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Whole Lotta Choppas

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"Whole Lotta Choppas"
Single by Sada Baby
ReleasedAugust 14, 2020 (2020-08-14)
GenreMiami bass[1]
Length2:33
Label
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)CoalCash Blac[2]
Sada Baby singles chronology
"F**k It Up"
(2020) 		"Whole Lotta Choppas"
(2020) 		"Let Me Breathe"
(2020)
Music video
"Whole Lotta Choppas" on YouTube

"Whole Lotta Choppas" is a song by American rapper Sada Baby. It was released on August 14, 2020, through Asylum Records, as the lead single from his upcoming debut album. The song quickly garnered popularity on the video-sharing app TikTok and became Sada Baby's first charting song. It samples Tag Team's 1993 single, "Whoomp! (There It Is)". A remix featuring Nicki Minaj was released on October 16, 2020, with critical praise aimed at her appearance. The remix propelled the song to a new peak of number 35 on the Billboard Hot 100.

Background

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The first recording of the song took place nearly two years before its release. Sada said he held it "because I felt it was going to be — I didn't know. I just felt like it was a good enough remake [of] 'Whoomp There It Is'". He decided to release it in anticipation of his debut album.[3] Following its release, "Whole Lotta Choppas" went viral on the video-sharing platform TikTok, thanks to a dance challenge created by the user @ohbukster, resulting in over 5.8 million videos and 1.3 billion sound plays on the platform.[2][4] Sada also resposted a video of Nathan Apodaca aka @420doggface208 — the TikTok user who garnered popularity for singing along to Fleetwood Mac's "Dreams" — dancing to "Whole Lotta Choppas".[5] By October, the song accumulated over 16 million streams on Spotify.[5] It earned Sada Baby his first entry on the US Billboard Hot 100, debuting at number 93, on the chart dated October 3, 2020.[6] The song was also picked as an anthem during the 2020 NBA Finals.[7][8] HotNewHipHop's Alex Zidel regarded the track as Sada Baby's "biggest success story".[9]

Composition

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According to Sada, his vernacular on "Whole Lotta Choppas" was a result of headaches he was experiencing from the pain of a then recent dental procedure in which he got grills. The slurring of his speech was because of his top teeth and because he "was trying to learn how to speak" with the grills. His headaches persisted with the filming of the song's video in which he was less active than the rest of the cast.[3]
Opposed to the "lighthearted" sampled track, "Whoomp! (There It Is)", "Whole Lotta Choppas" is a sexually explicit track.[10] It has been regarded as an R-rated,[11] "quick moving party cut".[10] It contains a fast-paced,[9][12] "energetic" beat,[13] and was noted for being reminiscent of the early '90s Miami bass sound.[14] The dance-heavy track is a change in style for Sada, however he still delivers "his signature brand of brash and comedic lyricism",[14] with his "braggadocious bars, wordplay and charismatic delivery".[15]

Music video

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The video was shot in Miami and was released on August 20, 2020.[3] It was filmed by 20K Visuals. Inspired by the Freaknik events, the visual sees Sada Baby having a big house party with several models and his Big Squad crew.[14]

Remix

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"Whole Lotta Choppas (Remix)"
Single by Sada Baby featuring Nicki Minaj
ReleasedOctober 16, 2020
Recorded2020
GenreMiami bass
Length2:53
LabelAsylum
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)CoalCash Blac
Sada Baby singles chronology
"Gig In Her"
(2020) 		"Whole Lotta Choppas (Remix)"
(2020) 		"KrunxhRap Supreme"
(2020)
Nicki Minaj singles chronology
"Oh My Gawd"
(2020) 		"Whole Lotta Choppas (Remix)"
(2020) 		"What That Speed Bout!?"
(2020)
Lyric video
"Whole Lotta Choppas" (Remix) on YouTube

Background and composition

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The remix marked the first release by Minaj since she gave birth to her first child.[2][4][8][16] It was announced less than a day before its release by both artists via their social medias.[17] The day before, Minaj celebrated her son's birth with an Instagram post.[12] The remix opens with Minaj revealing that she recorded her verse while nine months pregnant.[4] Once she starts rapping, Minaj wishes for a play-date with her son and labelmate Drake's son, Adonis: "I hope one day we do a play-date with Adonis".[4] Drake responded to the line, posting a screenshot of the track on his Instagram Stories, captioning it: "Play dates soon come".[5] The "retro, preppy" track also sees Minaj referencing the Black Lives Matter movement, Burberry,[18] vaping, and basketball player Giannis Antetokounmpo,[19] while Sada Baby delivers his "smooth and raspy" verse.[18] Rolling Stone's Althea Legaspi noted, "Minaj turns up the sultry dance party heat, leading with her two verses and a twist on the hook in the remix".[7] Minaj's lyrics were noted for being reminiscent of her 2014 single "Anaconda",[10] due to her "x-rated" references to her lower region and "edible" underwear.[20]

