Ass Like That
"Ass Like That", also referred to as "A** Like That", "@$$ Like That", "Like That" or "Butt Like That" in their respective censored forms, is a song by American rapper Eminem from his fifth studio album Encore (2004). It was released as the sixth and final single from the album on June 7, 2005.
"Ass Like That" | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Single by Eminem | ||||
from the album Encore | ||||
Released | June 7, 2005 | |||
Genre | Comedy hip hop | |||
Length | 4:25 | |||
Label | ||||
Songwriter(s) | ||||
Producer(s) | ||||
Eminem singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
Music video | ||||
"Ass Like That" on YouTube |
Musically, the song blends elements of rap, Indian music and Middle Eastern music.
Critical reception
AllMusic wrote: "Eminem is plain-spoken and literal, intent on refuting every critic from Benzino at The Source to Triumph the Insult Comic Dog, who gets an entire song ("Ass Like That") devoted to him."[1] HipHopDX editor J-23 was divided: "'Ass Like That' is gonna be a song you either love or hate. Whatever the case, it sure is surreal to hear him rap an entire song as that Triumph puppet from MTV."[2]
Scott Plagenhoef of Pitchfork was positive: "Em also shines when he spins well off his axis, as he does on (...) the R. Kelly/Triumph the Insult Comic Dog-baiting 'Ass Like That'," but he noted that the song sounds like mixtape material.[3] NME magazine was proud, calling the song a "silly, groin-levelled [doodle] that [demonstrates] both producer and rhymer aren’t just on autopilot, they’re having a nice snooze in the cockpit while the plane plummets towards Earth. Or to put it another way, [this track is] undercooked juvenile shite."[4] USA Today wrote that "On the lighter side, [Em] name-drops the likes of Britney Spears, Janet Jackson, and Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen on 'Ass Like That'."[5] RapReviews noted that "In 'Ass Like That' Slim impersonates Triumph the Insult Comic Dog for three perverse verses of ogling over the Olsen twins and booty bashing Hilary Duff."[6] Josh Love of Stylus Magazine was negative: "'Ass Like That', Em’s 'response' to Triumph, fares better, and actually makes a pretty salient point about Hollywood's fetishization of barely legal starlets, but then you realize that it's AN ANSWER RECORD TO AN AWARDS SHOW BEEF WITH A HAND PUPPET and suddenly you're not even able to make eye contact with the album cover anymore" and he added that it does flash some Eminem's once-patented lyrical venom.[7]
The Austin Chronicle called the song a "demented Bollywood fever dream [that] manages to out-deprave R. Kelly."[8] SPIN said that the song was "so sophomoric that [it borders] on surreal, all syncopated dis-gibberish and loony celebrity-baiting."[9] The New York Times said that the song was "brilliantly inane: Dr. Dre lays some curlicued sitars atop a lazy bass line, while Eminem pays tribute to Hilary Duff and the Olsen Twins, delivering his rhymes in a thick accent that's supposed to be either Triumph the Insult Comic Dog or Arnold Schwarzenegger (apparently, they talk the same)."[10] Slant Magazine called "Ass Like That" "a whole song devoted to Robert Smigel’s Triumph The Insult Comic Dog".[11] The A.V. Club called it "a track so muddled that it's hard to tell whether it's a song-length putdown of Triumph The Insult Comic Dog or an elaborate backhanded homage. The song backfires spectacularly, because Eminem and Triumph essentially share the same shtick—deflating celebrity egos with barbed wisecracks—and because at this point, Triumph is a lot funnier and more pointed in his putdowns than his human counterpart."[12]
Music video
The music video was released on May 20, 2005.
The video begins with the instrumental to "Evil Deeds" (the second song from Encore) playing in the background as famous people exit a limo, walking down a red carpet with fans off to the side. Eminem is the last to come out and as the news reporters ask him a question, Triumph the Insult Comic Dog interrupts by asking "Yes I have a question, as a dog, I must know, what does Dr. Dre's ass smell like?" The crowd gasps and Triumph continues to insult Eminem by saying "You're so cute and small, no wonder Elton John loves you, your head comes up to his waist" (suggesting oral sex as a reason for their friendship besides music). Eminem shakes off the remark and attempts to answer the question originally posed to him by the reporter when Triumph once again implies Eminem has sexual relationships with men: "Do you kiss 50 Cent with that mouth?" Eminem swiftly punches Triumph and wrestles several security guards to the ground.
In the scuffle, as Eminem appears to be trying to choke Triumph, Triumph shouts out "I'm not your wife!" (alluding to Eminem's troubled relationship with his daughter's mother, Kim). The puppet dog becomes attached to Eminem's hand as the scuffle continues; and, as it is broken up, Eminem stands up with Triumph to sing the chorus of the song.
The video then switches between the "real world" and the "puppet world". There are puppet versions of many of the celebrities Eminem makes fun of (listed above), as well as Nick Lachey. The puppets from Crank Yankers also make an appearance, including: Elmer Higgins, Terrence Catheter, Birchum, Special Ed, Bobby Fletcher, Niles Standish, Spoonie Luv, Hadassah Guberman. Puppet versions of Dr. Dre and 50 Cent are also featured. A censored version of the song was featured in the movie Drillbit Taylor and briefly in HBO's You're Welcome America. He sang an altered version of the song in the New York Tour DVD.
