It’s been nearly 25 years since New Orleans rapper Juvenile released his megahit “Back That Azz Up.”
That means for a quarter-century now, people have been running to the dance floor at the sound of the strings that start one of the greatest hip-hop songs of all time. Produced by Mannie Fresh, the seductive beat and celebratory lyrics have provided a soundtrack for generations of folks looking to shake what their momma gave ’em. The song followed the smash single “Ha,” both off of Juvenile’s multiplatinum album 400 Degrees, which signified the rise of the Cash Money Records empire as they took over for the ’99 and the 2000.
To celebrate the 25th anniversary of this landmark album, Juvenile, Mannie Fresh and an accompanying live band are scheduled to perform at the Fox Theater in Oakland this Friday, Oct. 20.
Juvenile, whose summer 2023 performance at NPR’s Tiny Desk has racked up nearly six million views, has performed a few shows in the Bay Area before. Those include a 2016 Hiero Day set that filled the block and KMEL’s Legends of Summer Jam concert in 2014.