Critical reception

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Uproxx's Wongo Okon called Minaj's verse "thrilling", and praised her for "floating effortlessly on the track's fast-paced production".[12] The Source's Ebbony "Miss2Bees" Pinillos said Minaj delivers "a fire verse while she's 9 months pregnant".[13] FNR Tigg of Complex stated: "Minaj's presence on a track is always a gift. But, this feature is particularly special because she took time away from being a new mother to bless Sada with a verse".[17] SOHH's Biz Jones said Minaj "slays" on the remix, delivering "hard bars".[20] Chris Murphy of Vulture wrote: "Imagine having a baby and dropping a sick guest verse in the span of two weeks? Only a true Queen could pull that off", pointing out how Minaj "goes on to spit for two minutes straight on the track".[21] Rap-Up said "Over the infectious beat, Nicki proves she hasn't missed a beat",[22] while Nylon's Layla Halabian said Minaj "delivered a salvo that could only come from the queen of rap".[23] Paper's Shaad D'Souza wrote favorably, "Minaj recorded this verse nine months pregnant, and yet it goes harder than anything she's put to tape in recent memory. Let's hope she was joking about her retirement from music — 'Whole Lotta Choppas' says she's still as sharp as ever".[24] Ryan Shepard of Def Pen said the "Detroit-New York connection lives up to the hype", calling the remix "just as fun and upbeat as the original, if not more".[25] Billboard's Jason Lipshutz named it among the most essential releases of the week, calling Sada Baby "wise" for ceding "the first half of the new version to his guest, then comes in, unfurls his own top-notch wordplay and reminds us of the original's magic".[19] The remix was credited for raising Sada Baby's profile.[26][27]

Charts

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Remix

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Chart performance for "Whole Lotta Choppas"
Chart (2020) Peak
position
Canada (Canadian Hot 100)[28] 91
Global 200 (Billboard)[29] 60
New Zealand Hot Singles (RMNZ)[30] 19
Scotland (OCC)[31] 93
UK Download (Official Charts Company)[32] 96
US Billboard Hot 100[33] 35
US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (Billboard)[34] 12

Certifications

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Region Certification Certified units/sales
United States (RIAA)[35] Platinum 1,000,000‡

