Let's Get It Started
Encyclopedia
"Let's Get It Started", (originally titled "Let's Get Retarded" in the 2003
original), appears on The Black Eyed Peas
' 2003 album Elephunk
. It is the fourth single from the album. When it was released as a single in 2004
, the song was remixed to differ in lyrics & beats from the 2003 original.
The song was included on the soundtrack for the 2006 romantic comedy It's a Boy Girl Thing
. The song was STAR World
's first SID
. It gained popularity as the theme song for the 2004 NBA Playoffs
on ABC
and was performed live at the 2004 Democratic National Convention
. It was featured in the film White Chicks
. It was used in UK advertisements for the game The Urbz: Sims in the City
. The song was remixed for The Black Eyed Peas' fifth studio album The E.N.D.
as "Let's Get Re-Started", it was also featured on their remix album The E.N.D. Summer 2010 Canadian Invasion Tour: Remix Collection
, it was the only remix on the album which original song wasn't taken from The E.N.D.
"Let's Get it Started" won Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group
at the 2005 Grammy Awards, and was also nominated for Record of the Year
and Best Rap Song
.
' 2001
single "Fallin'
". The song also samples the single "Bass Is Loaded" by Leaders of the New School
.
The song's initial lyrics endured some controversy upon release. 'Retarded' is a sometimes derogatorily used term to describe those with mental retardation
. This made the original version of the song difficult to play on most radio stations and at sports games. In 2004 the song's lyrics were edited and the re-released single "Let's Get It Started" found its way onto radio airwaves, movie soundtracks, and video games.
, takes place in a nighttime setting in an urban area. It features The Black Eyed Peas, particularly will.i.am
, performing energetic dances while singing the song, while varying objects in the background (including a grand piano) smash against the ground in real-time, slow and fast motion, and in reverse. The choruses feature the band on stage singing to a large crowd.
The video went to #34 on "MuchMusic
's 50 Most Controversial Videos" for its original song title.
The Urbz
Edition – EP
UK Single
Additional musicians
Production personnel
2003 in music
-January:* January – following an investigation by The International Federation of the Phonographic Industry and London detectives, police raids in England and the Netherlands recover nearly 500 original Beatles studio tapes, recorded during the Let It Be sessions. Five people are arrested...
original), appears on The Black Eyed Peas
The Black Eyed Peas
The Black Eyed Peas are an American pop group , formed in Los Angeles, California, in 1995. The group includes rappers will.i.am, apl.de.ap, and Taboo, and singer Fergie. Since the release of their third album Elephunk in 2003, the group has sold an estimated 56 million records worldwide...
' 2003 album Elephunk
Elephunk
-Commercial response:In the United States, Elephunk reached number 14 on the Billboard Top 200 and is their first album to chart in the top 15. It gained even more commercial success in the UK Album Charts where it reached number 3. It has sold over 1.6 million copies in the UK and...
. It is the fourth single from the album. When it was released as a single in 2004
2004 in radio
The year 2004 saw a number of significant events in radio broadcasting history.-Events:*30 October - In the UK a 163-metre-high radio mast at Peterborough collapses in a fire.-Debuts:...
, the song was remixed to differ in lyrics & beats from the 2003 original.
The song was included on the soundtrack for the 2006 romantic comedy It's a Boy Girl Thing
It's a Boy Girl Thing
It's A Boy Girl Thing is a 2006 romantic comedy film directed by Nick Hurran and written by Geoff Deane, starring Samaire Armstrong and Kevin Zegers and set in the United States but produced in the United Kingdom. The producers of the film are David Furnish, Steve Hamilton Shaw of Rocket Pictures...
. The song was STAR World
STAR World
STAR World is an Asian English language cable and satellite television network owned by Star TV and Fox International Channels, fully owned subsidiaries of News Corporation. The channel is the successor of STAR Plus, a subsidiary of News Corporation...
's first SID
SID
SID may refer to:* Amilcar Cabral International Airport, Sal Island, Cape Verde.* Saab Information Display in most Saab automobiles built since 1994* The Scientific Investigation Division of the Los Angeles Police Department...
. It gained popularity as the theme song for the 2004 NBA Playoffs
2004 NBA Playoffs
The 2004 NBA Playoffs were the postseason of the National Basketball Association's 2003–04 season. Consisting of 16 teams in two conferences, the playoffs involved about two months of play. The playoffs were conducted in seven-game series, with the team with the better record holding home court...
on ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
and was performed live at the 2004 Democratic National Convention
2004 Democratic National Convention
The 2004 Democratic National Convention convened from July 26 to July 29, 2004 at the FleetCenter in Boston, Massachusetts, and nominated John Kerry and John Edwards as the official candidates of the Democratic Party for President and Vice President of the United States, respectively, in the 2004...
. It was featured in the film White Chicks
White Chicks
White Chicks is a 2004 American film directed by Keenen Ivory Wayans and written and produced by Keenen Wayans, Shawn Wayans and Marlon Wayans. The film was produced by Columbia Pictures and Revolution Studios...
