Control Myself

"Control Myself"
Single by LL Cool J featuring Jennifer Lopez
from the album Todd Smith
Released	February 5, 2006[1]
Format	CD single, digital download
Genre	Hip hop, dance-pop
Length	3:53
Label	Def Jam
Writer(s)	James Todd Smith, Jermaine Dupri, James Phillips, Ryan Toby, Arthur Baker, John Robie, Afrika Bambaataa, John Miller
Producer(s)	Jermaine Dupri
LL Cool J singles chronology "It's LL and Santana" (2005) "Control Myself" (2006) "Freeze" (2006) Jennifer Lopez singles chronology "Hold You Down" (2005) "Control Myself" (2006) "Qué Hiciste" (2007) Audio sample file info · help

"Control Myself" is a song by American rapper LL Cool J from his twelfth album, Todd Smith (2006). It was produced by Jermaine Dupri and features fellow American singer Jennifer Lopez (the song also has spoken parts by Dupri, but he is not credited). The track contains a sample of Afrika Bambaataa & Soulsonic Force's 1982 song "Looking for the Perfect Beat", while the vocals interpolate Grandmaster Flash & Melle Mel's 1983 song "White Lines (Don't Don't Do It)" and Afrika Bambaataa & Soulsonic Force's 1982 song "Planet Rock".

It was released as the album's lead single in February 2006 and remained on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart for three weeks, peaking at number eighty-nine. After being released as a digital download in April 2006, the song debuted at number two on the Billboard Hot Digital Songs chart and made a strong Hot 100 re-entry at number four. This broke a record previously held by Jay-Z's 1998 song "Hard Knock Life (Ghetto Anthem)", which had re-entered the chart in March 1999 at number twenty.

The song also peaked at number two in the United Kingdom, where Smith and Lopez's previous collaboration, "All I Have", had achieved the same feat in March 2003.

Music video

The music video was directed by Hype Williams^{[citation needed]} and was filmed at Sony Studios in New York City on January 2, 2006. It debuted in the U.S. on February 13, 2006 and in Europe on February 19, 2006. Like some of Williams' other videos, video footage is displayed where black bars would appear on a 4:3 TV for a widescreen production. The video peaked at number two on MTV's Total Request Live, number three on BET's 106 & Park, and number eighteen on VH1's VSpot Top 20 Countdown.

Track listings and formats

European CD single

1. "Control Myself" – 3:56
2. "Control Myself" (Jason Nevins Funktek Edit) – 4:02

European CD maxi single

1. "Control Myself" – 3:56
2. "Control Myself" (Jason Nevins Funktek Edit) – 4:02
3. "Control Myself" (Instrumental) – 3:54
4. "Control Myself" (Video)

European promo CD single

1. "Control Myself" (Radio) – 3:54

European promo CD maxi single

1. "Control Myself" (Radio) – 3:54
2. "Control Myself" (Instrumental) – 3:54

U.S. promo CD maxi single

1. "Control Myself" (Nevins Electrotek Edit) – 4:05
2. "Control Myself" (Joe Bermudez Radio Edit) – 3:51
3. "Control Myself" (Nevins Electrotek Club Mix) – 8:55
4. "Control Myself" (Joe Bermudez Tantric Experience) – 8:18

U.S. 12" single

• Side A:

1. "Control Myself" (Radio) – 3:54
2. "Control Myself" (Instrumental) – 3:54

• Side B:

1. "Control Myself" (Radio) – 3:54
2. "Control Myself" (Instrumental) – 3:54

U.S. promo 12" single

• Side A:

1. "Control Myself" (Nevins Electrotek Club Mix) – 8:55

• Side B:

1. "Control Myself" (Joe Bermudez Tantric Experience) – 8:18

UK 12" single

• Side A:

1. "Control Myself" (Album Version) – 3:54
2. "Control Myself" (Instrumental) – 3:54

• Side B:

1. "Control Myself" (Jason Nevins Electrotex Club Mix) – 8:53

German 12" single

• Side A:

1. "Control Myself" (Explicit Version) – 3:58

• Side B:

1. "Control Myself" (Instrumental) – 3:54

European 12" promo single

• Side A:

1. "Control Myself" (Radio) – 3:54
2. "Control Myself" (Instrumental) – 3:54

• Side B:

1. "What You Want" (Radio)
2. "What You Want" (Instrumental)

Charts

• ¹ Jason Nevins/Joe Bermudez mixes

References