"Hot Tottie" is a song by recording artist Usher. It was written by Usher, Ester Dean, Jay-Z and Polow da Don, with the latter producing it. The song features guest vocals from rapper Jay-Z and background vocals by Ester Dean. It is the second single in the United States and Canada from his EP, Versus EP, which is an extension of his sixth studio album, Raymond v. Raymond. The song was sent to rhythmic and urban airplay on August 9, 2010. "Hot Tottie" samples Big Tymers's "Big Ballin'" off their 1998 album How You Luv That Vol. 2.
| "Hot Tottie" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single by Usher featuring Jay-Z | ||||
| from the EP Versus EP | ||||
| Released | August 9, 2010 | |||
| Recorded | 2010 | |||
| Studio | No Excuses Studio (Santa Monica, California) Studio at the Palms (Paradise, Nevada) | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 4:59 (album version) 4:39 (radio edit) | |||
| Label | ||||
| Songwriter(s) | ||||
| Producer(s) | Polow da Don | |||
| Usher singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Jay-Z singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
"Hot Tottie" is an R&B song with hip hop tones, accompanied by strobing, electronic beats. It peaked at number twenty-one on the US Billboard Hot 100, and was a top ten hit on the US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. Usher performed the song on The Early Show and on his OMG Tour.
Background and composition
edit
The song was leaked onto the internet during late July 2010 along with the track "DJ Got Us Fallin' in Love".[1] It was originally reported to feature R&B singer Ciara.[2] However, when the official mix of the song appeared online, Ester Dean, who sung vocals on the demo of the track, was singing the female vocal interludes.[2] The song was released from Versus as the EP's urban single, whereas the latter track was released as the mainstream single.[3] "Hot Tottie" is an R&B song that includes hip hop, which is over "strobing, electronic beats" with Usher's vocals Auto-Tuned in parts.[1] In an interview with MTV News at his World Leadership Awards in Atlanta, Usher called the song, which was already receiving rotation on radio due to a leak, "incredible", and confirmed that the song would be on his upcoming release of Versus.[4] On August 31, 2010 a remix of the song, which features Lil' Kim, was released online.[5] Usher performed the song on an untelevised portion of his appearance on The Early Show on September 3, 2010, and is performing it on his OMG Tour.[6] The original version of "Hot Tottie" with Ciara was leaked on July 15, 2011, with Jay-Z's verse omitted.[7]
Critical reception
edit.jpg)
Coining the track as "sleazed-up," Andy Kellman of AllMusic noted the track as a standout from Versus.[8] Sarah Rodman of the Boston Globe called "Hot Tottie" the essential track on the EP, and said that Jay-Z "bumps up the fun factor" on the "burbling" track.[9] Mark Edward Nero of About.com gave the song a positive review, saying that it was "a rock-solid tour de force featuring Usher vocalizing how smooth he is."[10] Nero also commended Jay-Z's verse but said the only negative to the song was Ester Dean's vocals which were similar to those of Rihanna.[10] Mikael Wood of Entertainment Weekly stated that the song is "nasty in all the right ways",[11] Jeff Weiss of the Los Angeles Times says that Usher remains on the "R&B's A-list" with tracks like the song, calling it "as intoxicating as its namesake".[12]
Chart performance
editBased on airplay only, the song debuted on the Billboard Hot 100 at number 100.[13] In its second week it rose to number eighty-eight.[13] In its third week, due to the release of Versus, the song's sales elevated to number twenty-five after selling 52,000 digital downloads, and collected greatest gainer recognitions.[14] It later peaked at number twenty-one on the chart, while reaching number seventeen on the Hot 100 Airplay and twenty-one on the Hot Digital Songs chart.[13] The song reached number nine on the US R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart,[15] and number twenty-seven on the US Pop Songs chart.[16] Internationally, "Hot Tottie" peaked at number sixty-two on the Canadian Hot 100.[17] Although it was not released officially as a single in the UK, the song reached number 104 on the UK Singles Chart and number twenty-seven on the UK R&B Chart due to sales after the release of Versus only.[18]
Credits and personnel
editRecording locations
- Vocal recording – Studio at the Palms, Paradise, Nevada
- Mixing – No Excuses Studio, Santa Monica, California
Personnel
- Songwriting – Usher Raymond IV, Ester Dean, Shawn Corey Carter, Polow da Don
- Production – Polow da Don
- Recording – Jeremy "Jay" Stevenson
- Mixing – Jeremy "Jay" Stevenson
Credits adapted from the liner notes of Versus.[19]
Charts
edit
Weekly chartsedit
|
Year-end chartsedit
|
Certifications
edit| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| United States (RIAA)[23] | Gold | 500,000‡ |
|
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. | ||
Release history
edit| Country | Date | Format | Label |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States[1][24] | August 9, 2010 | Rhythmic and Urban airplay | LaFace Records |
| Australia[25] | November 1, 2010 | Contemporary hit radio | Jive Records |
References
edit- ^ a b c Anderson, Sara (July 30, 2010). "Usher, 'Hot Tottie' Feat. Jay-Z -- New Song". AOL Radio. AOL. Retrieved November 20, 2010.
