I Got That

2000 single by Amil featuring Beyoncé

"I Got That"

Single by Amil featuring Beyoncé
from the album  All Money Is Legal
B-side| "4 da Fam"
Released| July 5, 2000
Studio|

* The Hit Factory (New York City)
* Platinum Post Studios (Winter Park)

Genre| Hip-hop
Length| 3:17
Label| Sony
Songwriter(s)|

* Amil Whitehead
* Samuel J. Barnes
* Jean-Claude Olivier
* Shawn Carter
* Makeda Davis
* LeShan Lewis
* Tamy Lestor Smith

Producer(s)|

* Poke & Tone
* L.E.S.

Amil singles chronology
| "Hey Papi"
(2000)  | "I Got That"
(2000)  | "4 da Fam"
(2000)

|
|

Beyoncé singles chronology
|  | "I Got That"
(2000)  | "Work It Out"
(2002)

|
|

"I Got That" is a hip-hop song by American rapper Amil from her album, All Money Is Legal (2000). She co-wrote the track with its producers Poke & Tone and L.E.S. as well as with Jay-Z, Makeda Davis, and Tamy Lestor Smith. Beyoncé performs the chorus and backing vocals, using the feature as a way to assess her viability as a solo artist outside of her girl group Destiny's Child. In the lyrics, Amil encourages women to seek out emotional, financial, and romantic independence. The music samples the 1985 Gwen Guthrie song "Seventh Heaven".

Roc-A-Fella and Columbia Records released "I Got That" on July 5, 2000 as the lead single from All Money Is Legal. It was Amil's debut solo single after being a feature on songs by Jay-Z and other Roc-A-Fella artists. Most critics mostly focused on Beyoncé, who praised for her vocals, while others negatively compared the single to the more personal tracks on the album. In the US, "I Got That" topped the Bubbling Under R&B/Hip-Hop Singles Billboard chart in September 2000. According to retrospective articles, the song was not well-remembered, either being forgotten or overlooked since its release. Jay-Z directed the music video, which shows Amil and Beyoncé shopping.

## Background and recording

[edit]

Jay-Z signed Amil to his record label Roc-A-Fella after she was featured on his 1998 single "Can I Get A...".[1][2] She collaborated with him again for "Nigga What, Nigga Who (Originator 99)" and "Do It Again (Put Ya Hands Up)" (both in 1999) and "Hey Papi" (2000),[1][3] and appeared on several songs by other Roc-A-Fella artists.[2][4] In 2000, Amil was the only female rapper signed to Roc-A-Fella,[5] working as what music journalist Clover Hope described as "the crew’s go-to female voice",[2] and she was a high-profile member of the label, being promoted as its First Lady.[3] During this time, Amil's features received a significant amount of radio airplay;[4] VH1's Renaud Jean-Baptiste Jr. singled out the success of her Jay-Z collaborations as leading to the creation of her 2000 album All Money Is Legal.[3]

Amil co-wrote "I Got That" with its producers—L.E.S. and Poke & Tone duo Jean-Claude Olivier and Samuel J. Barnes—and with Jay-Z, Makeda Davis, and Tamy Lestor Smith.[6] The Source's Aliya S. King contrasted Poke & Tone's work on the song with the rest of the album, which she said was handled by "a slew of up-and-comer producers".[7] "I Got That" was recorded by Steve Sauder at the Hit Factory in New York City, where it was mixed by Rich Travali, and by Mark Mason at Platinum Post Studios in Winter Park, Florida. All of the tracks for All Money Is Legal, including "I Got That", were mastered by Chris Gehringer at Sterling Sound Studios in New York City.[6]

"I Got That" features Beyoncé,[6] who performs the chorus and provides backing vocals.[8][9] It was her first collaboration with her future husband Jay-Z.[10][11] Beyoncé recorded her parts in early 2000 during a separate recording session. Her then-manager Mathew Knowles paid Roc-A-Fella for the feature as a way to assess her viability as a solo artist, since she was still a part of the girl group Destiny's Child at the time.[12] Beyoncé pursued a solo career three years after "I Got That", releasing her debut album Dangerously in Love in 2003.[13][14]

## Music and lyrics

[edit]

"I Got That"

Amil was described as using a "sultry, sing songy rapping" style by David Browne[15] and a "girlish, take-no-guff voice" by The Philadelphia Inquirer's Dan DeLuca for "I Got That" and throughout All Money Is Legal.[16]

* * *

Problems playing this file? See media help.

