For the 90s born, “Smack That” would be a familiar song that they break danced to in their teenage years. Whether you are an Akon fan or an Eminem fan, it is not easy to overlook the kind of energy this song brought to the dance floor. The song was well received by the masses as a club banger and achieved even greater feats commercially.
“Smack That” released on September 26, 2006, as the first single off of Akon’s second studio album ‘Konvict.’ The song features a rap verse by Eminem which helped boost the sales of 67,000 units in the first week of release. The song was also a massive hit on radio play which made the track climb 88 spots on Billboard Hot 100 chart in one week from #95 to #7. At the time, the song was awarded the Guinness World Record for the biggest jump on Billboard Hot 100 chart. The song eventually climbed to #2 on Billboard Hot 100 and remained there for five consecutive weeks.
The music video for “Smack That” is a spin-off of the movie ’48 Hours’ which scripts a convict being released from jail to help solve a crime. Akon is released from jail to find a girl in a club where he meets Eminem.
Watch “Smack That” Music Video by Akon Ft. Eminem
There is no sugarcoating that the song has a blatant sexual meaning behind the catchy lyrics. Akon finds a girl who is into him because of his fame and his Lamborghini Gallardo luxury car. So he is inclined to take her home and possibly bend her over and “smack that” all over his house.
The second verse of the song is the rap verse by Eminem and he starts off by suggesting this song is a “club banger.” How right was he!!!
Eminem’s verse describes the situation inside the bar. There are drinks all around and everyone is tipsy. He sees girls climbing up and down the poles and he can barely contain himself. Then he walks up to a girl and asks her to come home with him. He exaggerates his house to be a “palace” to lure in this girl. Finally, he suggests her to bring her friend as well because Em has another friend back at home for her. And this friend is none other than Akon himself.
Besides the sexually aggravated meaning behind this song, it managed to become a usual banger in the clubs in the 2000s.
What are your thoughts on this track by Akon and Eminem? Drop a comment below. Check out the full lyrics and further meaning breakdown on Genius.