Izzo (H.O.V.A.)

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"Izzo (H.O.V.A.)"
File:Izzo (H.O.V.A.) (Jay-Z single - cover art).jpg
Single by Jay-Z
from the album The Blueprint
ReleasedJuly 28, 2001 (2001-07-28)
RecordedMay 2001
StudioBaseline Studios (New York City)
GenreEast Coast hip hop
Length4:00
Label
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)Kanye West
Jay-Z singles chronology
"Fiesta (Remix)"
(2001)
"Izzo (H.O.V.A.)"
(2001)
"Girls, Girls, Girls"
(2001)

"Izzo (H.O.V.A.)" (often referred to as "H to the Izzo") is the first single released by Jay-Z from his sixth album The Blueprint. It is among his most popular singles. This was the second song released off The Blueprint, after the diss track "Takeover", but the lead single from it. The song reached number eight on the Billboard Hot 100 in the US. It was Jay-Z's first top 10 single as a lead artist.[1]

The song, produced by Kanye West, prominently features a sample of "I Want You Back" by The Jackson 5, the second major hit in 2001 to sample that song (after "My Baby" by Lil' Romeo).

Jay-Z premiered the song live, at the inaugural BET Awards on June 19, 2001.

The song was later mashed up with Linkin Park's "In the End" for their collaborative EP, Collision Course.

Lawsuit

On October 31, 2001, a copyright lawsuit was filed against Jay-Z by Demme Ulloa, who claimed that she was wasn't paid for her contribution to "Izzo". Ulloa asserted that it was her singing "H to the izzo/V to the izzay", though she didn't receive any money for her contribution and was not credited in the liner notes of The Blueprint.[2] The case was dismissed in 2004 for joint authorship but continued to proceed for a copyright infringement claim.[3]

Credits and personnel

The credits for "Izzo (H.O.V.A.)" are adapted from the liner notes of The Blueprint.[4]

Studio locations
Personnel
Samples

Charts

Weekly charts

Chart (2001) Peak
position
Australian Urban (ARIA)[5] 11
Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[6] 23
Netherlands (Single Top 100)[7] 69
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[8] 53
UK Singles (OCC)[9] 21
US Billboard Hot 100[10] 8
US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (Billboard)[11] 4
US Hot Rap Songs (Billboard)[12] 7
US Rhythmic (Billboard)[13] 4

Year-end charts

Chart (2001) Position
US Billboard Hot 100[14] 52
US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (Billboard)[15] 30

References

  1. ^ "Jay-Z | Awards".
  2. ^ "JAY-Z SUED FOR COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENT BY 'IZZO' SINGER". mtv.com. Retrieved May 21, 2020.
  3. ^ "Ulloa v. Universal". Retrieved May 21, 2020.
  4. ^ The Blueprint (Liner notes). Jay-Z. Roc-A-Fella Records. 2001. 586 396-2.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  5. ^ "Issue 631" ARIA Top 40 Urban Singles. National Library of Australia. Retrieved February 27, 2022.
  6. ^ "Jay-Z – Izzo (H.O.V.A.)" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40.
  7. ^ "Jay-Z – Izzo (H.O.V.A.)" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved June 29, 2017.
  8. ^ "Jay-Z – Izzo (H.O.V.A.)". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved June 29, 2017.
  9. ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved June 29, 2017.
  10. ^ "Jay-Z Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard.
  11. ^ "Jay-Z Chart History (Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs)". Billboard.
  12. ^ "Jay-Z Chart History (Hot Rap Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved June 29, 2017.
  13. ^ "Jay-Z Chart History (Rhythmic)". Billboard. Retrieved March 6, 2021.
  14. ^ "Billboard Top 100 – 2001". billboardtop100of.com. Retrieved March 6, 2021.
  15. ^ "Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs – Year-End 2001". Billboard. Retrieved March 6, 2021.