"Izzo (H.O.V.A.)" (often referred to as "H to the Izzo") is the first single released by Jay-Z from his sixth album The Blueprint. It is among his most popular singles. This was the second song released off The Blueprint, after the diss track "Takeover", but the lead single from it. The song reached number eight on the Billboard Hot 100 in the US, becoming Jay Z’s first top 10 single as a lead artist. The song, produced by Kanye West, prominently features a sample of "I Want You Back" by The Jackson 5, the second major hit in 2001 to sample that song (after "My Baby" by Lil' Romeo). Jay-Z premiered the song live at the inaugural BET Awards on June 19, 2001. The song was later mashed up with Linkin Park's "In the End" for their collaborative EP, Collision Course.

Meaning

Izzo and H.O.V.A are synonymous with Jehovah. Jay-Z earned the nickname "Jay-Hova" due to his songwriting skills. "'They start calling me Jay-Hova. I didn't want to offend people, by saying I was Jehovah. I'm God or anything like that. I know way better than that.' -Jay-Z"

Copyright infringement lawsuit

On October 31, 2001, a copyright lawsuit was filed against Jay-Z by Demme Ulloa, who claimed that she wasn't paid for her contribution to "Izzo". Ulloa asserted that it was her singing "H to the izzo/V to the izzay", though she didn't receive any money for her contribution and was not credited in the liner notes of The Blueprint. The joint authorship claim was dismissed in 2004 but continued to proceed for a copyright infringement claim, which was ultimately settled.

Music video

The music video was filmed in Los Angeles on a street made to look like New York City, and features cameos from Damon Dash, Kanye West, Destiny’s Child, Trina, Eve, Nelly, and Outkast.

Credits and personnel

The credits for "Izzo (H.O.V.A.)" are adapted from the liner notes of The Blueprint.

Charts

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

Certifications