"Ain't 2 Proud 2 Beg" is a song by American

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 R&B

Contemporary R&B

Contemporary R&B is a music genre that combines elements of hip hop, soul, R&B and funk.Although the abbreviation “R&B” originates from traditional rhythm and blues music, today the term R&B is most often used to describe a style of African American music originating after the demise of disco in...

/Hip hop

Hip hop music

Hip hop music, also called hip-hop, rap music or hip-hop music, is a musical genre consisting of a stylized rhythmic music that commonly accompanies rapping, a rhythmic and rhyming speech that is chanted...

 group TLC

TLC (band)

TLC is an American musical trio whose repertoire spanned R&B, hip-hop, soul, funk, and new jack swing. Originally consisting of singer Tionne "T-Boz" Watkins, rapper-singer Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes and singer Rozonda "Chilli" Thomas it found success in the 1990s while also enduring a series of spats...

 from their debut album, Ooooooohhh... On the TLC Tip. It was released by LaFace Records

LaFace Records

LaFace Records is an American record label, owned and operated by Sony Music Entertainment.-Company history:LaFace was formed in 1989 as a joint venture between the producing duo Antonio "L.A." Reid & Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds, and Arista Records. The combined nicknames of the duo's successful...

 in February 1992, and is the groups first single. The song would ultimately peak at number six on the Billboard Hot 100

Billboard Hot 100

The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...

 and number two on Billboard's Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks, becoming their first single to reach the top ten on both charts. The single also reached to Top Twenty in the UK

UK Singles Chart

The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...

. The song is very much about the girls saying that they don't mind begging for sex

Sexual intercourse

Sexual intercourse, also known as copulation or coitus, commonly refers to the act in which a male's penis enters a female's vagina for the purposes of sexual pleasure or reproduction. The entities may be of opposite sexes, or they may be hermaphroditic, as is the case with snails...

. Songwriters Dallas Austin

Dallas Austin

Dallas Austin is an American songwriter, record producer, and musician, based in Atlanta, Georgia. Some of his most notable clients include Michael Jackson, TLC, Boyz II Men, Pink, Monica, Madonna, Gwen Stefani, Stacie Orrico, Another Bad Creation, Fishbone, Sugababes, Anastacia, Namie Amuro, Kim...

 and Lisa 'Left Eye' Lopes

Lisa Lopes

Lisa Nicole Lopes better known by her stage name Left Eye, was an American rapper, singer, dancer, actress, television host, and songwriter...

 were nominated for the Best R&B Song Grammy Award

Grammy Award

A Grammy Award — or Grammy — is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry...

 for this single.

Music video

The video of the song is pretty basic. It is a fun and colorful video with the girls wearing condoms, baggy clothes, and Lisa with a big hats and sunglasses. The video shows the girls singing, dancing and rapping and will occasionally have the girl's nicknames at the bottom of the screen. Some shots feature the group outside with people in the background and then them in front of a white background. In a BET interview, T-Boz and Chilli said they were trying to warm-up to the cameras in this video because it was their first one. They said that Lisa was a natural because it was her "big break" and what she had "been waiting for". T-Boz also said with amusement that you can see her playing with her side-burns in the beginning, and Chilli stated it was her least favorite video they did. The end of the video shows the girls in character as hillbillies. The radio edit of the song is used instead of the album version. Their manager at the time, Pebbles, also makes an appearance at the end of the video. The video was filmed and produced in November 1991.

Track listing

US CD

(73008-24009-2; Released: 2001; Reissue)

1. "Ain't 2 Proud 2 Beg" (Album Version) - 5:39
2. "Ain't 2 Proud 2 Beg" (Smoothed Down Radio Remix) - 4:37
3. "Ain't 2 Proud 2 Beg" (Smoothed Down Extended Remix) - 5:53
4. "Ain't 2 Proud 2 Beg" (Dallas' Dirt Mix) - 5:56
5. "Ain't 2 Proud 2 Beg" (Left Eye's "3 Minutes And Counting") - 5:47
6. "Ain't 2 Proud 2 Beg" (Rap Version) - 4:52

US CD Promo

(LFPCD-4008; Released: 1991)

