During the recording sessions, Hill wanted to write about injustice and struggles amongst youth communities in inner city areas of the United States.

It marked the first commercial appearance of singer and pianist John Legend, who was 19 years old when he played the piano on the song.

The song was a top 40 hit in the United States, peaking at number 35 on the Billboard Hot 100 and has been certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).

[1] The accompanying music video for "Everything Is Everything" was directed by Sanji, and filmed in the Method Studios in Los Angeles.

[7] The video depicted Hill on the streets of New York City, which is seen as a huge vinyl record on a turntable spinning around playing the music.

She runs down the street in various scenes and stages sidestepping the turntable needle as it scratches back and forth through the city until the end; Hill stands on the spinning record appearing in her name on the label.

[10] Critically acclaimed, it was nominated for Best Short Form Music Video at the 40th Annual Grammy Awards (2000).