Juvenile & The 400 Degreez Band
feat. DJ Mannie Fresh
Back That Azz Up 25th Anniversary Tour
White Oak Music Hall
August 16th, 2024I was a freshman in college in 1999, riding around in a brand new Chevy Cavalier with two Rockford Fosgate 12″ subs in the truck, using rap and Hip-Hop music as the soundtrack to my adventures. It was a great year for the genre, with new albums by Dr. Dre, Jay Z, and Eminem heavy in my rotation. I also had just downloaded some music on Napster by a crew from New Orleans who called themselves Cash Money Records.
There was something supremely hypnotic about rapper Juvenile’s voice and rhyming patterns on “Ha,” the first single from his 400 Degreez album. The beat was also equally transcendent, introducing me to elements of bounce music that this Tejano kid had never heard before. DJ Mannie Fresh was the genius behind those beats, and together the duo would make some of the best Southern rap music ever produced.
And then one day, while watching MTV at my primo’s house, I heard these famous prophetic words:
“Cash Money Records taking over for the ’99 and the 2000!”
Photo by Marco Torres” class=”uk-display-block uk-position-relative uk-visible-toggle”>
DJ Mannie Fresh produced the song “Back That Azz Up,” which was the second single from Juvenile’s 400 Degreez album, widely considered as one of the greatest rap songs ever.
Photo by Marco Torres
The song “Back That Azz Up” was the second single off the 400 Degreez album, and it has been minted by fans as one of the greatest rap songs ever. Even now, 25 years later, the song bangs at the club, at weddings, and in the car. The beat, the lyrics, and the overall feel of the track is infectious, inducing an immediate dance break and putting the world on hold for those 4 minutes and 25 seconds.
The show at White Oak Music Hall on Friday night began with Mannie Fresh behind the DJ booth, warming up the crowd with a mix of Houston rap classics, R&B classics, and bounce anthems. The crowd was singing and swag surfing to all the hits, and were definitely warmed up to receive the headliner. The 400 Degreez band consisted of a drummer, an electric guitar, a bass guitar, and an additional DJ.
Juve sauntered onstage wearing a green track suit, a bucket hat, and a pair of shades. His gold teeth and iced out platinum chain sparkled brightly as he rapped the opening tracks “Ha” and “Set It Off.” His voice and wordplay are so iconic: menacing, guttural, humorous, and witty AF. The aura he creates around his music and stage presence is electric and mysterious.
Photo by Marco Torres” class=”uk-display-block uk-position-relative uk-visible-toggle”>
The aura Juvenile creates around his music and stage presence is electric and mysterious.
Photo by Marco Torres
This concert was initially scheduled to be presented on the lawn, but was later moved inside. And boy did it feel like it…. so many people jam packed the downstairs area of the venue. Luckily, most people were pretty chill and content to be around so many of their fellow Cash Money fans. White girls in Saints jerseys danced to “Get Your Roll On” and “Slow Motion” with their new friends surrounding them. Many of the fans in attendance rapped along to every lyric, even to the b-side tracks like “Shine” and “In My Life.”
Oh course Juve and Mannie looked on with joyful smiles, realizing how their music has endured time and kept relevant throughout the years. Its important to recognize and celebrate greatness, and that’s exactly what we all did, backing that azz up and bouncing to the beats from the ’99 till forever.
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