B-side They Like Me Format CD single, 12" Single | Released May 11, 2007 (U.S.) Recorded 2007 | |
Genre Rap rock, southern hip hop Length 4:13 (Album Version), 4:08 (Short Edit) | ||
"Party Like a Rockstar" is a song by American hip hop group Shop Boyz. It was released as the lead single from their debut album Rockstar Mentality (2007). It reached high success during summer 2007 and was successful in the United States, peaking in the top five on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, Hot Rap Tracks, and Hot 100 charts. The song was nominated for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group at the 50th Grammy Awards.
Contents
The song is based around two electric guitar riffs (taken from "Crazy Train" by Ozzy Osbourne). It also makes references to certain rock figures such as Marilyn Manson, The Osbournes, Kiss, Queen, Bruce Springsteen, Red Hot Chili Peppers, and Travis Barker.
For a time, "Party Like a Rockstar" was the most played rhythmic, and rap song in the United States, according to Radio & Records It was featured in the video game NBA Live 08.
The official remix features Lil Wayne, Jim Jones and Chamillionaire with more guitar riffs included. Jones' verse didn't make it to iTunes' remix, although Lil Wayne's verse and Chamillionaire's verse did. Another unofficial remix has been produced by Lil Jon and the Swedish composer Jay Orpin, who also wrote the first remix, but had Lil' Jon make changes for the beat for this remix. That remix has been unofficially called the Orpinz Old Duff WWE Remix because some feel it resembles a professional wrestlers entrance music. There is also a freestyle version by J. R. Writer of Dipset as well as a remix by Trina and another one by rapper Bow Wow.
The song gained some airplay in the UK on BBC Radio 1, and was added to the B-List on its playlist.
Music video
The video opens with a clip of the group performing doughnuts in a black 1968 Pontiac GTO. It then progresses to show the group performing at a crowded concert, with inter-mixed clips of an actual rock band playing and clips of the group performing in a hotel room reminiscent of Avenged Sevenfold's hit song Bat Country.
Cristal Athena Steverson from VH1's "Flavor of Love" and Flavor of Love Girls: Charm School appears in the song's music video.
Chart performance
"Party Like a Rockstar" was a mid-charting hit in the United States as an airplay-only single. Confusion ensued, however, when a similarly titled song by hip hop artist Freak Nasty (who had his own hit a decade earlier with Da' Dip) titled "Do It Just Like a Rock Star", was erroneously listed in the U.S. iTunes Store with the title "Party Like a Rockstar". This led to Freak Nasty's song, recorded in 2005, selling approximately 30,000 digital downloads even though his track was completely different. In the Billboard issue dated May 26, 2007, the Shop Boyz were at number 54 on the Hot 100 due to strong airplay while Freak Nasty was number 56 due to strong sales. The following week, after the Shop Boyz had an official digital release of their single, "Party Like a Rockstar" shot to number two while Freak Nasty dropped completely off the chart. After its jump, "Party Like a Rockstar" managed to remain in the runner-up spot for a total of six weeks, being held from the top spot by Rihanna's song Umbrella (featuring Jay-Z).
Critical performance
Nathan Rabin of The A.V. Club stated that the song was "one of my favorite guilty pleasures of the past few years: “Party Like A Rockstar” by Shop Boyz, a hip-hop group whose conception of the rock-star mentality—which not so coincidentally is also the name of its debut album—began and ended with smashing guitars, staying up late, and saying “totally” or “dude” every other sentence."
Amid accusations of Freak Nasty taking advantage of the popularity of the Shop Boyz song, he responded in Billboard magazine's letters to the editor, stating in part, "I expect any artist that's signed to a major to do far better than any independent artist. Unlike Shop Boyz, I don't have a video. I also don't have any radio play or marketing. They do. My song sounds totally different from theirs, and our names are distinctly different. So how can consumers be confused? I have much love and respect for Shop Boyz, and I would never do anything to block their shine."