Right Above It

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"Right Above It"
Aubrey Graham
  • Daniel Johnson
  • Andrew Canton
  • Producer(s)Kane Beatz
    Lil Wayne singles chronology
    "I'm Single"
    (2010)
    "Right Above It"
    (2010)
    "No Love"
    (2010)
    Drake
    singles chronology
    "Fancy"
    (2010)
    "Right Above It"
    (2010)
    "Aston Martin Music"
    (2010)

    "Right Above It" is a hip hop song by American rapper

    Hot Digital Songs
    chart, and also charted modestly internationally.

    Upon its release, the song received generally positive reviews from critics, who complimented its confident, upbeat tone and the performances of both rappers, with many praising it as a highlight off the album.[1][2][3] The song was later certified 5× platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America for sales of 5 million equivalent units.[4]

    The song serves as the opening theme for the HBO series Ballers, starring Dwayne Johnson.

    Background

    Along with all of the other songs on I Am Not a Human Being, the song was recorded in 2010 prior to Wayne's nine-month prison term for criminal possession of a weapon. The song contains a vocal sample from the 2Pac song "Hail Mary": more specifically, it samples the line "I ain't a killer but don't push me".[5]

    The song premiered on August 3, 2010, on the New York

    urban contemporary radio station Hot 97. On the same evening, the show's host Funkmaster Flex conducted an interview with Lil Wayne from Rikers Island prison. While discussing I Am Not a Human Being, Lil Wayne announced that the song would be released as a single, although he did not announce a release date at the time.[6]
    The single was officially digitally released in the United States on August 17, 2010.

    A visualizer for the song was released on March 31, 2023.

    Live performances

    On December 31, 2010, Lil Wayne performed the song on

    106 and Park
    on December 31, 2010.

    Reception

    The song received generally positive reviews from music critics. AllMusic writer David Jefferies called the song "grand" stating that it "swaggers and struts like a free man cruising through the club".[1] Jon Caramanica of The New York Times described the song as "bombastic" and praised Lil Wayne's musical diversity, comparing the song to more recent hits ("I'm Single" and "No Love") and their different musical styles, stating "[his] successes in the last few months have been in different, and divergent, modes... diversity is Lil Wayne’s strength".[2] Despite describing the song as "generic", Los Angeles Times writer Jeff Weiss wrote positively of the song, stating that "[it] achieves a kind of bizarre solipsism". However, he also felt that "Wayne’s done this shtick better before".[7]

    Chart performance

    After experiencing strong digital sales on release, the song debuted at number 6 on the US

    Hot Digital Songs chart, becoming the first Lil Wayne song to top this chart.[9] With 225,000 copies downloaded during the first week, it was Wayne's best sales week as a lead artist and as of December 27 the single has sold over a million copies.[9] The song also peaked at number one on the Billboard Hot Rap Songs chart, and also at number four on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs
    chart.

    "Right Above It" also achieved modest international charting. The song debuted on the

    UK R&B Chart
    . The song also peaked at number 34 in Canada, and number 27 in Belgium.

    Appearances

    As of June 2015[update], the song is featured in the opening of the HBO television series Ballers. It was also used as the walkout song for former UFC Light Heavyweight and Heavyweight Champion Daniel Cormier.

    Credits and personnel

    Source:[10]

    Charts

    Certifications

    Region Certification Certified units/sales
    Australia (ARIA)[26] Gold 35,000
    United Kingdom (BPI)[27] Silver 200,000
    United States (RIAA)[4] 5× Platinum 5,000,000

    Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

    Release history

    Country Date Format Label
    United States[28] August 17, 2010 Digital download
    Universal Motown
    United Kingdom[29] August 23, 2010 Young Money, Cash Money, Universal Island

    References

    1. ^
      All Media Network
      . Retrieved 2010-10-06.
    2. ^
      New York Times
      . Retrieved 2010-10-11.
    3. ^ Jones, Steve (2010-09-28). "Review: I Am Not a Human Being". USA Today. Retrieved 2010-10-02.
    4. ^ a b "American single certifications – Lil Wayne – Right Above It". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved September 27, 2022.
    5. ^ "Lil Wayne – Right Above It Lyrics". DirectLyrics. Retrieved 2011-04-16.
    6. ^ "Lil Wayne Debuts New Single, 'Right Above It,' Featuring Drake". MTV. Viacom. Retrieved May 16, 2011.
    7. ^ Weiss, Jeff (2010-10-12). "Review: I Am Not a Human Being". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2010-10-13.
    8. ^ Trust, Gary (2010-08-26). "Weekly Chart Notes: Lil Wayne, Lady Antebellum, John Mellencamp". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved 2011-06-12.
    9. ^ a b Caulfield, Keith (25 August 2010). "Eminem Won't Budge From No. 1 on Billboard 200, Lil Wayne Tops Digital Songs". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved 2010-08-28.
    10. Universal Motown
      .
    11. ^ "The ARIA Report: Issue 1074 (Week Commencing 27 September 2010)" ARIA Top 100 Singles. National Library of Australia. Retrieved 2011-12-25.
    12. Ultratip
      . Retrieved 2011-12-25.
    13. ^ "Lil Wayne Chart History (Canadian Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved 2011-12-25.
    14. ^ "Official Hip Hop and R&B Singles Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 2011-12-25.
    15. ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 2011-12-25.
    16. ^ "Lil Wayne Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved 2011-12-25.
    17. ^ "Lil Wayne Chart History (Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved 2011-12-25.
    18. ^ "Lil Wayne Chart History (Hot Rap Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved 2011-12-25.
    19. ^ "Lil Wayne Chart History (Rhythmic)". Billboard. Retrieved 2019-10-01.
    20. ^ "2010 Year End Charts – Hot 100 Songs". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved 2011-12-25.
    21. ^ "2010 Year End Charts – Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved 2011-12-25.
    22. ^ "2010 Year End Charts – Rap Songs". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved 2011-12-25.
    23. ^ "2011 Year End Charts – Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved 2011-12-25.
    24. ^ "2011 Year End Charts – Rap Songs". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved 2011-12-25.
    25. ^ "Rhythmic Songs – Year-End 2011". Billboard. Retrieved 2019-10-01.
    26. ^ "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2019 Singles" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved July 25, 2021.
    27. ^ "British single certifications – Lil Wayne – Right Above It". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved October 20, 2021.
    28. ^ "Right Above It (feat. Drake) – Single by Lil Wayne: Download on US iTunes". ITunes (US). Apple. Retrieved 2011-05-15.
    29. ^ "Right Above It (Explicit Version) – Single by Drake & Lil Wayne: Download on UK iTunes". ITunes (GB). Apple. Retrieved 2011-05-16.