Purple Pills

This article is about the song. For the medication advertised by AstraZeneca as "the purple pill", see Esomeprazole.
"Purple Pills"
Single by D12
from the album Devil's Night
B-side "Shit on You"
"That's How"
Released June 5, 2001
Format CD single, Cassette
Recorded 2000; 54 Sound and The Lodge
Genre Hip hop, hardcore hip hop
Length 4:19 ("Purple Hills")
5:04 ("Purple Pills")
Label Shady, Interscope
Producer(s) Eminem, Jeff Bass (add.)
Certification Platinum (RIAA)
D12 singles chronology
"Shit on You"
(2001)		 "Purple Pills"
(2001)		 "Ain't Nuttin' But Music"
(2001)
Music video
"Purple Pills" on YouTube

"Purple Pills", also known as the censored version, "Purple Hills", is a hip hop single by American rap group D12, taken as the second cut from their debut studio album, Devil's Night. It achieved notable success, peaking at number nineteen on the Billboard Hot 100, number one in the Republic of Ireland, number two in the United Kingdom and Norway, number three in Australia, number five in Sweden and number ten in the Netherlands and Finland.

Background

The track features verses sung by Eminem, Bizarre, Proof, Swifty and a joint verse between Kuniva and Kon Artis. The album version of the song contains many references to drug use, with "purple pills", "golden seals", and "Mushroom Mountain" being examples of recreational drug use. When it was announced that the group intended to release the track as a single, due to the drug and sex references, it was deemed inappropriate for play on many radio stations, and as such, a censored version of the song, "Purple Hills", was made. This version removes most of the drug and sex references, and replaces them with comical lyrics. Such changes include; the line "I've been to mushroom mountain" altered to say "I've climbed the highest mountain"; and the line "I take a couple uppers, I down a couple downers" changed to "I've been so many places, I've seen so many faces." Most of Bizarre's verse is entirely changed, due to the strong amount of sexual and drug content in it. Music videos were made for both "Purple Pills" and "Purple Hills". The accompanying music videos were directed by Joseph Kahn.[1]

Release

In the United States and United Kingdom, radio play was limited to "Purple Hills", as "Purple Pills" was deemed too offensive for radio. However, a number of underground radio stations in the United States played "Purple Pills". Music channels were also restricted to playing the video for "Purple Hills". When physically released, two versions of the single were made available in the United Kingdom — one for "Purple Pills", with the "Purple Pills" audio track and music video, and one for "Purple Hills", with the "Purple Hills" audio track and music video. In Europe and Australia, one version of the single was available—this contained "Purple Pills" as an audio track but the music video for "Purple Hills". In America, one version of the single was available — this contained "Purple Hills" as an audio track with no enhanced section.

Track listing

  • UK CD single #1[2]
  1. "Purple Pills" (D. Porter, D. Holton, J. Bass, M. Mathers, O. Moore, R. Johnson, V. Carlisle) - 5:05
  2. "Shit on You" (M. Mathers, R. Johnson, V. Carlisle, O. Moore, D. Porter) - 5:30
  3. "That's How" (V. Carlisle, D. Holton, R. Johnson, M. Mathers, O. Moore, D. Porter, J. Bass) - 4:48
  4. "Purple Pills" (Music Video) - 4:29
  • UK CD single #2[3]
  1. "Purple Hills" - 5:05
  2. "Shit on You" - 5:30
  3. "That's How" - 4:48
  4. "Purple Hills" (Music Video) - 4:29
  • UK 12" vinyl[4]
  1. "Purple Pills" - 5:05
  2. "Shit on You" - 5:30
  3. "That's How" - 4:48
  • UK Cassette
  1. "Purple Pills" - 5:05
  2. "Shit on You" - 5:30
  • European CD single[5]
  1. "Purple Pills" - 5:05
  2. "That's How" - 4:48
  • Europe and Australia Maxi single[6][7]
  1. "Purple Pills" - 5:05
  2. "Shit on You" - 5:30
  3. "That's How" - 4:48
  4. "Purple Hills" (Music Video) - 4:29
  • European 12" vinyl[8]
  1. "Purple Pills" - 5:05
  2. "Purple Pills" (Acapella) - 5:09
  3. "That's How" - 4:48
  • US CD single"[9]
  1. "Purple Hills" - 5:05
  2. "Purple Hills" (Instrumental) - 5:05
  • US and UK Promotional 12" vinyl[10]
  1. "Purple Hills" - 5:05
  2. "Purple Pills" - 5:05
  3. "Purple Pills" (Instrumental) - 5:05
  4. "Purple Pills" (Acapella) - 5:08
  5. "That's How" (Clean Version) - 4:44
  6. "That's How" (Explicit Version) - 4:44
  7. "That's How" (Instrumental) - 4:44
  8. "That's How" (Acapella) - 4:48