"I Got That" is a hip-hop song that lasts for three minutes and seventeen seconds.[6][15] It contains a sample from the 1985 Gwen Guthrie single "Seventh Heaven".[6] According to Spin writer Andrew Unterberger, the track has a "squelching, slithering" production,[8] and in an Entertainment Weekly article, David Browne referred to it as "girl group hip hop".[15] Browne wrote that Amil uses a "sultry, sing songy rapping" style throughout All Money Is Legal, most notably on "I Got That".[15] In an overview for the album, The Philadelphia Inquirer's Dan DeLuca said that she performs with a "girlish, take-no-guff voice".[16] Beyoncé's vocals were described as breathy by Unterberger,[8] and as "buttery" by Camille Augustin in Vibe.[17]

In the lyrics, Amil encourages women to pursue emotional, financial, and romantic independence.[18] She conveys this by rapping about how she can support herself without needing anything from men,[13][19] as demonstrated in the lines: "I don’t need a man to / Do for Amil what Amil can do."[13] Clover Hope wrote that unlike Amil's previous songs, which focus on scamming men to survive, "I Got That" expands her style to include boasting that she is "earning her own money, too".[13] Music critics identified Amil as adopting a gold digger persona in her music and for her performances.[20] For the verse, "What chick you know cock Glocks back?", Desire Thompson for Vibe summarized "I Got That" as being about a "woman having her own with snarky bars to match".[10] DeLuca said that Amil uses a similar message for the album tracks "All Money Is Legal" and "Girlfriend", in which she "surveys a world where everything is for sale and a girl had best look out for herself".[16]

## Release and reception

[edit]

Roc-A-Fella and Columbia Records released "I Got That" as All Money Is Legal's lead single on July 5, 2000.[21] It was made available as a 12-inch single and a CD single,[22][23] including as a double A-Side with the album's second single "4 da Fam" (2000).[23] The song appeared on the compilation albums Best of Black 2000 in 2000, R&B Masters in 2001, and Urban Sounds: Hip-Hop & Reggae 1996-2000 in 2003.[24]

Jay-Z directed the single's music video,[25] which features Amil and Beyoncé shopping at stores, including René Lezard.[13] Eve makes a cameo appearance,[13] and Beyoncé wears an outfit that Billboard described as resembling a "fiery cowgirl".[26] It was Beyoncé first music video as a solo artist.[26] The video was on the list of BET's most-played clips for the weeks of August 1 and 8, 2000, and it also played on The Box—a now-defunct music video network—during the same two weeks.[27][28]

Most of the critical commentary focused on Beyoncé's feature.[29] Andrew Unterberger believed that it deserved more commercial success, largely in part to her performance of the chorus.[8] Praising Amil as having a "one-of-a-kind sound", Camille Augustin felt that this was complemented by Beyoncé's vocals.[17] Kathy Iandoli for Dazed thought the feature turned "I Got That" into more of a Destiny's Child song, considering this proof that Beyoncé was the lead of the group. Iandoli wrote that the single also demonstrated that Amil had the potential for a "long successful career being the female rap guest feature".[30] In a more negative review, a writer for Vibe included "I Got That" as one of the worst hip-hop collaborations in 2000.[31]

Other critics negatively compared "I Got That" to other tracks on All Money Is Legal.[5][32] A Billboard reviewer called it a "catchy enough radio-ready tune", but enjoyed the album more when Amil took on more personal issues, specifically for "Smile 4 Me" and "Quarrels".[32] Says Who of the Michigan Chronicle wrote that the album had "a few pleasant surprises" after listeners went beyond "I Got That", which was described as an "easy first single".[5]

"I Got That" reached number one on the US Bubbling Under R&B/Hip-Hop Singles chart for the week of September 16, 2000; it was on the chart for twelve weeks.[33] On the urban contemporary radio chart published by Radio & Records, the song peaked at number forty-six.[34] According to retrospective articles, the single was not well-remembered, either being forgotten or overlooked.[35] In 2018, Desire Thompson wrote that the single had "slipped between the cracks" because of the abundance of female rappers in the early 2000s, such as Da Brat, Eve, Lil' Kim, Missy Elliott, and Trina.[10]

## Formats and track listings

[edit]

