Can't Nobody Hold Me Down

"Can't Nobody Hold Me Down"
Single by Puff Daddy featuring Mase
from the album No Way Out
Released January 3, 1997
Recorded 1996
Studio Daddy's House Recording Studios (New York City)
Genre Hip hop
Length 3:52
Label
Songwriter(s)
  • Sean "Puffy" Combs
  • Steve Jordan
  • Carlos Broady
  • Nasheim Myrick
  • Mason Betha
Producer(s)
Puff Daddy singles chronology
"No Time"
(1996)
"Can't Nobody Hold Me Down"
(1997)
"I'll Be Missing You"
(1997)
Mase singles chronology
"Only You"
(1996)
"Can't Nobody Hold Me Down"
(1997)
"Just the Way You Like It"
(1997)
Music video
"Can't Nobody Hold Me Down" on YouTube

"Can't Nobody Hold Me Down" is the debut single by rapper Puff Daddy. It appears on Puff Daddy's debut studio album No Way Out and it was released as his first single in 1997. The single was released through BMG Music, Arista Records and Puff Daddy's Bad Boy Records.

The song entered the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 at number thirty-two in early 1997 and eventually spent six weeks at number one. It was the beginning of Combs' and Bad Boy Records' chart domination during the year—the Combs-produced "Hypnotize" by The Notorious B.I.G. would follow this song at number one, and the B.I.G. tribute song "I'll Be Missing You" spent eleven weeks at number one during the summer, only to be followed by another B.I.G. song, "Mo Money Mo Problems" and then the Combs-produced "Honey" by Mariah Carey.

Combs was already a successful songwriter, producer and record label owner (Bad Boy Records) before he released his debut album as a performer. His first U.S. chart single, "No Time", was a top-twenty hit for Lil' Kim on which Puff Daddy was credited as a featured vocalist. "Can't Nobody Hold Me Down" is the debut chart appearance for rapper Mase.

Content

The song combines elements of several previous singles, the most obvious being a slowed-down rhythm track sampling from Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five's "The Message". The track's chorus is an interpolation of "Break My Stride", a top-five single by Matthew Wilder from 1983. The track also contains a sample of opening drums of Michael Jackson's 1979 single "Rock with You".

Music video

The music video was directed by Paul Hunter and it was released in January 1997. The music video features cameos by The Notorious B.I.G. and Eddie Griffin.

Charts

Weekly charts

Chart (1997) Peak
Position
Australia (ARIA) 27
Germany (Official German Charts) 23
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40 Tipparade) 8
Netherlands (Single Top 100) 59
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ) 11
Scotland (OCC) 60
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade) 37
UK Singles (OCC) 19
UK Dance (OCC) 4
UK Hip Hop/R&B (OCC) 2
US Billboard Hot 100 1
US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (Billboard) 1
US Hot Rap Songs (Billboard) 1
US Rhythmic (Billboard) 6

Year-end charts

Chart (1997) Position
Germany (Official German Charts) 82
UK Urban (Music Week) 11
US Billboard Hot 100 5
US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (Billboard) 4

Decade-end charts

Decade-end chart performance for "Can't Nobody Hold Me Down"
Chart (1990–1999) Position
Canada (Nielsen SoundScan) 16
US Billboard Hot 100 27

All-time charts

Chart (1958–2018) Position
US Billboard Hot 100 286

Certifications

Region Certification Certified units/sales
United States (RIAA) 2× Platinum 2,700,000

See also