View source for Shook Ones, Part II

{{Infobox song
| name       = Shook Ones, Part II
| cover      = "Shook Ones (Part II)" cover.jpg
| alt        =
| type       = single
| artist     = [[Mobb Deep]]
| album      = [[The Infamous]]
| released   = February 7, 1995
| recorded   = 1994
| studio     = Battery Studios, [[New York City]]
| venue      =
| genre      = {{hlist|[[East Coast hip hop]]|[[hardcore hip hop]]|[[gangsta rap]]}}
| length     = 5:26
| label      = {{hlist|[[Loud Records|Loud]]|[[RCA Records|RCA]]}}
| writer     = {{hlist|[[Prodigy (rapper)|Albert Johnson]]|[[Havoc (rapper)|Kejuan Muchita]]}}
| producer   = Havoc
| prev_title = [[Hit It from the Back]]
| prev_year  = 1993
| next_title = [[Survival of the Fittest (song)|Survival of the Fittest]]
| next_year  = 1995
| misc = {{External music video|{{YouTube|yoYZf-lBF_U|"Shook Ones, Part II"}}}}
}}
"'''Shook Ones, Part II'''" is the [[lead single]] from [[Mobb Deep]]'s 1995 album ''[[The Infamous]]''. The song is a sequel to the group's 1994 [[promotional single]] "[[Shook Ones (song)|Shook Ones]]", with similar lyrics, but less profanity. The original song is featured on the [[b-side]] of some releases of "Shook Ones, Part II" and was also included on the international version of the group's album ''[[Hell on Earth (Mobb Deep album)|Hell on Earth]]''.
==Background and composition==
The original "Shook Ones" was released as a promotional single in 1994 as the debut single on Mobb Deep's new label, [[Loud Records]]. Producer [[Havoc (musician)|Havoc]] stated, {{blockquote|What made us do a remix or a part two to the first “Shook Ones” was just our nervousness about failing because we had came off of the ''[[Juvenile Hell]]'' album, which wasn’t too successful. So, we were kind of paranoid. So, we made the first “Shook Ones” and was like, “Okay, that’s all right. But, let’s try to fuck with this shit again” just to be sure, and we ended up making “Shook Ones Pt. II.”<ref>{{cite web |last1=Brown |first1=Preezy |title=Havoc talks ‘The Infamous’ album, the real story behind 'Shook Ones Pt. II,' and its 25th anniversary |url=https://www.revolt.tv/article/2020-04-25/77548/havoc-talks-the-infamous-album-the-real-story-behind-shook-ones-pt-ii-and-its-25th-anniversary/ |website=[[Revolt (TV network)|Revolt]] |access-date=27 December 2023 |date=25 April 2020}}</ref>}}
Havoc produced the beat for "Shook Ones, Part II" in his bedroom in the [[Queensbridge Houses]] in [[Queens]], [[New York City|New York]].<ref name="SE">{{cite podcast |url= https://songexploder.net/mobb-deep|title= Mobb Deep "Shook Ones, Pt. II"|website= [[Song Exploder]]|publisher= [[Radiotopia]]|host1= [[Hrishikesh Hirway]]|host2= [[Havoc (musician)|Havoc]]|date= 17 June 2020|access-date= 27 December 2023}}</ref> The drums were sequenced on an [[Akai]] [[Akai MPC|MPC60]] and the other samples were sequenced on an [[Ensoniq EPS-16 Plus]].<ref name="SE"/> The song contains a pitched down sample of "Jessica" by [[Herbie Hancock]] and "Kitty with the Bent Frame" by [[Quincy Jones]], while the drums were sampled from "Dirty Feet" by the [[Daly-Wilson Big Band]].<ref name="SE"/> The Herbie Hancock sample was slowed down and the pitch was altered to create the beat in the song.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.thewrap.com/how-mobb-deep-created-hip-hops-most-mysterious-sample-for-shook-ones/|title=How Mobb Deep’s Prodigy Saved ‘Shook Ones,’ Hip-Hop’s Most Mysterious Masterpiece (Video)|website=The Wrap}}</ref> Havoc recalled that the beat was about to be deleted until [[Prodigy (rapper)|Prodigy]] walked in and convinced him to keep it.<ref>{{cite web |last1=P. |first1=Milca |title=Havoc of Mobb Deep reveals 'Shook Ones' almost never happened |url=https://www.hotnewhiphop.com/481080-havoc-of-mobb-deep-reveals-shook-ones-almost-never-happened-news |website=[[HotNewHipHop]] |access-date=27 December 2023 |date=20 August 2017}}</ref>
The narrative is told from the perspective of inner-city youths engaged in territorial warfare and struggling for financial gains. The phrase "shook one" refers to someone who may portray themselves as tough, but loses their nerve when faced with conflict or intimidation.
==Music video==
The music video shows Prodigy and Havoc rapping in different parts of Queensbridge at different times of the day. It also shows Prodigy rapping while driving a car, and Havoc rapping in the backseat of a car.
