Can't Nobody Hold Me Down

{{Short description|1997 single by Puff Daddy featuring Mase}}

{{infobox song

| name = Can't Nobody Hold Me Down

| cover = Nobodyholdmedown.jpg

| alt =

| type = single

| artist = Sean Combs featuring Mase

| album = No Way Out

| released = January 7, 1997

| recorded = 1996

| studio = Daddy's House Recording Studios (New York City)

| genre = Hip hop

| length = 3:52

| label = {{hlist|Bad Boy|Arista}}

| writer = Mason Betha{{cite web|author=Danielle Harling|url=https://hiphopdx.com/news/id.29800/title.puff-daddy-mae-detail-creation-of-cant-nobody-hold-me-down|title=PUFF DADDY & MA$E DETAIL CREATION OF "CAN'T NOBODY HOLD ME DOWN"|publisher=HipHopDX|date=July 17, 2014|accessdate=April 19, 2024}}

| producer = {{hlist|Nashiem Myrick|Carlos Broady|Sean "Puffy" Combs|Stevie J}}

| chronology = Puff Daddy

| prev_title = No Time

| prev_year = 1996

| next_title = I'll Be Missing You

| next_year = 1997

| misc = {{Extra chronology

| artist = Mase

| type = single

| prev_title = Only You

| prev_year = 1996

| title = Can't Nobody Hold Me Down

| year = 1997

| next_title = Just the Way You Like It

| next_year = 1997

}}

{{External music video|{{YouTube|0zXis84Pi24|"Can't Nobody Hold Me Down"}}}}

}}

"Can't Nobody Hold Me Down" is the debut single by American rapper Puff Daddy. It was released by his label Bad Boy Records, an imprint of Arista Records on January 7, 1997, also serving as lead single for the rapper's debut studio album No Way Out (1997). It was written by Bad Boy newcomer Mase, who co-performs the song, while production was handled by the label's in-house producers Stevie J, Carlos Broady and Nashiem Myrick, as well as Puff Daddy himself.

"Can't Nobody Hold Me Down" entered the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 at number 32 in early 1997, and later spent six weeks at number one.{{cite web|url=https://www.billboard.com/artist/puff-daddy/|title=Can't Nobody Hold Me Down|publisher=Billboard|accessdate=December 4, 2021}} It was the beginning of Combs' and Bad Boy Records' chart domination during the year—the Combs-produced "Hypnotize" by The Notorious B.I.G. would follow this song at number one, and the B.I.G. tribute song "I'll Be Missing You" spent eleven weeks at number one during the summer, only to be followed by another B.I.G. song, "Mo Money Mo Problems" and then the Combs-produced "Honey" by Mariah Carey. "Can't Nobody Hold Me Down" was the mainstream debut for Mase, who signed with the label months prior.

First released to rhythmic radio in December 1996, Puff Daddy had found success as B.I.G.'s label boss at Bad Boy Records prior to the song's release. He first appeared as a recording artist on Lil' Kim's 1994 single "No Time", which peaked within the Billboard Hot 100's top 20.

Content

The song combines elements of several previous singles, the most obvious being a slowed-down rhythm track sampling from Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five's "The Message". The track's chorus is an interpolation of "Break My Stride", a top-five single by Matthew Wilder from 1983. The track also contains a sample of opening drums of Michael Jackson's 1979 single "Rock with You".

Music video

The music video was directed by Paul Hunter and it was released in January 1997.{{cn|date=January 2022}} The music video features cameos by The Notorious B.I.G. and Eddie Griffin.

Charts

=Weekly charts=

class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders"

!Chart (1997)

!Peak
Position

{{single chart|Australia|27|artist=Puff Daddy feat. Mase|song=Can't Nobody Hold Me Down|rowheader=true }}
{{single chart|Germany|23|artist=Puff Daddy feat. Mase|song=Can't Nobody Hold Me Down|songid=3453|accessdate=February 28, 2020|rowheader=true }}
scope="row"|Netherlands (Dutch Top 40 Tipparade){{cite web |url=https://www.top40.nl/tipparade/1997/week-22|title=Tipparade-lijst van week 22, 1997| publisher=Dutch Top 40|access-date=March 14, 2023}}

|align="center"|8

{{single chart|Dutch100|59|artist=Puff Daddy feat. Mase|song=Can't Nobody Hold Me Down|rowheader=true }}
{{single chart|New Zealand|11|artist=Puff Daddy feat. Mase|song=Can't Nobody Hold Me Down|rowheader=true }}
{{single chart|Scotland|60|date=19970323|rowheader=true|access-date=March 14, 2023}}
{{single chart|Switzerland|37|artist=Puff Daddy feat. Mase|song=Can't Nobody Hold Me Down|rowheader=true }}
{{single chart|UK|19|date=19970323|rowheader=true|access-date=March 14, 2023}}
{{single chart|UKdance|4|date=19970323|rowheader=true|access-date=March 14, 2023}}
{{single chart|UKrandb|2|date=19970323|rowheader=true|access-date=March 14, 2023}}
{{single chart|Billboardhot100|1|artist=Diddy|rowheader=true }}
{{single chart|Billboardrandbhiphop|1|artist=Diddy|rowheader=true }}
{{single chart|Billboardrapsongs|1|artist=Diddy|rowheader=true }}
{{single chart|Billboardrhythmic|6|artist=Diddy|rowheader=true }}