* 12-inch single[23]

1. "I Got That" (Radio Edit) – 3:17
2. "I Got That" (Album Version) – 3:18
3. "I Got That" (Radio Edit) – 3:59
4. "I Got That" (Album Version) – 4:16

* CD single[22]

1. "I Got That" (Radio Edit) – 3:17
2. "I Got That" (Instrumental) – 3:18

## Credits and personnel

[edit]

Credits adapted from the liner notes of All Money Is Legal:[6]

* Amil – vocals, songwriting
* Samuel J. Barnes – songwriting
* Jean-Claude Olivier – songwriting
* Jay-Z – songwriting
* Makeda Davis – songwriting
* L.E.S. – songwriting, production

* Tamy Lestor Smith – songwriting
* Rich Travali – mixing
* Steve Sauder – recording
* Mark Mason – recording
* Chris Gehringer – mastered

|
|

## References

[edit]

### Footnotes

[edit]

1. ^ a b Duncan 2000, p. 139.
2. ^ a b c Hope 2021, pp. 223–224.
3. ^ a b c Jean-Baptiste Jr. 2015.
4. ^ a b Ramirez 2014.
5. ^ a b c Says Who 2000, p. B-3.
6. ^ a b c d e f All Money Is Legal 2000.
7. ^ King 2000, p. 235.
8. ^ a b c d Spin 2015.
9. ^ Seymour 2000.
10. ^ a b c Jefferson & Thompson 2018.
11. ^ Miller 2015.
12. ^ Taraborrelli 2015, p. 264.
13. ^ a b c d e f Hope 2021, p. 224.
14. ^ Spanos 2024.
15. ^ a b c d Browne 2000.
16. ^ a b c DeLuca 2000, p. I12.
17. ^ a b Augustin 2013.
18. ^ Billboard 2000c, p. 35; Righi 2000, p. A55; Spin 2015
19. ^ The Brotha Cazze 2000, p. E5.
20. ^ Duncan 2000, p. 139; Righi 2000, p. A55; Stephens & Phillips 2003, p. 18
21. ^ Hope 2021, p. 224; "I Got That" 2000a; Johnson 2000
22. ^ a b "I Got That" 2000a.
23. ^ a b c "I Got That" 2000b.
24. ^ AllMusic A; AllMusic B; AllMusic C
25. ^ Pointer 2014.
26. ^ a b Billboard 2018.
27. ^ Billboard 2000a, p. 96.
28. ^ Billboard 2000b, p. 93.
29. ^ Augustin 2013; Iandoli 2014; Spin 2015
30. ^ Iandoli 2014.
31. ^ Vibe 2000, p. 59.
32. ^ a b Billboard 2000c, pp. 35–36.
33. ^ Billboard.
34. ^ Radio & Records 2000, p. 150.
35. ^ Iandoli 2014; Jefferson & Thompson 2018; Preezy 2017

### Citations

[edit]