- ^ a b "New Music: Ciara f/ Usher – 'Turn It Up'". Rap-Up. Retrieved October 21, 2010.
- ^ "Usher's 'Versus' Cover and Tracklisting Revealed". Rap-Up. Archived from the original on July 27, 2010. Retrieved November 26, 2010.
- ^ Reid, Shaheem (August 18, 2010). "Usher Calls 'Hot Tottie,' Featuring Jay-Z, 'Incredible'". MTV News. MTV Networks (Viacom). Archived from the original on August 21, 2010. Retrieved November 28, 2010.
- ^ "New Music: Usher f/ Lil' Kim & Jay-Z – 'Hot Tottie (Remix)'". Rap-Up. August 30, 2010. Retrieved November 26, 2010.
- ^ "'Superstar' Usher wants fans to leave shows saying 'OMG'". The Macomb Daily. Journal Register MI. November 27, 2010. Archived from the original on March 2, 2012. Retrieved November 28, 2010.
- ^ Jackie (July 15, 2011). "Usher – 'Hot Tottie' (Feat. Ciara) | HipHop-N-More". Hiphop-n-more.com. Retrieved August 28, 2011.
- ^ "Usher – Versus". AllMusic. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved November 26, 2010.
- ^ Rodman, Sarah (August 30, 2010). "Usher extends, hits the bull's-eye". Boston Globe. The New York Times Company. Retrieved November 26, 2010.
- ^ a b Nero, Mark Edward. "EP Review: Usher – Versus". About.com. The New York Times Company. Archived from the original on December 3, 2013. Retrieved November 26, 2010.
- ^ Wood, Mikael (August 11, 2010). "Versus – Music". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on August 15, 2010. Retrieved November 26, 2010.
- ^ Weiss, Jeff (August 23, 2010). "Album review: Usher's 'Versus'". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved November 26, 2010.
- ^ a b c d "Usher Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard.
- ^ Pietroluongo, Silvio (September 2, 2010). "Eminem and Rihanna Still No. 1 on Hot 100, Cee Lo's 'F**k You' Debuts". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved November 27, 2010.
- ^ a b "Usher Chart History (Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs)". Billboard.
- ^ a b "Usher Chart History (Pop Songs)". Billboard.
- ^ a b "Usher Chart History (Canadian Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved November 20, 2010.
- ^ a b "Chart Log UK: New Entries Update". Zobbel. Retrieved November 20, 2010.
- ^ Usher Versus Liner notes. LaFace Records (2010)
- ^ "Official Hip Hop and R&B Singles Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company.
- ^ "Usher Chart History (Rhythmic)". Billboard. Retrieved December 31, 2022.
- ^ "Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs – Year-End 2010". Billboard. January 2, 2013. Retrieved January 3, 2021.
- ^ "American single certifications – Usher – Hot Tottie". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved February 10, 2024.
- ^ Concepcion, Mariel (July 8, 2010). "Usher Announces New 'Versus' Album, Deluxe Edition". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved July 8, 2010.
- ^ "Usher ft. Jay-Z – Hot Tottie – Issue 811". The Music Network. Retrieved July 20, 2012.