Get Busy

Album: Dutty Rock (2003)
Charted: 4 1
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • When he started making music in the '90s, Sean Paul had visions of creating songs that reveal the political strife and poverty common in his home country, Jamaica. But it wasn't working, so he made bangers instead.

    "Get Busy" is a booty song, set in the club where Sean is asking the ladies to shake it non-stop. It was released on his second album, Dutty Rock, in November 2002 and took off when it was released as a single, going to #1 in the US in May, where it stayed for three weeks. His dancehall sound caught on in a big way in America and many other countries. By the end of the decade he had landed more Hot 100 hits than any other Jamaican in history.
  • Sean Paul's songs lend themselves to remixes, and several have appeared for "Get Busy."
    A popular one is "Get Busy (Clap Your Hands Now)," which features guest-rappers Fatman Scoop and The Crooklyn Clan.
  • The style of this song is properly known as "Diwali Riddim." Now, the term "riddim" is actually the Jamaican pronunciation of the English word "rhythm," but in Jamaican music this means specifically the instrumental accompaniment to a vocal, usually a rap. Riddims are the primary musical building blocks of Jamaican popular songs. "Diwali," then, is one of these riddims, created by the song's producer, Lenky Marsden.
  • Sean Paul performed "Get Busy" on the TV variety series Saturday Night Live in 2003. It's also appeared in episodes of The Wire, in the 2003 film Grind, and even in a commercial for Carl's Jr. restaurants. In 2006, it was featured on The Office episode "Booze Cruise." Michael Scott tries to get a dance party going as the boat's band plays the tune.
  • Shake dat ting Miss Cana, Cana
    Shake dat ting Miss Annabella
    Shake dat ting, yo, Donna, Donna
    Jodi and Rebecca


    Before Sean Paul entered the studio to record this song, his girlfriend (later, wife) Jodi and her friend Cana asked him to mention them. "I went in there, did the song, and I was trying to find an intro," he recalled to Genius. "And usually in Jamaica, we kind of talk an intro out and introduce the song. Well, this time I just decided to sing. I was like 'I'm going to put their name in it and freak them out.' I did do it and to this day they're still good friends."
  • Sean Paul's first big hit was "Gimme The Light" at the end of 2002. "Get Busy" came next, followed by a feature on Beyoncé's "Baby Boy," a massive hit at the end of 2003. He landed another US #1 with "Temperature" from his 2005 album The Trinity.

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

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.

Ed Roland of Collective Soul

Ed Roland of Collective SoulSongwriter Interviews

The stories behind "Shine," "December," "The World I Know" and other Collective Soul hits.

Joe Ely

Joe ElySongwriter Interviews

The renown Texas songwriter has been at it for 40 years, with tales to tell about The Flatlanders and The Clash - that's Joe's Tex-Mex on "Should I Stay or Should I Go?"

The Real Nick Drake

The Real Nick DrakeSong Writing

The head of Drake's estate shares his insights on the late folk singer's life and music.

Timothy B. Schmit of the Eagles

Timothy B. Schmit of the EaglesSongwriter Interviews

Did this Eagle come up with the term "Parrothead"? And what is it like playing "Hotel California" for the gazillionth time?

Reverend Horton Heat

Reverend Horton HeatSongwriter Interviews

The Reverend rants on psychobilly and the egghead academics he bashes in one of his more popular songs.