* Augustin, Camille (March 19, 2013). "Beyoncé's Top Collaborations With Female Rappers". Vibe. Archived from the original on September 26, 2022.
* "Best of Black 2000". AllMusic. Archived from the original on December 10, 2024.
* "Beyonce Music Video Evolution: 'I Got That' to 'Family Feud'". Billboard. May 9, 2018. Archived from the original on April 9, 2024.
* "Billboard Video Monitor". Billboard. Vol. 112, no. 34\. August 19, 2000a. p. 96\. Archived from the original on December 10, 2024 - via Google Books.
* "Billboard Video Monitor". Billboard. Vol. 112, no. 34\. August 26, 2000a. p. 96\. Archived from the original on December 10, 2024 - via Google Books.
* The Brotha Cazze (November 3, 2000). "Amil, All Money Is Legal". Music. Winston-Salem Journal. p. E5. Retrieved November 30, 2024 - via Newspapers.com.
* Browne, David (September 18, 2000). "All Money Is Legal". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on November 20, 2023.
* "Chart History: Amil". Billboard. Archived from the original on July 12, 2020.
* "Cipher Sounds". Vibe. Vol. 8, no. 10\. December 2000. p. 59 - via Internet Archive.
* DeLuca, Dan (October 1, 2000). "Amil: All Money Is Legal". Arts & Entertainment. The Philadelphia Inquirer. p. I12. Retrieved November 30, 2024 - via Newspapers.com.
* Duncan, Andréa (December 2000). "One In Amillion". Vibe. Vol. 8, no. 10\. p. 139\. Archived from the original on August 29, 2019 - via Google Books.
* "Every Beyoncé Song, Ranked". Spin. August 19, 2015. Archived from the original on April 20, 2024.
* Hope, Clover (2021). The Motherlode:100+ Women Who Made Hip-Hop. Abrams Books. ISBN 9781683358053.
* Iandoli, Kathy (April 23, 2014). "Beyoncé's Most Overlooked Features". Dazed. Archived from the original on November 28, 2024.
* Jean-Baptiste Jr., Renaud (June 6, 2015). "Where Are They Now? The Roc-A-Fella Records Edition". VH1. Archived from the original on November 20, 2023.
* Jefferson, J'na; Thompson, Desire (September 4, 2018). "Beyonce And Jay-Z's 15 Collaborations, Ranked". Vibe. Archived from the original on March 30, 2023.
* Johnson, Elon (May 25, 2000). "Amil Taps Jay-Z, Beyoncé, More for Money". MTV News. Archived from the original on December 11, 2017.
* King, Aliya S (November 2000). "Amil: All Money Is Legal". The Source. No. 134\. pp. 235–236.
* Miller, Julie (April 10, 2015). "Watch Beyoncé and Jay Z's 2008 Wedding in Adorable Anniversary Video". Vanity Fair. Archived from the original on April 12, 2015.
* Paoletta, Michael, ed. (September 23, 2000c). "Amil: All Money Is Legal". Billboard. Vol. 112, no. 39\. pp. 35–36. Archived from the original on November 28, 2024 - via Google Books.
* Pointer, Anna (2014). Beyoncé: Running the World: The Biography. Hodder & Stoughton. ISBN 9781473607323 - via Google Books.
* Preezy (September 15, 2017). "10 Forgotten Beyonce Collaborations That Wouldn't Happen in 2017". The Boombox. Archived from the original on May 27, 2024.
* Ramirez, Erika (March 31, 2014). "Ladies First: 31 Female Rappers Who Changed Hip-Hop". Billboard. Archived from the original on January 14, 2023.
* "R&B Masters". AllMusic. Archived from the original on April 22, 2023.
* Righi, Len (October 21, 2000). "Amil: All Money Is Legal". Entertainment. The Morning Call. p. A55. Retrieved November 30, 2024 - via Newspapers.com.
* Roc-A-Fella, Columbia, Sony Music (2000). All Money Is Legal (Media notes). Amil.`{{cite AV media notes}}`: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
* Roc-A-Fella, Columbia (2000a). "I Got That" (Media notes). Amil. CSK 12658.
* Roc-A-Fella, Columbia (2000b). "I Got That" (Media notes). Amil. 44 79378-S1.
* Says Who (September 6, 2000). "Sneak Peak". Mc Timz. Michigan Chronicle. p. B-3. Retrieved November 30, 2024 - via Newspapers.com.
* Seymour, Craig (October 18, 2000). "What Beyonce's Solo Deal Means for Destiny's Child". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on November 12, 2022.
* Spanos, Brittany (May 1, 2024). "How Beyoncé's 'Crazy in Love' Kickstarted Her Legendary Solo Career". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on May 23, 2024.
* Stephens, Dionne P.; Phillips, Layli D. (2003). "Freaks, Gold Diggers, Divas, and Dykes: The Sociohistorical Development of Adolescent African American Women's Sexual Scripts". Sexuality & Culture. 7 (1). Springer Science+Business Media: 3–49. doi:10.1007/BF03159848. S2CID 143036176.
* Taraborrelli, J. Randy (2015). Becoming Beyoncé: The Untold Story. Grand Central Publishing. ISBN 9781455590346 - via Google Books.
* "Urban Sounds: Hip-Hop & Reggae 1996-2000". AllMusic. Archived from the original on April 10, 2023.
* "Urban Top 50". Radio & Records. No. 1368\. September 15, 2000. p. 105\. ProQuest 1017349014.

