Hey Lover

"Hey Lover"
Single by LL Cool J featuring Boyz II Men
from the album Mr. Smith
B-side I Shot Ya
Released October 31, 1995
Format CD single
Cassette single
Recorded 1994–1995
Genre R&B, new jack swing, pop
Length 4:46
Label Def Jam
Writer(s) James Todd Smith, Rod Temperton
Producer Trackmasters, LL Cool J
LL Cool J chronology
"Stand by Your Man"
(1993)
"Hey Lover"
(1995)
"Doin It"
(1996)
Boyz II Men chronology
"Brokenhearted"
(1995)
Hey Lover
(1995)
"4 Seasons of Loneliness""
(1996)

"Hey Lover" is the Grammy Award winning first single released from LL Cool J's sixth album, Mr. Smith, featuring Boyz II Men. It was released on October 31, 1995 for Def Jam Recordings and was produced by The Trackmasters and LL Cool J. Hey Lover would prove to be the most successful single from the album, making it to #3 on both the Billboard Hot 100 and Hot R&B/Hip-Hop songs charts, as well as #17 on the UK Singles Chart. The song sampled Michael Jackson's "The Lady in My Life" from the Thriller album, thus Rod Temperton, the writer of that song, was given credit as a writer of this song. On the B-side was the I Shot Ya remix.

At the Grammy Awards of 1997, the song won a Grammy Award for Best Rap Solo Performance, becoming his second Grammy in that category after 1992's Mama Said Knock You Out.

Contents

Track listing

A-Side

  1. "Hey Lover" (Radio Edit)- 4:03 (Featuring Boyz II Men)
  2. "Hey Lover" (instrumental)- 4:03

B-side

  1. "I Shot Ya" (Remix)- 5:06 (Featuring Prodigy, Keith Murray, Fat Joe, Foxy Brown)
  2. "Hey Lover" (LP Version)- 4:46

Charts

Peak positions

Chart (1995) Peak
position
Billboard Hot 100 3
Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks 3
Billboard Hot Rap Singles 1
Billboard Hot Dance Music/Maxi-Singles Sales 3
Billboard Rhythmic Top 40 2

Year-End charts

End of year chart (1996) Position
U.S. Billboard Hot 100[1] 20

References