"Renee" is a song by American rap group Lost Boyz from their first studio album Legal Drug Money and the Don't Be a Menace to South Central While Drinking Your Juice in the Hood soundtrack.[citation needed] It samples the Janet Jackson song "Funny How Time Flies (When You're Having Fun)". It was the Lost Boyz' most successful single, reaching number 33 on the Billboard Hot 100 (their only one to reach to top 40) and earning a gold certification from the RIAA for sales of 500,000 copies.
| "Renee" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by Lost Boyz | ||||
| from the album Legal Drug Money and Don't Be a Menace to South Central While Drinking Your Juice in the Hood: The Soundtrack | ||||
| Released | January 30, 1996 | |||
| Recorded | 1995 | |||
| Studio | D&D Recording Studios | |||
| Genre | Hip hop | |||
| Length | 5:00 | |||
| Label | Uptown | |||
| Songwriter(s) | ||||
| Producer(s) |
| |||
| Lost Boyz singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
Song information
editThe song's lyrics discuss the narrator, a young man, who meets a woman named Renee while coming back from John Jay College of Criminal Justice. The narrator promptly attempts to initiate a relationship. The song describes that Renee is studying to be a lawyer, while the narrator is a writer. The pair date for several weeks, but the relationship ends abruptly when she is shot to death by a burglar at a robbery.[1] The moral of the song is "ghetto love is the law that we live by," describing the inevitable suffering of tragedy by those raised in crime-ridden areas.[2][3]
Charts
editWeekly charts
edit| Chart (1996) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| US Billboard Hot 100[4] | 33 |
| US Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks[5] | 13 |
| US Billboard Hot Rap Singles[6] | 3 |
Year-end charts
edit| Chart (1996) | Position |
|---|---|
| US Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks[7] | 65 |
| US Billboard Hot Rap Singles[8] | 17 |
Certifications
edit| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| United States (RIAA)[9] | Gold | 500,000^ |
|
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. | ||
References
edit- ^ "Member of Lost Boyz Hip-Hop Group Slain". The New York Times. 1999-03-29.
- ^ Marriott, Michel (1996-10-13). "Touched by Death, Hip-Hop Turns to Dirges". The New York Times.
- ^ Strauss, Neil (1996-09-02). "Heartfelt Tales From the Mean Streets". The New York Times.
- ^ "Billboard Hot 100: Week of May 4, 1996". Billboard. Retrieved November 4, 2023.
- ^ "Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs: Week of May 4, 1996". Billboard. Retrieved November 4, 2023.
- ^ "Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs: Week of April 13, 1996". Billboard. Retrieved November 4, 2023.
- ^ Billboard Year-End Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks - 1996. 28 December 1996. Retrieved 2011-11-10.
- ^ Billboard Year-End Hot Rap Singles - 1996. 28 December 1996. Retrieved 2011-11-10.
- ^ "American single certifications – Lost Boyz – Renee". Recording Industry Association of America.