Like a G6
Encyclopedia
"Like a G6" is a song from Far East Movement
's 2010 album Free Wired
. The track features female vocals by Dev
and male vocals by Far East Movement
. It was written and produced by The Cataracs
. It was number one on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100
for two weeks ending November 6, 2010, and then again for the week of November 27 of the same year. It is one of only eight singles in Billboard history to return to #1 after two or more other singles had succeeded it in that position.
The song has also topped the charts in New Zealand
and South Korea
and reached the top ten in the United Kingdom
, Canada
, Australia
, Belgium
, the Netherlands
, Thailand
, Sweden
, Switzerland
and Slovakia
.
Many questions surround the meaning of "G6." Some believed it to be a reference to the Pontiac G6
, however, Kev Nish clarified that the G6 reference is to an airplane, a Gulfstream IV
(G4) hyperbole. "A G6 is not a Gatorade flavour. It's not a car, convertible, four-door. It's not a watch," group member Kev Nish told MTV News. "But Drake, Drake talks about having G4 pilots on deck, so we said, 'What's flyer than a G4?' Of course, it would be a G6
(Gulfstream G650
)." Writer and producer Niles Hollowell-Dhar revealed that the reference to a G6 was created primarily in order to rhyme. It samples
Dev
's single "Booty Bounce
" as the hook/chorus.
.
50 Cent
made a remix, and Bottom Feeder produced a remix featuring Jermaine Dupri
, Obie Trice
and Adam Tensta
. Business magazine Fortune
wrote that Gulfstream Aerospace
"said that they were 'thrilled' about the enthusiasm for the product in the song." T-Pain
has made his own remix to the song. Roll a D6
is a parody of the song, adapted by Connor Anderson, or Like Jesus by Totally Sketch. Remixes were also made by Nicki Minaj
, Slim Thug
& Tinie Tempah
.
and edited by Thomas Uncles, premiered on YouTube
and VEVO
on June 2, 2010. It features Dev
. The line "sippin' sizzurp" and the word "slizzard" are censored on some channels. It follows a woman in a red dress (Erica Ocampo) picking up a friend from a restaurant and going to an alcohol store, presumably in preparation for a party. A later scene shows the woman and her friends at the party. Dev and the members of Far East Movement can also be seen in this party scene. The final scene shows the members of Far East Movement getting on a Gulfstream IV
the next morning.
CD single
Promo CD
Digital remix EP
Trevor Simpson on Da Beat Remix Single
Eyes Remix
Far east movement
Far East Movement is an Asian American electro hop quartet based in Los Angeles. The group formed in 2003 and consists of Kev Nish , Prohgress , J-Splif , and DJ Virman...
's 2010 album Free Wired
Free Wired
Free Wired is the third studio album and major label debut of Asian-American electro hop group Far East Movement, released on October 12, 2010 by Cherrytree Records and Interscope Records....
. The track features female vocals by Dev
Dev (singer)
Devin Star Tailes , better known by her stage name Dev, is an American singer. She was discovered by The Cataracs via MySpace after her friend Shane Crislip, posted her singing to some beats...
and male vocals by Far East Movement
Far east movement
Far East Movement is an Asian American electro hop quartet based in Los Angeles. The group formed in 2003 and consists of Kev Nish , Prohgress , J-Splif , and DJ Virman...
. It was written and produced by The Cataracs
The Cataracs
The Cataracs are an American hip hop indie-pop duo formed in Berkeley, California, consisting of David “Campa” Benjamin Singer-Vine, a songwriter and vocalist and Niles “Cyrano” Hollowell-Dhar, a songwriter, vocalist, and producer. The duo started out as an independent group, during their years at...
. It was number one on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
for two weeks ending November 6, 2010, and then again for the week of November 27 of the same year. It is one of only eight singles in Billboard history to return to #1 after two or more other singles had succeeded it in that position.
The song has also topped the charts in New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
and South Korea
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
and reached the top ten in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
, the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
, Thailand
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
, Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
, Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
and Slovakia
Slovakia
The Slovak Republic is a landlocked state in Central Europe. It has a population of over five million and an area of about . Slovakia is bordered by the Czech Republic and Austria to the west, Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east and Hungary to the south...
.
Many questions surround the meaning of "G6." Some believed it to be a reference to the Pontiac G6
Pontiac G6
The Pontiac G6 was a mid-size car produced under the Pontiac brand of American automaker General Motors.It was introduced in the fall of 2004 to replace the Grand Am. The car was built on the GM Epsilon platform which it shared with the Chevrolet Malibu and Saab 9-3 along with other General Motors...
