Дженнифер Лопез – "I'm Real" синглы және J. Lo альбомы

2001 single by Jennifer Lopez

"I'm Real" is the name of two songs recorded by American actress and singer Jennifer Lopez, both primarily for her second studio album, J. Lo (2001). The original song was released as the album's third single; Ja Rule of Murder Inc. Records wrote and was featured on a newly written song with completely different lyrics and production titled "I'm Real (Murder Remix)", which was featured on a re issue of J. Lo in July 2001, on Lopez's remix album, J to tha L–O! The Remixes (2002), and on Ja Rule's third studio album, Pain Is Love (2001). The original album track was well received by music critics, who complimented the 1980s esque style and composition, while the "Murder Remix" received mixed reviews for its lyrics. However, both songs have been appreciated for the use of the samples. The "Murder Remix" topped the Billboard Hot 100 for five non consecutive weeks, beginning September 8, 2001, and also topped the Hot 100 Airplay chart. Considerable controversy followed the song after its release, and was the cause of a rule change to the Billboard charts. Two music videos were made for the tracks, with the first depicting Lopez driving a motorcycle on a highway and featuring a dance break, while the second video features Ja Rule and Irv Gotti.

The original version of "I'm Real" was recorded by Lopez for her second studio album, J. Lo (2001) which had 14 other tracks. Released on January 23, 2001, J. Lo became a commercial success, debuting at the summit of the Billboard 200. Describing J. Lo as a "reflection of who I am, my own experiences", Lopez said: "My fans call me J. Lo. Giving the album this title is my way of telling them that this is for them in appreciation of their support." Prior to its release, she knew how important it was to "stay fresh", and decided to tweak her public image by dying her hair and changing her stage name to J. Lo. Lopez felt that she had more "creative control" on J. Lo than her debut album, On the 6 (1999). The album was reissued on July 24, 2001 (Lopez's thirty second birthday), now containing the remix version of "I'm Real" featuring Ja Rule.

"I'm Real" debuted at number 66 on the U. S. Billboard Hot 100 on the week ending July 7, 2001, earning the "Hot Shot Debut of the Week" title and debuting on the Billboard Hot 100 Airplay at number 55. "I'm Real" jumped to number 40 in its second week on the Hot 100 and moved up to number 32 on the Hot 100 Airplay chart. In its third week, the song continued to steadily increase, reaching number 25 on the Hot 100 and 20 on the Hot 100 Airplay chart. By its fourth week, the song had reached the top twenty, fueled by increasing airplay. On September 8, 2001, "I'm Real" replaced Alicia Keys' "Fallin'" as the leader of both the Billboard Hot 100 and Hot 100 Airplay chart. It was the number one song in the United States the day of the September 11 attacks. Rooney recalled: "I didn't get a chance to celebrate the success of "I'm Real" so much because of all that was going on. The focus shifted. I remember it putting a really dark cloud over everything." "I'm Real (Murder Remix)" was a staple on R&B/hip hop and pop radio during the summer and fall of 2001, spending fifteen weeks in the top five of the Billboard Hot 100. In 2009 the single was named the 30th most successful song of the 2000s, on the Billboard Hot 100 Songs of the Decade.

Elsewhere, "I'm Real" was very successful. In Australia, the song debuted at number nine, before moving to number six. After weeks descending the charts, the song eventually climbed once again to number six, remaining at number seven for two further weeks. Finally, the song climbed to number five, on January 6, 2002, before peaking at number three the following week. and was certified silver by SNEP.

The music videos for "I'm Real" were both directed by Dave Meyers and followed its release as a single in the United States. The original version's music video depicts Lopez driving a motorcycle in the countryside, with Meyers noting that it "looked very country". Lopez's soon to be husband Cris Judd appeared as a dancer in the clip; the video also featured cameo appearances by Ja Rule, Irv Gotti and underwear model Travis Fimmel. According to Meyers, "we finished that video very quickly, turned it around and then shot the remix video." CNN's Marianna Cerini noted that the tracksuit "created a craze and one of the most ubiquitous looks of the decade", with Vogue crediting the music video with putting Juicy Couture, previously a "little known LA based brand", "firmly on the map". Complex magazine wrote that the video "completely dominated TRL and pretty much all of MTV with a visual that perfectly encapsulated the '00s aesthetic of a Juicy sweatsuit and big sunglasses." The Murder remix version won the award for Best Hip Hop Video at the 2002 MTV Video Music Awards.

