The song features a distinctive sample of The Notorious B.I.G.' S '10 Crack Commandments,' featuring production by DJ Premier. The Biggie sample was also used in reference for Lil' Kim's feature, much similar to another single ('Let It Go') which would follow the same concept four years later. When I first heard 'Ten Crack Commandments,' I couldn’t have been older than 12. To be honest, I really had no clue what those commandments meant. I figured the lyrics were full of “drug. Amiquote 3 12 Crack Commandments. © 2023 by Peter Collins. Proudly created with Wix.com. I agree that the Commandments number 12- this is the Biblical number for Government- 12 Tribes of Isreal, 12 Apostles etc I am asking the holy spirit for understanding as to why there are 3 clear references to 10 Commandments- Exodus 34:28, Deut 4:13 & 10:4.
Ten Crack Commandments is a song by American rapper The Notorious B.I.G. on disc two of his final studio album, ‘’Life After Death’’. It was written by B.I.G. (credited under his legal name, Christopher Wallace) along with Christopher Martin who also produced the song under his stage name DJ Premier. Complex (magazine) rated the song #1 song about selling drugs. In March 2017, Faith Evans released the single ‘’The Ten Wife Commandments’’ as the fourth single from her duet album with the rapper, The King & I. Lin-Manuel Miranda paid homage with the song ‘’Ten Duel Commandments’’ in his hit musical Hamilton. The Swedish underground hip-hop group The Keffat Liv paid homage with the song ‘’10 Barn Commandments’’ from their album ‘’Vassego o skölj’’.
Background[edit]
The song is a step-by-step guide to achieving success as a drug-dealer. Biggie, purportedly, was inspired by an article in the hip-hop magazine The Source. The July 1994 article, entitled “On the Rocks: From 1984 to 1994, Ten Years of Crack”. The article included a sidebar, “A Crack Dealer’s Ten Crack Commandments” that outlines ten critical rules to help dealers survive and thrive in the drug business.
The crack epidemic the early 1980s and the early 1990s was the flood of crack cocaine usage in urban communities across the United States. Beginning around the same time as Hip hop music became the sound of these same urban areas, the manifestations of the crack epidemic became a key theme in Hip hop music.
The relationship between drugs and Hip hop music can be mapped onto the politics of drug use in urban communities during the epidemic. A lack of economic opportunity forced urbanites to turn to selling drugs and other illicit forms of employment to make ends meet and provide for their families. The War on Drugs sought to quell the incredible impact that drugs had on the United States and the increase in violent crime nationwide.
These two factors encouraged both The Source and rappers to discuss drug-dealing in the way that promoted physical and fiscal security without discouraging dealers, who had no other means of income, to stop selling drugs. Still, however, the drug influenced lyrical content of Hip hop music has encouraged a longstanding debate about the illicit content of the musical genre.
Composition[edit]
‘’Ten Crack Commandments’’ does not follow the typical constructs of a Hip hop or popular song. It contains no chorus and completely abandons the 16 bars construction of a rap verse. Instead, the song presents the lyrics in a list and offers a short, witty explanation of each. Bracketing this list are an intro and outro of sorts that, to start, outlines Big’s credentials for sharing this list and, to end, explores what might happen if the listener does not abide by these rules.
The song also includes samples from ‘’Shut ‘Em Down’’ by Public Enemy and ‘’Vallarta’’ by Les McCann.
References[edit]
Sources[edit]
![Crack Crack](/uploads/1/2/6/0/126063296/883040770.png)
![12 crack commandments 12 crack commandments](/uploads/1/2/6/0/126063296/314352356.jpg)
BlackBook. “Notorious B.I.G's 'Ten Crack Commandments' Inspired by Magazine Feature.” BlackBook, 23 Feb. 2011, bbook.com/nightlife/notorious-b-i-gs-ten-crack-commandments-inspired-by-magazine-feature/.
“Faith Evans & The Notorious B.I.G. Provide the Blueprint for Marriage on 'Ten Wife Commandments': Listen.” Billboard, www.billboard.com/articles/columns/hip-hop/7736397/faith-evans-ten-wife-commandments-notorious-big-listen.
Strauss, Matthew. “Watch Lin-Manuel Miranda Turn Biggie's 'Ten Crack Commandments' Into New Pro-Hillary Song.” Watch Lin-Manuel Miranda Turn Biggie's 'Ten Crack Commandments' Into New Pro-Hillary Song | Pitchfork, Pitchfork, 18 Oct. 2016, pitchfork.com/news/69090-watch-lin-manuel-miranda-turn-biggies-ten-crack-commandments-into-new-pro-hillary-song/.
