back that azz up
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Mannie Fresh Declares 'Back That Azz Up' the Greatest Love Song of All Time
Picture it…Sicily. Or any place that has a nightclub, actually. You’ve just walked to the bathroom after the DJ decides to play a bathroom break-worthy song. Whilst (hopefully) dousing your hands with water and soap after you’ve handled your business, you hear the beautiful violin strings of success start to harmonize in the background. Is…
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On the 20th Anniversary of ‘Back That Azz Up,’ We’re Still Dropping It Like It’s Hot
Twenty years ago, during the early days of the Cash Money Records administration that took over for the nine-nine and two thousand, a young visionary gave unto his people a new negro spiritual. This man, who we shall call Juvenile, blessed us with a hymn that gives strength to the weary and power to the…
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20 Years of Twerking: A Retrospective of ‘Back That Azz Up’
One thing’s for sure: The words “Cash Money Records taking over for the ‘99 into the 2000″ will always yield a visceral reaction, a sense of urgency. Move or be moved, because it’s about to go down. But ahead of (what has now become) an iconic phrase, there’s a trigger warning, if you will. Let’s…
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Juvenile’s 400 Degreez Is Turning 20. You Thought It Wasn’t Gon’ Change the Game, Ha? You Were Wrong, Ha
There are a few songs that I can remember exactly where I was the first time I heard them. Juvenile’s “Ha” is one of them. I remember sitting on the futon in my house in what must have been early October 1998 (because of when the single was released) watching Rap City, while on a…
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How Lil Wayne Became Hip-Hop's Most Underappreciated Legend
17 years ago, Juvenile released “Back That Azz Up.” (“Back That Thang Up” if you were a baby trying to make babies on the dance floor of a high school gymnasium.) The descending chords in the intro cause an immediate pavlovian response. Men crane their necks like a gazelle hearing a rustle in the tall…
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Seven Songs We Need To Retire From Cookouts, Clubs, And Other Places Colored People Congregate
After years of being exposed to White parties, I’ve gained a particular appreciation for the comfort of attending a Black party and having a general idea of what to expect musically. No getting Rachel Dolezaled when you hear a Black song starting to play and it’s suddenly remixed with EDM porn music. No sir, there…