"21 Questions" is a song recorded by American rapper 50 Cent featuring R&B singer/rapper Nate Dogg. The song was written by 50 Cent and mixed by Dr. Dre for his commercial debut studio album, Get Rich or Die Tryin'. It peaked at number one on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart in early 2003. 21 Questions spent four weeks atop the Hot 100 and twenty-three weeks in total on the chart, giving 50 Cent his second number one and featured artist Nate Dogg his first. It was also successful internationally, reaching the top ten in Holland, New Zealand and the United Kingdom, and the top five in Canada and Australia.
Background
When producer Dr. Dre worked with 50 Cent on his debut album, he did not want the song on the album. According to 50 Cent, "Dre was, like, 'How you goin' to be gangsta this and that and then put this sappy love song on?'" 50 Cent responded saying, "I'm two people. I've always had to be two people since I was a kid, to get by. To me that's not diversity, it's necessity."
Music video
The music video for "21 Questions" was directed by Damon Johnson, Dr. Dre and Phillip Atwell in March 2003. It depicts 50 Cent arrested and confined to prison, where he tries to keep in touch with his girlfriend, played by Meagan Good. In prison, he is constantly harassed by a rival inmate. The video ends with a continuation of the beginning, showing 50 Cent and his girlfriend watching from their home as the police arrest Beckford instead; the prison scenes are revealed to be a hypothetical scenario imagined by a worried 50 Cent. The video has cameo appearances by Nate Dogg and G-Unit members Lloyd Banks and Young Buck as other inmates. Nate Dogg also provides the chorus and the outro. The video concept can also be originated from Nate Dogg's "Never Leave Me Alone". On April 15, 2003, the video debuted on MTV's Total Request Live at number six, reached number one two days later, and stayed on the chart for 50 days. It also reached number two on the MuchMusic video charts.
Remixes
Official remixes of the single includes featured artists among the likes of Nate Dogg, Monica, Free and Lil' Mo, all of whom have either rapped or sung their own verses over the song's instrumentals.
21 Answers
"21 Answers" is a remix by Lil' Mo and former 106 & Park co-host Free, which was released as an 'answer track' to "21 Questions." Kevin "Dirty Swift" Risto, one-half of Midi Mafia, originally penned the idea of creating a female response record; he immediately got in touch with R&B singer Lil' Mo and added former 106 & Park personality Free to the mix. The song then premiered on New York'sHot 97 radio station—resulting in numerous rotations on various radio stations around the country—and later debuted on BillboardHot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs at number 77. Although the song went on to spend eleven weeks on the chart based solely on airplay, it failed to see a release on Lil' Mo's second albumMeet the Girl Next Door, due to the song not being finalized in time to meet the album's deadline. However, because of Elektra Records' 2004 merging with Atlantic, the song appeared on the 2011 re-release of Meet theGirl Next Door.
