Who Dat (J. Cole song)
Encyclopedia
"Who Dat" is a song by American rapper and hip hop
artist J. Cole. Originally meant to be the lead single
off Cole's debut album, Cole World: The Sideline Story, the song was thought not to have made the final cut due to the song being released sixteen months prior to the album's release and its lackluster performance on the charts: however, the song appears as a bonus track on the iTunes
edition of the album.
the line "Now who else wanna fuck with Hollywood Courts?" by Andre 3000
from Outkast
's song "SpottieOttieDopalicious". J. Cole said he chose "Who Dat" to be his first single "because it’s really about the beat and the raps and not much more. It’s an introduction to those that were unfamiliar and also something for my fans to brag about as opposed to hearing it on the radio and being like ‘Ehhh.’ He also calls the song "raw" and says it reminds him of his older sound. J. Cole explained he kept the song on the album and included it as a bonus track
because "[it] connects the past two years to everything."
, J. Cole's hometown and was released June 21, 2010. There was controversy surrounding the use of local college cheerleaders from Fayetteville State University and a local high school marching band from E.E. Smith High School in the music video for the song. In addition, the entire music video is one continuous shot with no cuts.
The song was remixed by Spose
his most recent mix tape.
. The song is featured on Hot 97 radio personality Peter Rosenberg's mixtape What's Poppin' Volume One. Rosenberg revealed on his website that Spencer Datt, an aspiring rapper, was his brother-in-law
who had died in a car crash, a month after he proposed to his sister. Rosenberg put the remix together in honor of him, and was able to get two of Datt's favorite rappers J. Cole and Donald Glover a.k.a
Childish Gambino to record new verses for him.
Hip hop
Hip hop is a form of musical expression and artistic culture that originated in African-American and Latino communities during the 1970s in New York City, specifically the Bronx. DJ Afrika Bambaataa outlined the four pillars of hip hop culture: MCing, DJing, breaking and graffiti writing...
artist J. Cole. Originally meant to be the lead single
Lead single
A lead single is usually the first single released by a musician or a band before the release of its home album.During the era of the grammophone record, all music arrived in the marketplace as what is now termed a single, one potential hit song backed by an additional song of generally less...
off Cole's debut album, Cole World: The Sideline Story, the song was thought not to have made the final cut due to the song being released sixteen months prior to the album's release and its lackluster performance on the charts: however, the song appears as a bonus track on the iTunes
ITunes
iTunes is a media player computer program, used for playing, downloading, and organizing digital music and video files on desktop computers. It can also manage contents on iPod, iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad....
edition of the album.
Background
"Who Dat" samples "Godofallofus" by New Hope and the third verse interpolatesInterpolation (music)
Interpolation in music refers to an abrupt change in musical elements from the main theme.-In classical music:In music and musical composition, especially 20th century and later, interpolation is an abrupt change of elements, with continuation of the first idea...
the line "Now who else wanna fuck with Hollywood Courts?" by Andre 3000
André 3000
André Lauren Benjamin , better known by his stage name André 3000 is an American rapper, singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, record producer and actor, best known for being part of American hip-hop duo OutKast alongside fellow rapper Big Boi...
from Outkast
OutKast
Outkast is an American hip hop duo based in East Point, Georgia, consisting of Atlanta native André "André 3000" Benjamin and Savannah, Georgia-born Antwan "Big Boi" Patton. They were originally known as Two Shades Deep but later changed the group's name to OutKast...
's song "SpottieOttieDopalicious". J. Cole said he chose "Who Dat" to be his first single "because it’s really about the beat and the raps and not much more. It’s an introduction to those that were unfamiliar and also something for my fans to brag about as opposed to hearing it on the radio and being like ‘Ehhh.’ He also calls the song "raw" and says it reminds him of his older sound. J. Cole explained he kept the song on the album and included it as a bonus track
Bonus track
In terms of recorded music, a bonus track is a piece of music which has been included on specific releases or reissues of an album. This is most often done as a promotional device, either as an incentive to customers to purchase albums they might otherwise not, or to repurchase albums they already...
because "[it] connects the past two years to everything."
Music video
Directed by acclaimed directing duo BBGun (Maxim Bohichik & Alex Bergman), the music video was shot in the final week of May, 2010. It was shot in Fayetteville, North CarolinaFayetteville, North Carolina
Fayetteville is a city located in Cumberland County, North Carolina, United States. It is the county seat of Cumberland County, and is best known as the home of Fort Bragg, a U.S. Army post located northwest of the city....
, J. Cole's hometown and was released June 21, 2010. There was controversy surrounding the use of local college cheerleaders from Fayetteville State University and a local high school marching band from E.E. Smith High School in the music video for the song. In addition, the entire music video is one continuous shot with no cuts.
In popular culture
The song was used in Step Up 3D.The song was remixed by Spose
Spose
Ryan Michael Peters , better known by his stage name Spose, is an American rapper from Wells, Maine.-Music career:Spose began rhyming while he was in eighth grade with friend and rapper Cam Groves, and started to pursue his rapping career in 2004...
his most recent mix tape.
Who Datt Pt. 2
On September 7th, 2011 a remix was released titled "Who Datt Pt. 2" featuring Spencer Datt (SD) & Childish GambinoDonald Glover
Donald McKinley Glover is an American actor, writer, comedian, and musician. Glover first came to attention for his work in the sketch group Derrick Comedy, and is best known for his role as community college student Troy Barnes on the NBC comedy series Community...
. The song is featured on Hot 97 radio personality Peter Rosenberg's mixtape What's Poppin' Volume One. Rosenberg revealed on his website that Spencer Datt, an aspiring rapper, was his brother-in-law
Brother-in-law
A brother-in-law is the brother of one's spouse, the husband of one's sibling, or the husband of one's spouse's sibling.-See also:*Affinity *Sister-in-law*Brothers in Law , a 1955 British comedy novel...
who had died in a car crash, a month after he proposed to his sister. Rosenberg put the remix together in honor of him, and was able to get two of Datt's favorite rappers J. Cole and Donald Glover a.k.a
Stage name
A stage name, also called a showbiz name or screen name, is a pseudonym used by performers and entertainers such as actors, wrestlers, comedians, and musicians.-Motivation to use a stage name:...
Childish Gambino to record new verses for him.
Charts
| Chart (2010) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| US 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... |
93 |