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

References

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  1. ^ "Okayplayer's Best Songs of 2020". Okayplayer. December 22, 2020.
  2. ^ a b c Johnson, Patrick (October 16, 2020). "Listen to Nicki Minaj Remix Sada Baby's Viral Anthem "Whole Lotta Choppas"". Hypebeast. Retrieved October 26, 2020.
  3. ^ a b c Jefferson, Devon (October 17, 2020). "Why Sada Baby Sampled 'Whoomp! (There It Is)' On 'Whole Lotta Choppas' & Held It For Nearly Two Years". HipHopDX. Retrieved October 26, 2020.
  4. ^ a b c d Mench, Chris (October 16, 2020). "Nicki Minaj Hops On The Remix Of Sada Baby's "Whole Lotta Choppas"". Genius. Retrieved October 26, 2020.
  5. ^ a b c Walker, Joe (October 16, 2020). "Drake Reacts To Nicki Minaj Name-Dropping His Son On Sada Baby's 'Whole Lotta Choppas' Remix". HipHopDX. Retrieved October 26, 2020.
  6. ^ (verified account) [@BillboardCharts] (September 28, 2020). ".@SkubaBaby's "Whole Lotta Choppas" debuts at No. 92 on this week's #Hot100. It earns Sada Baby his first career entry on the chart" (Tweet). Retrieved October 26, 2020 – via Twitter.
  7. ^ a b Legaspi, Althea (October 16, 2020). "Nicki Minaj Teams Up With Sada Baby for 'Whole Lotta Choppas' Remix". Rolling Stone. Retrieved October 26, 2020.
  8. ^ a b Rettig, James (October 16, 2020). "Sada Baby – "Whole Lotta Choppas (Remix)" (Feat. Nicki Minaj)". Stereogum. Retrieved October 26, 2020.
  9. ^ a b Zidel, Alex (October 16, 2020). "Nicki Minaj Announces Her Return With Sada Baby Remix". HotNewHipHop. Retrieved October 26, 2020.
  10. ^ a b c Powell, Jon (October 16, 2020). "Nicki Minaj joins Sada Baby on "Whole Lotta Choppas (Remix)"". Revolt. Retrieved October 26, 2020.
  11. ^ "Nicki Minaj Assists Sada Baby on 'Whole Lotta Choppas': Stream It Now". Billboard. October 16, 2020. Retrieved October 26, 2020.
  12. ^ a b c Okom, Wongo (October 16, 2020). "Nicki Minaj Delivers A Thrilling Verse To Remix Sada Baby's Viral Hit, 'Whole Lotta Choppas'". Uproxx. Retrieved October 26, 2020.
  13. ^ a b Miss2Bees (October 16, 2020). "Nicki Minaj Expresses Desire to Reconcile With Drake in Sada Baby's 'Whole Lotta Choppas (Remix)'". The Source. Retrieved October 26, 2020.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  14. ^ a b c Rashed, Ayana (October 18, 2020). "Nicki Minaj Joins Sada Baby On "Whole Lotta Choppas" Official Remix". Respect. Retrieved October 26, 2020.
  15. ^ A., Aron (August 16, 2020). "Sada Baby Keeps His Closet Filled WIth A "Whole Lotta Choppas"". HotNewHipHop. Retrieved October 26, 2020.
  16. ^ Hussey, Allison (October 16, 2020). "Nicki Minaj Joins Sada Baby on New "Whole Lotta Choppas (Remix)": Listen". Pitchfork. Retrieved October 26, 2020.
  17. ^ a b Tigg, FNR (October 16, 2020). "Nicki Minaj Links With Sada Baby for "Whole Lotta Choppas" Remix". Complex. Retrieved October 26, 2020.
  18. ^ a b McKinney, Jessica (October 17, 2020). "Best New Music This Week: Benny the Butcher, Black Thought, Ty Dolla Sign, More". Complex. Retrieved October 26, 2020.
  19. ^ a b Lipshutz, Jason (October 16, 2020). "First Stream: New Music From Justin Bieber & Benny Blanco, Lana Del Rey and More". Billboard. Retrieved October 26, 2020.
  20. ^ a b Jones, Biz (October 16, 2020). "Nicki Minaj Drops X-Rated Bars On Sada Baby's Whole Lotta Choppas Remix". SOHH. Retrieved October 26, 2020.
  21. ^ Murphy, Chris (October 16, 2020). "New Mom Nicki Minaj Guests on Remix of Viral TikTok Song 'Whole Lotta Choppas". Vulture. Retrieved October 26, 2020.
  22. ^ "Nicki Minaj Returns on Sada Baby's 'Whole Lotta Choppas' Remix". Rap-Up. October 15, 2020. Retrieved October 26, 2020.
  23. ^ Halabian, Layla (October 16, 2020). "Nicki Minaj Remixed Sada Baby's "Whole Lotta Choppas"". Nylon. Retrieved October 26, 2020.
  24. ^ Shaad D'Souza, Shaad (October 23, 2020). "Sound Off: 10 New Songs You Need to Hear Now". Paper. Retrieved October 26, 2020.
  25. ^ Shepard, Ryam (October 16, 2020). "New Music: Sada Baby – Whole Lotta Choppas (Featuring Nicki Minaj)". Def Pen. Retrieved October 26, 2020.
  26. ^ "Sada Baby Apologizes for Offensive Tweets". Rap-Up. October 20, 2020. Retrieved October 26, 2020.
  27. ^ Tigg, FNR (October 21, 2020). "Sada Baby Responds to Backlash Over His Offensive Tweets". Complex. Retrieved October 26, 2020.
  28. ^ "Nicki Minaj Chart History (Canadian Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved October 27, 2020.
  29. ^ "Nicki Minaj Chart History (Global 200)". Billboard. Retrieved August 22, 2021.
  30. ^ "NZ Hot Singles Chart". Recorded Music NZ. October 26, 2020. Retrieved October 26, 2020.
  31. ^ "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved October 26, 2020.
  32. ^ "Official Singles Downloads Chart Top 100: 23 October 2020 - 29 October 2020". Official Charts Company. October 23, 2020. Retrieved October 26, 2020.
  33. ^ "Nicki Minaj Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved October 27, 2020.
  34. ^ "Nicki Minaj Chart History (Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved October 27, 2020.
  35. ^ "American single certifications – Sada Baby – Whole Lotta Choppas". Recording Industry Association of America.
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