"Perfect Gentleman" is the third single released from Haitian rapper Wyclef Jean's second studio album, The Ecleftic: 2 Sides II a Book. It features a guest verse by rapper and co-writer Hope Harris. The song cites Chris Rock's spoken-word piece "No Sex (In the Champagne Room)".
| "Perfect Gentleman" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Single by Wyclef Jean | ||||
| from the album The Ecleftic: 2 Sides II a Book | ||||
| Released | 30 January 2001 | |||
| Studio | The Hit Factory (New York City) | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 4:09 | |||
| Label | Columbia | |||
| Songwriter(s) |
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| Producer(s) |
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| Wyclef Jean singles chronology | ||||
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"Perfect Gentleman" was released in the United States on 30 January 2001 and reached number 21 on the Billboard Rhythmic Top 40 chart; it failed to chart on the Billboard Hot 100. Internationally, the song peaked within the top 10 in Denmark, Germany, Ireland, Norway, Sweden, and the United Kingdom. In the latter country, the song was certified platinum by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI).
Chart performance
In the United Kingdom, "Perfect Gentleman" peaked at number four on the UK Singles Chart and spent a total of 20 weeks on the chart. In 2013, the song re-appeared on the chart at number 70.[2] In December 2017, the single was certified platinum by the BPI, denoting sales and streams of 600,000 units in Britain.[3] The song is certified gold in Sweden, where it reached number four as well.[4][5]
Music video
The music video was shot in Washington, D.C., and features a scene outside The White House. The video shows Wyclef Jean in a large ballroom, performing the song to the crowd. It later features Jean as a college dean, outlining his plans for being the Perfect Gentleman. One of the songwriters, Harry Tait, makes a guest appearance in the video.
Track listings
Credits and personnel
Credits and personnel are taken from The Ecleftic: 2 Sides II a Book album booklet.[12]
Studios
- Recorded and mixed at The Hit Factory (New York City)
- Mastered at Sterling Sound (New York City)
Personnel
- Wyclef Jean – writing, vocals, production
- Jerry "Wonder" Duplessis – writing (as Jerry Duplessis), production
- Hope Harris – writing, vocals
- Joe Di Marco – additional background vocals
- Farel Sedeck Guerschom Jean – co-production
- Andy Grassi – recording, mixing, mastering
- Chris Gehringer – mastering
- Serge "Sergical" Tsai – mastering
Charts
Certifications
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| Sweden (GLF)[4] | Gold | 15,000^ |
| United Kingdom (BPI)[3] | Platinum | 600,000‡ |
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. | ||
Release history
| Region | Date | Format(s) | Label(s) | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States | 30 January 2001 | Rhythmic contemporary radio | Columbia | [37] |
| 27 March 2001 | Urban radio | [38] | ||
| United Kingdom | 9 July 2001 |
| [39] | |
| Australia | 29 October 2001 | CD | [11] |
Cover versions
"Perfect Gentleman" was covered by the reggae rock band Slightly Stoopid on their 2003 LP Everything You Need. Harry Tait also covered this on his acoustic album named All the Things I Love and More, which debuted at number 99 on the UK Albums Chart.