"Baby By Me" is a song by American rapper 50 Cent, released on September 10, 2009 as the lead single from his fourth studio album, Before I Self Destruct.[1] The song was produced by Polow da Don and contains a guest appearance from American R&B singer Ne-Yo.

"Baby By Me"
Single by 50 Cent featuring Ne-Yo
from the album Before I Self Destruct
ReleasedSeptember 10, 2009[1]
Genre
Length3:33
Label
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
50 Cent singles chronology
"Ok, You're Right"
(2009)
"Baby By Me"
(2009)
"Do You Think About Me"
(2010)
Ne-Yo singles chronology
"Be on You"
(2009)
"Baby by Me"
(2009)
"Never Knew I Needed"
(2009)

Background

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The artists co-wrote the song with its producers Polow Da Don and William Tyler, and its titular hook is built from a prominent sample of 50 Cent's previous single "I Get Money" (2007). "Baby by Me" was announced to be released on radio on September 10, 2009 at 10:00PM by Hot 97's DJ Funkmaster Flex and thisis50.com. A couple hours later, the song was then uploaded onto 50 Cent's Myspace page.

The song originally featured a different chorus sung by Jovan Dais, whose version was released online simultaneously with the eventual official version featuring Ne-Yo.

"The album version of the song was the one where you don't even know the singer," 50 told DJ Whoo Kid over the weekend on Sirius XM Radio. "I did the reference in the studio. It's a little more visual. Ne-Yo lightened it up a little bit and made it ready for radio. It works. I gotta sift through and see what I'm gonna put on the album. The Ne-Yo record is a stronger radio version."[3]

The single was made available to download on Amazon and iTunes on October 26, 2009.[4]

Music video

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The music video for "Baby by Me" was shot in October 2009 and features Kelly Rowland as 50 Cent's love interest. 50 ran into her when he was presenting at the Los Premios MTV Latinoamérica 2009 awards show in Los Angeles, California, and it occurred to him to snag the singer for his video, which was set to roll production 2 days later.

This video is great... Chris Robinson came up with a great treatment for it. It's obvious I wasn't in a hurry to make the music video until I found the right treatment, the right idea, to bring it to life.

50 Cent's said he was dead set on having a celebrity, rather than an unknown model, star as the girl he falls in love with in the video.

I had to find the right person to be my love interest in the music video...I found Kelly. It matches perfectly. The acting in the project is great. I think when people see it, they are gonna be surprised by it.[5]

Ne-Yo, who sings on the hook, shot his part for the video in New York City, New York on Saturday, while 50 Cent and Rowland filmed in Los Angeles, California.[6] The video premiered on November 2 on all MTV Networks. It also ranked at #43 on BET's Notarized: Top 100 Videos of 2009 countdown.

The song and video was very successful and has been viewed over 140 million times on YouTube as of March 2024.[7]

Reception

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Billboard has stated: "With its club synthesizers and Ne-Yo-aided chorus, the track is far more radio-friendly than his past attempts. But it's also the least distinctive. A song like "Baby by Me" that overtly reaches for a pop audience may put 50 Cent back on the airwaves, but it won't necessarily energize the rapper's core fans. At this point, they might be more receptive to hearing something outside the box."[8]

Diggy Simmons and Khalil have freestyled over the beat in a remix called "Be My Baby".

Track listings

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Digital single
No.TitleWriter(s)Sample(s)Length
1."Baby by Me" (featuring Ne-Yo)Curtis Jackson, Jamal Jones, William Tyler, Shaffer SmithContains a sample of "I Get Money" by 50 Cent3:33
US CD single
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."Baby by Me" (album version) (feat. Ne-Yo)Curtis Jackson, Jamal Jones, William Tyler, Shaffer SmithPolow Da Don, William Tyler3:33
2."Baby by Me" (feat. Jovan Dais)Curtis Jackson, Jamal Jones, William Tyler, Jovan DaisPolow da Don, William Tyler3:33
UK CD single
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."Baby by Me" (clean version) (feat. Jovan Dais)C. Jackson, J. Jones, J. DaisPolow Da Don, William Tyler3:33
2."Baby by Me" (explicit version) (feat. Ne-Yo)C. Jackson, J. Jones, W. Tyler, S. SmithPolow Da Don, William Tyler3:33
UK digital single
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."Baby by Me" (instrumental version)C. Jackson, J. Jones, W. TylerPolow Da Don, William Tyler3:33
2."Baby by Me" (music video) 4:05
UK Remixes, Pt. 1 CD single
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."Baby by Me" (Digital Dog club remix)C. Jackson, J. JonesPolow Da Don5:59
2."Baby by Me" (Digital Dog radio remix)C. Jackson, J. JonesPolow Da Don2:32
3."Baby by Me" (Digital Dog dub remix)C. Jackson, J. JonesPolow Da Don7:07
UK Remixes, Pt. 2 CD single
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."Baby by Me" (Max Sanna & Steve Pitron extended remix) (with Ne-Yo)C. Jackson, J. Jones, S. SmithPolow da Don5:47
2."Baby by Me" (Max Sanna & Steve Pitron radio remix) (with Ne-Yo)C. Jackson, J. Jones, S. SmithPolow Da Don3:38
3."Baby by Me" (Digital Dog dub remix)C. Jackson, J. JonesPolow Da Don7:08
4."Baby by Me" (Digital Dog club remix)C. Jackson, J. JonesPolow Da Don5:59
5."Baby by Me" (Digital Dog radio remix)C. Jackson, J. JonesPolow Da Don2:33