Retrieved from 'https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Ten_Crack_Commandments&oldid=913307807'
'Ten Commandments' | ||||
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Single by Lil' Mo featuring Lil' Kim | ||||
from the album Meet the Girl Next Door | ||||
Released | October 25, 2002 (radio airplay)[1] March 4, 2003 (12' vinyl)[2] | |||
Format | Radio airplay, LP, 12' vinyl | |||
Recorded | 2002 | |||
Studio | Quad Recording (New York, NY) | |||
Genre | R&B, Hip hop | |||
Length | 5:03 | |||
Label | Elektra | |||
Songwriter(s) | C. Loving, C. Thompson, K. Jones | |||
Producer(s) | Chucky Thompson | |||
Lil' Mo singles chronology | ||||
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Lil' Kim singles chronology | ||||
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'Ten Commandments' is a song by Lil' Mo featuring Grammy Award–winning rapper Lil' Kim from the former's sophomore effort, Meet the Girl Next Door (2003). Although Elektra Records had announced in December 2002 that the song would be released as Meet the Girl Next Door's second single,[3] plans for the release never followed resulting in a promotional 'street' release a month prior to the release of Meet the Girl Next Door.[4]
Background[edit]
The song features a distinctive sample of The Notorious B.I.G.'s '10 Crack Commandments,' featuring production by DJ Premier. The Biggie sample was also used in reference for Lil' Kim's feature, much similar to another single ('Let It Go') which would follow the same concept four years later. When asked on the meaning of the song, Lil' Mo told MTV News: '...[It was] to let [ladies] know how to keep your man. Stop telling all your homegirls all your business and problems. The ones that be like, 'Girl, he ain't no good' are the main ones trying to holla [at your man], 'So, you gonna call me?' Sometimes you have to think for yourself.'[4] In addition, Lil' Mo told Honey magazine that Lil' Kim's feature was the 'perfect match' for the song.[5]
Critical reception[edit]
The song received generally mixed reviews. While critics praised the song for its 'set of rules' and dubbed it as an anthem in its own right,[5][6][7] others like Donnie Kwak of Vibe magazine were divided over the song's theme and sample.[8] Kwak criticized the song's composition as a 'dull relationship advice column,' and its use of sampling Biggie's '10 Crack Commandments,' as 'breaking an essential Hip-Hop Commandment: Thou shall not tarnish a classic.'[8] However, Kwak praised Lil' Kim's feature by remarking, 'Kim's verse saves the day,' while criticizing Lil' Mo's vocals by stating, 'Mo should stick to hooks.'[8] By contrast, another Vibe editor, Akiba J. Solomon, called in Hilda Hutcherson, M.D. to list advice in examination of the song's synopsis and lyrical structure. Throughout the examination, Hutcherson opposed more than half of the song's 'Ten Commandments,' and listed full explanatorily advice for each of the song's 'commandments.'[9]
Track listing[edit]
- 12' vinyl[10]
- 'Ten Commandments' (Amended Version)
- 'Ten Commandments' (Album Version)
- 'Ten Commandments' (Instrumental)
- 'Ten Commandments' (Amended Acappella)
Chart performance[edit]
Chart (2003) | Peak position |
---|---|
US Billboard Bubbling Under Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs[11] | 1 |
References[edit]
Biggie Smalls 12 Crack Commandments
- ^'Lil' Mo And Lil' Kim Sample Biggie Track'. rnbdirt.com. October 27, 2002. Retrieved May 23, 2013.
- ^'4ever/Ten Commandments - Lil' Mo > Overview'. AllMusic. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved May 21, 2013.Italic or bold markup not allowed in:
|work=
(help) - ^Moss, Corey (December 5, 2002). 'Lil' Mo Nabs A Fellow Lil' And Fabolous For The Girl Next Door'. MTV News. MTV.com. Retrieved May 21, 2013.Italic or bold markup not allowed in:
|work=
(help) - ^ abReid, Shaheem (April 16, 2003). 'Lil' Mo Wants To Drop Beef With Ja Rule And Focus On Family'. MTV News. MTV.com. Retrieved May 21, 2013.Italic or bold markup not allowed in:
|work=
(help) - ^ ab'FUSION: IT'S HOT > Mo Betta.' Honey. Vanguard Media Inc., 2003: 304. Print.
- ^Kellman, Andy. 'Meet the Girl Next Door - Lil' Mo > Overview'. AllMusic. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved May 21, 2013.Italic or bold markup not allowed in:
|work=
(help) - ^Askew, Sonya. 'Sam Goody's got its ear to the street.' Vibe. May 2003: 24. Print.
- ^ abcKwak, Donnie. 'START > Resurrection Songs.' Vibe. April 2003: 82. Print.
- ^Solomon, Akiba J. 'The Big Picture.' Vibe. July 2003: 111. Print.
- ^'Lil' Mo Featuring Lil' Kim - Ten Commandments (Vinyl) at Discogs'. Discogs. Discogs.com. Retrieved May 21, 2013.Italic or bold markup not allowed in:
|work=
(help) - ^'Bubbling Under R&B/Hip-Hop : Jan 25, 2003'. Billboard Chart Archive. Billboard.biz. Retrieved May 21, 2013.
Crack Commandments Lyrics
External links[edit]
- Lyrics of this song at MetroLyrics
10 Crack Commandments List
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