All Eyez on Me (song)

All Eyez on Me is the lead single from Monica's third studio album "All Eyez on Me."

The single was released in June of 2002. Tbe song was written by Monica, LaShawn Daniels, James Ingram & Quincy Jones and produced by Rodney Jerkins.

The song features excerpts of Michael Jackson's 1983 hit song "P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing)" (which was penned by James Ingram & Quincy Jones).

Song Background
Monica has described the song as a "party record" and "a feel-good song for the summer" stylistically comparing it with Michael Jackson's 1983 hit single "P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing)" which the song partially samples.

According to Monica:

"The same way that 'P.Y.T.' was, I was hoping 'All Eyez on Me' would be - more relaxing and you could have a good time. It's not based on anything emotional or anything sad."

Michael hand-delivered the original masters of the song for the production.

The song's title also is a nod to Tupac Shakur (whose same titled song from 1996 was "somewhat of an inspiration").

According to Monica:

"I always liked the idea of 'all eyes on me,' even from his perspective. Because sometimes that's what our life becomes. I thought that would grab the attention of a lot of people."

According to her in an interview with Vibe Magazine, the song is:

"not one of those vain, stuck-up songs, like, 'Everybody's lookin' at me'," and that all what she was trying to portray on the song was "I like to have a good time. If we go somewhere, 'All eyes on me, let's have a good time together.' That was the idea of the song."

The song doesn't appear on "After the Storm" because it didn't flow with the rest of the album.

According to Monica:

"I felt that the first single was a great song, but it didn't reflect the rest of the album, it was misleading."

Music Video
The music video for "All Eyez On Me" was directed by Chris Robinson & was primarily filmed in Hollywood, California between July 14 and 15, 2002. It also partially choreographed by Devyne Stephens.

According to Monica:

"The theme of the video is me just getting up, going about a normal day. I got a chance to just go shopping and stuff like that, but this scene is more of me dancing and having a good time, like the song says, in the club. So that's basically the whole theme of it. Just to have a good time."

On July 26, 2002, the video made its world premiere at the end of BET's "Access Granted."

It featured guest appearances by rappers Missy Elliott, Jermaine Dupri, Ludacris, Trina & Mia X and Monica's younger brother Montez Arnold.

Chart Performance
When the single was first released stateside, "All Eyez on Me" debuted at number oneon the U.S. Billboard Bubbling Under R&B/Hip-Hop Singles chart in the week of June 29, 2002.

A week later, the song entered Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks as the Hot Shot Debut of the week, debuting at number sixty-seven.

However, it took until mid-August of 2002 the single was released to mainstream audiences & it could enter the Billboard Hot 100 chart as another Hot Shot Debut at number seventy.

A week later, it eventually peaked at number sixty-nine which made it Monica's lowest-charting leading single to date as well as her least-successful, video-accompanied single release since her 1999 song "Street Symphony."

Although the track suffered from low sales, the song was slightly more successful on Billboard's component charts; It reached number nineteen on the Rhythmic Top 40 chart, the top 40 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks, Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay & the Top 40 Mainstream charts.

Outside the United States, the song charted at number twenty-nine in New Zealand and number thirty-nine on the Australian ARIA Singles Chart as well as inside the lower halves of the national top 100 charts in Germany and Switzerland.

The song would eventually become Monica's latest-charting single in years as no further single has been released or charted there ever since.

Personnel

 * Lead vocals: Monica Arnold
 * Audio mixing: Manny Marroquin
 * Guitar: Tommy Martin
 * All music by Rodney Jerkins
 * Producer: Rodney "Darkchild" Jerkins
 * Additional production: LaShawn Daniels
 * Recorded by Fabian Marascuillo at Patchwerk Studios in Atlanta, Georgia