Songoftheday 4/26/23 - Diamonds light up the block runnin' the blue rocks out, wildin' 'til all of my crew knocks out...

 

 

"Pass The Courvoisier Part II" - Busta Rhymes featuring P. Diddy & Pharrell

from the album Genesis (2001)

Billboard Hot 100 peak: #11 (one week)

Weeks in the Top-40: 14

 

Today's song comes from rapper Busta Rhymes, who returned to the pop top-40 in the beginning of 2002 with "Break Ya Neck". the second single from his album Genesis. (The track "What It Is", which originally was on a Violator record label compilation, went to #20 on the R&B chart and #63 on the Hot 100.) A third release, "As I Come Back", was more of a promotional track, missing the Hot 100 altogether and nicking the R&B list at #91, though it climbed to #7 on Billboard magazine's Rap Singles chart. 

For the final release from the record, Busta reworked a track from the original album, added verses from guest Sean "P. Diddy" Combs as well as producer Pharrell Williams who sang the hook. The result, "Pass The Courvoisier" with the "Part II" tag, was promoted to radio and eventually added as the last track on the album. The production of the new version/remix/addendum, done by Pharrell with Chad Hugo as The Neptunes, gave the track a slinkier beat than the fast-paced rapper is usually heard in. The music video has a totally different song until a minute in where a whole party unfolds with the trio with Mo'Nique and Jamie Foxx in tow. But in the end it's more a vibe than a song, and maybe that's why I forgot it existed (like a lot from that era)...

"Pass The Courvoisier Part II" came a notch from the top ten on Billboard's Hot 100 in May of 2002, while peaking at #4 on their R&B Singles chart and #5 on the Rap Singles list. On the radio, the song also went to #10 on the dance-oriented Rhythmic format. Internationally, the single reached the top-40 in the United Kingdom (#16), Germany (#27), and Ireland (#34). At the Grammy Awards in 2003, the song was nominated for Best Rap Duo/Group Performance, losing to Outkast and Killer Mike for "The Whole World".

Busta Rhymes, P. Diddy, and Pharrell all will be back to the series.

(4/10)

(Click below to see the rest of the post)

Here's the part 1 for comparison, which had Diddy but not Pharrell, and instead of the Neptunes production, an even more chaotic mix of samples that's worse...

 

 and lastly, Busta, Diddy, and Jamie Foxx performing on an awards show...

and lastly, live at the Apollo...

 

 

Up tomorrow: This country singer feels redeemed.