What About Us? (Total song)

"What About Us"
"What About Us"
Single by Total featuring Missy Elliott and Timbaland
from the album Soul Food (soundtrack)
Released	August 12, 1997
Genre	R&B; hip hop soul;
Length	4:26
Label	LaFace; Bad Boy;
Songwriters	Melissa Elliott; Timothy Mosley;
Producer	Timbaland
Total singles chronology
Missy Elliott singles chronology
Timbaland singles chronology

"What About Us?" is a song by American R&B group Total, featuring Missy Elliott and Timbaland. Issued on August 12, 1997, by LaFace and Bad Boy as the lead single from the soundtrack Soul Food: Music from the Soul Food Motion Picture.^[2]^[3] The single reached number 16 on the Billboard Hot 100 and number 4 on Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs in the United States, and finished at number 74 on the magazine’s 1997 year-end Hot 100 list. It was certified Gold by the RIAA.^[4]

Music video

The official music video for the song was directed by Christopher Erskin.^[5]

Background and release

"What About Us?" was released as the lead single from Soul Food: Music from the Soul Food Motion Picture, a LaFace Records compilation issued on September 16, 1997.^[3] The single itself arrived earlier on August 12, 1997, backed by multiple mixes and instrumentals.^[2] Credits on commercial releases and databases attribute writing to Melissa Elliott and Timothy Mosley and production to Timbaland, with additional guitar credited to Darryl Pearson on the single release.^[6]^[7]

Track listings and formats

European remix single^[8]

"What About Us" (Album Version with Rap) (featuring Missy Elliott) — 4:46
"What About Us" (Album Version without Rap) — 4:23
"What About Us" (Lil Jon Remix) (featuring Sean Paul of YoungBloodZ) — 5:48
"What About Us" (Album Instrumental) — 4:18
"What About Us" (Lil Jon Remix Instrumental) — 5:48

US 12" vinyl^[9]

"What About Us" (Album Version w/ Rap) — 4:46
"What About Us" (Album Version without Rap) — 4:23
"What About Us" (Beat Box) — 4:29
"What About Us" (Acappella) — 4:22
"What About Us" (Instrumental) — 4:18

US CD single^[10]

"What About Us" — 4:06
"What About Us" (Instrumental) — 4:11

US remix single^[11]

"What About Us" (Lil Jon Remix Radio Edit) (featuring Missy Elliott) — 4:06
"What About Us" (Lil Jon Remix without Rap) (featuring Missy Elliott) — 4:11
"What About Us" (Lil Jon Remix Instrumental) — 5:47

Charts

Weekly charts

Chart (1997)	Peak position
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)^[12]	48
US Billboard Hot 100^[13]	16
US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (Billboard)^[14]	4
US Rhythmic (Billboard)^[15]	16

Year-end charts

Chart (1997)	Position
UK Urban (Music Week)^[16]	14
US Billboard Hot 100^[17]	74
US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (Billboard)^[18]	27

Certifications


Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
United States (RIAA)^[20]	Gold	700,000^[19]

References

^ "What About Us [#1] > Total". AllMusic. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved April 5, 2013.
^ ^a ^b What About Us [#1] - Total | Album | AllMusic, retrieved 2025-08-10
^ ^a ^b Soul Food: Music from the Soul Food Motion Pic... | AllMusic, retrieved 2025-08-10
^ "Gold & Platinum". RIAA. Retrieved 2025-08-10.
^ Garcia, Alex S. "mvdbase.com - Total - "What about us?"". Music Video DataBase. Retrieved February 19, 2015.
^ What About Us - Total | AllMusic, retrieved 2025-08-10
^ "Darryl Pearson Songs, Albums, Reviews, Bio & M..." AllMusic. Retrieved 2025-08-10.
^ "Total - What About Us (The Remix) (CD) at Discogs". Discogs. Discogs.com. Retrieved July 3, 2013.
^ "Total - What About Us (Vinyl) at Discogs". Discogs. Discogs.com. Retrieved July 3, 2013.
^ "Total - What About Us (CD) at Discogs". Discogs. Discogs.com. Retrieved July 3, 2013.
^ "Total - What About Us (The Remix) (CD) at Discogs". Discogs. Discogs.com. Retrieved July 3, 2013.
^ "Total – What About Us". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved August 1, 2023.
^ "Total, HSI". Billboard. Retrieved October 19, 2021.
^ "Total, BSI". Billboard. Retrieved October 19, 2021.
^ "Total, TFC". Billboard. Retrieved October 19, 2021.
^ "The Urban Top 40 Tracks Of 1997" (PDF). Music Week. January 10, 1998. p. 6. Retrieved August 6, 2023.
^ "Billboard Top 100 – 1997". Billboardtop100of.com. Retrieved October 19, 2021.
^ "Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs – Year-End 1997". Billboard. Archived from the original on August 3, 2015. Retrieved October 19, 2021.
^ "Best-Selling Records of 1997". Billboard. Vol. 110, no. 5. BPI Communications Inc. January 31, 1998. p. 76. ISSN 0006-2510. Retrieved May 31, 2015.
^ "American single certifications – Total – What About Us?". Recording Industry Association of America.

[1] "What About Us [#1] > Total". AllMusic. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved April 5, 2013.

[:0-2] What About Us [#1] - Total | Album | AllMusic, retrieved 2025-08-10

[:1-3] Soul Food: Music from the Soul Food Motion Pic... | AllMusic, retrieved 2025-08-10

[4] "Gold & Platinum". RIAA. Retrieved 2025-08-10.

[mvdbase-5] Garcia, Alex S. "mvdbase.com - Total - "What about us?"". Music Video DataBase. Retrieved February 19, 2015.

