On this date in 1989, Juvenile, along with his Cash Money brothers Mannie Fresh and a 17-year-old Lil Wayne, dropped the timeless classic “Back Dat Azz Up”(also known as “Back Dat Thang Up” in the edited version). It was the second single from Juvenile’s debut LP 400 Degrees, with the premiere single being the electric “Ha”. Produced by Mannied Fresh and released on the Cash Money imprint, Back Dat Azz Up is one of the most recognized smash hits from not only the Cash Money camp but from Hip Hop’s renowned “Bling Era”.
Commercially the song was a chart topper, peaking at number 19 on the Billboard Hot 100 and in 2021, it was listed at number 478 on Rolling Stone‘s “Top 500 Best Songs of All Time”.
This year, on the the 25th anniversary of the song’s release, the City of New Orleans officially named June 11th “Back Dat Azz Up” Day. Mayor LaToya Cantrell signed a proclamation making “Back Dat Azz Up” Day an official holiday.
Juvenile spoke about the recognition of one of his greatest hits, saying, “I really wasn’t keeping up with the dates until one of my guys educated me. It’s crazy. It’s great to have all of these accolades, but it’s better to enjoy it with your family and the guys who made it hapen. I really wasn’t expecting it.”
