Keep Their Heads Ringin'

"Keep Their Heads Ringin'" is a song by American rapper Dr. Dre featuring vocalist Nanci Fletcher.^[1] It was the only single released from the soundtrack of the 1995 movie Friday,^[2] starring Dre's former N.W.A bandmate, Ice Cube and Chris Tucker. Although the soundtrack was released on Priority Records, Death Row Records still owns the masters to the song. In the United States, the song topped the Hot Rap Tracks chart and peaked at number ten on the Billboard Hot 100. It was certified gold by the RIAA on May 10, 1995, and sold 700,000 copies domestically.^[3][4] It interpolates "Funk You Up" by The Sequence from their 1980 single released under Sugar Hill. F. Gary Gray directed the music video for the song.

"Keep Their Heads Ringin'"
Single by Dr. Dre
from the album Friday (soundtrack)
B-side	"Take a Hit" by Mack 10
Released	March 7, 1995 (1995-03-07)
Recorded	1994
Studio	Dre's Crib (Los Angeles)
Genre	West Coast hip hop gangsta rap G-funk R&B
Length	5:06
Label	Priority EMI
Songwriter(s)	James Anderson A. Brown
Producer(s)	Dr. Dre
Dr. Dre singles chronology
"Natural Born Killaz" (1994) "Keep Their Heads Ringin'" (1995) "U Better Recognize" (1995)
Music video
"Keep Their Heads Ringin'" on YouTube

Critical reception

Dr. Bayyan from Cash Box wrote, "Well, there is no doubt that the patented "Dre funk" is present, but there's one aspect that fans will notice about this single. He concentrates more on his improved lyrical delivery rather than on killin' niggas and cheekin' ho's. Dre is one of the few rappers that doesn't have to tone down his hardcore image to gain commercial status."^[5]

Cathi Unsworth from Melody Maker said, "Dr Dre practices what he preaches in one long reeling reefer high that pulses like the first narcotic rush that brings on the weekend. A smoothly subversive operator."^[6] Keith Cameron from NME commented, "The vibes from the crib are up tp the regulatory slink norm, the gel chorus keeps matters literal ("Ring ding dong/A ring-a-ding-ding-ding-dong"), and regardless of how good the film is, it's hard to imagine Cube coming up with a line as chucklesome as Dre's: "Your chances of jackin' me are slim, Gl'Cos I rock from summer 'til Santa comes down the chimney"."^[7]

Music video

The accompanying music video for "Keep Their Heads Ringin'" was directed by American film director, film producer, and music video director F. Gary Gray and takes place in a plane hangar. The video contains cameo appearances from the actors of the movie Friday including Chris Tucker, Faizon Love, Paula Jai Parker and Nia Long. New Line offered the clip to theatres to play right before showings of Friday. It also appears as a bonus feature on the VHS and DVD releases of the film.

Track listing

• CD single / 12" vinyl^[8]

1. "Keep Their Heads Ringin'" (LP Version) — 5:01
2. "Keep Their Heads Ringin'" (Instrumental) — 4:57
3. "Take a Hit" (by Mack 10) (LP Version) — 4:34
4. "Take a Hit" (by Mack 10) (Instrumental) — 4:34

• US 12" vinyl^[9]

1. "Keep Their Heads Ringin'" (Radio Version) — 5:02
2. "Keep Their Heads Ringin'" (LP Version) — 5:01
3. "Keep Their Heads Ringin'" (Instrumental) — 4:57

Personnel

• Co-producer - Sam Sneed
• Engineer - Tommy D. Daugherty and Keston Wright
• Keyboards - Stu "Fingas" Bullard
• Producer - Dr. Dre
• Chorus Sample - KRS-One
• Lead vocals - Nanci Fletcher
• Background Vocals - Nanci Fletcher, Danette Williams, Barbara Wilson, Dorothy Coleman
• Video director - F. Gary Gray
• Actors - Chris Tucker, Nia Long and Tiny Lister
• Angie Stone is credited for writing the song due to her writing to "Funk You Up". She is credited as A. Brown in the credits of the song since she did not go by Angie Stone at the time she recorded "Funk You Up". Angela Brown is Angie Stone's birth name.

