trying to figure out the lyrics. Marvin Gaye sang in such a crazy way, a lot of words we didn't know. We had to sit there for hours making sure we were writing it down properly. We still think we might've gotten some words wrong." Also during the recording process the producers changed about five words in the song so that they could fit for Aaliyah. The overall goal while recording the song was to make it fit in within the current time as the producers did not want it to sound too dated. According to King, "We didn't want it to sound like it was from the '70s so we changed some lyrics because some of the words just wouldn't work in the '90s like 'suga mama.'" Aaliyah was proud to cover this song, and she said "I don't know how Marvin Gaye fans will react, but I hope they like it. I always think it's a great compliment when people remake songs. I hope one day after I'm not here that people will cover my songs". Music and lyrics On "Got to Give It Up", Aaliyah places her falsetto "toe to toe against the liquid overlapping rhyme scheme of hip hop's ultimate storyteller Slick Rick". According to Bob Waliszewski from Plugged In, the song lyrically is about finding "a man in a dance club ordering alcohol". Aaliyah's version of the song features a sample from Michael Jackson's song "Billie Jean". Critical reception When reviewing One in a Million, writer Dream Hampton from Vibe was shocked with the outcome of Aaliyah's cover version of "Got to Give It Up". According to Hampton, "The album has some surprises too. Like any self respecting Marvin Gaye fan, I cringed when I learned Aaliyah had covered his classic 1977 party jam "Got to Give It Up". But her version is agreeably accurate (even with Slick Rick's snippet of an intro)". Hampton also wrote that Aaliyah was just as convincing as Gaye when it comes to the song's theme of being a wallflower. Connie Johnson from the Los Angeles Times wrote that Aaliyah's skills were being displayed on the song and that her version of "Got to Give It Up" was irresistible. Dean Van Nguyen from The Independent praised Aaliyah's voice on the song, writing that she sounded great. Joe Lynch from Billboard, praised Aaliyah's ability to "serve as a dancefloor siren on