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"No Diggity"
Single by BLACKstreet featuring Dr. Dre and Queen Pen
from the album Another Level
Released	October 1, 1996
Format	12-inch single, CD5
Recorded	1996
Genre	R&B
Length	5:03
Label	Interscope 069495003-2
Writer(s)	Andre Young/Chauncey Hannibal/Teddy Riley/William Stewart/Lynise Walters/Richard Vick
Producer	Teddy Riley and Skylz
Certification	Platinum
Blackstreet singles chronology
"Tonight's the Night" (1995) "No Diggity" (1996) "(Money Can't) Buy Me Love" (1997)
Dr. Dre singles chronology "California Love" (1996) "No Diggity" (1996) "East Coast West Coast Killas" (1996)

"No Diggity" is a 1996 song by American R&B group Blackstreet featuring Dr. Dre. It reached #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #9 in the UK. It ranked at #91 on Rolling Stone and MTV: 100 Greatest Pop Songs. It sold 1.6 million copies in 1996. It won the 1998 Grammy Award for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals and was nominated for Best R&B Song. It ranked at #32 on VH1's 100 Greatest Songs of the '90s.

Between BLACKstreet's sung verses are rap verses performed by Dre, Teddy Riley and Queen Pen, in that order, as well as backing vocals from Shaquana Elam. Despite the fact that some of Queen Pen's lyrics are censored, there are no "dirty" versions of the song.

The song's hook is an altered sample from the beginning of "Grandma's Hands" by R&B hitmaker Bill Withers.

The official remix of the song is a tribute to the late pop artist Michael Jackson's "Billie Jean".

The song was also sampled in 2001 by German singer Sarah Connor. However, the song was misquoted in her albums liner notes as "No Daggity."

The song was covered by Klaxons for the Radio 1. Established 1967 compilation CD. It was also covered by Rooster whilst guesting for BBC Radio 1's Live Lounge program on the 29th of April 2005.

The song is also sampled on Girl Talk's mash-up album entitled 'Feed the Animals' (2008).

[edit] The music video

The video is directed by Hype Williams and features said artists in front of a beachhouse standing in the sand, dancers in a wet road surrounded by black limousines, and a marionette resembling former Nike spokesman Lil' Penny playing the piano sample in a club. It was nominated for Best R&B Video and Best Rap Video on 1997's MTV Video Music Awards. Video production and casting was handled in house by Future Recording Studios manager Tony Brown who also worked closely with puppeteers to develop marionettes of Teddy Riley and Chauncey Black.

On November 9, 1996, "No Diggity" overtook "Macarena" for the Billboard 100 Single's number one spot. Also, the term "I'll go Blackstreet on your ass", which is credited to Chauncey "Black as the street" Black began to appear in American slang as an expression of one's desire to "throw down" or initiate a confrontation.

[edit] Credits

Published by Donrill Music/Zomba Enterprises, Inc. (ASCAP/Chauncey Black Music for Smokin' Sounds [ASCAP]/Queenpen Music (ASCAP)/Sidi Music (BMI)/Sony Songs Inc./Ain't Nothin' Goin' On But Fuckin' (ASCAP)

Track recorded by George Mayers, John Hanes, Serban Genea and Sean Poland for Future Recording Studios, Virginia Beach, VA. Track mastered by Herb Powers at Hit Factory, New York, NY.

Queen Pen appears courtesy of Funky Mama Productions/Interscope Records. Dr. Dre appears courtesy of Aftermath Entertainment.

Track contains portions of "Grandma's Hands" written by Bill Withers and published by Interior Music Corp./Avant Garde Music Publishing, Inc. (BMI); performed by Bill Withers, used courtesy of Sony Music Entertainment

"Billie Jean" written by Michael Jackson.

[edit] Cover versions

• Paddy Casey and the Dublin Gospel Choir on Even Better Than the Real Thing Vol. 2
• Klaxons on Radio 1 Established 1967

[edit] See also

Hot 100 No. 1 Hits of 1996 (USA)