[6] What About Us - Total | AllMusic, retrieved 2025-08-10

[7] "Darryl Pearson Songs, Albums, Reviews, Bio & M..." AllMusic. Retrieved 2025-08-10.

[8] "Total - What About Us (The Remix) (CD) at Discogs". Discogs. Discogs.com. Retrieved July 3, 2013.

[9] "Total - What About Us (Vinyl) at Discogs". Discogs. Discogs.com. Retrieved July 3, 2013.

[10] "Total - What About Us (CD) at Discogs". Discogs. Discogs.com. Retrieved July 3, 2013.

[11] "Total - What About Us (The Remix) (CD) at Discogs". Discogs. Discogs.com. Retrieved July 3, 2013.

[sc_New_Zealand_Total-12] "Total – What About Us". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved August 1, 2023.

[13] "Total, HSI". Billboard. Retrieved October 19, 2021.

[14] "Total, BSI". Billboard. Retrieved October 19, 2021.

[15] "Total, TFC". Billboard. Retrieved October 19, 2021.

[16] "The Urban Top 40 Tracks Of 1997" (PDF). Music Week. January 10, 1998. p. 6. Retrieved August 6, 2023.

[17] "Billboard Top 100 – 1997". Billboardtop100of.com. Retrieved October 19, 2021.

[18] "Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs – Year-End 1997". Billboard. Archived from the original on August 3, 2015. Retrieved October 19, 2021.

[19] "Best-Selling Records of 1997". Billboard. Vol. 110, no. 5. BPI Communications Inc. January 31, 1998. p. 76. ISSN 0006-2510. Retrieved May 31, 2015.

[United_StatesTotalWhat_About_Us?singleCertRef-20] "American single certifications – Total – What About Us?". Recording Industry Association of America.

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v t e Missy Elliott
Discography Production discography Awards and nominations
Studio albums	Supa Dupa Fly Da Real World Miss E... So Addictive Under Construction This Is Not a Test! The Cookbook
Compilations	Respect M.E.
Extended plays	Iconology
Singles	"The Rain (Supa Dupa Fly)" "Sock It 2 Me" "Beep Me 911" "Hit Em wit da Hee" "She's a Bitch" "All n My Grill" "Hot Boyz" "Get Ur Freak On" "Lick Shots" "One Minute Man" "Take Away" "4 My People" "Work It" "Gossip Folks" "Fighting Temptation" "Pass That Dutch" "I'm Really Hot" "Lose Control" "Teary Eyed" "We Run This" "Ching-a-Ling" "Shake Your Pom Pom" "WTF (Where They From)" "I'm Better" "Throw It Back"
Featured singles	"That's What Little Girls Are Made Of" "Brand New" "Ooh, Ooh Baby" "The Things That You Do" (Bad Boy Remix) "Steelo" "Do Thangz" (Main Pass Remix) "You Don't Have to Worry" (Remix) "Cold Rock a Party" "Can We" "Not Tonight" (Remix) "Up Jumps Da Boogie" "What About Us?" "Make It Hot" "5 Minutes" "Trippin'" "I Want You Back" "Here We Come" "I Like Control" "Ya Di Ya" "Take That" "Is That Yo Chick" "Son of a Gun" "Bootylicious" (Rockwilder Remix) "Oops (Oh My)" "The Knoc" "Burnin' Up" (Remix) "Crew Deep" "Honk Your Horn" "Cop That Shit" "Party to Damascus" "Tush" "Turn da Lights Off" "1, 2 Step" "Car Wash" "Touch It" (Remix) "Love Me or Hate Me" (Remix) "Let It Go" "Do It" (Remix) "Bad Girl" "Need U Bad" "Whatcha Think About That" "Let's Just Do It" "Work" "Fakin' It" "Get Involved" "Nobody's Perfect" "Bad Girls" (N.A.R.S & Switch Remixes) "How Ya Doin'?" "Without Me" "Niliria" "I Deserve It" "Ghostbusters (I'm Not Afraid)" "Tempo" "Levitating" "Fly Girl"
Promotional singles	"Back in the Day" "Best, Best" "Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.)" (Remix) "9th Inning" "Triple Threat" "Burnitup!" "Pep Rally"
Related articles	4 All the Sistas Around da World Verizon Ladies First Tour The Goldmind Inc. "Boulevard of Broken Songs"

v t e Timbaland singles
Discography Production discography
Tim's Bio	"Here We Come"
Shock Value	"Give It to Me" "The Way I Are" "Throw It on Me" "Apologize" "Scream"
Shock Value II	"Morning After Dark" "Say Something" "Carry Out" "If We Ever Meet Again" "Marchin On"
Featured singles	"What About Us?" "Hot Like Fire" "Are You That Somebody? "Get on the Bus" "Ryde or Die, Bitch" "We Need a Resolution" "Ugly" "Ching Ching" "Cry Me a River" "Deliverance" "Headsprung" "Promiscuous" "SexyBack" "Wait a Minute" "Ice Box" "Anonymous" "Ayo Technology" "Elevator" "4 Minutes" "Dangerous" "Return the Favor" "I Don't Need It" "Scream" "Get Involved" "9th Inning" "Triple Threat" "Coke Bottle" "Too Much"
Other songs	"Pass at Me" "Know Bout Me" "Release" "Keep Going Up" "Paper, Scissors, Rock"
Songs Production work

v t e Timbaland
Discography Production discography Awards
Studio albums	Tim's Bio: Life from da Bassment Shock Value Shock Value II
Related articles	Beaterator Mosley Music Group Timbaland & Magoo Missy Elliott Aaliyah Ginuwine Swing Mob Danja Agnez Mo Shock Value II Tour
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