Doin' It (LL Cool J song)

"Doin It" is the second single from LL Cool J's sixth album, Mr. Smith, and was released on February 20, 1996 for Def Jam Recordings. Based on a sample of Grace Jones' "My Jamaican Guy", it also featured LeShaun (who previously released a song with the same sample and theme in 1988 titled "Wild Thang"), production from Rashad "Ringo" Smith and LL Cool J. In several interviews, both the artist and producer stated that the instrumental was originally meant for The Notorious B.I.G., to be used for a song and single on his Life After Death album, which was posthumously released.[1]

"Doin It"
Single by LL Cool J featuring LeShaun
from the album Mr. Smith
B-side"Hey Lover"
ReleasedFebruary 20, 1996 (1996-02-20)
Recorded1995
GenreHip hop, dirty rap
Length4:54
Label
Songwriter(s)James Todd Smith
Producer(s)
LL Cool J featuring LeShaun singles chronology
"Hey Lover"
(1995)		 "Doin It"
(1996)		 "Loungin"
(1996)

"Doin It" was a success for LL Cool J, making it to number 9 on the Billboard Hot 100 and number 7 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs Billboard chart. On the B-side was the previous single, "Hey Lover".

The remix featured on the soundtrack to The Nutty Professor samples the Art of Noise's "Moments in Love."

The crowd noise played throughout the song, shouting "Go Brooklyn", is sampled from "Go Stetsa" by Stetsasonic. Keri Hilson sampled this song in her song "Do It" featuring Tank for her debut album In a Perfect World... Rapper Fabolous sampled the song for his song "Doin it Well" featuring Nicki Minaj and Trey Songz for his mixtape Summertime Shootout.

The song has the singers rapping about their sexual desire for each other.[2][3]

Music video

The video was shot in January 1996, and it was directed by Hype Williams.[4] LeShaun did not appear in the music video, as she was pregnant at the time, so different models took her place and lip synced her parts.

This song interpolates "Wild Thang" by 2 Much, a group LeShaun was in. The beginning of "Wild Thang" was reused as the hook for "Doin' It".

Track listing

A-side
  1. "Doin It" (LP Version)- 4:40
  2. "Doin It" (Unarmed Version)- 4:05

B-side
  1. "Hey Lover" (Street Version)- 4:04
  2. "Hey Lover" (Street Instrumental)- 4:04

Charts

Certifications and sales
Region CertificationCertified units/sales
United States (RIAA)[25] Platinum 600,000[26]

References
  1. "Did You Know? LL Cool J's "Doin It" Was Meant for Biggie". Djbooth.
  2. The Genres, Prosody and Pragmatics of Rap Said Abir Anbari - 2011 - Page 6 "There are also songs in which a male and a female performer rap together about their (sexual) desire for each other, for instance, in the song “Doin It” (1996) of LL Cool J and LeShaun (see app., p. 42)."
  3. S2S Magazine - "Jamie Foster Brown - 1996 Page 22-"LL Cool J: Sexually explicit? All right, if you want to call it that. Jennifer: You don't agree? LL Cool J: I mean, not particularly. I think that some of it is adult oriented, but that's the nature of that particular song, "Doin It." That's the only song.
  4. TeamDeSymber (December 2013). "LeShaun – Still "Doin It" Well Since LL". AllHipHop.
  5. Ryan, Gavin (2011). Australia's Music Charts 1988–2010 (PDF ed.). Mt Martha, Victoria, Australia: Moonlight Publishing. p. 169.
  6. "LL Cool J – Doin It" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved March 2, 2020.
  7. "Nederlandse Top 40 – week 28, 1996" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved February 27, 2020.
  8. "LL Cool J – Doin It" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved March 17, 2014.
  9. "LL Cool J – Doin It". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved March 17, 2014.
  10. "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved March 19, 2023.
  11. "LL Cool J – Doin It". Singles Top 100. Retrieved May 25, 2014.
  12. "LL Cool J – Doin It". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved May 25, 2014.
  13. "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved March 19, 2023.
  14. "Official Dance Singles Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved March 19, 2023.
  15. "Official Hip Hop and R&B Singles Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved March 19, 2023.
  16. "LL Cool J Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard.
  17. "LL Cool J Chart History (Dance Singles Sales)". Billboard. Retrieved March 19, 2023.
  18. "LL Cool J Chart History (Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs)". Billboard.
  19. "LL Cool J Chart History (Hot Rap Songs)". Billboard.
  20. "LL Cool J Chart History (Rhythmic)". Billboard.
  21. "Top 100-Jaaroverzicht van 1996". Dutch Top 40. Retrieved February 27, 2020.
  22. "Jaaroverzichten – Single 1996". dutchcharts.nl. Retrieved February 27, 2020.
  23. "Billboard Top 100 - 1996". Archived from the original on March 1, 2009. Retrieved August 27, 2010.
  24. "Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs – Year-End 1996". Billboard. Archived from the original on August 3, 2015. Retrieved December 1, 2021.
  25. "American single certifications – L.L. Cool J – Doin' It". Recording Industry Association of America.
  26. "Best-Selling Records of 1996". Billboard. Vol. 109, no. 3. BPI Communications Inc. January 18, 1997. p. 61. ISSN 0006-2510. Retrieved May 8, 2015.


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