* v
* t
* e

Amil

Albums|

* All Money Is Legal

Singles|

* "I Got That"
* "4 da Fam"

Featured singles|

* "Can I Get A..."
* "Nigga What, Nigga Who (Originator 99)"
* "Do It Again (Put Ya Hands Up)"
* "Hey Papi"

Related articles|

* Discography
* Roc-A-Fella Records
* Jay-Z

* v
* t
* e

Beyoncé songs

Discography

Dangerously in Love|

* "Crazy in Love"
* "Naughty Girl"
* "Baby Boy"
* "Me, Myself and I"
* "The Closer I Get to You"
* "Dangerously in Love 2"
* "Daddy"

B'Day|

* "Déjà Vu"
* "Get Me Bodied"
* "Suga Mama"
* "Upgrade U"
* "Ring the Alarm"
* "Kitty Kat"
* "Freakum Dress"
* "Green Light"
* "Irreplaceable"
* "Resentment"
* "Listen"
* "Check on It"
* "Beautiful Liar / Bello Embustero"
* "Welcome to Hollywood"
* "Flaws and All"
* "Still in Love (Kissing You)"
* "Amor Gitano"

I Am... Sasha Fierce|

* "If I Were a Boy"
* "Halo"
* "Broken-Hearted Girl"
* "Ave Maria"
* "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)"
* "Radio"
* "Diva"
* "Sweet Dreams"
* "Video Phone"
* "Ego"
* "Honesty"
* "Why Don't You Love Me"
* "Poison"

* "1+1"
* "I Care"
* "I Miss You"
* "Best Thing I Never Had"
* "Party"
* "Rather Die Young"
* "Start Over"
* "Love On Top"
* "Countdown"
* "End of Time"
* "I Was Here"
* "Run the World (Girls)"
* "Lay Up Under Me"
* "Schoolin' Life"
* "Dance for You"

Beyoncé|

* "Pretty Hurts"
* "Haunted"
* "Drunk in Love"
* "Blow"
* "No Angel"
* "Partition"
* "Jealous"
* "Rocket"
* "Mine"
* "XO"
* "Flawless"
* "Superpower"
* "Heaven"
* "7/11"
* "Ring Off"
* "Standing on the Sun"
* "Grown Woman"

Lemonade|

* "Pray You Catch Me"
* "Hold Up"
* "Don't Hurt Yourself"
* "Sorry"
* "6 Inch"
* "Daddy Lessons"
* "Love Drought"
* "Sandcastles"
* "Freedom"
* "All Night"
* "Formation"

The Lion King: The Gift|

* "Bigger"
* "Find Your Way Back"
* "Mood 4 Eva"
* "Brown Skin Girl"
* "Already"
* "Spirit"
* "Black Parade"

Renaissance|

* "Cozy"
* "Alien Superstar"
* "Cuff It"
* "Energy"
* "Break My Soul"
* "Plastic Off the Sofa"
* "Virgo's Groove"
* "Heated"
* "America Has a Problem"
* "Pure/Honey"

Cowboy Carter|

* "Blackbiird"
* "16 Carriages"
* "Texas Hold 'Em"
* "Bodyguard"
* "Jolene"
* "II Most Wanted"
* "Ya Ya"

As featured artist|

* "'03 Bonnie & Clyde"
* "Delresto (Echoes)"
* "Family Feud"
* "Feeling Myself"
* "Fighting Temptation"
* "Hollywood"
* "Hymn for the Weekend"
* "I Got That"
* "Just Stand Up!"
* "Lift Off"
* "Love a Woman"
* "Love in This Club Part II"
* "Make Me Say It Again, Girl"
* "Mi Gente"
* "Part II (On the Run)"
* "Put It in a Love Song"
* "Runnin' (Lose It All)"
* "Savage (Remix)"
* "Say Yes"
* "See Me Now"
* "Shining"
* "Telephone"
* "Top Off"
* "Until the End of Time"
* "Walk on Water"
* "What More Can I Give"

Other songs|

* "A Woman Like Me"
* "All I Could Do Was Cry"
* "Apeshit"
* "At Last"
* "Back to Black"
* "Be Alive"
* "Before I Let Go"
* "Boss"
* "Can You Feel the Love Tonight"
* "Die with You"
* "Fever"
* "God Bless the U.S.A."
* "I'd Rather Go Blind"
* "My House"
* "One Night Only"
* "Perfect Duet"
* "Pink + White"
* "Sexy Lil Thug"
* "So Amazing"
* "Sorry Not Sorry"
* "Summertime"
* "Wishing on a Star"
* "Work It Out"

* Category

*[v]: View this template
*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template