Charts

Chart (2001) Peak
position
scope="row"Australia (ARIA)[11] 3
scope="row"Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[12] 41
scope="row"Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[13] 8
scope="row"Belgium (Ultratop 50 Wallonia)[14] 22
scope="row"Finland (Suomen virallinen lista)[15] 10
scope="row"Germany (Official German Charts)[16] 19
scope="row"Ireland (IRMA)[17] 1
scope="row"Italy (FIMI)[18] 18
scope="row"Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[19] 10
scope="row"New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[20] 17
scope="row"Norway (VG-lista)[21] 2
scope="row"Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[22] 5
scope="row"Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[23] 25
scope="row"UK Singles (Official Charts Company)[24] 2
scope="row"US Billboard Hot 100[25] 19
scope="row"US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (Billboard)[26] 21
scope="row"US Mainstream Top 40 (Billboard)[27] 40
US Rap Songs (Billboard)[28] 1

See also

References

  1. ↑ "D12 - "Purple Hills"". Universal Music Group. MTV Networks. Retrieved July 9, 2009.
  2. ↑ "D12 - Purple Pills (CD) at Discogs". Discogs.com. Retrieved 2013-10-29.
  3. ↑ "D12 - Purple Hills (CD) at Discogs". Discogs.com. Retrieved 2013-10-29.
  4. ↑ "Images for D12 - Purple Pills". Discogs.com. Retrieved 2013-10-29.
  5. ↑ "D12 - Purple Pills (CD) at Discogs". Discogs.com. Retrieved 2013-10-29.
  6. ↑ "D12 - Purple Pills (CD) at Discogs". Discogs.com. Retrieved 2013-10-29.
  7. ↑ "D12 - Purple Pills (CD) at Discogs". Discogs.com. Retrieved 2013-10-29.
  8. ↑ "D12 - Purple Pills / That's How... (Vinyl) at Discogs". Discogs.com. Retrieved 2013-10-29.
  9. ↑ "D12 - Purple Hills (CD) at Discogs". Discogs.com. Retrieved 2013-10-29.
  10. ↑ "D12 - Purple Pills / That's How... (Vinyl) at Discogs". Discogs.com. Retrieved 2013-10-29.
  11. ↑ "Australian-charts.com – D12 – Purple Pills". ARIA Top 50 Singles. Retrieved February 5, 2012.
  12. ↑ "Austriancharts.at – D12 – Purple Pills" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved February 5, 2012.
  13. ↑ "Ultratop.be – D12 – Purple Pills" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved February 5, 2012.
  14. ↑ "Ultratop.be – D12 – Purple Pills" (in French). Ultratop 50. Retrieved February 5, 2012.
  15. ↑ "D12: Purple Pills" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland. Retrieved February 5, 2012.
  16. ↑ "Officialcharts.de – D12 – Purple Pills". GfK Entertainment. Retrieved February 5, 2012.
  17. ↑ "Chart Track: Week 28, 2001". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved February 5, 2012.
  18. ↑ "Italiancharts.com – D12 – Purple Pills". Top Digital Download.
  19. ↑ "Nederlandse Top 40 – week 30, 2001" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40 Retrieved February 5, 2012.
  20. ↑ "Charts.org.nz – D12 – Purple Pills". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved February 5, 2012.
  21. ↑ "Norwegiancharts.com – D12 – Purple Pills". VG-lista. Retrieved February 5, 2012.
  22. ↑ "Swedishcharts.com – D12 – Purple Pills". Singles Top 100. Retrieved February 5, 2012.
  23. ↑ "Swisscharts.com – D12 – Purple Pills". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved February 5, 2012.
  24. ↑ "Archive Chart: 2001-07-21" UK Singles Chart. Retrieved February 5, 2012.
  25. ↑ "D12 – Chart history" Billboard Hot 100 for D12. Retrieved February 5, 2012.
  26. ↑ "D12 – Chart history" Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs for D12. Retrieved February 5, 2012.
  27. ↑ "D12 – Chart history" Billboard Pop Songs for D12. Retrieved February 5, 2012.
  28. ↑ "D12 > Charts & Awards > Billboard Singles". Allmusic. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved February 5, 2012.
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