Gimme the Light

"Gimme the Light" is the first single from Jamaican dancehall musician Sean Paul's second studio album, Dutty Rock (2002). The song was originally released in Jamaica in 2001 as "Give Me the Light"[1] and was issued internationally in 2002. "Gimme the Light" was Paul's first hit single, peaking at number seven on the US Billboard Hot 100 and becoming a top-20 hit in Canada, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom. It is the most popular hit single from the "Buzz" riddim, which was the debut hit production for Troyton Rami & Roger Mackenzie a production duo of Black Shadow Records in Miami, Florida.

"Gimme the Light"
Single by Sean Paul
from the album Dutty Rock
B-side"Can You Do the Work" (Liquid Riddim)
Released2001 (2001)
GenreDancehall
Length
  • 3:46
  • 3:20 (Pass the Dro-Voisier remix)
Label
Songwriter(s)
  • Sean Paul Henriques
  • Troyton Rami
Producer(s)Troyton Rami & Roger Mackenzie
Sean Paul singles chronology
"Money Jane"
(2000)		 "Gimme the Light"
(2001)		 "Make It Clap"
(2002)

Background and release

In 2001, a fledgling Miami-based Jamaican production team known as Black Shadow created a new dancehall riddim which they called "The Buzz". Of approximately 12 tracks that were vocalized by the latest stars and upcoming artists of dancehall, four of them became hits in the following year: Elephant Man's "Haters Wanna War", Cobra's "Press Trigger", Sizzla's "Pump Up", and Sean Paul's "Give Me the Light", which became the most popular one because of its catchy chorus. "The Buzz" became the biggest Dancehall riddim of 2002, followed by the Diwali riddim by Steven "Lenky" Marsden later on, which was also his first hit production. Black Shadow followed up "The Buzz" with the "Surprise" riddim in 2003.

The unedited version of "Gimme the Light", as is the case with many Sean Paul releases, makes direct reference to smoking marijuana (in this case, passing along hydroponically grown marijuana, referred to as "the 'dro" in the song's chorus). The edited version of "Dutty Rock" contains the lyrics "Just gimme the light and start the show," instead of "pass the dro." Paul is also out clubbing and checking out women for a possible nightcap. References to marijuana were removed from the song for the edited version.

The official remix, "Gimme the Light (Pass the Dro-Voisier Remix)", features rapper Busta Rhymes. This version uses only the chorus from the original (the clean version also uses the unedited version's chorus), replaced by new lyrics from Paul and Busta, also of Jamaican heritage. The remix's name is referenced from Busta Rhymes' 2002 hit single, "Pass The Courvoisier, Part II". The song's instrumental was used for the remainder of the remix of Sean Paul's next single, "Get Busy", featuring Fatman Scoop.

The song was included on Billboard's 12 Best Dancehall & Reggaeton Choruses of the 21st Century at number three.[2]

Track listings

CD maxi – US

  1. "Gimme the Light" (Buzz Riddim)
  2. "Gimme the Light" (Buzz Riddim instrumental)
  3. "Can You Do the Work" (Liquid Riddim)

CD maxi – Europe

  1. "Gimme the Light" (album version) – 3:46
  2. "Gimme the Light" (Pass the Dro-Vosier remix) – 3:20
  3. "Gimme the Light" (blackout remix) – 3:42
  4. "Gimme the Light" (2Step Moabit relick remix) – 3:47

CD single

  1. "Gimme the Light" (clean radio edit) – 3:47
  2. "Gimme the Light" (Pass the Dro-Voisier remix - clean radio edit) – 3:20

12-inch maxi – US

  1. "Gimme the Light" (original mix) – 3:46
  2. "Gimme the Light" (instrumental version) – 2:50
  3. "Gimme the Light" (Pass the Dro-Vosier remix - album / street mix) – 3:20
  4. "Gimme the Light" (Pass the Dro-Vosier remix - clean radio edit) – 3:20

12-inch maxi – Europe

  1. "Gimme the Light" (original mix) – 3:46
  2. "Gimme the Light" (Pass the Dro-Vosier remix) – 3:20
  3. "Gimme the Light" (heartless crew remix) – 4:45
  4. "Gimme the Light" (heartless crew dub) – 4:45

