All I Have (song)
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"All I Have" is a song by American singer
Jennifer Lopez Jennifer Lynn Lopez (born July 24, 1969), also known by her nickname J.Lo, is an American singer, songwriter, actress, dancer and businesswoman. Lopez is regarded as one of the most influential entertainers of her time, credited with breaking ...
, featuring American rapper LL Cool J. Written by Lopez, Makeba Riddick, Curtis Richardson, and Ron G and produced by Cory Rooney, Ron G, and Dave McPherson, it was released on December 14, 2002, as the second single from Lopez's third studio album, '' This Is Me... Then'' (2002). "All I Have" samples " Very Special" by Debra Laws, who later filed a lawsuit in 2003 against Sony Music Entertainment for "misappropriating her voice" in the song and her name in the credits. The song is a midtempo R&B and
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. Hi ...
ballad A ballad is a form of verse, often a narrative set to music. Ballads were particularly characteristic of the popular poetry and song of Great Britain and Ireland from the Late Middle Ages until the 19th century. They were widely used across Eur ...
, about moving on after a
breakup A relationship breakup, breakup, or break-up is the ending of a Interpersonal relationship, relationship. The act is commonly termed "dumping omeone in slang when it is initiated by one partner. The term is less likely to be applied to a ma ...
. It received favorable reviews from music critics who applauded the chemistry between Lopez and LL Cool J. "All I Have" also samples the "baby don't go" verse from the Joe single " Stutter". The song was a success on the charts, reaching number one in the United States (becoming Lopez's last number one as of ) and in three other countries, and it entered the top 10 in several more. After the success of "All I Have" with LL Cool J, the track was included on the re-issue of his album '' 10''. The song was ranked as the 15th-most-successful song on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 of 2003 and in 2011, ''Billboard'' named the song the 34th Biggest Duet of All Time. Lopez named her 2016 Las Vegas Residency Show, All I Have, after the song.


Background and release

On October 19, 2002, American rapper LL Cool J revealed that he had just recorded a song for Lopez's then-upcoming album two days prior, saying: "We did a new song for her album. Well it's actually going to be her next single, I think – it's a lot of fun, a lot of fun." He stated that, "It's got like a mid-tempo beat, pretty melody, you know what I'm saying. I'm rapping, she's singing. We go back and forth with stuff. It's kind of cool, it's fly." Initially, Lopez did not want "All I Have" to be released as a single, as she believed it was too musically similar to her previous singles such as " Ain't It Funny" and " I'm Real"; she felt like she was "visiting old territory". "Those tracks were like a different era for me, and I didn't want people to perceive it like I'm just trying to capitalize on the same thing. But the record company was like, 'Who cares what they think, those are hits mama!'". Lopez, who said she "calls the shots", eventually agreed. The song was officially sent to urban radio in the United States on December 14, 2002, as the second single from ''This Is Me... Then''. It was later released on March 10, 2003, in the United Kingdom and Australia.


Composition

"All I Have" was written by Lopez, James Todd Smith, Makeba Riddick, Curtis Richardson, Ron G, and Dave McPherson while production was handled by Cory Rooney, Ron G, and McPherson. Recorded at The Hit Factory in New York City, the song was originally titled "I'm Good" and heavily samples Debra Laws's song " Very Special", written by Lisa Peters and William Jeffrey. Featuring LL Cool J, "All I Have" is a midtempo R&B and
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- ...
ballad about moving on after a break up. On the track, Lopez decides to end her relationship due to her lover's infidelity, while LL Cool J attempts to "make up" with her.


Critical response

MTV observed the song to conjure up her own public split with P. Diddy. Amy Sciarretto of PopCrush characterized Lopez's vocals as "cooed" and found the song to have a "classic feel", with LL Cool J heard rapping, grunting and pleading "Baby don't go" over a "subtle" urban beat. Tom Sinclair of ''
Entertainment Weekly ''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American online magazine, digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, ...
'' praised LL Cool J as being a "high-spirited guest" on the song, while Sal Cinquemani of ''
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'' wrote that both "playfully interpolate Debra and Ronnie Laws' 'Very Special'."
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's Bill Lamb wrote, "There is a relaxed, charming elegance here that sounds timeless." Sam Lansky of '' MTV Buzzworthy'' described the duet as "icy-cool". Erika Ramirez of '' Vibe'' wrote that the song "deftly conceals Lopez's whispery sighs, but she still generates heat with partner LL on this effervescent collabo".