Charts

Weekly charts Chart (1995) Peak position Australia (ARIA)[10] 93 Belgium (Ultratop 50 Wallonia)[11] 15 France (SNEP)[12] 29 Germany (GfK)[13] 23 Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[14] 11 Netherlands (Single Top 100)[15] 15 New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[16] 3 Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[17] 7 Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[18] 7 UK Singles (OCC)[19] 25 UK Hip Hop/R&B (OCC)[20] 3 US Billboard Hot 100[21] 10 US Dance Club Songs (Billboard)[22] 4 US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (Billboard)[23] 10 US Hot Rap Songs (Billboard)[24] 1 US Rhythmic (Billboard)[25] 13

Year-end charts Chart (1995) Position Belgium (Ultratop Wallonia)[26] 60 Europe (Eurochart Hot 100)[27] 98 France (SNEP)[28] 72 Germany (Official German Charts)[29] 82 Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[30] 83 New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[31] 38 Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[32] 38 US Billboard Hot 100[33] 53 US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (Billboard)[34] 42

Certifications

Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
New Zealand (RMNZ)[35]	Gold	5,000*
United Kingdom (BPI)[36]	Silver	200,000‡
United States (RIAA)[3]	Gold	700,000[4]
* Sales figures based on certification alone. ‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

References

1. Adeniji, Ade The Unsung Hook Singers of ‘90s Rap Classics Speak Okayplayer. July 5, 2023
2. King, Alex P. (2004). Hit-parade — 20 ans de tubes (in French). Paris: Pascal. p. 338. ISBN 2-35019-009-9.
3. "American single certifications – Dr. Dre – Keep Their Heads Ringin". Recording Industry Association of America.
4. "Best-Selling Records of 1995". Billboard. Vol. 108, no. 3. BPI Communications. January 20, 1996. p. 56. ISSN 0006-2510. Retrieved May 5, 2015.
5. Dr. Bayyan (April 22, 1995). "Urban: Rap Single Reviews" (PDF). Cash Box. p. 13. Retrieved October 14, 2022.
6. Unsworth, Cathi (June 3, 1995). "Singles". Melody Maker. p. 34. Retrieved January 20, 2024.
7. Cameron, Keith (June 3, 1995). "Singles". NME. p. 45. Retrieved January 20, 2024.
8. "Dr. Dre – Keep Their Heads Ringin' (1995, Dark Blue Disc, CD)". Discogs. 1995.
9. "Images for Dr. Dre - Keep Their Heads Ringin'". Discogs.
10. "The ARIA Report: Issue 1083" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-01-20.
11. "Dr. Dre – Keep Their Heads Ringin'" (in French). Ultratop 50. Retrieved November 30, 2021.
12. "Dr. Dre – Keep Their Heads Ringin'" (in French). Les classement single. Retrieved November 30, 2021.
13. "Dr. Dre – Keep Their Heads Ringin'" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved November 30, 2021.
14. "Nederlandse Top 40 – week 31, 1995" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved November 30, 2021.
15. "Dr. Dre – Keep Their Heads Ringin'" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved November 30, 2021.
16. "Dr. Dre – Keep Their Heads Ringin'". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved November 30, 2021.
17. "Dr. Dre – Keep Their Heads Ringin'". Singles Top 100. Retrieved November 30, 2021.
18. "Dr. Dre – Keep Their Heads Ringin'". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved November 30, 2021.
19. "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved November 30, 2021.
20. "Official Hip Hop and R&B Singles Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved November 30, 2021.
21. "Dr. Dre Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved November 30, 2021.
22. "Dr. Dre Chart History (Dance Club Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved November 30, 2021.
23. "Dr. Dre Chart History (Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved November 30, 2021.
24. "Dr. Dre Chart History (Hot Rap Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved November 30, 2021.
25. "Dr. Dre Chart History (Rhythmic)". Billboard. Retrieved November 30, 2021.
26. "Rapports Annuels 1995". Ultratop. Retrieved November 30, 2021.
27. "1995 Year-End Sales Charts: Eurochart Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. December 23, 1995. Retrieved September 26, 2020.
28. 1995 French Singles Chart Disqueenfrance.com Archived 2009-02-14 at the Wayback Machine (Retrieved January 30, 2009)
29. "Top 100 Single-Jahrescharts". GfK Entertainment (in German). offiziellecharts.de. Retrieved November 30, 2021.
30. "Top 100-Jaaroverzicht van 1995". Dutch Top 40. Retrieved November 30, 2021.
31. "End of Year Charts 1995". Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved December 3, 2017.
32. "Årslista Singlar – År 1995" (in Swedish). Sverigetopplistan. Retrieved November 30, 2021.
33. "Billboard Top 100 - 1995". Archived from the original on August 15, 2009. Retrieved August 27, 2010.
34. "Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs – Year-End 1995". Billboard. Archived from the original on August 3, 2015. Retrieved November 30, 2021.
35. "New Zealand single certifications – Dr. Dre – Keep Their Heads Ringin'". Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved July 8, 2015.^{[dead link‍]}
36. "British single certifications – Dr Dre – Keep Their Heads Ringin'". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved July 7, 2023.

External links

• Music video for "Keep Their Heads Ringin'" on YouTube