E.I. (song)

"E.I." is a song by American rapper Nelly. Released as the second single on October 17, 2000, from his debut album Country Grammar, it peaked at number 11 on the UK Singles Chart and 16 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100.

This article is about the 2000 Nelly song, and its remix "Tip Drill". For other uses, see EI (disambiguation).

"E.I."
Single by Nelly
from the album Country Grammar
B-side
  • "Greed, Hate, Envy"
  • "Come Over"
ReleasedOctober 17, 2000 (2000-10-17)
StudioUnique (New York City)
Length
  • 4:45 (main version)
  • 4:12 (radio version)
Label
Composer(s)Jason "Jay E" Epperson
Lyricist(s)Nelly
Producer(s)Jason "Jay E" Epperson
Nelly singles chronology
"Country Grammar (Hot Shit)"
(2000)		 "E.I."
(2000)		 "Ride wit Me"
(2001)

Remixes

"Tip Drill", or "E.I. (Remix)"[1] is the name of a 2003 remix of the song. It appeared as the fourth track on his 2003 remix album Da Derrty Versions: The Reinvention. An alternate version featuring vocals from Nelly's group, the St. Lunatics, which is listed as the "Tip Drill Remix", appears as the final track on Da Derrty Versions: The Reinvention. Both versions were produced by David Banner.[1]

The song's music video (directed by Solomite), made for the version featuring the St. Lunatics, became controversial for overtly depicting women as sexual objects.[2] It was meant to be a single but was withdrawn due to its potentially offensive content. Despite this, Nelly's solo version of the song received moderate airplay on urban contemporary radio stations in the United States and peaked at number 65 on the US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart in early 2004.[3] Features cameo appearances by Jermaine Dupri and David Banner.

In one interpretation of the song's meaning by Mark Anthony Neal, the phrase tip drill is a "ghetto colloquialism for the proverbial ugly girl with a nice body."[4]

Controversy
Main article: Misogyny in hip hop culture

In 2004, women's studies students at Spelman College in Atlanta, Georgia protested against misogyny in rap music and "Tip Drill" specifically. The students criticized the negative portrayal and sexual objectification of African-American women in the video, which showed women in bikinis dancing and simulating various sexual acts, men throwing money on women's breasts and buttocks, and Nelly swiping a credit card between a woman's buttocks after which it starts bouncing.[5][6] Nelly's 4Sho4Kids Foundation was scheduled to hold a bone marrow drive on campus to help his sister who suffered from leukemia: Spelman Feminist Majority Leadership Alliance President Moya Bailey and Leana Cabral named Nelly the "Misogynist of the Month" and the flyers they and other members placed on campus prompted the foundation to cancel the drive.[7] The president of the Student Government, Asha Jennings, said: "Nelly wants us to help his sister, but he's degrading hundreds of us."[4] According to Spelman students, Nelly's Foundation refused to hold the drive unless the university promised that students would not confront him about his song and the video.[8] The Foundation canceled the drive.

In 2008, Nelly stated that his own daughter, Chanelle, had never seen the video.[9]

Track listings

Credits and personnel

Credits are taken from the Country Grammar liner notes.[15]

Studios

  • Recorded at Unique Studios (New York City)
  • Mixed at Sound on Sound Studios (New York City)
  • Mastered at Powers House of Sound (New York City)

Personnel

  • Nelly – lyrics
  • Jason "Jay E" Epperson – music, production
  • Steve Eigner – recording, engineering
  • Kenny Dykstra – recording and engineering assistance
  • Rich Travali – mixing
  • Jason Standard – mixing assistance
  • Herb Powers – mastering

Charts

Certifications
Region CertificationCertified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)[37] Gold 35,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

Release history
Region Date Format(s) Label(s) Ref.
United States October 17, 2000 Urban radio
[38]
November 28, 2000 Contemporary hit radio [39]
United Kingdom February 12, 2001
  • 12-inch vinyl
  • CD
  • cassette
 [40]
Australia April 30, 2001 CD [41]

