Selecta

Album: 2 RUFF, Vol. 1 (2023)
Charted: 27
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • "Selecta" is a high-energy drum and bass track with a dancehall-inspired vocal delivery from British rapper Stefflon Don (she is of Jamaican descent).
  • Call di selecta fi play a dove cott
    Caz a boy body drop true him fulla tuff chat
    Tell di selecta fi come a dove cott
    Tell di selecta a boy just drop


    In Jamaican dancehall culture, a "selector" is the person who controls the music at a dancehall. A "dove cott" or "dub plate" is a special pressing of a vinyl record used by DJs to play an exclusive mix or pre-release tracks. "Tuff chat" is boasting or bragging.

    Stefflon Don is talking about a boy who is confident in his abilities and ready to party. He is asking the selector to play a dub plate of a song so he can show off his dance moves.
  • "Selecta" samples the distinctive distorted guitar riff from Ashanti's 2004 hit "Only U." "I've always wanted to use the sample from Ashanti's 'Only U,' so we replayed that," Saul "Chase" Milton told Apple Music. "It's got a real feel of grandeur to it, and it nods back to an era where we really fell in love with music of all genres."
  • Stefflon Don's participation came from a track Chase & Status originally wrote for her record. "Maybe we should steal these lyrics from Stefflon and put them on our song and mold it together," they told BBC Radio 1's Clare Amfo. "And we obviously stole them but with our permission. It's kind of worked out."

    "You know what we try and work with people we haven't worked with in the past," Chase & Status added. "And also we try and work with people who haven't really done much drum and bass. And so it was such a coup getting Steff on a drum and bass song."
  • "Selecta" is a track on Chase & Status' second mixtape, 2 RUFF, Vol. 1. They released it as a single on November 10, 2023, the same day they dropped the mixtape.
  • Chase & Status use the track to open their live shows. "It sets the pace for the whole set," Saul told Apple Music. "The massive guitar riff at the beginning [combined with] Steff's iconic vocal really make this a special record for us."

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Harry Shearer

Harry ShearerSongwriter Interviews

Harry is Derek Smalls in Spinal Tap, Mark Shubb in The Folksmen, and Mr. Burns on The Simpsons.

Glen Burtnik

Glen BurtnikSongwriter Interviews

On Glen's résumé: hit songwriter, Facebook dominator, and member of Styx.

Creedence Clearwater Revival

Creedence Clearwater RevivalFact or Fiction

Is "Have You Ever Seen the Rain" about Vietnam? Was John Fogerty really born on a Bayou? It's the CCR edition of Fact or Fiction.

We Will Rock You (To Sleep): Pop Stars Who Recorded Kids' Albums

We Will Rock You (To Sleep): Pop Stars Who Recorded Kids' AlbumsSong Writing

With the rise of Kindie rock, more musicians are embracing their inner child with tunes for tots - here, we look at pop stars who recorded kids' albums.

Phil Hurtt ("I'll Be Around")

Phil Hurtt ("I'll Be Around")Songwriter Interviews

Phil was a songwriter, producer and voice behind many Philadelphia soul classics. When disco hit, he got an interesting project: The Village People.

Graham Bonnet (Alcatrazz, Rainbow)

Graham Bonnet (Alcatrazz, Rainbow)Songwriter Interviews

Yngwie Malmsteen and Steve Vai were two of Graham's co-writers for some '80s rock classics.