B-side "Shake It Fast" Genre Dirty rap | Format Vinyl, CD Length 4:20 | |
Released July 18, 2000 (2000-07-18) Recorded 2000
Master Sound Studios
(Virginia Beach, Virginia) | ||
"Shake Ya Ass", also known by its clean title, "Shake It Fast", is the first single released from American rapper Mystikal's fourth album, Let's Get Ready. It also featured uncredited vocals from Pharrell Williams. It was released on July 18, 2000 and was produced by The Neptunes. The single was a huge success for Mystikal, peaking at number 13 on the Billboard Hot 100, number three on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks and number seven on the Hot Rap Singles. Both the song and music video (directed by Little X) received heavy airplay and it has arguably become Mystikal's most well-known song. "Shake Ya Ass" was followed by another top 20 hit, "Danger (Been So Long)".
Contents
History
There were two edited versions of the song, allowing radio stations to choose between the two choruses but both versions had amended lyrics. Only the edited version of "Shake Ya Ass" was never released as opposed to "Shake It Fast" on the album's edited version.
In March 2002, Mystikal was sued by Steve Winn, the creator of the Cajun in Your Pocket keychain toy, who claimed that "Shake Ya Ass" bore many similarities to his product.
In an interview with RapGenius, Mystikal stated that he was reluctant to release the song as a single at first, stating that he felt that it didn't adequately showcase his abilities as an artist. However, he stated that he was grateful it was released, saying that its success "proved me wrong" and that it was the "biggest song of my career".
The music video for this song shows Mystikal being invited to a party by three young women. He later heads to the house where this party is being held. As he enters the house, he notices a group of bikini clad women wearing masks and gyrating on the dance floor. One of the woman leads him upstairs, removes her mask and shows him that she was one of the three women he had met earlier. Pharrell Williams can also be seen dancing with some of the women.
Legacy
The song was listed as the 303rd best song of the 2000s by Pitchfork Media.
In popular culture
Since its release, the song has been featured in numerous films and other media. It has been featured in the films Kiss of the Dragon, Crossroads, Down to Earth, Juwanna Mann, Scary Movie 2, Identity Thief, and About A Boy Its a Girl Boy Thing and the HBO television series Treme, also appearing in TV series Everybody Hates Chris episode 'Everybody Hates Drew'. It also appeared in the 2008 video game Grand Theft Auto IV when the player enters either of the two strip clubs in the city.
A-side
- "Shake Ya Ass" (LP version) – 4:20
- "Shake Ya Ass" (instrumental) – 4:39
B-side
- "Shake Ya Ass" (clean radio edit) – 4:17
- "Shake It Fast" (cleaner radio edit) – 4:16