Doin' It

Album: Mr. Smith (1995)
Charted: 15 9
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • This is one of LL Cool J's more overtly sexual songs. "That's one of my favorites, because what's better than doin' it? And the track pounds just like youʻre doing it," he said in Entertainment Weekly.

    Most hit songs about sex are shrouded in metaphor, but there's something to be said for simply stating your intentions. Lascivious R&B had gone mainstream: once Bell Biv Devoe cleared a path with "Do Me," there wasn't much that could shock radio programmers into not playing a song for concern that it was too suggestive. The #1 song of 1994 was "I'll Make Love To You," so LL was simply ratcheting up the lust factor to "Doin' It."
  • LeShaun, who performs the female vocals on this song, does not appear in the video. It is rumored that this was due to her being pregnant at the time, and that it caused a rift between her and LL Cool J. They have since recorded together on other songs. >>>
    Suggestion credit:
    Brian - Edmonton, Canada
  • The album title comes from LL's real name - James Todd Smith.
  • Coming up with a memorable and different hook line in a song about sex isn't easy to do, but LL found one here in "I represent Queens, she was raised out of Brooklyn." The lyric was the perfect combination of street slang and flow, and it was also authentic: LL's parents divorced when he was four, and he was raised by his grandparents in Queens, which he proudly called home.

Comments: 6

  • Link from Livingstone ZambiaHey i like this song it remind of teen way back telling a girl all sweet things about her and you feel been with +
  • Areudown from Massachusetts Love this jam. Ll was the man back in the day.
  • Kwondigy from Do Common KwonWhite fur white bikini bra
  • Dee from AustraliaI absolutely dislike this song immensely.
    Is there no such thing as censorship anymore?

    Should not be allowed to get airplay, in my opinion.
    Gross!
  • Charlie from Vas LegasChuck is incorrect. The song she recorded has no hook. http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=kCkpRJtHvgk
  • Chuck from Las Vegas, NvLeShaun actually recorded this song first. It had the same beat and hook as doin' it.
see more comments

Editor's Picks

Timothy B. Schmit of the Eagles

Timothy B. Schmit of the EaglesSongwriter Interviews

Did this Eagle come up with the term "Parrothead"? And what is it like playing "Hotel California" for the gazillionth time?

80s Video Director Jay Dubin

80s Video Director Jay DubinSong Writing

Billy Joel and Hall & Oates hated making videos, so they chose a director with similar contempt for the medium. That was Jay Dubin, and he has a lot to say on the subject.

Gilby Clarke

Gilby ClarkeSongwriter Interviews

The Guns N' Roses rhythm guitarist in the early '90s, Gilby talks about the band's implosion and the side projects it spawned.

Little Big Town

Little Big TownSongwriter Interviews

"When seeds that you sow grow by the wicked moon/Be sure your sins will find you out/Your past will hunt you down and turn to tell on you."

Dino Cazares of Fear Factory

Dino Cazares of Fear FactorySongwriter Interviews

The guitarist/songwriter explains how he came up with his signature sound, and deconstructs some classic Fear Factory songs.

Dave Edmunds

Dave EdmundsSongwriter Interviews

A renowned guitarist and rock revivalist, Dave took "I Hear You Knocking" to the top of the UK charts and was the first to record Elvis Costello's "Girls Talk."