Hypnotize

About this song

Released as the first single from the album Life After Death, the song was Biggie's first number one hit and came out a week before his death in March 1997. Its hook interpolates Slick Rick's lyrics from "La Di Da Di" and its beat is built around a sample from Herb Alpert's 1979 hit "Rise." On April 26, 1997, it debuted at number two on the Billboard Hot 100 before reaching number one the following week, and it stayed there for three weeks.

What it's about

A funky party song filled with boasts, pick-up lines and pop culture references.

Fun facts

• Samples “Rise by Herb Alpert”.
• Sampled in 50 other songs, like “Life of the Party (Original Version) by Kanye West & André 3000”.
• Written by Andy Armer, Deric “D-Dot” Angelettie, Diddy, Doug E. Fresh, Randy Alpert and Ron “Amen-Ra” Lawrence.
• Produced by Deric “D-Dot” Angelettie, Diddy and Ron “Amen-Ra” Lawrence.
• Recorded at Caribbean Sound Basin (Trinidad.