Whole Lotta Choppas
"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
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 'Whoomp There It Is". He decided to release it in anticipation of his debut album. 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. 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". By October, the song accumulated over 16 million streams on Spotify. It earned Sada Baby his first entry on the US Billboard Hot 100, debuting at number 93, on the chart dated October 3, 2020. The song was also picked as an anthem during the 2020 NBA Finals. HotNewHipHops Alex Zidel regarded the track as Sada Baby's "biggest success story".Composition
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.Opposed to the "lighthearted" sampled track, "Whoomp! ", "Whole Lotta Choppas" is a sexually explicit track. It has been regarded as an R-rated, "quick moving party cut". It contains a fast-paced, "energetic" beat, and was noted for being reminiscent of the early '90s Miami bass sound. The dance-heavy track is a change in style for Sada, however he still delivers "his signature brand of brash and comedic lyricism", with his "braggadocious bars, wordplay and charismatic delivery".
Music video
The video was shot in Miami and was released on August 20, 2020. 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.Remix
Background and composition
The remix marked the first release by Minaj since she gave birth to her first child. It was announced less than a day before its release by both artists via their social medias. The day before, Minaj celebrated her son's birth with an Instagram post.The remix opens with Minaj revealing that she recorded her verse while nine months pregnant. 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". Drake responded to the line, posting a screenshot of the track on his Instagram Stories, captioning it: "Play dates soon come". The "retro, preppy" track also sees Minaj referencing the Black Lives Matter movement, Burberry, vaping, and basketball player Giannis Antetokounmpo, while Sada Baby delivers his "smooth and raspy" verse. Rolling Stones 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". Minaj's lyrics were noted for being reminiscent of her 2014 single "Anaconda", due to her "x-rated" references to her lower region and "edible" underwear.