| "Back in the Day" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single by Ahmad | ||||
| from the album Ahmad | ||||
| Released | March 31, 1994 | |||
| Format | 12" maxi single | |||
| Recorded | 1993 | |||
| Genre | West Coast Hip Hop | |||
| Length | 5:18 | |||
| Label | Giant/Reprise/Warner Bros. Records 41416 |
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| Writer(s) | Ahmad A. Lewis | |||
| Producer | Ahmad, Redfoo | |||
| Certification | Gold (RIAA) | |||
| Ahmad singles chronology | ||||
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"Back in the Day" is a 1994 West Coast hip hop single by Ahmad. Released when Ahmad was only 18, the song is a nostalgic remembrance of childhood and young teenage years, from a somewhat jaded adult perspective. "Back in the Day" was Ahmad's only major hit single, making it to #26 on The Billboard Hot 100, #19 on the US R&B chart on the strength of its hook - a sample of the Teddy Pendergrass song "Love TKO"—and Ahmad's quirky vocal style, reminiscent of Fatlip of the Pharcyde fame, and #3 on the US rap chart. It was the first single of his 1994 self-titled album and was RIAA-certified gold.
A remix of "Back in the Day" is featured on the soundtrack of The Wood, a 1999 motion picture.
Contents |
| Chart (1994) | Peak Position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 | 26 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot Dance Music/Maxi-Singles Sales | 15 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs | 19 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot Rap Singles | 3 |
| U.S. Billboard Rhythmic Top 40 | 13 |
| End of year chart (1994) | Position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100[1] | 93 |
Mariah Carey's 12th studio album, Memoirs of an Imperfect Angel, featured an interpolation of "Back in the Day" on the track "Candy Bling." Travie McCoy's debut studio album Lazarus features a song titled "Akidagain" which interpolates "Back in the Day". On J. Cole's mixtape The Come Up, his song "School Daze" also interpolates "Back in the Day".