1. "Ain't 2 Proud 2 Beg" (Single Version) - 4:10
2. "Ain't 2 Proud 2 Beg" (Album Version) - 5:36
3. "Ain't 2 Proud 2 Beg" (Instrumental) - 5:36

US CD Promo

(LFPCD-4009; Released: 1991)

1. "Ain't 2 Proud 2 Beg" (Album Version) - 5:39
2. "Ain't 2 Proud 2 Beg" (Smoothed Down Radio Remix) - 4:37
3. "Ain't 2 Proud 2 Beg" (Smoothed Down Extended Remix) - 5:53
4. "Ain't 2 Proud 2 Beg" (Left Eye's "3 Minutes And Counting") - 5:47
5. "Ain't 2 Proud 2 Beg" (Rap Version) - 4:52

US 12" Vinyl

(73008-24009-1; Released: 1991)

Side A

1. "Ain't 2 Proud 2 Beg" (Smoothed Down Extended Remix) - 5:52
2. "Ain't 2 Proud 2 Beg" (Album Version) - 5:38

Side B

1. "Ain't 2 Proud 2 Beg" (Dallas' Dirt Mix) - 5:52
2. "Ain't 2 Proud 2 Beg" (Left Eye's "3 Minutes And Counting") - 5:41
3. "Ain't 2 Proud 2 Beg" (Rap Version) - 4:51
4. "Ain't 2 Proud 2 Beg" (Instrumental) - 5:37

UK CD

(665 265; Released: 1991)

1. "Ain't 2 Proud 2 Beg" (U.S. 7" Edit) - 4:10
2. "Ain't 2 Proud 2 Beg" (Skratch 7" Edit) - 4:20
3. "Ain't 2 Proud 2 Beg" (Ben Liebrand 12" Club Mix) - 6:20
4. "Ain't 2 Proud 2 Beg" (Smoothed Down Extended Remix) - 5:55

UK CD

(665 265; Released: 1991)

1. "Ain't 2 Proud 2 Beg" (U.S. 7" Edit)
2. "Ain't 2 Proud 2 Beg" (Skratch Mix 7" Edit)
3. "Ain't 2 Proud 2 Beg" (Smoothed Down Extended Mix)
4. "Ain't 2 Proud 2 Beg" (Ben Liebrand 12" Club Mix)
5. "Ain't 2 Proud 2 Beg" (Left Eye's "3 Minutes And Counting")

UK 12" Vinyl

(615 265; Released: 1991)

Side A

1. "Ain't 2 Proud 2 Beg" (Smoothed Down Extended Remix)
2. "Ain't 2 Proud 2 Beg" (Left Eye's "3 Minutes And Counting")
3. "Ain't 2 Proud 2 Beg" (Rap Version)

Side B

1. "Ain't 2 Proud 2 Beg" (Ben Liebrand 12" Club Mix)
2. "Ain't 2 Proud 2 Beg" (Ben Liebrand 12" Dub Mix)

UK 12" Vinyl Promo

(TLC 1; Released: 1991)

Side A

1. "Ain't 2 Proud 2 Beg" (Smoothed Down Extended Remix)
2. "Ain't 2 Proud 2 Beg" (Left Eye's "3 Minutes And Counting")
3. "Ain't 2 Proud 2 Beg" (Rap Version)

Side B

1. "Ain't 2 Proud 2 Beg" (Ben Liebrand 12" Club Mix)
2. "Ain't 2 Proud 2 Beg" (Ben Liebrand 12" Dub Mix)

DEU 7" Vinyl

(115 265; Released: 1991)

Side A

1. "Ain't 2 Proud 2 Beg" (U.S. 7" Edit) - 4:10

Side B

1. "Ain't 2 Proud 2 Beg" (Skratch 7" Edit) - 4:20

DEU 12" Vinyl

(615 265; Released: 1991)

Side A

1. "Ain't 2 Proud 2 Beg" (Ben Liebrand 12" Club Mix) - 6:20
2. "Ain't 2 Proud 2 Beg" (Ben Liebrand 12" Dub MIx) - 5:44

Side B

1. "Ain't 2 Proud 2 Beg" (Smoothed Down Extended Remix) - 5:55

Samples

The song uses three samples. The most notable sample used is a sped-up sample of "School Boy Crush

School Boy Crush

"School Boy Crush" is a song from Average White Band's 1975 album, Cut The Cake. The song is not to be confused with "Schoolboy Crush", which was recorded by American pop singer Bobby Helms, and also UK rocker Cliff Richard as the b-side to his hit "Move It"....

