“Excuse Me Miss” by Jay-Z (ft. Pharrell Williams)

by Amanda London· Published August 10, 2021· Updated August 10, 2021

From the onset, Jay-Z’s “Excuse Me Miss” starts off interestingly, or let’s say unorthodoxly considering that Jay-Z was not amongst the many famous 1990s rappers who heavily espoused marijuana consumption.

');var c=function(){cf.showAsyncAd(opts)};if(typeof window.cf !== 'undefined')c();else{cf_async=!0;var r=document.createElement("script"),s=document.getElementsByTagName("script")[0];r.async=!0;r.src="//";r.readyState?r.onreadystatechange=function(){if("loaded"==r.readyState||"complete"==r.readyState)r.onreadystatechange=null,c()}:r.onload=c;s.parentNode.insertBefore(r,s)}; })();

Yet he commences this song by encouraging the listener to ‘puff a joint’, as well as drinking some Cristal and other intoxicants just to boot.

But perhaps such is indicative of the implied setting of the narrative, at least initially, which appears to be a night club or some type of venue where the vocalist is able to peruse “some ladies tonight” that he wouldn’t mind getting close to.

Title “Excuse Me Miss”

So the title is indicative of his initial pickup line, a simple yet effective “excuse me miss”. And that introduction then segues into him requesting that said individual ‘hang with him’ for the night.

Something Missing

And in the name of touting his appeal, Jigga starts off the first verse pointing out how he is paid. Indeed the “only thing missing” from the equation of his life is a proper lady to spend time with.

And the way Jay-Z proceeds to kick it to her is by relaying sort of this housewife type of scenario, which of course most fundamentally implies that he really likes her. But he also lets her know in that regard that he’s so paid she wouldn’t have to actually do any house work. This basically means that she’d be able to really and truly chill off of his wealth.

In fact truth be told, the main focus of this verse is actually Mr. Carter’s admirable riches and standing. But again, this time around he’s not boasting for boasting’s sake. Rather there is a romantic interest who has thoroughly caught his eye, and he wants her to know that he is indeed the man.

And such an idea, i.e. the vocalist being smitten, is also the sentiment which highlights the chorus. In fact apparently via just laying his gaze upon the addressee once, Jay-Z, buttressed by Pharrell, is asserting that this is someone he wants to start a family with, apparently due to her attractiveness.

Is Beyoncé the Addressee of “Excuse Me Miss”

And it has been postulated that since Jigga and Beyoncé, i.e. the lady he would go on to marry, were dating at the time that this song is specifically addressee to her. And even though all the lyrics don’t necessarily support that theory, it is very much possible that such is the case.

Or rather let’s say that whoever it is he is addressing, he definitely perceives her as more than a one-night stand. She isn’t apparently the type of women Jay-Z tended to generally rap about back in those days.

Moreover, it is evident that she is someone who isn’t just going to give in to his advances because he’s rich and famous. For instance, at the beginning of the second verse, Jigga goes about trying to convince the addressee that, despite his established reputation, he’s not a playa.

Additionally the addressee herself is presented as someone who is genuinely interested in Shawn Carter, not his Jay-Z persona. And as the segment concludes, the vocalist reveals that the two of them are already involved in a relationship, and even beyond that he considers her to be “the one”.

And he’s wise enough to understand that at the end of the day, he may be setting himself up for some type of major disappointment by giving in to the emotion of love. But the rapper is so smitten that he’d rather proceed doing so, despite knowing the inherent risks.

All in all

So the intro and first verse read more like the vocalist is entertaining a lady he has just met. Meanwhile, the second verse comes off along the lines of this individual being someone he knows quite well and vice versa.

And perhaps we can say that the third verse, in its ambiguity, is a combination of the two. But the point is that whoever this “miss” may be, whether a newbie or an established girlfriend, it is someone that he is really serious about, i.e. expressing a more than willingness to move her into his home and make her a full part of his life.

So yes dear readers, this is actually a love song by Jay-Z featuring Pharrell – not a sex song but an actual love song. Indeed “Excuse Me Miss” even features some of the classic elements of standard romance tunes, like the vocalist advising the addressee not to mind negative rumors and resolving that even though heartbreak is very much possible, he’s still inclined to take the leap, as love-stricken as he is.

And considering that in real life Jigga did settle down with Beyoncé, even though given his stature he could have remained a playa for life, then we would have to also agree, all things considered, that she was the prime inspiration behind this song.

But again, there are no proper nouns used or anything like that actually pointing to such. Thus as generally presented, this is a song which is most simply based on a man being completely enamored with a woman.

“Excuse Me Miss” Facts

Primary Artist(s): Jay-Z
Featured Artist(s): Pharrell Williams
Writing: “Excuse Me Miss” was written by Jay-Z, Chad Hugo and Pharrell Williams
Production: The Neptunes
Release: February 4 of 2003
Album/EP: “The Blueprint 2: The Gift & the Curse”