I Wanna Be Down

Keith Crouch came up with the core of "I Wanna Be Down" while informally jamming with his brother Kenneth at his apartment, reportedly drafting it in under ten minutes. Crouch was the last producer to join Brandy's debut album project, having been introduced by Atlantic Records A&R director Darryl Williams after a four-year stint as a songwriter with Michael Jackson's publishing company. He played a rough demo for former Tease singer Kipper Jones, who developed the hook while writing in his car and finished the verses at Crouch's home. Jones had originally pictured Vanessa Williams recording the track, but Williams and Atlantic head Sylvia Rhone pushed for Brandy instead. Though hesitant to hand a "special" song to an unknown 15-year-old, Jones changed his mind after hearing her vocals.

Released on August 11, 1994, as the lead single from her self-titled debut album, the mid-tempo track was built around a thunderous beat and light synth riffs, with Crouch producing on a Roland MKS-20 within a $17,500 budget. Norwood herself was unsure about it at first, later telling Complex that she liked the song but did not understand why it should be the first thing people heard from her. The charts settled the matter. It spent four weeks at number one on the Billboard Hot R&B Singles chart and reached number six on the Hot 100.

In 1995, Sylvia Rhone suggested re-recording the track with rappers, resulting in a hip hop remix with new lyrics from MC Lyte, Queen Latifah, and Yo-Yo. Norwood later said the three embraced her as a little sister.