Few songs in musical history have caused more stampedes to the dance floor or random group twerk sessions than “Back That Azz Up.” To celebrate the tune that took over for the “99 and the 2000,” New Orleans honored its native son and iconic rapper Juvenile by declaring June 11 as “Back That Azz Up Day.”
According to Nola.com, on Tuesday, June 11, Mayor LaToya Cantrell proclaimed the city to recognize the “25th anniversary” of the music video and urged citizens to celebrate the “artists who have made a lasting impact on our city’s musical legacy.”
Juvenile, born Teris Gray, posted a “thank you” video addressed to Mayor Cantrell and his fans.
“The Mayor done made it official,” he said. He then asked everyone to commemorate the day by “backing that azz up.”
He then announced his anniversary tour, which will kick off on July 7 in New Orleans at the Donna Color Explosion and end in the Big Easy on Dec. 31 at the Saenger Theatre.
“Back That Azz Up” was the second single from Juvenile’s third studio album, 400 Degreez. The single featured fellow Cash Money Records artist Lil Waye and was produced by Mannie Fresh. With the help of the classic single, 400 Degreez has gone quadruple-platinum and solidified the artists of Cash Money Records as bonafide rap stars.
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To acknowledge the proclamation, Mannie Fresh posted a snippet from his episode of Genius’ Deconstructed, where he provided details about the chart-topper.
The video, released on June 11, 1999, gave the music industry one of the most iconic intros ever and introduced New Orleans’s “Bounce” music for the masses.
“A lot of people don’t know that it was met with ‘Nah the world not ready for it,'” Mannie revealed regarding the song’s foundation being a regional sound.
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Bounce music is known for rapid beats, a repetitive melody, call-and-response chants, and remnants of other sounds synonymous with New Orleans, such as brass horns and jazz.
Along with Juvenile and Lil Wayne, artists such as Big Freedia and DJ Jubilee brought the subgenre to the mainstream.
