Ill Na Na is the debut studio album by American rapper Foxy Brown. It was released by Def Jam Recordings on November 19, 1996 in the United States. Recorded between 1995 and 1996, the album was primarily produced by the Trackmasters and features guest appearances from Blackstreet, Havoc, Method Man, Kid Capri, and Jay-Z. Lyrically, it centers on themes of fashion, sex, and the mafia, showcasing Brown's confident and seductive delivery over sleek, contemporary production.
Ill Na Na was praised for Brown's confident, seductive delivery and charisma, though some critics noted repetitive freestyles. Commercially, the album debuted at number seven on the US Billboard 200, selling 128,000 copies in its first week, and has since sold over 1.4 million copies in the United States, earning a platinum certification from the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). It also received a gold certification in Canada and a silver certification for over 60,000 copies sold in the United Kingdom.
Three singles were released from Ill Na Na, including lead single "Get Me Home" and the more successful follow-up "I'll Be," which peaked at number seven on the US Billboard Hot 100. The album broke new ground for female rappers, becoming the first female rap album to debut in the top 10 of the Billboard 200, the first to earn certified plaques outside the United States, and the highest-selling female rap album of 1996, reaching platinum status within 2.7 months.
Brown began working on the album after being discovered by the production team Trackmasters and appearing on a number of singles by other artists, such as LL Cool J, Case and Jay-Z. The immediate success of the singles led to a bidding war at the beginning of 1996, and in March, Def Jam Recordings won and signed the then 17-year-old rapper to the label. Between 1995 and 1996, Brown went into the recording studio to record her debut studio album, originally set to be released in October 1996. Mostly produced by Trackmasters, Ill Na Na features guest appearances from Blackstreet, Havoc, Method Man, Kid Capri and Jay-Z. Lyrically, the album mainly focuses on themes of fashion, sex and mafia.
Ill Na Na produced three singles. Lead single, "Get Me Home," released in September 1996, reached the top ten on the US R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay chart and the New Zealand Singles Chart. Second single "I'll Be," released in March 1997, quickly became a major hit, peaking at number seven on the US Billboard Hot 100, marking the highest-charting single for both Foxy Brown and Jay-Z at the time. Two months later, it was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for sales exceeding 500,000 copies. Third and final single, "Big Bad Mamma," was originally recorded with R&B group Dru Hill for the soundtrack of the 1997 film How to Be a Player before being included on the re-issue of Ill Na Na. Built around an interpolation of Carl Carlton's "SheâÂÂs a Bad Mama Jama," the track became a moderate hit, peaking at number 53 on the Billboard Hot 100, her second-highest charting solo single.
AllMusic editor Stephen Thomas Erlewine praised Ill Na Na for Brown's confident, sexy delivery, which makes her lyrics about fashion, sex, and the mafia compelling. He highlighted the sleek Trackmasters production and noted that, while guest appearances add star power, her charisma alone carries the album. Entertainment Weeklys Jim Farber found that "on Il Na Na, many of the beats are familiar [...] but Foxy Brown's seductive, confident presence almost makes it her own."
Writing for USA Today, Steve Jones concluded: "While she spends too much time on interludes about her crew, Brown rhymes smoothly on everything from raw sex to the glamorous life." Cheo Hodari Coker from The Los Angeles Times felt that "Brown occasionally displays dazzling skills. Unfortunately, many of her freestyles seem identical: repetitive, sound-alike rhymes about her doe eyes, homicidal tendencies and burning thighs. "Get Me Home" and the title track are the only songs on the album where it doesn't sound as if she's using a TelePrompTer."
In the United States, Ill Na Na debuted at number seven on the Billboard 200 and at number two on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart, selling 128,000 copies in its first week, and was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) within three months of its release. According to Nielsen SoundScan, the album has sold over 1,450,834 copies in the United States. In Canada, it was certified gold by the Canadian Recording Industry Association (CRIA). In the United Kingdom, it debuted at number 98 on the UK Albums Chart and was certified silver by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI). The album has also sold 3 million copies worldwide total to date.
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Adapted from the Ill Na Na liner notes.