CD maxi – Remixes

  1. "Gimme the Light" (Pass the Dro-Vosier remix - clean radio edit) – 3:20
  2. "Gimme the Light" (original mix - clean "Start the Show" radio edit) – 3:47
  3. "Gimme the Light" (Pass the Dro-Vosier remix - album / street version) – 3:20
  4. "Gimme the Light" (original mix - album version) – 3:46
  5. "Gimme the Light" (instrumental version) – 2:49

Charts

Certifications
Certifications and sales for "Gimme the Light"
Region CertificationCertified units/sales
Canada (Music Canada)[26] Gold 5,000^
United Kingdom (BPI)[27] Silver 200,000‡

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Release history
Release dates and formats for "Gimme the Light"
Region Date Format(s) Label(s) Ref.
Jamaica 2001 7-inch vinyl Black Shadow [1]
United Kingdom 2002 CD
[28]
United States 21 October 2002 Contemporary hit radio [29]
United Kingdom (re-release) 3 February 2003
  • CD
  • 12-inch vinyl
 [30]

References
  1. Give Me the Light (Jamaican 7-inch vinyl disc). Sean Paul. Black Shadow Records. 2001. BUZ030.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  2. Platon, Adelle (28 April 2017). "The 12 Best Dancehall & Reggaeton Choruses of the 21st Century". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved 14 May 2017.
  3. "Issue 676" ARIA Top 100 Singles. National Library of Australia. Retrieved 8 May 2021.
  4. "Sean Paul Chart History (Canadian Digital Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved 8 May 2021.
  5. "Eurochart Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 21, no. 9. 22 February 2003. p. 7. Retrieved 8 May 2021.
  6. "Sean Paul – Gimme the Light" (in French). Les classement single. Retrieved 8 May 2021.
  7. "Sean Paul – Gimme the Light" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved 8 May 2021.
  8. "Nederlandse Top 40 – week 42, 2002" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 8 May 2021.
  9. "Sean Paul – Gimme the Light" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 8 May 2021.
  10. "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 26 November 2018.
  11. "Sean Paul – Gimme the Light". Singles Top 100. Retrieved 8 May 2021.
  12. "Sean Paul – Gimme the Light". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved 8 May 2021.
  13. "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 8 May 2021.
  14. "Official Independent Singles Chart Top 50". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 26 November 2018.
  15. "Official Hip Hop and R&B Singles Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 26 November 2018.
  16. "Sean Paul Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved 8 May 2021.
  17. "Sean Paul Chart History (Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved 8 May 2021.
  18. "Sean Paul Chart History (Hot Rap Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved 8 May 2021.
  19. "Sean Paul Chart History (Pop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved 8 May 2021.
  20. "Sean Paul Chart History (Rhythmic)". Billboard. Retrieved 8 May 2021.
  21. "Canada's Top 200 Singles of 2002". Jam!. 14 January 2003. Archived from the original on 6 September 2004. Retrieved 22 March 2022.
  22. "Billboard Top 100 – 2002". Billboardtop100of.com. Retrieved 8 May 2021.
  23. "Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs – Year-End 2002". Billboard. Retrieved 17 October 2021.
  24. "The Official UK Singles Chart 2003" (PDF). UKChartsPlus. Retrieved 26 November 2018.
  25. "Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs – Year-End 2003". Billboard. Retrieved 17 October 2021.
  26. "Canadian single certifications – Sean Paul – Gimme the Light". Music Canada. Retrieved 3 September 2019.
  27. "British single certifications – Sean Paul – Gimme the Light". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 8 May 2021.
  28. Gimme the Light (UK CD single liner notes). Sean Paul. VP Records, Atlantic Records. 2002. AT0146CD, 7567-88029-2.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  29. "Going for Adds". Radio & Records. No. 1475. 18 October 2002. p. 26.
  30. "New Releases – For Week Starting 3 February 2003: Singles". Music Week. 1 February 2003. p. 20.
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