" by Average White Band. This same sample was used on Floetry

Floetry

Floetry was a British R&B duo comprising Marsha Ambrosius and Natalie Stewart . The group recorded two studio albums, one live album, and sold over 800,000 records worldwide. Formed in 1999, Floetry started on the performance poetry stage.In 2002, the duo released their first album entitled, Floetic...

's "Wanna B Where U R

Wanna B Where U R

Wanna B Where U R is a song by Floetry. The song features Mos Def and samples School Boy Crush by Average White Band. It appears on the soundtrack to the movie BarberShop 2: Back in Business....

", "Microphone Fiend

Microphone Fiend

"Microphone Fiend" was the second single released from the hip hop duo Eric B. & Rakim's second album Follow the Leader. The song became something of a signature song for rapper Rakim, and Allmusic.com's Steve Huey says the song "weaves references to substance addiction throughout in explaining why...

" by Eric B. & Rakim

Eric B. & Rakim

Eric B. & Rakim were a hip-hop duo composed of DJ Eric Barrier and MC Rakim .Hailing from Long Island, New York, the pair are generally considered by hip hop enthusiasts to be one of the most influential and innovative groups in the genre...

 and Immature

IMx

IMx , are an American R&B group, managed by record producer Chris Stokes. Its members include Marques "Batman" Houston , Jerome "Romeo" Jones , and Kelton "LDB" Kessee , all natives of Los Angeles, California, where the group was formed...

's "Watch Me Do My Thing". Immature

IMx

IMx , are an American R&B group, managed by record producer Chris Stokes. Its members include Marques "Batman" Houston , Jerome "Romeo" Jones , and Kelton "LDB" Kessee , all natives of Los Angeles, California, where the group was formed...

, Eric B. & Rakim

Eric B. & Rakim

Eric B. & Rakim were a hip-hop duo composed of DJ Eric Barrier and MC Rakim .Hailing from Long Island, New York, the pair are generally considered by hip hop enthusiasts to be one of the most influential and innovative groups in the genre...

 and Floetry

Floetry

Floetry was a British R&B duo comprising Marsha Ambrosius and Natalie Stewart . The group recorded two studio albums, one live album, and sold over 800,000 records worldwide. Formed in 1999, Floetry started on the performance poetry stage.In 2002, the duo released their first album entitled, Floetic...

 also sped up their sample. The song also samples "Jungle Boogie

Jungle Boogie

"Jungle Boogie" is a funk song recorded by Kool & the Gang for their 1973 album Wild and Peaceful. It scored number four as a single and became very popular in nightclubs. The song's spoken main vocal was performed by the band's roadie Don Boyce...

" by Kool & the Gang

Kool & the Gang

Kool & the Gang are an American jazz, R&B, soul, and funk group, originally formed as the Jazziacs in Jersey City, New Jersey in 1964.They went through several musical phases during the course of their recording career, starting out with a purist jazz sound, then becoming practitioners of R&B and...

 and "Escapism" by James Brown

James Brown

James Joseph Brown was an American singer, songwriter, musician, and recording artist. He is the originator of Funk and is recognized as a major figure in the 20th century popular music for both his vocals and dancing. He has been referred to as "The Godfather of Soul," "Mr...

.

Peak positions

Chart (1991)	Peak position
UK Singles Chart UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...	13
U.S. Billboard Hot 100	6
U.S. Billboard Hot R&B Singles	2
U.S. Billboard Hot Dance Singles Sales Hot Dance Singles Sales Hot Dance Singles Sales is a chart released weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States, established in 1985. It measures the sale of commercially released singles that deal with dance music and remixes...	1

End of year charts

End of year chart (1992)	Position
U.S. Billboard Hot 100	36