Dirt off Your Shoulder

"Dirt off Your Shoulder" is the second single released from Jay-Z's 2003 album The Black Album.

"Dirt off Your Shoulder"
Single by Jay-Z
from the album The Black Album
Released	March 2, 2004
Recorded	2003
Genre	East Coast hip-hop
Length	3:59
Label	Roc-A-Fella Def Jam
Songwriter(s)	Shawn Carter Timothy Mosley
Producer(s)	Timbaland
Jay-Z singles chronology
"Change Clothes" (2003) "Dirt off Your Shoulder" (2004) "99 Problems" (2004)

In 2004, the song was combined with the Linkin Park single "Lying from You" and released as a single for the mash-up album Collision Course.

Political influence

On April 17, 2008, Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama referenced the song in gesture, in response to sharp attacks from his then-rival Hillary Clinton and a debate which was widely criticized for focusing on campaign gaffes rather than on candidates' policy positions.^[1][2] Referencing his opponents' "textbook Washington" tactics, focusing on personal attacks and trivial issues, Obama used Jay-Z's hand signal to "brush the dirt" off his shoulders.^[3] When asked whether Obama was deliberately referencing the song, a campaign spokesman said, "He has some Jay-Z on his iPod."^[4]

Clinton later made the same gesture during her appearance before the House Select Committee on Benghazi.^[5]

Formats and track listings

A-Side

1. Dirt off Your Shoulder (Radio Edit)
2. Dirt off Your Shoulder (LP)
3. Dirt off Your Shoulder (Instrumental)

B-Side

1. Encore (Radio Edit)
2. Encore (LP)
3. Encore (Instrumental)

99 Problems/Dirt off Your Shoulder, Pt. 1

1. 99 Problems (Explicit)
2. Dirt off Your Shoulder (Explicit)

99 Problems/Dirt off Your Shoulder, Pt. 2

1. 99 Problems (Explicit)
2. Dirt off Your Shoulder (Explicit)
3. 99 Problems (Video)
4. Dirt off Your Shoulder (Video)

99 Problems/Dirt off Your Shoulder, Vinyl

A-Side

1. 99 Problems (Explicit)
2. 99 Problems (Clean)

B-Side

1. Dirt off Your Shoulder (Explicit)
2. Dirt off Your Shoulder (Clean)

Charts

In the U.S. the song peaked at number 5 on the Billboard Hot 100 making it Jay-Z's third highest peak on the chart at the time when including featured appearances (tied with "Swagga Like Us").

Weekly charts Chart (2004) Peak position Scotland (OCC)[6] With 99 Problems 14 UK Singles (OCC)[7] With 99 Problems 12 UK Hip Hop/R&B (OCC)[8] With 99 Problems 2 US Billboard Hot 100[9] 5 US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (Billboard)[10] 3 US Hot Rap Songs (Billboard)[11] 2 US Pop Airplay (Billboard)[12] 18 US Rhythmic (Billboard)[13] 5

Year-end charts Chart (2004) Position US Billboard Hot 100[14] 21 US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (Billboard)[15] 14

Certifications

Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
United States (RIAA)[16]	2× Platinum	2,000,000‡
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Release history

Region	Date	Format(s)	Label(s)	Ref.
United States	January 19, 2004 (2004-01-19)	Rhythmic contemporary · urban contemporary radio	Roc-A-Fella, IDJMG	[17]

See also

• List of songs recorded by Jay-Z