Havoc recalled: "Everyone on set was hype because the record had gained so much traction. The label, the around the way crew, Prodigy and myself - we were all excited to shoot a visual for the record." He also stated: "The whole video was shot in QueensBridge, which gave it a more grimey edge and authentic feel. My favorite scene is when we have the whole crew behind us, and Prodigy and myself have on the Hennessy jerseys. I loved those shirts. Prodigy got them made." Havoc also commented: "The most challenging part of making the video was staying awake, because we shot non-stop from early that morning to 7am the next day."<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zX1DMqB_HE0 Mobb Deep - The Making of 'Shook Ones, Pt. II' (Vevo Footnotes)]</ref>
While shooting the music video, Mobb Deep got into a fight with a man who was complaining about not getting enough screen time in the music video.<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zX1DMqB_HE0 Mobb Deep - The Making of 'Shook Ones, Pt. II' (Vevo Footnotes)]</ref>
== Reception ==
In 2010 [[Pitchfork Media]] included the song at number 25 on their ''Top 200 Tracks of the 90s''.<ref>{{Cite web |title=The Top 200 Tracks of the 1990s: 50-21 - Page 3 |url=https://pitchfork.com/features/lists-and-guides/7852-the-top-200-tracks-of-the-1990s-50-21/?page=3 |website=Pitchfork}}</ref> ''[[Rolling Stone]]'' magazine placed the song on its list of ''The 50 Greatest Hip-Hop Songs of All Time'' and their list of the "Top 500 Best Songs of All Time" at No. 215.<ref>{{Cite web |date=December 5, 2012 |title=50 Greatest Hip-Hop Songs of All Time |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-lists/the-50-greatest-hip-hop-songs-of-all-time-150547/ |work=Rolling Stone}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2021-09-15 |title=The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-lists/best-songs-of-all-time-1224767/ |access-date=2022-07-18 |website=Rolling Stone |language=en-US}}</ref> while ''[[Complex (magazine)|Complex]]'' ranked "Shook Ones, Part II" at #23 on their list of the 25 most violent rap songs of all time.<ref>{{Cite web |title=The 25 Most Violent Rap Songs of All Time |url=https://www.complex.com/music/2013/05/the-25-most-violent-rap-songs-of-all-time/ |website=Complex}}</ref> The [[BBC]] placed the song at third in their list of the greatest hip-hop songs of all time.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Brown |first=T. M. |date=7 October 2019 |title=The greatest hip-hop songs of all time |url=https://www.bbc.com/culture/article/20191007-the-greatest-hip-hop-songs-of-all-time |access-date=2024-09-10 |website=www.bbc.com |language=en-GB}}</ref> In 2024, it was voted by Rock the Bells as the greatest Hip-Hop beat of all time.<ref>{{Cite web |date=January 2, 2024 |title=ROCK THE BELLS RADIO NAMES "SHOOK ONES PT. II" GREATEST HIP-HOP BEAT |url=https://rockthebells.com/articles/best-50-hip-hop-beats-rock-the-bells/ |work=Rock The Bells}}</ref>
== Legacy ==
In 1997, the song was sampled by [[Mariah Carey]] in her single "[[The Roof (Back in Time)]]". For its single remix, Mobb Deep recorded additional raps and also appeared in the music video.
The song appears in the 2002 movie [[8 Mile (film)|8 Mile]] and in the 2005 video games ''[[Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories]]'' in the in-game radio station [[The Liberty Jam]] and in [[True Crime: New York City]]. It also appears in ''[[NBA 2K13]]'' and ''[[NBA 2K18]]''.
Also in 2024, ''Shook Ones, Pt. III'' was released by Mobb Deep and Canadian-born DJ and producer Nick Morgan. It samples the original in various parts.
==Track listing==
{{track listing
| headline = Side A
| title1 = Shook Ones, Part II
| note1 = LP Version
| length1 = 4:27
| title2 = Shook Ones, Part II
| note2 = Instrumental
| length2 = 4:41
| title3 = Shook Ones, Part II
| note3 = A Cappella
| length3 = 3:49
}}
{{track listing
| headline = Side B
| title1 = Shook Ones, Part I
| note1 = Original Version
| length1 = 4:13
| title2 = Shook Ones, Part I
| note2 = Instrumental
| length2 = 4:13
}}
==Charts==
===Weekly charts===
{| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"
|-
! scope="col"| Chart (1995)
! scope="col"| Peak<br/>position
|-
!scope="row"| US [[Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs|Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs]]<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.billboard.com/artist/mobb-deep/chart-history/bsi/|title=Mobb Deep - Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs|publisher=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]|accessdate=November 28, 2021}}</ref>
| style="text-align:center;"|52
|-
!scope="row"| US [[Billboard Hot Rap Singles]]<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.billboard.com/artist/mobb-deep/chart-history/bsi/|title=Mobb Deep - Billboard Hot Rap Singles|publisher=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]|accessdate=November 28, 2021}}</ref>
| style="text-align:center;"|7
|-
!scope="row"| US [[Billboard Hot 100]]<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.billboard.com/artist/mobb-deep/chart-history/bsi/|title=Mobb Deep - Billboard Hot 100|publisher=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]|accessdate=November 28, 2021}}</ref>
| style="text-align:center;"|59
|}
==Certifications==
{{Certification Table Top}}
{{Certification Table Entry|region=Denmark|type=single|award=Gold|id=11694|artist=Mobb Deep|title=Shook Ones, Part II|relyear=1995|certyear=2022|access-date=September 27, 2022}}
{{Certification Table Entry|region=United Kingdom|type=single|award=Platinum|artist=Mobb Deep|title=Shook Ones, Part II|relyear=1995|certyear=2023|digital=true|id=15370-2678-1|access-date=July 7, 2023}}
{{Certification Table Bottom|streaming=true|nosales=true| noshipments=true}}
==References==
{{Reflist}}
{{Mobb Deep}}
{{Authority control}}
[[Category:1995 songs]]
[[Category:Mobb Deep songs]]
[[Category:Sequel songs]]
[[Category:Hardcore hip hop songs]]
[[Category:RCA Records singles]]
[[Category:Loud Records singles]]
[[Category:Song recordings produced by Havoc (musician)]]
[[Category:Songs written by Havoc (musician)]]
[[Category:Songs written by Prodigy (rapper)]]