Chart performance

For the week of December 28, 2002, "All I Have" entered the US ''Billboard'' Hot 100 at number 25, earning the "Hot Shot Debut" of the week. It not only became highest-debuting song of Lopez's career at the time, but was also the highest-debuting song on the chart since September 2001. For the week of January 30, 2003, the single reached number one on the Hot 100, giving Lopez her fourth and LL Cool J his first number one song on the chart. It was also the Hot 100's fastest-growing track at radio. It remained at the summit of the Hot 100 for four weeks, later being displaced by 50 Cent's " In Da Club". It also attained the top position on the Pop Songs chart, and it reached number four on the
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs The Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart ranks the most popular R&B and hip hop songs in the United States and is published weekly by '' Billboard''. Rankings are based on a measure of radio airplay, sales data, and streaming activity. The chart had 100 ...
chart. Due to the song's success, LL Cool J included it on a reissue of his album '' 10'' (2002). This allowed the album to register a 491% week-to-week sales gain and re-enter the top ten of the US ''Billboard'' 200, jumping from number 84 to number nine for the issue dated February 22, 2003. "All I Have" is Lopez's most recent song to top the Hot 100. On the UK Singles Chart, "All I Have" peaked at number two, becoming Lopez's highest-charting single there since " Love Don't Cost a Thing", which reached number one the previous year. Years later, Lopez's collaboration with LL Cool J on his track " Control Myself" also peaked at number two, on May 13, 2006. In New Zealand, "All I Have" debuted at number 42 on the RIANZ chart, on March 2, 2003. After climbing to number 35 and 33, the song climbed to number two, while the next week the song peaked at number one, becoming Lopez's third number-one single. It was later certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of New Zealand, for sales of 7,500 copies. In Australia, the song debuting at number three on the
ARIA Charts The ARIA Charts are the main Australian record chart, music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling songs and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA beca ...
, becoming her fastest debut there. It later spent three weeks at number five, before climbing and remaining for two weeks at number four. Finally, the song peaked at number two on May 4, 2003. It was later certified platinum by the
Australian Recording Industry Association The Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) is a trade association representing the Australian recording industry which was established in the 1970s by six major record companies, EMI, Festival Records (Australia), Festival, Sony Music ...
, for selling over 70,000 units.


Music video

The
music video A music video is a video that integrates a song or an album with imagery that is produced for promotion (marketing), promotional or musical artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a music marketing device intended to ...
for "All I Have" was directed by Dave Meyers, and was shot in
New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...
in November 2002.
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revealed that Lopez and LL Cool J would be playing ex-lovers in the music video. According to a synopsis provided by Meyers' production company, "They keep seeing visions of each other, and you get the feeling that they are still very much in love, yet they don't get back together because they feel that this is the best thing for them. It will have a very happy winter wonderland-type feel, but a sad vibe." The video was shot right before
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, but did not premiere on television until after
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. The video features Lopez and LL as former lovers now broken up. The two recall the good and bad times while dealing with being alone for the
holidays A holiday is a day or other period of time set aside for festivals or recreation. ''Public holidays'' are set by public authorities and vary by state or region. Religious holidays are set by religious organisations for their members and are often ...
. Lopez shows up to LL's house with a gift. With him not there, she puts the gift under the tree. He later sees the gift under the tree and realizes it was from Lopez. He opens the gift and sees a golden key. Upset at the relationship being over, he throws the key in the fireplace while a tearful Lopez gets help from her friends with her things. The music video became one of the most played clips on networks such as MTV, VH1 and BET. While analyzing her DVD '' The Reel Me'', Jason Shawhan of
About.com Dotdash Meredith (formerly The Mining Company, About.com and Dotdash) is an American digital media company based in New York City. The company publishes online articles and videos about various subjects across categories including health, hom ...
called it a "Christmastime breakup theme" and "a nice shout-out to " No Me Ames" in terms of its hyperexaggerated emotions, but the most notable aspect of the audiovisual experience is the Debra Laws's "Very Special" sample which runs counterpoint to the Lopez/LL Cool J interplay."


Live performances

Lopez and LL Cool J performed "All I Have" on '' The Today Show'' for the episode dated December 6, 2002. The performance took place during her concert at Kips Bay High School, Lopez's alma mater. The song was included on the set list for her Dance Again World Tour (2012), including the song as part of a "Back-to-
Bronx The Bronx ( ) is the northernmost of the five Boroughs of New York City, boroughs of New York City, coextensive with Bronx County, in the U.S. state of New York (state), New York. It shares a land border with Westchester County, New York, West ...
" hip hop medley. Lopez included the song on the set list for her 2016
Las Vegas Las Vegas, colloquially referred to as Vegas, is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and the county seat of Clark County. The Las Vegas Valley metropolitan area is the largest within the greater Mojave Desert, and second-l ...
residency show, Jennifer Lopez: All I Have. She performed it as a duet with surprise guest
Ne-Yo Shaffer Chimere Smith (born October 18, 1979), known professionally as Ne-Yo ( ), is an American singer and songwriter. Regarded as a leading figure of Contemporary R&B#2000s, 2000s R&B music, he is the recipient of numerous accolades, includi ...
during the show's opening night on January 20, 2016, with Ne-Yo taking on LL Cool J's verses. The two also covered "Very Special" together. Prince Royce joined Lopez on stage days later during another night of the residency, where the two performed "Very Special" and "All I Have". Lopez later performed the song as part of her medley during the
2018 MTV Video Music Awards The 2018 MTV Video Music Awards were held on Monday night, August 20, 2018 at 9:00–11:43pm EDT at Radio City Music Hall in Midtown Manhattan, Manhattan, New York City. The 35th annual award show aired live from the venue for the 12th time, t ...
on August 20, 2018, at
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in
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.


