Suge (song) explained

Suge
Type:single
Artist:DaBaby
Album:Baby on Baby
Recorded:2018
Genre:
Label:
  • Interscope
  • South Coast
Producer:
Chronology:DaBaby
Prev Title:Animal
Prev Year:2018
Next Title:Baby Shower
Next Year:2019

"Suge" (also known as "Suge (Yea Yea)") is the breakthrough hit by American rapper DaBaby, released as the lead single from his debut studio album Baby on Baby on April 23, 2019.[1] It reached number seven on the US Billboard Hot 100. The song's title is a reference to former music executive Suge Knight.[2] It was produced by JetsonMade and Pooh Beatz. The song was later nominated for Best Rap Performance and Best Rap Song at the 62nd Annual Grammy Awards.[3] "Suge" was ranked as the 2nd best song of 2019 by Complex, and the 12th best by Billboard.

Composition and lyrics

"Suge" contains "throbbing production",[4] a beat that sounds like "ticking drums and a croaking synth-bass".[5] The chorus contains a "yeah, yeah" interjection, hence the subtitle of the song. The song's lyrics have been described as "brazenly confident", with DaBaby rapping about keeping $32,000 in one of his pockets (and a Glock in the other), paired with "powerful vocal delivery, clever bars, and an oversize personality".

Critical reception

The Washington Post said the song "showcases DaBaby's versatility" in sounding "suave" and then being able to "flip the switch".[2] Noisey called the track "one of the album's best singles and a restless mess of lines", adding that DaBaby "free associates in a way that feels like Young Thug".[6]

Commercial performance

"Suge" debuted on the US Billboard Hot 100 at number 87 during the week of April 13, 2019, becoming DaBaby's first Hot 100 entry.[7] Suge continued to climb the Hot 100 over the next several weeks, and has since peaked at number seven on the chart and at number three on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. On June 23, 2019, the single was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for sales of over a million digital copies in the United States.[8]

Music video

The music video for "Suge" was released on March 4, 2019. It features DaBaby in a variety of roles, including a mailman, Suge Knight, and dancing in an office.[9] The video also features an excerpt from the intro song to his previous album, "Taking It Out".

Remix

On August 8, American rapper Joyner Lucas and Canadian rapper Tory Lanez ended their feud that started in 2018 by releasing a remix of the song together.[10]

Nicki Minaj also made a non-official remix of the song premiering on her show, Queen Radio and also a snippet of her verse in an Instagram page.[11]

In popular culture

In 2021, memes related to the song blew up on social media such as Twitter.[12] [13] [14] They included surrealist descriptions/depictions of DaBaby as a convertible, inspired by his lyrics in the song, where he stated: "I will turn a nigga into a convertible; Push me a lil' nigga top back (Vroom)." DaBaby was then noted for his apparent resemblance to a convertible.[15] The sound effects and producer tags used in the song, such as ‘No Cap’ and ‘Oh Lord, JetsonMade Another One’ also became very popular.

Charts

Weekly charts

Chart (2019)Peak
position
Australia (ARIA)[16] 58
Lithuania (AGATA)[17] 36
New Zealand Hot Singles (RMNZ)[18] 17
Sweden Heatseeker (Sverigetopplistan)[19] 19
US Rolling Stone Top 100[20] 10

Year-end charts

Chart (2019)Position
Canada (Canadian Hot 100)[21] 75
US Billboard Hot 100[22] 24
US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (Billboard)[23] 11
US Rhythmic (Billboard)[24] 24
US Rolling Stone Top 100[25] 12

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Top 40 Rhythmic Future Releases. AllAccess. April 23, 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190421072109/https://www.allaccess.com/top40-rhythmic/future-releases. April 21, 2019.
  2. News: DaBaby proves he's one of hip-hop's most intriguing figures at sold-out concert. The Washington Post. Kimble. Julian. April 7, 2019. April 23, 2019.
  3. Web site: 2020 GRAMMY Awards: Complete Nominees List. The Recording Academy. November 20, 2019.
  4. Web site: The Best Songs of 2019. Skelton. Eric. Complex. en. December 30, 2019.
  5. The 100 Best Songs of 2019: Staff List. Billboard Staff. December 11, 2019. Billboard. December 11, 2019.
  6. Web site: DaBaby Makes the Funniest Videos in Rap. Noisey. Schube. Will. April 10, 2019. April 23, 2019.
  7. Top 100 Songs Billboard Hot 100 Chart. Billboard. 2019-04-09.
  8. Web site: Gold & Platinum. RIAA. May 20, 2019.
  9. Web site: DaBaby Releases Hilarious New Video For 'Suge (Yea Yea)'. HotNewHipHop. Zidel. Alex. March 4, 2019. April 23, 2019.
  10. Web site: Joyner Lucas and Tory Lanez Unite for 'Suge' Remix. Rap-Up. en-US. 2020-05-05.
  11. Web site: Nicki Minaj Remixes DaBaby's "Suge (Yea Yea)": Listen. Bloom. Madison. Pitchfork. en. 2020-05-05.
  12. Web site: Andriyashchuk. Yuriy. 2021-03-24. Random DaBaby Memes Have Been Flooding Twitter. 2021-06-20. THE BLAST. en-US.
  13. Web site: DaBaby Memes Blow Up On Social Media. 2021-06-20. HotNewHipHop. en.
  14. Web site: Kabir. Ahsan. 2021-05-23. Twitch banned 'DaBaby' account for trolling Pokimane, Ninja & more. 2021-06-20. InsideSport. en-gb.
  15. Web site: 2021-03-31. DaBaby Was Intrigued By Young Students' 'Imaginary Stories' About Him. 2021-04-27. UPROXX. en-US.
  16. Web site: ARIA Chart Watch #526. auspOp. June 1, 2019. June 1, 2019.
  17. Web site: Savaitės klausomiausi (TOP 100). Lithuanian. AGATA. May 31, 2019. December 3, 2019.
  18. Web site: NZ Hot Singles Chart. Recorded Music NZ. June 3, 2019. May 31, 2019.
  19. Web site: Veckolista Heatseeker, vecka 22. Sverigetopplistan. May 31, 2019.
  20. Top 100 Songs. Rolling Stone. July 2, 2019. July 2, 2019.
  21. Canadian Hot 100 – Year-End 2019. Billboard. December 6, 2019.
  22. Hot 100 Songs – Year-End 2019. Billboard. December 6, 2019.
  23. Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs – Year-End 2019. Billboard. December 6, 2019.
  24. Rhythmic Songs – Year-End 2019. Billboard. December 6, 2019.
  25. Top 100 Songs of 2019. Rolling Stone. January 10, 2020. January 17, 2020.