Dip It Low

"Dip It Low"
Single by Christina Milian featuring Fabolous
from the album It's About Time
Released April 7, 2004[1]
Format CD single, digital download,
12" single
Recorded 2002–2004 Studio Atlantis
(Los Angeles, California)
Genre Hip hop soul
Length 3:38
Label Island
Writer(s) Poli Paul, Teedra Moses, John Jackson
Producer(s) Poli Paul
Certification Gold (RIAA)
Christina Milian singles chronology
"When You Look at Me"
(2002)		 "Dip It Low"
(2004)		 "Whatever U Want"
(2004)

"Dip It Low" is a song by American singer Christina Milian from her second studio album, It's About Time (2004). Written by Poli Paul and Teedra Moses and produced by Paul, the track was released as the album's lead single. While the original version of the song, featuring American rapper Fabolous, was only given a release in the United States, Canada, Ireland, and the United Kingdom, the remix featuring German rapper Samy Deluxe was released in Austria, Finland, France, Germany, Sweden, and Switzerland. A solo version was released in Australia, Belgium, Denmark, the Netherlands, New Zealand, and Norway.

Background

The single is Milian's most successful to date, reaching number five on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart as well as the top five in the United Kingdom and the top ten in the Denmark, the Netherlands, New Zealand, and Norway. Milian also performed and promoted the song for a Tommy Hilfiger Jeans commercial. The song was nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Rap/Sung Collaboration in 2005, and was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America in early January 2005. It remains Milian's biggest hit single in the USA to date, and her only one to reach the top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100.

Legal issues

In August 2008, Milian sued the co-writer and producer of "Dip It Low", Poli Paul, claiming that Paul "very definitively" assured her that "there were no samples whatsoever in [...] 'Dip It Low'".[2] The issue had arisen in February 2005, when Thomas Turino, Larry Crook, and Dan Dickey sued Milian over the song, claiming that it contained a sample from a track they released in 1983 called "La Sirena". The lawsuit claimed that Paul heard the album while in a record store, liked the tune and sampled twelve seconds of it for "Dip It Low". These twelve seconds are repeated in a loop throughout the entire song. This suit was successful and the plaintiffs recovered over a million dollars (after lawyer expenses) divided 40% for Turino (the composer of the theme of the song), and 30% each for Dickey and Crook. Milian claimed that she had to spend more than $300,000 defending herself in the case, which she settled in 2006, and wanted $300,000 plus damages from Paul and his associate, Spencer Cowlings Entertainment.[2][3] In November 2008, Paul countersued the Island Def Jam Music Group and its parent company, Universal Music Group. Paul alleged that Island Def Jam was "negligent in its obligation to obtain clearance and proper licensing for any copyrighted material" used on the album.[4] In February 2009, a superior court judge ruled that Paul's attorneys had failed to file a sworn declaration in the given period of time, but allowed them to file an amended complaint. Paul's lawyers amended the countersuit and added Milian as a defendant, saying that she was also negligent and that she should compensate him for money he spent in the copyright action.[4] In June 2009, Universal Music Group filed a breach-of-contract suit against Milian and Paul. The record label claimed it was forced to pay attorney fees as a result of the litigation between Milian and Paul. The suit also said that Paul owes the company attorneys' fees from an earlier federal court case involving "Dip It Low".[5]

Music video

The music video for "Dip It Low" was directed by Matthew Rolston. Milian is first seen sitting scantily-clad in an East Asian-themed room. She is solely wearing a bra and underwear with a robe and high heels. She dances and sings, and clips of her dressed in a sparkling green costume cut in throughout the video. She is seen in a revealing red dress, walking forward on a stage with two dancers and then begins to dance. One of the male dancers then pulls back the front of the dress, revealing a black dress underneath. Throughout the rest of the video she is shown being pulled through black paint in the black dress and continues to dance. The verse that features Fabolous is completely cut out in the video, and instead a dance sequence is shown.

A remix of the song, featuring German rapper Samy Deluxe, also had a music video; the video is basically the same, only with separate footage of Samy Deluxe and the verses he contributes to the song. A reggaeton remix of the song featuring Puerto Rican rapper Voltio exists, and an exclusive Asian remix featuring Wilber Pan was shown on Channel V as a music video too. Another version of the video featuring Russian rapper Detsl had great number of plays on MTV Russia in summer 2004.

