4 da Fam

"4 da Fam" is a song by American rapper Amil, featuring verses from American rappers Jay-Z, Memphis Bleek, and Beanie Sigel. Ty Fyffe produced the song. It was released on Roc-A-Fella as the second single from her debut album All Money Is Legal. In the song's lyrics, Amil boasts about being the best female rapper, and Jay-Z discusses his fears of becoming a father, which his verse suggests he believed was about to occur at the time.

"4 da Fam"
Single by Amil featuring Jay-Z, Memphis Bleek & Beanie Sigel
from the album All Money Is Legal
ReleasedSeptember 13, 2000
Length4:19
LabelRoc-A-Fella
Songwriter(s)
  • Amil Whitehead
  • Shawn Carter
  • Dwight Grant
  • Malik Cox
  • Ty Fyffe
Producer(s)Ty Fyffe
Amil singles chronology
"I Got That"
(2000)		 "4 da Fam"
(2000)		 "That's Right" / "Get Down"
(2000)
Jay-Z singles chronology
"Is That Your Chick (The Lost Verses)"
(2000)		 "4 da Fam"
(2000)		 "I Just Wanna Love U (Give It 2 Me)"
(2000)
Memphis Bleek singles chronology
"Is That Your Chick (The Lost Verses)"
(2000)		 "4 da Fam"
(2000)		 "Change the Game"
(2001)
Beanie Sigel singles chronology
"The Truth"
(2000)		 "4 da Fam"
(2000)		 "Change the Game"
(2001)

"4 da Fam" received mixed reviews from music critics; some critics praised Jay-Z's verse, while others criticized Amil's contributions. It appeared on several Billboard charts. The song peaked at No. 99 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs Billboard chart and No. 97 on the Hot Rap Songs Billboard chart. "4 da Fam" was promoted with a music video, which was played on the music show Artist Corner and the BET network.

Recording and release

Ty Fyffe produced "4 da Fam" and wrote it with Amil Whitehead, Shawn Carter (Jay-Z), Dwight Grant (Beanie Sigel), and Malik Cox (Memphis Bleek). The track was mixed by Pat Viala and recorded by Just Blaze.[1] It was released on September 13, 2000 as the second single from Amil's debut album, All Money Is Legal (2000).[2] The song was made available as a 12-inch single through Roc-A-Fella.[3] It was also included on a double A-side with the album's lead single "I Got That".[4] In advertisements for All Money Is Legal, "4 da Fam" was promoted as one of its "blazin' joints".[5]

A music video, directed by Nick Quested, was released for "4 da Fam" in 2000.[6][7] It was played that year on the music show Artist Corner and BET.[6][8] The video was uploaded to Amil's Vevo account on October 25, 2009.[9]

Composition and lyrics

At 4 minutes and 19 seconds long,[10] "4 da Fam" includes verses from Amil, Jay-Z, Memphis Bleek, and Beanie Sigel.[1] Steve Rivers of Ebony described it as a "crew love record".[11] In her part, Amil brags about her career through the lyrics: "I'm the illest female that you heard thus far."[12] In his verse, Jay-Z raps about becoming a father in the verse: "I got four nephews and they're all writing ... and I'm having a child, which is more frightening."[lower-alpha 1] Rob Markman of MTV News wrote that fatherhood was a subject that Jay-Z explored from his debut album Reasonable Doubt (1996).[15] Jay-Z's other lyrics include: "Y'all niggas truly ain't ready for this dynasty thing / Y'all thinking Blake Carrington, I'm thinking more like Ming."[16] and "I got 4 nephews, and they all write-ing / They all young and wild, plus they all like Beans."[11]

Reception

"4 da Fam" received mixed reviews from music critics. Andrew Barber and Al Shipley of Complex praised Jay-Z's contribution, and wrote that "he had the best verse and batted clean up". In a 2018 article, they included "4 da Fam" in their list of the top-100 best Jay-Z songs.[17] John Kennedy of Vulture.com identified the single as an improvement over the track "Pop 4 Roc" from Jay-Z's fourth studio album Vol. 3... Life and Times of S. Carter (1999), and described "4 da Fam" as "the real deal".[18] While critical of Amil, Son Raw of Fact referred to the single as a "prime Roc La Familia-era posse cut".[19] A writer for Bossip criticized Amil's verse, and included her boast as the best female rapper on their list of the top-ten greatest lies in hip hop music.[12]

"4 da Fam" peaked at No. 99 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs Billboard chart on July 22, 2000, and remained on the chart for a week.[20] On the same day, it reached a peak position of No. 97 on the R&B/Hip-Hop Streaming Songs Billboard chart, staying on the chart for a week.[21] It also peaked at No. 29 on the Hot Rap Songs Billboard chart, and remained on that chart for 11 weeks.[22]

