Released May 29, 2001 Label Jive Records | Recorded 1999 | |
Format CD single, digital download Genre Hip Hop, Southern Rap, Crunk Length 4:38 (Original Version), 3:57 (All Cities Remix), 4:01 (Radio Version) | ||
"Raise Up" is a song recorded by American rapper Petey Pablo. It was released in August 2001 as the lead single from his debut album Diary of a Sinner: 1st Entry. The song peaked at number 25 in the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart in October 2001. The song was certified Gold in 2002. The music video was directed by Jessy Terrero.
Contents
Content
The premise of the song is simple, Pablo represents his native North Carolina, and calls on the audience to "take your shirt off, twist it 'round yo' hand, spin it like a helicopter." At UNC football games, The Marching Tar Heels play the chorus of this song after the defense makes a third down stop. The first verse of his song, "Who am I? Petey Pablo, motherfucker!", is an allusion to Beenie Man's dancehall single, "Who Am I (Sim Simma)".
The song samples "Enta Omri" by Hossam Ramzy.
According to Petey Pablo, the premise of the song to the outside listener is simple in the nature that North Carolina towns are being named. "Each town name in the song is a location for a NC prison," stated Pablo.
Remixes
On the album, there is a remix called "Raise Up [All Cities remix]" which is similar to the original, starting off with North Carolina, except that he shouts out other cities, states or regions in this order: South Carolina, Atlanta, Virginia, New York City, New Jersey, Philadelphia, Washington, D.C., Maryland, Houston, Dallas, New Orleans, St. Louis, Miami, Los Angeles, Chicago, Las Vegas and San Francisco Bay Area, ending with "the whole world baby!". Some radio stations played the All Cities remix instead of the original.
Following the September 11 attacks in 2001, Pablo also released a remix, dedicated to those who lost their lives in the attacks, as well as survivors.