"Got Your Back" is a song by American

hip hop Hip-hop or hip hop (originally disco rap) is a popular music genre that emerged in the early 1970s from the African-American community of New York City. The style is characterized by its synthesis of a wide range of musical techniques. Hip- ...

recording artist

T.I. Clifford Joseph Harris Jr. (born September 25, 1980), known professionally as T.I. or Tip, is an American rapper and singer raised in Atlanta, Georgia. Harris is credited as a pioneer of the hip hop subgenre trap music, along with fellow Georgi ...

, released on June 1, 2010, as the

lead single A lead single (or first single) is the first single to be released from a studio album by an artist or a band, usually before the album itself is released and also occasionally on the same day of the album's release date. A similar term, "debut ...

(third overall) from his seventh studio album '' No Mercy'' (2010). The song features American R&B singer-songwriter

Keri Hilson Keri Lynn Hilson (born December 5, 1982) is an American singer and songwriter. Born and raised in Decatur, Georgia, she began her musical career as a songwriter and backing vocalist for other artists under the wing of record producer Anthony De ...

. T.I. wrote the song with Young Jedi, alongside the track's producer DJ Toomp. "Got Your Back" was certified

Gold Gold is a chemical element; it has chemical symbol Au (from Latin ) and atomic number 79. In its pure form, it is a brightness, bright, slightly orange-yellow, dense, soft, malleable, and ductile metal. Chemically, gold is a transition metal ...

by the

Recording Industry Association of America The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is a trade organization that represents the music recording industry in the United States. Its members consist of record labels and distributors that the RIAA says "create, manufacture, and/o ...

(RIAA) on December 15, 2010.

Background

In an interview with

Jamie Foxx Eric Marlon Bishop (born December 13, 1967), known professionally as Jamie Foxx, is an American actor, comedian, and singer. Known for his work in both the screen and music industries, his accolades include an Academy Award, a Grammy Award ...

, when asked about the song, T.I. said, " t'sbasically just me showing my appreciation to all the ladies who got they man’s back in the world, acknowledging the one who had my back and acknowledging the ones that got they man’s back at the same time." Preceded by the singles " I'm Back" and " Yeah Ya Know (Takers)", "Got Your Back" can be found as a

bonus track An album is a collection of audio recordings (e.g., music) issued on a medium such as compact disc (CD), vinyl (record), audio tape (like 8-track or cassette), or digital. Albums of recorded sound were developed in the early 20th century a ...

on the album ''No Mercy'', as well as T.I.'s mixtape '' Fuck a Mixtape'' (2010).

Composition and critical reception

The song features a "bright", "bouncy" electro/synth beat. Hilson sings the hook, while T.I. raps the verses and harmonizes in the song's melodic bridge. According to Robbie Daw of ''Idolator'' the song's intro is reminiscent of Hilson's " Knock You Down". Although stating the song fell a little short, a ''

Chicago Now ChicagoNow was a Blog, blogging site managed by Tribune Publishing, owner of the print ''Chicago Tribune'' newspaper. It featured a network of blogs of international, national, and local interest on a variety of topics ranging from crime to publi ...

'' writer called it a "solid, feel-good summer joint", and commented, "All the elements are here for this one to blow up with the masses: a catchy, repetitive hook from Keri Hilson, a poppy, feel-good production, and some memorable messages from T.I." According to ''DJBooth'', the song "essentially attempts to recreate the success of '

Whatever You Like "Whatever You Like" is a song by American rapper T.I., released by Grand Hustle and Atlantic Records on July 29, 2008 as the lead single (second overall) from his sixth studio album, ''Paper Trail'' (2008). It was written by T.I. and David Sie ...

', calling the Hilson-T.I. pairing, "A combination like that could only mean one thing; we’ve got a hit on our hands." Ed Easton Jr. of

WNOW-FM WHHH (100.9 FM, "Hot 100.9") is a radio station licensed to Speedway, Indiana. Owned by Urban One, it broadcasts an mainstream urban format serving the Indianapolis metropolitan area. Its studios are co-located with its sister stations at Mer ...

said the song takes T.I. back to "Whatever You Like", commenting, "Keri Hilson adds a perfect mix of pop and passion to the hook of the song, as it is a bit of a dance track that all the ladies and some guys can vibe to this summer." ''UK SoulCulture'' thought that releasing a "song for the streets and song for the ladies" was trying to recreate the vibe of his last album, but wasn't sure if the latest set lived up to par.

Music video

The music video was directed by Chris Robinson. It was filmed on June 30, 2010, and premiered on July 22, 2010. It features cameo appearances from T.I.'s wife Tameka "Tiny" Cottle, and actors

Lance Gross Lance Darnell Gross (born July 8, 1981) is an American actor and model. He is known for his role as Calvin Payne on the TBS/BET sitcom ''Tyler Perry's House of Payne'' (2007–2012; 2020–present), for which he won four NAACP Image Award for Ou ...

, Keith Robinson, and

Jill Marie Jones Jill Marie Jones is an American actress and former professional dancer and cheerleader. Jones is best known for her role as Antoinette "Toni" Childs-Garrett on the UPN comedy series, '' Girlfriends'' (2000–2006). Jones has appeared in a ...

Charts

Weekly charts

Certifications

Year-end charts

References

{{authority control 2010 singles Grand Hustle Records singles Keri Hilson songs Music videos directed by Chris Robinson (director) Song recordings produced by DJ Toomp Songs written by T.I. T.I. songs Songs written by DJ Toomp 2010 songs