"Down Bad" | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Single by Dreamville featuring J. Cole, JID, Bas, EarthGang, and Young Nudy | ||||
from the album Revenge of the Dreamers III and the EP 1-888-88-DREAM | ||||
B-side | " Got Me" | |||
Released | June 12, 2019 | |||
Recorded | January 6, 2019 | |||
Studio | Tree Sound Studios, Atlanta, Georgia [1] | |||
Genre | Hip hop | |||
Length | 2:49 | |||
Label | ||||
Songwriter(s) | ||||
Producer(s) | Pluss | |||
Dreamville singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
J. Cole singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
JID singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
Bas singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
EarthGang singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
Music video | ||||
"Down Bad" on YouTube |
"Down Bad" is a song by American record label Dreamville featuring performances by American rappers J. Cole, JID, Bas, Johnny Venus of EarthGang, and Young Nudy, released on June 12, 2019 alongside " Got Me" as the dual second single from the label's 2019 compilation album, Revenge of the Dreamers III. [2]
The song was created on the first day of Dreamville's sessions for the compilation album. [3] Bas wrote on Instagram about his initial reaction to the song when he arrived in Atlanta:
"I had just landed from South Africa and went straight to the studio. Soon as I walked into the A-room, JID was starting this song, first verse and hook, and I was like '[save me a verse please]. That was literally the first verse I recorded when I got to Atlanta after a 17 hour flight, J. Cole was tucked off with T-Minus finishing " Middle Child" and popped his head in [the room] like 'yes, I need parts.' My brother Johnny Venus, who has my vote for camp MVP, well I don't want to give it away but he came in and managed to make the song his. A big assist from our host city's own Young Nudy." [4]
In February, Dreamville gave a live preview of the song after the All Star game – which J. Cole was the halftime show performer, during the free concert in Charlotte. [5] In May, JID also gave fans a snippet of the single during his set at Miami's Rolling Loud Festival. [6]
Under the EP 1-888-88-DREAM, the single was released with " Got Me" on June 12. The EP's title is referencing the "1-888-88-DREAM" phone number that Cole used to announce the original Revenge of the Dreamers in 2014. [7] Dreamville representatives used hotline phone number to talk to fans and also play some exclusive tracks from the label's compilation album. [8]
According to Genius, the song's "underlying beat is highly reminiscent" of " Rebel Without a Pause" by Public Enemy, although it is not a direct sample of the song. [6]
The official music video of the song was filmed in Atlanta, Georgia, and was uploaded on YouTube on October 22, 2019. [9]
Complex named "Down Bad" as one of the best songs of the week, calling it a "rowdy, kick-in-the-door anthem ready-made for summer mischief" [10] and said the artists pack a ridiculous amount of energy into less than three minutes, beginning with a "tragically short verse" from Young Nudy and closing things with a "rapid-fire verse" from EarthGang's Johnny Venus. [10]
"Down Bad" originally peaked at number 75 on the US Billboard Hot 100. Following the release of its parent album, Revenge of the Dreamers III, the song reached a new peak of number 64. [11] On November 22, 2019, the song was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). [12]
Credits and personnel adapted from Tidal. [13]
Chart (2019) | Peak position |
---|---|
Canada ( Canadian Hot 100) [14] | 69 |
New Zealand Hot Singles ( RMNZ) [15] | 10 |
US Billboard Hot 100 [11] | 64 |
US Rolling Stone Top 100 [16] | 15 |
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
United States ( RIAA) [17] | Platinum | 1,000,000‡ |
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. |
Year | Award | Category | Result | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|
2020 | Grammy Award | Best Rap Performance | Nominated | [18] |