Accolades

The song was nominated for two
Teen Choice Awards The Teen Choice Awards were an annual awards show that aired on the Fox television network between 1999 and 2019. The awards, based on a popularity vote that could be overridden by the producerswho reserved the right to choose the winnerscovered ...
in 2003 on the categories, "Choice Music Single" and "Choice Music Hook-Up", but lost it for
Avril Lavigne Avril Ramona Lavigne ( ; ; born September 27, 1984) is a Canadian singer and songwriter. She is a key musician in popularizing pop-punk music, as she paved the way for female-driven, punk-influenced pop music in the early 2000s. List of awa ...
's " Sk8er Boi" and 50 Cent and
Nate Dogg Nathaniel Dwayne Hale (August 19, 1969 – March 15, 2011), known professionally as Nate Dogg, was an American rapper and singer. He gained recognition for providing guest vocals on several hit rap songs between 1992 and 2007, earning him the ...
's " 21 Questions", respectively. In May 2003, "All I Have" received a BDSCertified Spin Award, signifying 200,000 radio spins. In 2004, it received an ASCAP Pop Music Award and a BMI Pop Award.


Lawsuit

In March 2003, Debra Laws sued
Sony Music Entertainment Sony Music Entertainment (SME), commonly known as Sony Music, is an American multinational music company owned by Japanese conglomerate Sony Group Corporation. It is the recording division of Sony Music Group, with the other half being the ...
/
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in the
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, claiming that the use of samples from " Very Special" without her consent (even though the writers of "Very Special" and Elektra Entertainment Group—successor to Elektra/ Asylum Records, which had released the original recording of "Very Special"—had given their consent to the use of the samples) violated her statutory and common law right of publicity under
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. In November 2003, Judge Lourdes Baird granted Sony Music's motion for summary judgment on the ground that Laws's state law claims were preempted by Section 301 of the United States Copyright Act. In 2006, that decision was affirmed by the
United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit The United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit (in case citations, 9th Cir.) is the U.S. federal court of appeals that has appellate jurisdiction over the U.S. district courts for the following federal judicial districts: * Distric ...
.


Track listings

Canadian CD single # "All I Have" (album version) – 4:15 # "
Jenny from the Block "Jenny from the Block" is a song by American singer Jennifer Lopez, which features American rappers Jadakiss and Styles P, both members of the Lox. It was released by Epic Records on September 26, 2002, as the lead single from her third studio al ...
" (Seismic Crew's Latin Disco Trip) – 6:41 # "Jenny from the Block" (Everbots Showtime mix) – 6:00 UK CD1 # "All I Have" (album version) – 4:15 # "All I Have" (instrumental) – 4:15 # "Loving You" (album version) – 3:46 # "All I Have" (video version) UK CD2 # "All I Have" (album version) – 4:15 # "Jenny from the Block" (Seismic Crew's Latin Disco Trip) – 6:41 # "Jenny from the Block" (Everbots Showtime mix radio edit) – 3:44 UK cassette single # "All I Have" (album version) – 4:15 # "Jenny from the Block" (Everbots Showtime mix) – 6:00 European CD1 # "All I Have" (radio edit) – 4:00 # "Jenny from the Block" (Seismic Crew's Latin Disco Trip radio edit) – 3:26 European CD2 # "All I Have" (album version) – 4:15 # "Jenny from the Block" (Everbots Showtime mix radio edit version 2) – 3:44 # "Jenny from the Block" (Seismic Crew's Latin Disco Trip radio edit) – 3:26 # "Loving You" (album version) – 3:46 # "All I Have" (instrumental) – 4:15 # "All I Have" (video) Australian CD single # "All I Have" (album version) – 4:15 # "Jenny from the Block" (Everbots Showtime mix) – 6:00 # "Jenny from the Block" (Seismic Crew's Latin Disco Trip radio edit) – 3:26 # "Loving You" (album version) – 3:46


Charts


Weekly charts


Year-end charts


Certifications


Release history


References

{{Authority control 2002 songs 2002 singles 2003 singles 2000s ballads Billboard Hot 100 number-one singles Contemporary R&B ballads Epic Records singles Jennifer Lopez songs LL Cool J songs Music videos directed by Dave Meyers (director) Number-one singles in New Zealand Sampling controversies Song recordings produced by Cory Rooney Songs written by Jennifer Lopez Songs written by LL Cool J Songs written by Makeba Riddick Songs about heartache Breakup songs