, however, Kev Nish clarified that the G6 reference is to an airplane, a Gulfstream IV
Gulfstream IV
The Gulfstream IV and derivatives are a family of twin-jet aircraft, mainly for private or business use. The aircraft was designed and built by Gulfstream Aerospace, a General Dynamics company based in Savannah, Georgia, United States from 1985 until 2003.-Design and development:Gulfstream, in...
(G4) hyperbole. "A G6 is not a Gatorade flavour. It's not a car, convertible, four-door. It's not a watch," group member Kev Nish told MTV News. "But Drake, Drake talks about having G4 pilots on deck, so we said, 'What's flyer than a G4?' Of course, it would be a G6
Gulfstream G650
The Gulfstream G650 is a twin-engine business jet aircraft under development by Gulfstream Aerospace. Gulfstream began the G650 program in 2005 and revealed it to the public in 2008...
(Gulfstream G650
Gulfstream G650
The Gulfstream G650 is a twin-engine business jet aircraft under development by Gulfstream Aerospace. Gulfstream began the G650 program in 2005 and revealed it to the public in 2008...
)." Writer and producer Niles Hollowell-Dhar revealed that the reference to a G6 was created primarily in order to rhyme. It samples
Sampling (music)
In music, sampling is the act of taking a portion, or sample, of one sound recording and reusing it as an instrument or a different sound recording of a song or piece. Sampling was originally developed by experimental musicians working with musique concrète and electroacoustic music, who physically...
Dev
Dev (singer)
Devin Star Tailes , better known by her stage name Dev, is an American singer. She was discovered by The Cataracs via MySpace after her friend Shane Crislip, posted her singing to some beats...
's single "Booty Bounce
Booty Bounce
"Booty Bounce" is a song by American recording artist Dev. It was produced by The Cataracs. Although it was released after, "Booty Bounce" was sampled in Far East Movement's hit single "Like a G6" which reached number one on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart, and sold over three million downloads in...
" as the hook/chorus.
Reception
The song has sold 3 million paid downloads in the U.S., according to Nielsen SoundScanNielsen SoundScan
Nielsen SoundScan is an information and sales tracking system created by Mike Fine and Mike Shalett. Soundscan is the official method of tracking sales of music and music video products throughout the United States and Canada...
.
50 Cent
50 Cent
Curtis James Jackson III , better known by his stage name 50 Cent, is an American rapper, entrepreneur, investor, record producer, and actor. He rose to fame with the release of his albums Get Rich or Die Tryin and The Massacre . Get Rich or Die Tryin has been certified eight times platinum by...
made a remix, and Bottom Feeder produced a remix featuring Jermaine Dupri
Jermaine Dupri
Jermaine Dupri Mauldin , known as Jermaine Dupri or JD, is an American record producer, songwriter and rapper.- Early life and career :...
, Obie Trice
Obie Trice
Obie Trice III is an American rapper and songwriter. He began rapping at the age of 11, and is most known for his time spent signed to Shady Records. Obie Trice has formed his own record label, Black Market Entertainment.-Biography:...
and Adam Tensta
Adam Tensta
Adam Tensta , is a Swedish rapper. His debut album It's a Tensta Thing was a Swedish chart topper, and was awarded the 2008 Swedish Grammis for best Dance/Hip Hop/Soul album....
. Business magazine Fortune
Fortune (magazine)
Fortune is a global business magazine published by Time Inc. Founded by Henry Luce in 1930, the publishing business, consisting of Time, Life, Fortune, and Sports Illustrated, grew to become Time Warner. In turn, AOL grew as it acquired Time Warner in 2000 when Time Warner was the world's largest...
wrote that Gulfstream Aerospace
Gulfstream Aerospace
Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation is a producer of several models of jet aircraft. Gulfstream has been a unit of General Dynamics since 1999.The company has produced more than 1,500 aircraft for corporate, government, private, and military customers around the world...
"said that they were 'thrilled' about the enthusiasm for the product in the song." T-Pain
T-Pain
Faheem Rasheed Najm , better known by his stage name T-Pain, is an American singer-songwriter, rapper, record producer, and actor, currently signed to Young Money Entertainment. His debut album, Rappa Ternt Sanga, was released in 2005. In 2007, T-Pain released his second studio album Epiphany,...
has made his own remix to the song. Roll a D6
Roll a D6
"Roll a D6" is a parody of Far East Movement's song "Like a G6" adapted by Connor Anderson. The song was written during a game of Dungeons & Dragons in about four hours and the whole video took about four weeks to complete...
is a parody of the song, adapted by Connor Anderson, or Like Jesus by Totally Sketch. Remixes were also made by Nicki Minaj
Nicki Minaj
Onika Tanya Maraj , better known by her stage name Nicki Minaj; ), is a Trinidadian-born American recording artist...
