Back That Azz Up

"Back That Azz Up" or the censored version "Back That Thang Up" is a song recorded by American rapper Juvenile featuring fellow American rappers Mannie Fresh and Lil Wayne. Produced by Fresh, it was released on June 11, 1999, as the second single from Juvenile's 1998 album 400 Degreez. The song was Juvenile's biggest hit single at the time until the chart-topping "Slow Motion" in 2004, surpassing "Back That Azz Up" which peaked at number 19 on the Billboard Hot 100. In 2021, it was listed at number 478 on Rolling Stone's "Top 500 Best Songs of All Time".

Both the song and its music video were omnipresent in media venues for much of 1999 and early 2000. "Back That Azz Up", Lil Wayne's "Tha Block Is Hot", and B.G.'s  "Bling Bling" were the three hits that launched Cash Money into the pop mainstream.

Based on the content of the song, there were three edited versions of the song, which allowed for radio stations to choose between playing "Back That Thang Up" and the edited version of "Back That Azz Up". Johnny Kenaya was in the studio with Juvenile and Mannie Fresh while the record was playing. He gave the green light on the project to go on. The former had redone amended lyrics, while the latter was edited as is (with the word "ass" left intact). Also, the edited album version had "ass" backmasked along with other expletives. "Back That Thang Up" only came out on the single, the compilation Universal Smash Hits in 2000, and Juvenile's Greatest Hits in 2004.

The song played a pivotal role in introducing bounce music—a distinctive New Orleans style of hip-hop characterized by rapid beats and call-and-response vocals—into mainstream culture, thereby solidifying the South as an epicenter of hip-hop. It has achieved lasting cultural significance, frequently sampled by artists like Drake and Beyoncé, and remains popular at cultural events and celebrations.

Production
Initially skeptical of its success, Juvenile stated, "I sang the 'Back that Azz Up' hook about five or six months into working on my album." Mannie Fresh, impressed upon hearing the lyrics, remarked, "I thought, 'This is already magical.' So the beat had to complement it." Fresh's production featured a distinctive bounce beat, reminiscent of New Orleans' music scene, as noted by Dino Delvaille, Universal A&R. Juvenile underscored, "It was fitting to include such a New Orleans sound on the album." Mannie Fresh strategized for wider reach, explaining, "The world hadn’t been introduced to bounce yet, but I’m like, “How do I make this go across everywhere: white, Black, Hispanic, so all of them elements was in it?” So, I was like, “Well, what if we start off with a buildup, so it gives you a chance to get to the dance floor.”

The collaboration between Juvenile and Mannie Fresh was intensive. Juvenile reflected, "Me *and Mannie Fresh kept going back and forth with it. It was one of them songs where he would change the beat and I changed the whole song. To be honest, the only thing that stayed the same was “Back That Azz Up.” That was always the hook." During their Nashville recording session, Juvenile recalled the urgency of completing the song. Lil Wayne, present in the studio, insisted on contributing a New Orleans chant to the end of the song, which they incorporated into the final version.

Live performances
In February 2020, Juvenile performed "Back That Azz Up" with billionaire businessman Tom Steyer at Allen University in Columbia, South Carolina during Steyer's Democratic Party presidential primary campaign. While Juvenile performed the lyrics, Steyer danced onstage alongside his wife and daughter before delivering a speech targeted to youth and minority voters. Steyer withdrew from the presidential race the day after the performance in part due to a weak showing in that state's primary.

Court ruling
In Positive Black Talk, Inc. v. Cash Money Records, Inc. (2004), the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit concluded that the song did not infringe the copyright of DJ Jubilee's song "Back That Ass Up".

Remix
In 2021, Juvenile released “Vaxx That Thang Up”, a remix whose lyrics encouraged vaccination for COVID-19. The song, also featuring Mannie Fresh and Mia X, was sponsored by Match Group's dating app BLK. "Vaxx That Thang Up" was released to mixed reactions. Juvenile responded to critics by claiming that his goal was not to force listeners to receive the vaccine, but instead that they "get educated on it, and make the right decision.”