How Jennifer Lopez's Song Became One of Faith Evans' Biggest Hits

Jennifer Lopez is a multi-hyphenate artist. Aside from being a singer, dancer, and actress, she also has several songwriting credits under her belt. She’s penned a number of her own singles, and some for other artists. One of which was accidentally given to R&B songstress Faith Evans, and would become a career staple.

“I Love You” was originally intended for Lopez’s second studio album, J.Lo. The slow jam samples singer Isaac Hayes’ 1976 song “Make a Little Love to Me.” It tells a story of a woman professing her love for a man. According to different reports, the song was inspired by Lopez’s blossoming romance with Sean “Diddy” Combs. It landed in Evans’ lap. Once received, Evans changed some of the lyrics and made the song about her then-husband, Todd Russaw. Evans and Russaw were married from 1998 until their divorce was finalized in 2011. She married him a year after the death of her first husband, the late rapper The Notorious B.I.G.

Released in 2002, the song peaked at No. 14 on the US Billboard Hot 100, and at No. 2 on the US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks chart. It became Evans’ highest-charting single since her 1999 single “All Night Long.”

“I Love You” was featured on Evans’ third studio album, Faithfully. Evans would later confirm in press interviews for the album that the song, “It almost slipped through the cracks and ended up on her [Lopez’s] album.”

Diddy is actually credited as a producer on the record. He and Lopez dated from 1999 to 2001, becoming a major influence in fashion and romance at the time. But their relationship was not without controversy. Kim Porter, the mother of Diddy’s second son Christian, claimed at the time that he left her for Lopez. They reconciled shortly after Lopez and Diddy split in 2001, and Porter publicly supported Diddy through legal woes. 

They later had twin daughters before splitting for good in 2006 after it was revealed that Diddy fathered a child just five months older than their twin daughters. Lopez would also later allege that Diddy was unfaithful during the relationship.