, Slim Thug
Slim Thug
Stayve Jerome Thomas , better known as Slim Thug, Boss Hogg or Thug Boss, is an American rapper. He gained mainstream attention for his contribution to the popular single from rapper Mike Jones, "Still Tippin'"....
& Tinie Tempah
Tinie Tempah
Patrick Chukwuemeka Okogwu , better known by his stage name Tinie Tempah, is a British rapper. He made his first mixtape in 2007 with 28 songs, freestyles and remixes, the album features Mz Bratt, Chipmunk and G-Unit...
.
Music video
The music video, which was directed by Matt AlonzoMatt Alonzo
Matt J. Alonzo , is an American music video director and editor. He was born and raised in Carpinteria, California. He has directed and edited music videos for chart-topping R&B, rap, and rock artists.- Early life :...
and edited by Thomas Uncles, premiered on YouTube
YouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
and VEVO
Vevo
Vevo is a music video website. It is a joint venture among Sony Music Entertainment, Universal Music Group, and Abu Dhabi Media with EMI licensing its content to the group without taking an ownership stake. The service was launched officially on December 8, 2009...
on June 2, 2010. It features Dev
Dev (singer)
Devin Star Tailes , better known by her stage name Dev, is an American singer. She was discovered by The Cataracs via MySpace after her friend Shane Crislip, posted her singing to some beats...
. The line "sippin' sizzurp" and the word "slizzard" are censored on some channels. It follows a woman in a red dress (Erica Ocampo) picking up a friend from a restaurant and going to an alcohol store, presumably in preparation for a party. A later scene shows the woman and her friends at the party. Dev and the members of Far East Movement can also be seen in this party scene. The final scene shows the members of Far East Movement getting on a Gulfstream IV
Gulfstream IV
The Gulfstream IV and derivatives are a family of twin-jet aircraft, mainly for private or business use. The aircraft was designed and built by Gulfstream Aerospace, a General Dynamics company based in Savannah, Georgia, United States from 1985 until 2003.-Design and development:Gulfstream, in...
the next morning.
Track listing
Digital single- "Like a G6" (featuring The Cataracs & Dev) – 3:38
CD single
- "Like a G6" (featuring The Cataracs & Dev) – 3:38
- "Like a G6" (CahillCahill (band)Cahill are a dance group, based in Liverpool, UK consisting of producers Anton Powers, Tim Condran and Scott Rosser. They are best known for their 2008 single, Trippin' On You, which features vocals from Nikki Belle.-Background:...
Radio Edit) – 3:15
Promo CD
- "Like a G6" (featuring The Cataracs & Dev) - 3:38
- "Like a G6" (Instrumental) - 3:35
- "Like a G6" (Acappella) - 3:38
Digital remix EP
- "Like a G6" (RedOneRedOneNadir Khayat , known by the stage name RedOne, is a Moroccan producer and songwriter. Renowned for co-producing hit singles such as "Just Dance", "Poker Face", "LoveGame", "Bad Romance", "Alejandro" and "Judas", he is attributed by some as the key to Lady Gaga's success...
Remix) [featuring MohombiMohombiMohombi Nzasi Moupondo , known professionally as Mohombi, is a Swedish-Congolese R&B singer-songwriter and dancer. He grew up in one of Stockholm's suburbs called Norsborg, Stockholm. Mohombi is RedOne's first signing to 2101 Records in joint venture with Universal Music Group...
, The Cataracs, & Dev] – 4:41 - "Like a G6" (Disco Fries Remix) [featuring The Cataracs & Dev] – 5:33
- "Like a G6" (Big Syphe Remix) [featuring The Cataracs & Dev] – 4:58
- "Like a G6" (DJ Solarz Remix) [featuring The Cataracs & Dev] – 5:05
- "Like a G6" (Ruxpin Remix) [featuring The Cataracs & Dev] – 6:52
- "Like a G6" (Guy Furious Remix) [featuring The Cataracs & Dev] – 4:00
- "Like a G6" (Fantastadon Remix) [featuring The Cataracs & Dev] – 5:23
- "Like a G6" (DJ Taraspaz Remix) [featuring The Cataracs & Dev] – 4:49
Trevor Simpson on Da Beat Remix Single
- "Like a G6" (Remix) – 4:55
- "Like a G6" (Remix Club Edit) – 5:11
Eyes Remix
- Like a G6 (Eyes Remix) - 4:38
Other versions
- The rapper/singer T-PainT-PainFaheem Rasheed Najm , better known by his stage name T-Pain, is an American singer-songwriter, rapper, record producer, and actor, currently signed to Young Money Entertainment. His debut album, Rappa Ternt Sanga, was released in 2005. In 2007, T-Pain released his second studio album Epiphany,...
