The Bitch in Yoo

"The Bitch in Yoo"
Single by Common
from the album Relativity Urban Assault
B-side	"The Real Weight"
Released	September 10, 1996
Recorded	1995
Genre	Underground hip hop, hip hop, hardcore hip hop
Length	4:00
Label	Relativity Records
Songwriter(s)	Lonnie Lynn Pete Phillips
Producer(s)	Pete Rock
Common singles chronology
"Resurrection" (1995) "The Bitch in Yoo" (1996) "Retrospect for Life" (1997)

"The Bitch in Yoo" is a single and diss track released by rapper Common in 1996. The song first appeared on the Relativity Records compilation Relativity Urban Assault and later on Roc Raida's Crossfaderz. It was also performed live alongside De La Soul on their album Live at Tramps, NYC, 1996. The b-side of "The Bitch in Yoo" is "The Real Weight", a solo track by No I.D. The song has been deemed by The Ringer as one of the greatest diss tracks of all time and by Revolt as one of Pete Rock's most legendary beats.

Overview

History

In Common's song "I Used to Love H.E.R.", the rapper partially blamed hip hop's change from pro-black music to street music on its domination by West Coast Gangsta rap. In particular, the line "I wasn't salty: she was with the boys in the hood" alluded to the film Boyz n the Hood (set in South Central, Los Angeles), a movie starring Ice Cube. This caused Ice Cube and his group to release the song "Westside Slaughterhouse", throwing jabs at Common, amongst other rappers from the East Coast. In turn, Common responded with "The Bitch in Yoo."

Content

Over a beat produced by Pete Rock, Common responds to verbal attacks by Westside Connection and its lead rapper Ice Cube. He claims that Ice Cube has not released a "dope" album since AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted, that too many of Ice Cube's beats sample George Clinton songs, and that Cube took Common's lyrics from "I Used to Love H.E.R." out of context.

Samples

The song contains a sample from "Light My Fire" as performed by Brian Auger's Oblivion Express. It also contains vocal samples of Raekwon from the track "Eye for a Eye (Your Beef Is Mines)" by Mobb Deep, and "Suspended in Time" by Group Home, as well as a scratched vocal sample from the song "A Bitch Iz A Bitch", by N.W.A. The end of the song incorporates a scratched vocal sample from the movie "The Five Heartbeats." The opening of the song is taken from the film "The Education of Sonny Carson" scene where a leader of The Hawks Gang proclaims their superiority over the rival Lords.

Track listing

A-side

1. "The Bitch in Yoo (W/O Intro)" (3:46)
2. "The Bitch in Yoo (W/ Intro Flip)" (4:00)
3. "The Bitch in Yoo (Street Version)" (4:00)

B-side

1. "The Real Weight" (3:55)
2. "The Real Weight (Instrumental Version)" (3:55)
3. "The Bitch in Yoo (Instrumental Version)" (3:46)