Da Dip

Album: Controversee...That's Life...And That's the Way It Is (1997)
Charted: 15
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • "Da Dip" is a dance, and the song explains exactly how to do it:

    I put my hand upon your hip
    When I dip you dip we dip


    In clubs, "Da Dip" could involve a lot of grinding, but the music video demonstrates a very clean version that draws on perhaps the biggest dance craze of the '90s: The Macarena.
  • This song is an excellent example of the "booty bass" (also called "Miami bass") genre. Booty bass is a hip-hop style that builds on electro-funk and adds a kick drum. 2 Live Crew developed it in the '80s, adding lyrics so nasty they were declared legally obscene. In the '90s, booty bass cleaned up a bit, with songs about dancing. Before "Da Dip," there was "Tootsee Roll" and "The Train)."
  • Not much is known about Freak Nasty. Billboard has him listed as Carlito Timmons, born in Puerto Rico, but his publishing is under the name Eric Timmons and most sources have him born in New Orleans and moving to Atlanta, which is what he proclaims in this song ("New Orleans born ATL-livin."

    "Da Dip" was by far his biggest hit, and big earner: he's the only writer on the track, and it went Platinum, selling a million copies in America. He returned the charts in 1998 with a 2 Live Crew collaboration called "2 Live Party," which went to #102; in 2007, he went to #45 with "Do It Just Like A Rockstar," a collaboration with Crazy Mike. In 2018, Megan Thee Stallion borrowed his stage name for her track "Freak Nasty."
  • This song goes out of its way to be both clean and inclusive. Anyone can do the dance:

    You know it don't even matter your age
    Don't even matter your color


    The video bears this out, showing folks of all stripes doing "Da Dip."
  • "Da Dip" was used in one of Microsoft's surreal TV advertisements for their Google competitor, Bing. Even the dog sings along!

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Prince

PrinceFact or Fiction

Prince is shrouded in mystery, making him an excellent candidate for Fact or Fiction. Is he really a Scientologist? Does he own an exotic animal?

Alan Merrill of The Arrows

Alan Merrill of The ArrowsSongwriter Interviews

In her days with The Runaways, Joan Jett saw The Arrows perform "I Love Rock And Roll," which Alan Merrill co-wrote - that story and much more from this glam rock pioneer.

Van Dyke Parks

Van Dyke ParksSongwriter Interviews

U2, Carly Simon, Joanna Newsom, Brian Wilson and Fiona Apple have all gone to Van Dyke Parks to make their songs exceptional.

Jesus Christ Superstar: Ted Neeley Tells the Inside Story

Jesus Christ Superstar: Ted Neeley Tells the Inside StorySong Writing

The in-depth discussion about the making of Jesus Christ Superstar with Ted Neeley, who played Jesus in the 1973 film.

Amy Grant

Amy GrantSongwriter Interviews

The top Contemporary Christian artist of all time on song inspirations and what she learned from Johnny Carson.

Janis Ian: Married in London, but not in New York

Janis Ian: Married in London, but not in New YorkSong Writing

Can you be married in one country but not another? Only if you're part of a gay couple. One of the first famous singers to come out as a lesbian, Janis wrote a song about it.