Down with the Clique

Did You Know?

• While recording the song, Aaliyah watched R. Kelly lay the drums and learned to play the piano a bit.
• The song peaked at number 25 on the UK Dance Singles Chart on May 7, 1995.

Music and lyrics

"Down with the Clique" is a hip hop song featuring Aaliyah's "silky cooing" vocals. Tim Footman described it as "macho hip-hop posturing over a cheesy, pseudo–Caribbean rhythm track." In February 1995, British producers Mafia & Fluxy created a reggae remix. Lyrically, Aaliyah adopts a "junior-gangsta persona," with lines like "Well now I guess it's time for me to wreck shop." Footman noted that the lyrics showcase R. Kelly's egomania, as Aaliyah calls on "all the dolls in the house" to recognize her mentor's coolness. YardBarker interpreted the lyrics as being about discerning true friends.

Critical reception

Kenneth Partridge of Billboard gave a mixed review, stating Aaliyah sounded unnatural singing "I guess it's time for me to wreck shop" and that the song resembled an R. Kelly track too closely, though he described her performance as "adorable." James Masterton commented on the pronunciation of "clique," finding it grating as Aaliyah crooned through her fourth UK hit. Bianca Gracie from Fuse praised Aaliyah's "effortless swagger" and her "mellow" and "deep" vocal performance.

Nakita Rathod from HotNewHipHop noted that despite controversy around her debut album, Aaliyah could still be a young, free teenager with songs like this. MTV.com considered "Down With The Clique" one of the album's highlights. The New Sunday Times called it a "shout out from Aaliyah to her friends at the mall hangouts." Tonya Pendleton of The Washington Post praised the production, saying Kelly's hip-hop inserts provided a funky contrast that carried over to other tracks.