"Plain Jane" is a song by American rapper

ASAP Ferg Darold Durard Brown Ferguson Jr. (born October 20, 1988), known professionally as FERG (previously A$AP Ferg ( /ˈeɪsæp/ ''AY-sap'')), is an American rapper from Harlem, New York City. He is a lead member of the hip hop collective ASAP Mob, f ...

. The song was released on June 13, 2017, 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 ...

from his third studio album, ''

Still Striving ''Still Striving'' is the second mixtape by American rapper ASAP Ferg. It was released through ASAP Worldwide, Polo Grounds Music, and RCA Records on August 18, 2017. The album features guest appearances from Meek Mill, Cam'ron, Dave East, Lil Y ...

'' (2017). It was produced by

Kirk Knight Kirlan Labarrie (born November 16, 1995), better known by his stage name Kirk Knight, is an American record producer, rapper and member of the hip hop Hip-hop or hip hop (originally disco rap) is a popular music genre that emerged in the ...

, and it is a hip hop song. The official remix featuring fellow New York City-based rapper

Nicki Minaj Onika Tanya Maraj-Petty (born December 8, 1982), known professionally as Nicki Minaj ( ), is a Trinidadian rapper, singer, and songwriter. Regarded as the "Queen of Rap" and one of the most influential rappers of all time, she is noted for her ...

was released on December 15, 2017. This version peaked at number 26 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100, becoming his second highest-charting single until "

Move Ya Hips "Move Ya Hips" is a song by American rapper ASAP Ferg featuring Trinidadian rapper Nicki Minaj and fellow American rapper MadeinTYO. Written alongside producer Frankie P, it was released on July 30, 2020, as the lead single from the former's thi ...

" in 2020—which also featured Minaj.

Background and composition

"Plain Jane" is one of four tracks released by A$AP Ferg on June 13, 2017, via

SoundCloud SoundCloud is a German audio streaming service owned and operated by SoundCloud Global Limited & Co. KG. The service enables its users to upload, promote, and share audio. Founded in 2007 by Alexander Ljung and Eric Wahlforss, SoundCloud is ...

for TrapLord Tuesdays. Produced by Pro Era's own Kirk Knight, the track's flow and instrumental are heavily influenced by the 1999 song "Slob on My Knob" by Tear Da Club Up Thugs. Ferg reflects his childhood growing up and pays homage to

ASAP Yams ASAP Mob (stylized as A$AP Mob) is an American hip-hop collective formed in 2006 in Harlem, New York City, that consists of rappers (most of whom carry the "ASAP" moniker; except Da$H and Playboi Carti), record producers, music video directors ...

("Yamborghini chain, rest in peace to my superior"). He also raps about "eating

Rihanna Robyn Rihanna Fenty ( ; born February 20, 1988) is a Barbadian singer, businesswoman, and actress. One of the List of music artists by net worth, wealthiest musicians in the world, List of awards and nominations received by Rihanna, her vario ...

like a panini" ("Please believe me, I see RiRi, I'mma eat it like panini") and suggests having a foursome with his girlfriend,

Kendall Jenner Kendall Nicole Jenner (born November 3, 1995) is an American model, socialite and media personality. She rose to fame in the reality television show ''Keeping Up with the Kardashians,'' in which she starred for 20 seasons and nearly 15 years ...

Bella Bella is a feminine given name. It is a diminutive form of names ending in -bella. ''Bella'' is related to the Italian, Spanish, Greek, Portuguese and Latin words for beautiful, and to the name Belle (given name), Belle, meaning ''beautiful'' in F ...

and

Gigi Hadid Jelena Noura "Gigi" Hadid ( ; born April 23, 1995) is an American fashion model and television personality. In 2016, she was named International Model of the Year by the British Fashion Council. Throughout her career, Hadid has made at least ...

Music video

The official music video of the song was released on October 11, 2017. Directed by

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 ...

director Hidji, it opens with ASAP Ferg standing in an apartment hallway tying his do-rag, with a clip of

Juicy J Jordan Michael Houston III (born April 5, 1975), known professionally as Juicy J, is an American rapper and record producer. Originally from Memphis, Tennessee, he is a founding member of the Southern hip-hop group Three 6 Mafia, established ...