made a remix named "Like a G6 (T-Mix)" with a length of 3:40. - Connor Anderson made a parody of the song called "Roll A D6". The song was written during a game of Dungeons and Dragons in about four hours and the whole video took about four weeks to complete. The song, recorded despite the fact that Anderson had only occasionally played Dungeons and Dragons, was accompanied by a music video which received more than 40,000 views within two days.
Charts
| Chart (2010) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australia (ARIA ARIA Charts The ARIA charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling singles and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA commenced compiling its own charts in-house from the week ending 26 June... ) |
2 |
| Brazil (Billboard Billboard Brasil Billboard Brasil is a monthly Brazilian magazine launched on October 10, 2009, with a print-run of over 40,000 copies. It is distributed nationwide by Brazil's biggest distributor Dinap... Hot 100 Brasil Hot 100 Airplay Brasil Hot 100 Airplay is the official music singles charts in Brazil. It has been compiled by Crowley Broadcast Analysis and published monthly by Billboard Brasil since the release of the magazine, in October 2009.... ) |
8 |
| Brazil (Billboard Hot Pop Songs Billboard Brasil Billboard Brasil is a monthly Brazilian magazine launched on October 10, 2009, with a print-run of over 40,000 copies. It is distributed nationwide by Brazil's biggest distributor Dinap... ) |
2 |
| European Hot 100 | 17 |
| France (SNEP) | 14 |
| Poland (Dance Top 50 Polish Music Charts The Polish Music Charts are two official album charts and seven singles charts in Poland, provided by ZPAV, the Polish Society of the Phonographic Industry . The first, the Top 100, is a monthly chart based on data received from the album companies... ) |
18 |
| South Korea (GAON Gaon Chart The Gaon Chart is a national record chart of South Korea. It is complied by the Korea Music Content Industry Association and sponsored by South Korea's Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism; with an aim to create a national chart for Korea similar to the Billboard charts and Oricon charts... ) |
1 |
Year-end charts
| Chart (2010) | Position |
|---|---|
| Australian Singles Chart ARIA Charts The ARIA charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling singles and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA commenced compiling its own charts in-house from the week ending 26 June... |
27 |
| Canadian Hot 100 Canadian Hot 100 The Canadian Hot 100 is a music singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine which ranks songs in Canada. The chart debuted in the Billboard issue dated June 16, 2007 and was made available for the first time via their online services on June 7, 2007... |
35 |
| Dutch Singles Chart | 46 |
Certifications
| Country | Certification |
|---|---|
| Australia Australian Recording Industry Association The Australian Recording Industry Association is a trade group representing the Australian recording industry which was established in 1983 by six major record companies, EMI, Festival, CBS, RCA, WEA and Universal replacing the Association of Australian Record Manufacturers which was formed in 1956... |
3× Platinum |
| Belgium | Gold |
| New Zealand Recording Industry Association of New Zealand The Recording Industry Association of New Zealand is a non-profit trade association of record producers, distributors and recording artists who sell music in New Zealand... |
Platinum |
| Sweden Swedish Recording Industry Association Grammofonleverantörernas förening , or the Swedish Recording Industry Association in English, is an organization representing the music recording industry of Sweden... |
Gold |
| Switzerland Switzerland Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition.... |
Gold |
Release history
| Region | Date | Format | Label |
|---|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom | November 14, 2010 | Digital download Music download A music download is the transferral of music from an Internet-facing computer or website to a user's local computer. This term encompasses both legal downloads and downloads of copyright material without permission or payment... |
Cherrytree Records Cherrytree Records Cherrytree Records is an American record label and is an imprint of Interscope Records.-History:Cherrytree Records was founded in 2005 by Martin Kierszenbaum, being German for cherry tree... /Interscope Records Interscope Records Interscope Records is an American record label owned by Universal Music Group that currently operates as one third of UMG's Interscope-Geffen-A&M label group.-History:... |