In a partnership with the online dating app BLK, Juvenile, Mannie Fresh, and Mia X have revamped Juvie’s iconic 1999 summer hit, “Back Dat Azz Up,” into “Vax That Thang Up,” an anthem prompting listeners to get their COVID-19 vaccination.
Featuring the same catchy beat from the original, “Vax That Thang Up” finds the three New Orleans legends crafting verses that include calls-to-action urging BLK app users to “get the shot” in an effort to ensure their safety, as well as other BLK members they may come in contact with. Juvenile sets the campaign off, rapping, “You finna online date, yeah / Find a mate, yeah / Open up BLK, yeah / It’s OK, yeah,” before informing listeners they need to “go vaccinate, yeah / Get it straight, yeah,” prior to hooking up with a date, yeah.
Mannie Fresh follows Juvie’s lead, boasting, “I know you can’t stand it, no holding hands chick / But when we get the shot, we gon be romancing,” before passing the mic to Mia X, who fills in for Lil Wayne and anchors the track teasing, “If you wanna get sticky and hot / Go-go-go go get the shot.”
In a statement released in conjunction with the “Vax Anthem,” Juvenile spoke on his decision to rework his signature song in tandem with BLK. “I just wanted to do something positive for my people and to stand in the front to show that I’m willing to sacrifice my life not just for me but also for my family,” said the “Slow Motion” rapper. “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.”
Jonathan Kirkland, BLK Head of Brand & Marketing also spoke on the importance of the song and its impactful message. “We have a direct line to the audience that needs to internalize this message,” said Kirkland. “The song may be playful and fun, but the underlying message is as real as it gets.”
With more than five million downloads thus far, BLK is “the largest dating app made for Black singles.” The BLK “Vax That Thang Up” campaign was created in a partnership with Majority, a marketing agency co-founded by NBA Hall Of Famer Shaquille O’Neal, and recently introduced its “Vaxified” badge on its app, which allows members to share their vaccination status.
And with over 100,000 BLK users now having added a “Vaxified” badge on their profile in less than a month, this NOLA trio’s efforts are certainly not in vain.