Chart performance

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"Baby by Me" debuted on the Billboard Hot 100 at #31 in the week ending November 14, 2009. The following week, it remained at that position, but the week after that, it moved up three positions to #28. In its fourth week, it fell one spot to number #29. However, it also continued to rise on the Rap charts, reaching a new peak of #3, and on the R&B/Hip-Hop charts, reaching a new peak of #9. On the UK Singles Chart, "Baby by Me" peaked at #17 in the week ending December 19, 2009, failing to enter the top ten just as previously intended lead single "Get Up" performed in 2008.

Charts

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Certifications

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Region Certification Certified units/sales
Brazil (Pro-Música Brasil)[28] Platinum 60,000
United Kingdom (BPI)[29] Silver 200,000
United States (RIAA)[30] Gold 500,000

Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Release history

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Region Date Format(s) Label(s) Ref.
United States September 29, 2009 Rhythmic contemporary radio Shady, Aftermath, Interscope [31]
November 10, 2009 Contemporary hit radio

References

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  1. ^ a b http://thisis50.com/profiles/blogs/50-cent-baby-by-me-cdq-listen Archived 2009-09-17 at the Wayback Machine 50 Cent - "Baby by Me" CDQ Listen Here Thisis50.com Retrieved September 10, 2009.
  2. ^ "50 Cent, "Baby by Me"". Billboard. 25 September 2009.
  3. ^ Reid, Shaheem (7 October 2009). "Ne-Yo Says He Tried to Add 'Hotness' to 50 Cent's 'Baby by Me'". MTV. Archived from the original on September 5, 2022. Retrieved 5 September 2022.
  4. ^ "Baby by Me (Featuring Ne-Yo) [Explicit]: 50 Cent: MP3 Downloads". Amazon. Retrieved 2009-11-08.
  5. ^ "Welcome to nginx!". m.mtv.com. Archived from the original on 6 April 2014. Retrieved 26 January 2022.
  6. ^ "What did U Xpect?". Whatdiduxpect.ning.com. Retrieved 2011-02-20.[permanent dead link]
  7. ^ "Search: 50 Cent Baby by Me". YouTube.
  8. ^ "50 Cent, "Baby by Me"". Billboard. 25 September 2009.
  9. ^ "50 Cent – Baby by Me". ARIA Top 50 Singles. Retrieved May 7, 2012.
  10. ^ "50 Cent – Baby by Me" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved May 7, 2012.
  11. ^ "50 Cent – Baby by Me" (in Dutch). Ultratip. Retrieved May 7, 2012.
  12. ^ "50 Cent – Baby by Me" (in French). Ultratip. Retrieved May 7, 2012.
  13. ^ "50 Cent Chart History (Canadian Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved May 7, 2012.
  14. ^ "lescharts.com – Français" (in French). Les classement de telechargement single. Retrieved May 7, 2012.
  15. ^ "50 Cent feat. Ne-Yo – Baby by Me" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved October 20, 2018.
  16. ^ "Chart Track: Week 49, 2009". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved May 7, 2012.
  17. ^ "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved May 7, 2022.
  18. ^ "50 Cent – Baby by Me". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved May 7, 2012.
  19. ^ "Official Hip Hop and R&B Singles Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved May 7, 2012.
  20. ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved May 7, 2012.
  21. ^ "50 Cent Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved May 7, 2012.
  22. ^ "50 Cent Chart History (Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved May 7, 2012.
  23. ^ "50 Cent Chart History (Hot Rap Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved May 7, 2012.
  24. ^ "50 Cent Chart History (Rhythmic)". Billboard. Retrieved November 28, 2023.
  25. ^ "Brasil Hot 100 Airplay (Jul 18, 2010)". Billboard Brasil. No. 11. BPP Promoções e Publicações. August 2010. p. 84.
  26. ^ "Brasil Hot Pop & Popular: Hot Pop Songs (Jul 18, 2010)". Billboard Brasil. No. 11. BPP Promoções e Publicações. August 2010. p. 85.
  27. ^ "Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs – Year-End 2010". Billboard. 2 January 2013. Retrieved March 28, 2021.
  28. ^ "Brazilian single certifications – 50 Cent – Baby by Me" (in Portuguese). Pro-Música Brasil. Retrieved December 10, 2023.
  29. ^ "British single certifications – 50 Cent Ft Ne-Yo – Baby by Me". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved January 23, 2021.
  30. ^ "American single certifications – 50 Cent – Baby by Me". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved January 20, 2023.
  31. ^ "CHR – Available for Airplay". FMQB. Archived from the original on January 1, 2010. Retrieved December 26, 2023.