The original video for "I'm Real" begins with Lopez driving down a highway on a motorcycle, passing various smiling children, who stop what they are doing and run after her. Lopez is also seen at a gas station, where she stops and proceeds to walk into the town. Several more people gaze at her as she walks through the town, and she is later seen eating ice cream with children, until she gets back onto her motorcycle and drives back down the highway. A string of children are running after her, and the music stops as she steps up onto a stage set on a hillside; where she goes into a dance break to "More Bounce to the Ounce" by Zapp. These scenes feature Lopez's second husband, Cris Judd, as a back up dancer. For the rest of the video, Lopez continues to sing, dance and entertain the crowd on stage as the crowd watch in pleasure. The video also features cameo appearances by Ja Rule and Travis Fimmel.

A separate video clip was shot for the Murder remix of "I'm Real" featuring Ja Rule. It opens with Lopez leaning on a gate of an urban home in Los Angeles and singing in front of a red backdrop along with Ja Rule, who is also seen walking the streets of LA, with a basketball. Men and women are then seen in various locations such as a park and swimming pool. Lopez and Ja Rule are then seen together in a basketball court in the chorus of the song. These locations are shown for a prominent part of the video, until both of them are later at a party; and sitting together at a park watching children play.

Lopez and Ja Rule performed the murder remix version of the song at the 2001 MTV Video Music Awards. The song (original version) was included on the set list for her series of Let's Get Loud concerts in 2001, and later appeared on the Let's Get Loud Concert DVD. She sang the original version of the song on NBC's Today in the middle of the Rockefeller Plaza. Lopez performed the "Murder Remix" version of the song as part of her medley during the 2018 MTV Video Music Awards on August 20, 2018, at Radio City Music Hall in New York City. The song was featured as a sample in Lopez's setlist during the Super Bowl LIV halftime show.

Alongside the controversy regarding the song's chart performance, the song was subject to a number of other controversies. There was controversy over the use of the original single's sample and the structure of the song. The original song contains a sample from Yellow Magic Orchestra's 1978 hit "Firecracker" (an electronic synthpop cover of Martin Denny's 1959 melody of the same name). The "Firecracker" sample was originally planned and licensed to be used for Mariah Carey's "Loverboy". According to the music publisher of "Firecracker", Carey's team called to license a sample of the song, which had never been sampled, months before Lopez's team called to do the same. Carey felt that former husband and music executive at Sony Music (Columbia Records), Tommy Mottola, was interfering with her career by arranging for the sample to go to Lopez. Upset by the conduct of Lopez and her ex husband, Carey featured a reference to the song on the remix of her single "Loverboy", her first single released by her record company at the time, Virgin Records. The verse can be heard in Da Brat's rap section, where she sings, "Hate on me much as you want to / You can't do what the fuck I do / Bitches be emulating me daily" over the melody of "Firecracker". In 2020, Carey released the original version of "Loverboy", with the "Firecracker" sample on her album The Rarities, released on October 2, 2020. Irv Gotti, who produced the Murder remix of "I'm Real", openly admitted during an interview with XXL magazine that Mottola contacted him with instructions to create a song that sounded exactly like a song he had made with Carey for the Glitter soundtrack entitled "If We", also featuring Ja Rule. Furthermore, some in the African American community were outraged by Lopez's use of the racial slur "nigga" in the Murder Remix. She said "I tell them niggas, mind they biz, but they don't hear me, though." A free New York concert drew banner carrying protesters, angry at the lyrics for "I'm Real". In response to this, Lopez said in between performances "For anyone to think or suggest that I'm racist is really absurd and hateful to me. The use of the word in the song—it was actually written by Ja Rule—it was not meant to be hurtful to anybody." Ja Rule also responded to this, defending Lopez by stating "I think it's silly [ ] I think the whole thing, like everything else, is being blown out of proportion." Julian Kimble of the website Genius noted in 2016, "Other Latino performers had said the word and ducked the backlash, primarily because their reach didn't compare to Lopez's. To that effect (and apparently unbeknownst to her at the time), the Bronx native's position as world renowned pop star limited what she could do and say." Kimble observed that her 2002 single "Jenny from the Block" "has always rung like a response to everyone who derided her for the 'I'm Real' remix."

+Release history and formats for "I'm Real" Region Date Format Version Label Ref. (Reference) United States June 19, 2001 Rhythmic contemporary radio Original Epic June 26, 2001 Contemporary hit radio September 4, 2001 12 inch vinyl Various Australia October 22, 2001 CD Solo New Zealand Murder Remix Germany October 29, 2001 Various United Kingdom CD, cassette November 5, 2001 12 inch vinyl Murder Remix