Track listings
12-inch single[3]
No.TitleLength
1."For Da Fam" (radio edit)4:19
2."For Da Fam" (album version)6:52
3."For Da Fam" (instrumental)4:19
4."For Da Fam" (a capella)4:19
Double A-side[4]
No.TitleLength
1."I Got That" (radio edit) (featuring Beyoncé Knowles)3:21
2."I Got That" (album version) (featuring Beyoncé Knowles)3:19
3."4 Da Fam" (radio edit) (featuring Beanie Sigel, Jay-Z, Memphis Bleek)4:19
4."4 Da Fam" (album version) (featuring Beanie Sigel, Jay-Z, Memphis Bleek)6:52

Credits and personnel

Credits adapted from the liner notes of All Money Is Legal:[1]

  • Featuring – Beanie Sigel, Jay-Z, Memphis Bleek
  • Mixed by – Pat Viala
  • Producer – Ty Tyfife
  • Recorded by – Just Blaze
  • Written by – Ty Tyfife, Amil Whitehead, Shawn Carter, Dwight Grant, and Malik Cox

Charts
Chart (2000) Peak
position
US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (Billboard)[20] 99
US Hot Rap Songs (Billboard)[22] 29
US R&B/Hip-Hop Streaming Songs (Billboard)[21] 97

Release history
Country Date Format Label Ref.
United States September 13, 2000 (2000-09-13) 12-inch single Roc-A-Fella [3]

Notes
  1. During a 2000 interview with Vibe, Jay-Z said that his verse was true and he was expecting a child.[13] Further information was never provided,[14][15] and Rob Markman of MTV News believed the child "was most likely lost through miscarriage".[15]

References
  1. All Money Is Legal (Inlay cover). Amil. Roc-A-Fella Records, Columbia Records, and Sony Music. September 19, 2000.CS1 maint: others (link)
  2. "4 Da Fam (Explicit Album Version) [Explicit]". Amazon. September 13, 2000. Archived from the original on March 14, 2017.
  3. "4 da Fam" (Media notes). Amil. Roc-A-Fella. 2000. 12852.CS1 maint: others (link)
  4. I got that : 4 da fam. WorldCat. OCLC 74825265.
  5. "Roc-A-Fella Presents…Amil". Vibe. 8 (8): 18. October 2000. Archived from the original on April 4, 2018 – via Google Books.
  6. Hay, Carla (July 29, 2000). "MTV, Refac Team to Create Consumer Electronics Line". Billboard. 112 (31): 99. Archived from the original on April 3, 2018 – via Google Books.
  7. "Amil feat. Beanie Sigel- Memphis Bleek & Jay-Z – 4 Da Fam". Vimeo. Archived from the original on April 4, 2018.
  8. "Video Monitor". Billboard. 112 (21): 109. May 20, 2000. Archived from the original on April 3, 2018 – via Google Books.
  9. "Amil, Beanie Sigel, Memphis Bleek, Jay-Z – 4 Da Fam". Vevo. October 25, 2009. Archived from the original on May 9, 2016.
  10. Wilson, MacKenzie. "AllMusic Review". AllMusic. Archived from the original on October 12, 2016.
  11. Rivers, Steve (October 4, 2012). "The Carter Administration: Jay-Z's Nephew Mel Makes His Own Way". Ebony. Archived from the original on April 4, 2018.
  12. "Rappers Be Lyin: 10 Greatest Rap Lies". Bossip. December 12, 2012. Archived from the original on February 19, 2015.
  13. Ex, Kris (December 2000). "Jayhova's Witness". Vibe. 8 (10): 129–130, 132–136. Archived from the original on April 3, 2018 – via Google Books.
  14. Cowie, Del F. (August 23, 2009). "Jay-Z: Beyond Reasonable Doubt". Exclaim!. Archived from the original on March 29, 2016.
  15. Markman, Rob (January 9, 2012). "Jay-Z Takes on Fatherhood: From 'Glory' to 'Can't Be Life'". MTV News. Archived from the original on December 15, 2017.
  16. Preezy (October 31, 2015). "How Jay Z's 'The Dynasty: Roc La Familia' Helped Solidify His Legacy in Hip-Hop". The Boombox. Archived from the original on May 9, 2017.
  17. Barber, Andrew; Shipley, Al (March 20, 2018). "The 100 Best Jay-Z Songs". Complex. Archived from the original on April 3, 2018.
  18. Kennedy, John (September 5, 2017). "All 274 Jay-Z Songs, Ranked From Worst to Best". Vulture.com. Archived from the original on February 25, 2018.
  19. Raw, Son (June 10, 2015). "The Rise and Fall of Roc-A-Fella Records". Fact. Archived from the original on April 4, 2018.
  20. "Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (4 da Fam)". Billboard. Archived from the original on December 15, 2017.
  21. "R&B/Hip-Hop Streaming Songs (4 da Fam)". Billboard. Archived from the original on December 15, 2017.
  22. "Hot Rap Songs (4 da Fam)". Billboard. Archived from the original on December 15, 2017.
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