's verse on an unreleased remix of the song playing in the background. It then follows Ferg surrounded by a crew of

BMX BMX, an abbreviation for bicycle motocross or bike motocross, is a cycle sport performed on BMX bikes, either in competitive BMX racing or freestyle BMX, or else in general street or off-road recreation. History BMX began during the ea ...

bike riders, as they ride through

Harlem Harlem is a neighborhood in Upper Manhattan, New York City. It is bounded roughly by the Hudson River on the west; the Harlem River and 155th Street on the north; Fifth Avenue on the east; and Central Park North on the south. The greater ...

before going to a night club. The video features cameos from cyclists

Nigel Sylvester Nigel Sylvester (born August 23, 1987 in Queens, New York) is an American professional BMX athlete; He is best known for his progressive bicycling skills as well as his digital content featuring his unique BMX stunts and adventures around the gl ...

and RRDBlocks, who join Ferg and do tricks, as well as from

DRAM Dram, DRAM, or drams may refer to: Technology and engineering * Dram (unit), a unit of mass and volume, and an informal name for a small amount of liquor, especially whisky or whiskey * Dynamic random-access memory, a type of electronic semicondu ...

and Rihanna.

Track listing

Remix

remix A remix, also sometimes called reorchestration or rework, is a piece of media which has been altered or contorted from its original state by adding, removing, or changing pieces of the item. A song, piece of artwork, book, poem, or photograph ca ...

to the single was released on December 15, 2017, with a

guest appearance The term guest appearance generally denotes the appearance of a guest in an artistic or pop-culture setting. The guests themselves (referred to as guest artists, featured artists, guest stars, or guest fighters, depending on context), are disting ...

from fellow Trinidadian-American rapper

. The remix was originally meant to be included on

Lil Wayne Dwayne Michael Carter Jr. (born September27, 1982), known professionally as Lil Wayne, is an American rapper. He is often regarded as one of the most influential hip hop artists of his generation, as well as one of the greatest rappers of all ...

's ''Dedication 6'' mixtape, but after playing it for Ferg, Minaj agreed to make it the official remix instead. Minaj's verse includes references to

Tidal Tidal is the adjectival form of tide. Tidal may also refer to: * ''Tidal'' (album), a 1996 album by Fiona Apple * Tidal (king), a king involved in the Battle of the Vale of Siddim * TidalCycles, a live coding environment for music * Tidal (servic ...

The Notorious B.I.G. Christopher George Latore Wallace (May 21, 1972 – March 9, 1997), better known by his stage names the Notorious B.I.G., Biggie Smalls, or simply Biggie, was an American rapper. Rooted in the New York rap scene and gangsta rap tradi ...

Catherine Zeta Jones Catherine Zeta-Jones (; born 25 September 1969) is a Welsh actress. Recognised for her versatility, she has received various accolades, including an Academy Award, a British Academy Film Award, and a Tony Award. In 2010, she was appointed Comma ...

, and

Lupita Nyong'o Lupita Amondi Nyong'o ( , , ; born 1 March 1983) is an actress who has received various accolades, including an Academy Award, a Daytime Emmy Award and a Screen Actors Guild Award, as well as nominations for two British Academy Film Awards, a ...

. Phemza The Kween also freestyled the song. There is an unreleased remix version of the song featuring Juicy J, who shared his verse in May 2018. Minaj's remix received critical acclaim. ''Billboard'' said "Nicki Minaj brought back that hard rap we've been missing from her for years, paying homage to her New York roots and local legend Notorious B.I.G." ''XXL'' writes "the female MC delivers some hardcore rhymes and punchlines on the catchy tracks," and ''Complex'' noted that, due to Minaj, "one of the best loved songs of the year is about to get even more love".

Chart performance

Following months of hovering around the top 40, "Plain Jane" was propelled by its remix to its peak at number 26 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100, Ferg's second highest entry on the chart. The song has also charted in Canada, at number 30.

Charts

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

Certifications

References

{{Authority control 2017 singles 2017 songs ASAP Ferg songs Nicki Minaj songs Songs written by Nicki Minaj RCA Records singles Songs written by ASAP Ferg Songs written by DJ Paul Songs written by Juicy J Remix singles