^ Cinquemani, Sal (October 20, 2013)."TLC –20 " .Slant Magazine . RetrievedAugust 4, 2016 . ^ Levine, Nick (May 8, 2017)."The 8 best TLC songs" .Time Out . RetrievedFebruary 8, 2026 .Released in 1991, TLC's debut single is a catchy slab of New Jack Swing that broke the group on both sides of the Atlantic. ^ McIntosh, Daryl (February 24, 2022)."TLC's Debut Album 'Ooooooohhh... On the TLC Tip' Turns 30 — Anniversary Retrospective" . Albumism. RetrievedJune 15, 2022 . ^ Hilburn, Robert (December 31, 1992)."Dance Energy Saves Dreary '92: Year-End Review" .Los Angeles Times . RetrievedJanuary 22, 2023 .^ "TLC – Ain't 2 Proud 2 Beg ".ARIA Top 50 Singles . Retrieved December 5, 2017. ^ "Top RPM Dance/Urban: Image 2140 ".RPM Library and Archives Canada . Retrieved February 8, 2020. ^ "Eurochart Hot 100 Singles" (PDF) .Music & Media . RetrievedJune 24, 2023 .^ "European Dance Radio" (PDF) .Music & Media . RetrievedOctober 31, 2021 .^ "Nederlandse Top 40 – week 34, 1992 " (in Dutch).Dutch Top 40 . Retrieved March 24, 2018. ^ "TLC – Ain't 2 Proud 2 Beg " (in Dutch).Single Top 100 . Retrieved December 5, 2017. ^ "TLC – Ain't 2 Proud 2 Beg ".Top 40 Singles . Retrieved December 5, 2017. ^ "TLC Songs and Albums | Full Official Chart History ".Official Charts Company . Retrieved March 30, 2025. ^ "Top 50 Airplay Chart" (PDF) .Music Week . RetrievedNovember 2, 2025 .^ "Top 60 Dance Singles" (PDF) .Music Week . RetrievedSeptember 29, 2020 .^ "The Record Mirror Club Chart" (PDF) .Music Week , inRecord Mirror (Dance Update Supplemental Insert). RetrievedSeptember 28, 2025 .^ "TLC Chart History (Hot 100) ".Billboard ^ "TLC Chart History (Dance Singles Sales) ".Billboard ^ "TLC Chart History (Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs) ".Billboard ^ "Billboard Top 100 – 1992" . Archived fromthe original on July 8, 2009. RetrievedJuly 30, 2010 .^ "The Year in Music: Hot R&B Singles".Billboard ^ "The Year in Music: Hot Dance Music Maxi-Singles Sales".Billboard ^ "American single certifications – TLC – Ain't 2 Proud 2 Beg" .Recording Industry Association of America . RetrievedFebruary 26, 2021 .^ "Classic Jam: TLC - Ain't 2 Proud 2 Beg" .Univision.com . RetrievedJanuary 30, 2018 .^ "New Release Summary – Product Available from : 20/04/92: Singles".The ARIA Report ^ "New Releases: Singles".Music Week ^ "TLC: Ain't 2 Proud 2 Beg" .click2music.se (in Swedish). Archived fromthe original on February 22, 2005. RetrievedNovember 30, 2023 .
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