Keep Their Heads Ringin'

"Keep Their Heads Ringin'"
Single by Dr. Dre
from the album Friday (soundtrack)
B-side"Take a Hit"
ReleasedMarch 7, 1995
Recorded1994
StudioDr. Dre's home studio (Los Angeles)
Genre
Length5:06
Label
Songwriters
Producers
  • Dr. Dre
  • Sam Sneed
Dr. Dre singles chronology
"Natural Born Killaz"
(1994)		 "Keep Their Heads Ringin'"
(1995)		 "California Love"
(1995)
Music video
"Keep Their Heads Ringin'" on YouTube

"Keep Their Heads Ringin'" is a song by American rapper and producer Dr. Dre featuring vocalist Nanci Fletcher. It was the first single released from the soundtrack of the 1995 movie Friday, starring Dre's former N.W.A bandmate, Ice Cube, and Chris Tucker. Although the soundtrack was released on Priority Records, Death Row Records still owns the masters to the song. In the United States, the song topped the Hot Rap Tracks chart and peaked at number ten on the Billboard Hot 100. It was certified gold by the RIAA on May 10, 1995, and sold 700,000 copies domestically. It interpolates "Funk You Up" by The Sequence from their 1980 single released under Sugar Hill. F. Gary Gray directed the music video for the song.

The song was co-produced by Sam Sneed.

Critical reception

Dr. Bayyan from Cash Box wrote, "Well, there is no doubt that the patented "Dre funk" is present, but there's one aspect that fans will notice about this single. He concentrates more on his improved lyrical delivery rather than on killin' niggas and cheekin' ho's. Dre is one of the few rappers that doesn't have to tone down his hardcore image to gain commercial status."

Cathi Unsworth from Melody Maker said, "Dr Dre practices what he preaches in one long reeling reefer high that pulses like the first narcotic rush that brings on the weekend. A smoothly subversive operator." Keith Cameron from NME commented, "The vibes from the crib are up to the regulatory slink norm, the gel chorus keeps matters literal ("Ring ding dong/A ring-a-ding-ding-ding-dong"), and regardless of how good the film is, it's hard to imagine Cube coming up with a line as chucklesome as Dre's: "Your chances of jackin' me are slim, Gl'Cos I rock from summer 'til Santa comes down the chimney"."

Music video

The accompanying music video for "Keep Their Heads Ringin'" was directed by American film director, film producer, and music video director F. Gary Gray and takes place in a plane hangar. The video contains cameo appearances from the actors of the movie Friday including Chris Tucker, Faizon Love, Paula Jai Parker and Nia Long. New Line offered the clip to theaters to play right before showings of Friday. It also appears as a bonus feature on the VHS and DVD releases of the film.

Track listing

  1. "Keep Their Heads Ringin'" (LP Version) — 5:01
  2. "Keep Their Heads Ringin'" (Instrumental) — 4:57
  3. "Take a Hit" (by Mack 10) (LP Version) — 4:34
  4. "Take a Hit" (by Mack 10) (Instrumental) — 4:34
  1. "Keep Their Heads Ringin'" (Radio Version) — 5:02
  2. "Keep Their Heads Ringin'" (LP Version) — 5:01
  3. "Keep Their Heads Ringin'" (Instrumental) — 4:57

Personnel

Charts

Certifications

Region CertificationCertified units/sales
New Zealand (RMNZ) 2× Platinum 60,000‡
United Kingdom (BPI) Silver 200,000‡
United States (RIAA) Gold 700,000

