I'll Be Lovin' U Long Time by Mariah Carey - Songfacts

I'll Be Lovin' U Long Time

Album: E=MC2 (2008)
Charted: 58
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Songfacts®:

  • This was produced by Atlanta hip-hop record producer DJ Toomp. He is best known for his work with the rapper T.I. - who appears on the song's official remix - and this was his first R&B credit. Toomp and T.I. also co-wrote the track with Mariah and Crystal Johnson ("Touch My Body").
  • The song's title is a phrase said by a Vietnamese prostitute in the film Full Metal Jacket, which was later sampled by 2 Live Crew in 1989 on their controversial hit "Me So Horny." The explicit nature of 2 Live Crew's song and others on the accompanying album led to an initially successful prosecution of the group on obscenity charges, which was overturned on appeal. Despite a lack of airplay the single reached #26 in the charts and its success resulted in a growing concern over the explicit lyrics of 2 Live Crew and other rap acts.
  • The chorus of DeBarge's 1983 album track "Stay With Me" is the foundation of this track. It is married with the hook from Hill Street Blues theme music. Ashanti's hit single "Foolish" also borrowed from the same DeBarge track. In addition, "Stay With Me" was previously sampled on the Notorious B.I.G's #2 hit "One More Chance/Stay With Me."
  • Carey: "'Lovin' U Long Time' was one of the last songs I wrote for this album. I sat down to write it and thought 'let me just make this a carefree record.' It's kind of a party record to me, just like not caring too much about anything else that's going on but you living in the moment."
  • This was used in the 2008 comedy You Don't Mess With The Zohan, starring Adam Sandler, during the final scene. Carey also made a cameo appearance in the movie.
  • This is the third single from Carey's 11th studio album, E=MC2, which was her sixth non-consecutive #1 album in the US. It also reached #1 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart. Like her previous effort, The Emancipation Of Mimi, the album continued to reflect the theme of independence. The singer had gone through a divorce, left the label that made her famous, and suffered a career setback when her Glitter movie and album flopped. With the success of both albums, she proved she could make it on her own.
  • In the music video, directed by Chris Applebaum, Mariah has fun in the sun on the beaches of Hawaii, where she swims with the dolphins and shows off her bikini body in different island locales, including a cabana and a secluded ravine. Meanwhile, T.I. raps against a backdrop of lush tropical foliage. Applebaum also helmed clips for Miley Cyrus ("Party in the U.S.A."), Usher ("Dive"), and Demi Lovato ("Heart Attack").

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