=Year-end charts=

class="wikitable sortable"

!Chart (1997)

!Position

Germany (Official German Charts){{cite web |url=https://www.offiziellecharts.de/charts/single-jahr/for-date-1997 |title=Top 100 Single-Jahrescharts|language=German |publisher=GfK Entertainment |accessdate=April 17, 2018}}

|align="center"|82

UK Urban (Music Week){{cite magazine|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/UK/Music-Week/1998/Music-Week-1998-01-10.pdf|title=The Urban Top 40 Tracks Of 1997|magazine=Music Week|date=January 10, 1998|access-date=August 6, 2023}}

|align="center"|11

US Billboard Hot 100{{cite web |url=http://longboredsurfer.com/charts.php?year=1997 |title=Billboard Top 100 - 1997 |accessdate=August 28, 2010 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20090611194337/http://longboredsurfer.com/charts.php?year=1997 |archivedate=June 11, 2009 }}

|align="center"|5

US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (Billboard){{cite magazine|url=http://www.billboard.com/charts/year-end/1997/hot-r-and-and-b-hip-hop-songs|title=Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs – Year-End 1997|magazine=Billboard|accessdate=October 19, 2021|archivedate=August 3, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150803035318/http://www.billboard.com/charts/year-end/1997/hot-r-b-hip-hop-songs|url-status=live}}

|align="center"|4

= Decade-end charts =

class="wikitable plainrowheaders sortable"

|+Decade-end chart performance for "Can't Nobody Hold Me Down"

!Chart (1990–1999)

!Position

Canada (Nielsen SoundScan){{cite web|last=Lwin|first=Nanda|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20000829070927/http://www.jamshowbiz.com/JamMusicCharts/100_1990.html|archivedate=August 29, 2000|url=http://www.jamshowbiz.com/JamMusicCharts/100_1990.html|title=Top 100 singles of the 1990s|website=Jam!|accessdate=March 26, 2022}}

|align="center"|16

US Billboard Hot 100{{cite book | author = Geoff Mayfield | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=9w0EAAAAMBAJ&pg=RA1-PA4 | title = 1999 The Year in Music Totally '90s: Diary of a Decade - The listing of Top Pop Albums of the '90s & Hot 100 Singles of the '90s | publisher = Billboard | date = December 25, 1999 | accessdate = October 15, 2010}}

| style="text-align:center;"|27

=All-time charts=

class="wikitable plainrowheaders"
Chart (1958–2018)

! Position

US Billboard Hot 100{{cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/charts/hot-100-60th-anniversary|title=Billboard Hot 100 60th Anniversary Interactive Chart|magazine=Billboard|accessdate=December 10, 2018}}

| style="text-align:center;"|286

Certifications

{{Certification Table Top}}

{{Certification Table Entry|type=single|region=United States|artist=P. Diddy|title=Can't Nobody Hold Me Down|award=Platinum|number=2|relyear=1997|certyear=1997|salesamount=2,700,000|salesref={{cite magazine |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=iQ0EAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA76 |title=Best-Selling Records of 1997 |magazine=Billboard|publisher=BPI Communications Inc.|date=January 31, 1998 |access-date=May 9, 2015 |page=76 |issn=0006-2510|volume=110|number=5}}|refname=riaa}}

{{table end}}

Release history

class="wikitable plainrowheaders"

|+Release dates and formats for "Can't Nobody Hold Me Down"

!scope="col"|Region

!scope="col"|Date

!scope="col"|Format(s)

!scope="col"|Label(s)

!scope="col"|{{abbr|Ref(s).|Reference(s)}}

scope="row" rowspan="2"|United States

|December 13, 1996

|Rhythmic contemporary radio

|rowspan="2"|{{hlist|Bad Boy Entertainment|Arista}}

|align="center"|{{cite magazine|title=Sound Decisions|magazine=Radio & Records|issue=1178|page=21|url=https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Archive-RandR/1990s/1997/RR-1997-01-03.pdf|date=January 3, 1997}}

January 7, 1997

|CD

|align="center"|

See also

References