Track listing
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|---|
1. | "Ass Like That" (album version) (edited) | 4:25 | ||
2. | "Business" (live in L.A.) |
| Dr. Dre | 2:34 |
3. | "Ass like That" (instrumental) |
|
| 4:47 |
Total length: | 11:46 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|---|
1. | "Ass Like That" (album version) (edited) | 4:25 | ||
2. | "Business" (live in L.A.) |
| Dr. Dre | 2:34 |
3. | "Ass like That" (instrumental) |
|
| 4:47 |
4. | "Ass Like That" (video) (director's cut) |
|
| 4:45 |
Total length: | 16:31 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|---|
1. | "Ass Like That" (album version) (edited) | 4:25 | ||
2. | "Ass Like That" (instrumental) |
|
| 4:47 |
Total length: | 9:12 |
Charts
Weekly charts
|
Year-end charts
|
Certifications
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
Australia (ARIA)[33] | Gold | 35,000* |
United Kingdom (BPI)[34] | Silver | 200,000* |
United States (RIAA)[35] | Platinum | 1,000,000* |
^shipments figures based on certification alone |
References
- Stephen Thomas Erlewine. "Encore - Eminem - Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards - AllMusic". AllMusic. Retrieved January 8, 2015.
- J-23 (2004-11-15). "Eminem - Encore". HipHopDX. Retrieved 2017-05-05.
- Scott Plagenhoef (2004-11-11). "Eminem: Encore Album Review". Pitchfork. Retrieved 2016-10-28.
- Pete Cashmore (2005-09-12). "Eminem : Encore". NME. Retrieved 2017-05-05.
- Jones, Steve (November 11, 2014). "Eminem's edgy 'Encore' deserves an ovation". USA Today. Retrieved January 8, 2015.
- Corne, James (2004-11-09). "Eminem :: Encore :: Shady/Aftermath/Interscope". Rapreviews.com. Retrieved 2017-05-05.
- Love, Josh (2004-11-12). "Eminem - Encore - Review". Stylus Magazine. Archived from the original on 2014-02-09. Retrieved 2017-05-05.
- Gray, Christopher (2004-11-26). "Eminem: Encore". The Austin Chronicle. Retrieved 2017-05-05.
- Pappademas, Alex (January 2005). "Good-bye, Yellow Brick Road". SPIN: 95–96. Retrieved 2017-05-05.
- Sanneh, Kelefa (2004-11-15). "All the Time in the World, Slim Shady? That's Scary". The New York Times. Retrieved 2017-05-05.
- Cinquemani, Sal (November 13, 2004). "Eminem Encore". Slant Magazine. Retrieved May 5, 2017.
- Rabin, Nathan (2004-11-22). "Encore". The A.V. Club. Retrieved 2017-05-05.
- "iTunes - Music - Ass Like That - EP by Eminem". Itunes.apple.com. 2005-07-15.
- "Ass Like That: Amazon.co.uk: Music". Amazon.co.uk. Retrieved 8 January 2015.
- "Images for Eminem - Ass Like That". Discogs.com. Retrieved 8 January 2015.
- "Australian-charts.com – Eminem – Ass Like That". ARIA Top 50 Singles. Retrieved January 24, 2019.
- "Austriancharts.at – Eminem – Ass Like That" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved January 24, 2019.
- "Ultratop.be – Eminem – Ass Like That" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved January 24, 2019.
- "Ultratop.be – Eminem – Ass Like That" (in French). Ultratop 50. Retrieved January 24, 2019.
- "Danishcharts.com – Eminem – Ass Like That". Tracklisten. Retrieved January 24, 2019.
- "Hits of the World - Eurocharts - Single Sales". Billboard. August 31, 2005. p. 71. Retrieved January 24, 2019.
- "Offiziellecharts.de – Eminem – Ass Like That". GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved January 24, 2019.
- "IFPI Greece archive". Archived from the original on 2005-10-13. Retrieved 2005-10-13.
- "Chart Track: Week 31, 2005". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved January 24, 2019.
- "Dutchcharts.nl – Eminem – Ass Like That" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved January 24, 2019.
- "Charts.nz – Eminem – Ass Like That". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved January 24, 2019.
- "Swisscharts.com – Eminem – Ass Like That". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved January 24, 2019.
- "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved January 24, 2019.
- "Eminem Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved January 25, 2019.
- "Eminem Chart History (Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved January 25, 2019.
- "ARIA End of Year Singles Chart 2005". Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved January 20, 2020.
- "End of Year Singles Chart Top 100 – 2005". Official Charts Company. Retrieved January 20, 2020.
- "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2005 Singles". Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved August 29, 2018.
- "British single certifications – Eminem – Ass Like That". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved August 29, 2018. Select singles in the Format field. Select Silver in the Certification field. Type Ass Like That in the "Search BPI Awards" field and then press Enter.
- "American single certifications – Eminem – Ass Like That". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved February 28, 2018. If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Single, then click SEARCH.