Juvenile, Mannie Fresh and Mia X Encourage Young Black Singles to "Vax That Thang Up"
Hip-hop trio reworks Summer '99 classic into pro-public-health anthem for dating app BLK. It rules.
By Kenny Herzog •
The summer of 1999 belonged to New Orleans MC Juvenile's club anthem "Back That Thang Up" (the non-radio version had a slightly more straightforward substitute for "Thang"). Twenty-two years later, Juvenile and his original co-conspirator Mannie Fresh — along with legendary Southern rapper Mia X — have put out a PSA for the ages with Covid-era rework titled "Vax That Thang Up."
The clip was commissioned by BLK, a dating app for Black singles. Clocking in at just under two minutes, "Vax That Thang Up" resurrects its predecessor's backing track, but swaps out all the innuendo (OK, explicit sexual) call-outs for entreaties to get the Covid vaccine because, as Fresh puts it, "Girl, you a queen/After quarantine/We can meet up at the spot and do the thing."
It is, however, Mia who makes the most of her cameo, cheerfully encouraging women that, "If you wanna get sticky and hot/Go-go-go get the shot/If you wanna smash some dude named Scott/Go-go-a-go get the shot."
Juvenile issued a statement coinciding with the song's release, saying, "We don't know what we're facing right now, but we really do all need to be vaccinated so we can continue to do our thing and survive."
Truer words....
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