Dirt off Your Shoulder


"Dirt off Your Shoulder" is the second single released from Jay-Z's 2003 album The Black Album.
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. Referencing his opponents' "textbook Washington" tactics Obama used Jay-Z's hand signal to "brush the dirt" off his shoulders. When asked whether Obama was deliberately referencing the song, a campaign spokesman said, "He has some Jay-Z on his iPod."
Clinton later made the same gesture during her appearance before the House Select Committee on Benghazi.

Formats and track listings

A-Side

  1. Dirt off Your Shoulder
  2. Dirt off Your Shoulder
  3. Dirt off Your Shoulder

B-Side

  1. Encore
  2. Encore
  3. Encore

99 Problems/Dirt off Your Shoulder, Pt. 1

  1. 99 Problems
  2. Dirt off Your Shoulder

99 Problems/Dirt off Your Shoulder, Pt. 2

  1. 99 Problems
  2. Dirt off Your Shoulder
  3. 99 Problems
  4. Dirt off Your Shoulder

99 Problems/Dirt off Your Shoulder, Vinyl

A-Side
  1. 99 Problems
  2. 99 Problems
B-Side
  1. Dirt off Your Shoulder
  2. Dirt off Your Shoulder

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.