Track listing

CD single
  1. "Dip It Low" (radio edit)
  2. "Dip It Low" (album version)

Official remixes

  • "Dip It Low" (solo mix)
  • "Dip It Low" (main mix) (featuring Fabolous)
  • "Dip It Low" (alternate mix) (featuring Shawnna)
  • "Dip It Low" (Asian mix) (featuring Wilber Pan)
  • "Dip It Low" (French remix) (featuring Lynnsha)
  • "Dip It Low" (German mix) (featuring Samy Deluxe)
  • "Dip It Low" (Reggaeton remix) (featuring Voltio)
  • "Dip It Low" (Remix) (featuring S-Word)
  • "Dip It Low" (JJ Flores "Double J" Extended Remix) (featuring Shawnna)
  • "Dip It Low" (JJ Flores "Double J" Radio) (featuring Fabolous)
  • "Dip It Low" (JJ Flores "Double J" Radio) (featuring Shawnna)
  • "Dip It Low" (JJ Flores Dub)
  • "Dip It Low" (Full Intention Club)
  • "Dip It Low" (Full Intention Radio Edit)
  • "Dip It Low" (Full Intention Mixshow)
  • "Dip It Low" (Tyas & Lawence "Kingston on Acid" Dub)

Charts

Weekly charts

Chart (2004) Peak
position
Australia (ARIA)[6] 31
Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[7] 32
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[8] 23
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Wallonia)[9] 39
Denmark (Tracklisten)[10] 8
Netherlands (Single Top 100)[11] 7
Europe (European Hot 100 Singles)[12] 8
Finland (Suomen virallinen lista)[13] 16
France (SNEP)[14] 31
Germany (Media Control Charts)[15] 17
Hungary (Dance Top 40)[16] 17
Ireland (IRMA)[17] 11
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[18] 7
Norway (VG-lista)[19] 8
Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[20] 30
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[21] 11
UK Singles (Official Charts Company)[22] 2
US Billboard Hot 100[23] 5
US Hot Dance Club Songs (Billboard)[24] 1
US Mainstream Top 40 (Billboard)[25] 2
US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (Billboard)[26] 16

Year-end charts

Chart (2004) Position
US Billboard Hot 100 23

Certifications

Region Certification Sales/shipments
United States (RIAA)[27] Gold 500,000^

*sales figures based on certification alone
^shipments figures based on certification alone
xunspecified figures based on certification alone

Chart procession and succession

Preceded by
"How Did You Know" by Kurtis Mantronik presents Chamonix		 U.S. Billboard Hot Dance Club Play number-one single
May 29, 2004 		Succeeded by
"Naughty Girl" by Beyoncé

References

  1. ↑ http://gfa.radioandrecords.com/publishGFA/GFANextPage.asp?sDate=04/07/2004&Format=1
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Kaufman, Gil (August 8, 2008). "Christina Milian Sues 'Dip It Low' Producer For Dipping From Another Song". MTV Newsroom. Retrieved October 3, 2008.
  3. ↑ "Milian sues over "Dip It Low" controversy". Yahoo! News UK. August 9, 2008. Retrieved October 3, 2008.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 "Judge: No countersuit by songwriter against singer Christina Milian over "Dip It Low"". Contra Costa Times. February 20, 2009. Retrieved March 8, 2009.
  5. ↑ "Christina Milian named in record label cross-complaint". Los Angeles Daily News. June 8, 2009. Retrieved June 14, 2009.
  6. ↑ "Australian-charts.com – Christina Milian – Dip It Low". ARIA Top 50 Singles.
  7. ↑ "Austriancharts.at – Christina Milian – Dip It Low" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40.
  8. ↑ "Ultratop.be – Christina Milian – Dip It Low" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50.
  9. ↑ "Ultratop.be – Christina Milian – Dip It Low" (in French). Ultratop 50.
  10. ↑ "Danishcharts.com – Christina Milian – Dip It Low". Tracklisten.
  11. ↑ "Dutchcharts.nl – Christina Milian – Dip It Low" (in Dutch). Single Top 100.
  12. ↑ "Christina Milian Album & Song Chart History" European Hot 100 for Christina Milian.
  13. ↑ "Christina Milian: Dip It Low" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland.
  14. ↑ "Lescharts.com – Christina Milian – Dip It Low" (in French). Les classement single.
  15. ↑ "Chartverfulgong > Christina Milian > Dip It Low – musicline.de" (in German). Media Control Charts. PhonoNet GmbH.
  16. ↑ "Archívum – Slágerlisták – MAHASZ" (in Hungarian). Dance Top 40 lista. Magyar Hanglemezkiadók Szövetsége.
  17. ↑ "Chart Track: Week 19, 2004". Irish Singles Chart.
  18. ↑ "Charts.org.nz – Christina Milian – Dip It Low". Top 40 Singles.
  19. ↑ "Norwegiancharts.com – Christina Milian – Dip It Low". VG-lista.
  20. ↑ "Swedishcharts.com – Christina Milian – Dip It Low". Singles Top 60.
  21. ↑ "Swisscharts.com – Christina Milian – Dip It Low". Swiss Singles Chart.
  22. ↑ "Christina Milian: Artist Chart History" UK Singles Chart.
  23. ↑ "Christina Milian Album & Song Chart History" Billboard Hot 100 for Christina Milian.
  24. ↑ "Christina Milian Album & Song Chart History" Billboard Hot Dance Club Songs for Christina Milian.
  25. ↑ "Christina Milian Album & Song Chart History" Billboard Pop Songs for Christina Milian.
  26. ↑ "Christina Milian Album & Song Chart History" Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs for Christina Milian.
  27. ↑ "American single certifications – Christina Milian – Dip It Low". Recording Industry Association of America. If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Single, then click SEARCH

External links