References
  1. Birchmeier, Jason. "Da Derrty Versions: The Reinvention – Nelly > Overview". AllMusic. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved October 29, 2012.
  2. "US hip-hop film sparks debate on masculinity". Reuters. February 21, 2007.
  3. "Nelly - Chart history". Billboard. Retrieved March 18, 2015.
  4. "Female students spurn Nelly over explicit rap video", The Houston Chronicle, April 25, 2004.
  5. "Nelly feels the heat", Chicago Tribune, April 2, 2005.
  6. Arce, Rose. "Hip-hop portrayal of women protested" Archived April 5, 2012, at the Wayback Machine, CNN, March 4, 2005.
  7. Bailey, Moya (May 23, 2004). "Dilemma". AlterNet. Retrieved March 15, 2013.
  8. Watkins, Samuel Craig. Hip Hop Matters: Politics, Pop Culture, and the Struggle for the Soul of a Movement. Boston, Mass.: Beacon Press, 2005, ISBN 978-0-8070-0986-4, pp. 217-218.
  9. "Nelly - It's called adult entertainment", The Independent, July 25, 2008.
  10. E.I. (UK CD single liner notes). Nelly. Fo'Reel Entertainment, Universal Records. 2001. MCSTD 40249.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  11. E.I. (UK 12-inch single sleeve). Nelly. Fo'Reel Entertainment, Universal Records. 2001. MCST 40249.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  12. E.I. (UK cassette single sleeve). Nelly. Fo'Reel Entertainment, Universal Records. 2001. MCSC 40249.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  13. E.I. (European CD single liner notes). Nelly. Fo'Reel Entertainment, Universal Records. 2001. 158 755-2.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  14. E.I. (Australian CD single liner notes). Nelly. Fo'Reel Entertainment, Universal Records. 2001. 158 756-2.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  15. Country Grammar (US CD album liner notes). Nelly. Universal Records. 2000. 012157743-2FLO3.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  16. "Nelly – E.I.". ARIA Top 50 Singles. Retrieved December 21, 2012.
  17. "Issue 605" ARIA Top 40 Urban Singles. National Library of Australia. Retrieved February 27, 2022.
  18. "Nelly – E.I." (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved December 21, 2012.
  19. "Eurochart Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 18, no. 10. March 3, 2001. p. 11. Retrieved May 30, 2021.
  20. "Nelly – E.I" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved May 22, 2019.
  21. "The Irish Charts – Search Results – E.I.". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved January 16, 2020.
  22. "Nederlandse Top 40 – week 14, 2001" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved December 21, 2012.
  23. "Nelly – E.I." (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved January 17, 2020.
  24. "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved January 17, 2020.
  25. "Nelly – E.I.". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved December 21, 2012.
  26. "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved December 21, 2012.
  27. "Official Dance Singles Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved January 17, 2020.
  28. "Official Hip Hop and R&B Singles Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved January 16, 2020.
  29. "Nelly Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved December 21, 2012.
  30. "Nelly Chart History (Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved December 21, 2012.
  31. "Nelly Chart History (Pop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved December 21, 2012.
  32. "Nelly Chart History (Rhythmic)". Billboard. Retrieved May 29, 2022.
  33. "ARIA Top 100 Singles Chart". Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved September 14, 2022.
  34. "Top 40 Urban Tracks Of 2001" (PDF). Music Week. January 19, 2002. p. 26. Retrieved August 4, 2023.
  35. "Billboard Top 100 – 2001". billboardtop100of.com. Retrieved April 21, 2021.
  36. "Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs – Year-End 2001". Billboard. Retrieved April 21, 2021.
  37. "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2001 Singles" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved December 21, 2012.
  38. "AddVance Notice" (PDF). Radio & Records. No. 1372. October 13, 2000. p. 60. Retrieved May 30, 2021.
  39. "CHR/Pop: Going for Adds" (PDF). Radio & Records. No. 1378. November 24, 2000. p. 37. Retrieved May 31, 2021.
  40. "New Releases – For Week Starting February 12, 2001: Singles" (PDF). Music Week. February 10, 2001. p. 25. Retrieved August 9, 2021.
  41. "The ARIA Report: New Releases Singles – Week Commencing 30th April 2001" (PDF). ARIA. April 30, 2001. p. 24. Archived from the original (PDF) on February 20, 2002. Retrieved May 31, 2021.
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