Songfacts®:

• "Countdown" is a collaboration between Snoop Dogg and Swizz Beatz. "It was inspired by me and Swizz Beatz always working together and always being up against the clock," Snoop told Pandora. "It's always a countdown when we're working with each other."
• The actual countdown on this song ("10...9...8...") is a sample from the opening of Boyz II Men's 1991 track "Uhh Ahh."
• The song came about when Snoop went to Swizz Beatz' New York City studio to work on a track for his album I Wanna Thank Me. "I played him a couple of songs, then he pulled out a couple of heaters," Snoop explained to Pandora. "'Countdown' was one of them, but it wasn't like the way you hear it now. I felt like it needed a little LA flavor, so I called my good buddy Battlecat and asked him to put some seasoning salt on it, so Battlecat took the track, put some seasoning salt on it with Swizz Beatz' blessing, and we have a collaboration with Snoop Dogg, Battlecat and Swizz Beatz - that's some gangsta gumbo!"
• The squiggly horn riff is a sample of "Funky Worm," a 1972 track by the Ohio Players.
• In the music video, directed by Deon Taylor, we first see Snoop surrounded by low riders, a throwback to his early videos with Dr. Dre. After a countdown, the scene switches and he's got a Rolls Royce... and a harem.