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

References

  1. ↑ Adeniji, Ade The Unsung Hook Singers of ‘90s Rap Classics Speak Okayplayer. July 5, 2023
  2. ↑ King, Alex P. (2004). Hit-parade — 20 ans de tubes (in French). Paris: Pascal. p. 338. ISBN 2-35019-009-9.
  3. 1 2 "American single certifications – Dr. Dre – Keep Their Heads Ringin". Recording Industry Association of America.
  4. 1 2 "Best-Selling Records of 1995". Billboard. Vol. 108, no. 3. BPI Communications. January 20, 1996. p. 56. ISSN 0006-2510. Retrieved May 5, 2015.
  5. ↑ Dr. Bayyan (April 22, 1995). "Urban: Rap Single Reviews" (PDF). Cash Box. p. 13. Retrieved October 14, 2022.
  6. ↑ Unsworth, Cathi (June 3, 1995). "Singles". Melody Maker. p. 34. Retrieved January 20, 2024.
  7. ↑ Cameron, Keith (June 3, 1995). "Singles". NME. p. 45. Retrieved January 20, 2024.
  8. ↑ "Dr. Dre – Keep Their Heads Ringin' (1995, Dark Blue Disc, CD)". Discogs. 1995.
  9. ↑ "Images for Dr. Dre - Keep Their Heads Ringin'". Discogs.
  10. ↑ "The ARIA Report: Issue 1083" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-01-20.
  11. ↑ "Dr. Dre – Keep Their Heads Ringin'" (in French). Ultratop 50. Retrieved November 30, 2021.
  12. ↑ "Dr. Dre – Keep Their Heads Ringin'" (in French). Le classement de singles. Retrieved November 30, 2021.
  13. ↑ "Offizielle Deutsche Charts" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. To see the peak chart position, click 'TITEL VON', followed by the artist's name. Retrieved November 30, 2021.
  14. ↑ "Nederlandse Top 40 – week 31, 1995" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved November 30, 2021.
  15. ↑ "Dr. Dre – Keep Their Heads Ringin'" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved November 30, 2021.
  16. ↑ "Dr. Dre – Keep Their Heads Ringin'". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved November 30, 2021.
  17. ↑ "Dr. Dre – Keep Their Heads Ringin'". Singles Top 100. Retrieved November 30, 2021.
  18. ↑ "Dr. Dre – Keep Their Heads Ringin' – hitparade.ch". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved November 30, 2021.
  19. ↑ "Official Singles Chart on 4/6/1995 – Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved November 30, 2021.
  20. ↑ "Official Hip Hop and R&B Singles Chart on 4/6/1995 – Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved November 30, 2021.
  21. ↑ "Dr. Dre Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved November 30, 2021.
  22. ↑ "Dr. Dre Chart History (Dance Club Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved November 30, 2021.
  23. ↑ "Dr. Dre Chart History (Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved November 30, 2021.
  24. ↑ "Dr. Dre Chart History (Hot Rap Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved November 30, 2021.
  25. ↑ "Hot Dance Music: Maxi-Singles Sales" (PDF). Billboard. April 1, 1995. p. 27. Retrieved December 28, 2025.
  26. ↑ "Dr. Dre Chart History (Rhythmic Airplay)". Billboard. Retrieved November 30, 2021.
  27. ↑ "Rapports Annuels 1995". Ultratop. Retrieved November 30, 2021.
  28. ↑ "1995 Year-End Sales Charts: Eurochart Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. December 23, 1995. Retrieved September 26, 2020.
  29. ↑ 1995 French Singles Chart Disqueenfrance.com Archived 2009-02-14 at the Wayback Machine (Retrieved January 30, 2009)
  30. ↑ "Top 100 Single-Jahrescharts". GfK Entertainment (in German). offiziellecharts.de. Retrieved November 30, 2021.
  31. ↑ "Top 100-Jaaroverzicht van 1995". Dutch Top 40. Retrieved November 30, 2021.
  32. ↑ "End of Year Charts 1995". Recorded Music NZ. Archived from the original on December 4, 2017. Retrieved December 3, 2017.
  33. ↑ "Årslista Singlar – År 1995" (in Swedish). Sverigetopplistan. Retrieved November 30, 2021.
  34. ↑ "Billboard Top 100 - 1995". Archived from the original on August 15, 2009. Retrieved August 27, 2010.
  35. ↑ "Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs – Year-End 1995". Billboard. Archived from the original on August 3, 2015. Retrieved November 30, 2021.
  36. ↑ "New Zealand single certifications – Dr. Dre – Keep Their Heads Ringin'". Radioscope. Retrieved November 29, 2025. Type Keep Their Heads Ringin' in the "Search:" field and press Enter.
  37. ↑ "British single certifications – Dr Dre – Keep Their Heads Ringin'". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved July 7, 2023. Select singles in the Formats field. Type Keep Their Heads Ringin' Dr Dre in the "Search:" field.