. It was used in UK advertisements for the game The Urbz: Sims in the City
The Urbz: Sims in the City
The Urbz: Sims in the City is a video game for the GameCube, PlayStation 2, and Xbox consoles, as well as the Game Boy Advance and Nintendo DS portable systems. It is the third Sims game for video game consoles and is the second Sims game not to be released on PC...
. The song was remixed for The Black Eyed Peas' fifth studio album The E.N.D.
The E.N.D.
According to review aggregator Metacritic, The E.N.D. received an average of 60 out of 100 indicating mixed to average reviews from music critics, based on fifteen critiques, higher than their 2005 album Monkey Business but lower than their 2003 breakout Elephunk, with critics agreeing that the...
as "Let's Get Re-Started", it was also featured on their remix album The E.N.D. Summer 2010 Canadian Invasion Tour: Remix Collection
The E.N.D. Summer 2010 Canadian Invasion Tour: Remix Collection
The E.N.D. Summer 2010 Canadian Invasion Tour: Remix Collection is a remix album by The Black Eyed Peas. It was released on iTunes in Canada only, during the Canadian leg of The E.N.D. World Tour. It mostly features remixes of the singles taken from their fifth studio album The E.N.D...
, it was the only remix on the album which original song wasn't taken from The E.N.D.
"Let's Get it Started" won Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group
Grammy Award for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group
The Grammy Award for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group was awarded between 1991 and 2011, alongside the Grammy Award for Best Rap Solo Performance. Previously a single award was presented for Best Rap Performance....
at the 2005 Grammy Awards, and was also nominated for Record of the Year
Grammy Award for Record of the Year
The Record of the Year is one of the four most prestigious Grammy Awards presented annually. It has been awarded since 1959.-History:The honorees through its history have been:*1959-1965: Artist only.*1966-1998: Artist and producer....
and Best Rap Song
Grammy Award for Best Rap Song
The Grammy Award for Best Rap Song was first awarded in 2004. It is a songwriting award given to all who wrote the lyrics and music of the song. Years reflect the year in which the Grammy Awards were presented, for works released in the previous year...
.
Composition
The introduction of the song is a homage to Alicia KeysAlicia Keys
Alicia Augello Cook , better known by her stage name Alicia Keys, is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, and occasional actress. She was raised by a single mother in the Hell's Kitchen area of Manhattan in New York City. At age seven, Keys began playing the piano...
' 2001
2001 in music
See also:* 2001 in music Record labels established in 2001-Events:*January 1**Comeback of Guns N' Roses in House of Blues**Hum disbands.*January 17 – Bass player Jason Newsted leaves Metallica after 14 years with the band....
single "Fallin'
Fallin'
"Fallin" is a song recorded, written, and produced by American recording artist Alicia Keys for her debut album, Songs in A Minor. Released to radio and music video outlets in 2001, it is generally considered her signature song. "Fallin'" became Keys' first number-one single in the United States...
". The song also samples the single "Bass Is Loaded" by Leaders of the New School
Leaders of the New School
Leaders of the New School was a Long Island, New York-based hip hop crew.-History:The crew was composed of Uniondale, New York, natives Charlie Brown and Dinco D ; North Amityville, New York native Cut Monitor Milo ; and Busta Rhymes , who was originally from Brooklyn, New York but later moved to...
.
The song's initial lyrics endured some controversy upon release. 'Retarded' is a sometimes derogatorily used term to describe those with mental retardation
Mental retardation
Mental retardation is a generalized disorder appearing before adulthood, characterized by significantly impaired cognitive functioning and deficits in two or more adaptive behaviors...
. This made the original version of the song difficult to play on most radio stations and at sports games. In 2004 the song's lyrics were edited and the re-released single "Let's Get It Started" found its way onto radio airwaves, movie soundtracks, and video games.
Music video
The music video, directed by Francis LawrenceFrancis Lawrence
Francis Lawrence is an American music video and film director.-Life and career:Lawrence was born in Vienna, Austria. His father is a physicist who taught at California State University, Northridge and his mother is V.P. Technology at a PR agency. He moved to Los Angeles at the age of three...
, takes place in a nighttime setting in an urban area. It features The Black Eyed Peas, particularly will.i.am
Will.i.am
William James Adams, Jr. , better known by his stage name will.i.am and occasionally by his other stage name Zuper Blahq, is an American rapper, musician, songwriter, singer, actor and producer...
, performing energetic dances while singing the song, while varying objects in the background (including a grand piano) smash against the ground in real-time, slow and fast motion, and in reverse. The choruses feature the band on stage singing to a large crowd.
The video went to #34 on "MuchMusic
MuchMusic
MuchMusic is a Canadian English language Category A specialty channel owned by Bell Media. MuchMusic is dedicated to music-related programs, pop and youth culture.-History:...
's 50 Most Controversial Videos" for its original song title.
Charts
"Let's Get It Started" was the first song to sell 500,000 downloads in the United States meaning that it was once the best-selling digital song of all time. That title now belongs to their song "I Gotta Feeling", which recently was the first song to cross the 7,000,000 downloads. "Let's Get It Started" has so far sold 2,000,000 copies as of May 2009.| Chart (2004) | Peak position |
|---|---|
Track listing
CD Single- "Let's Get It Started"
- "Let's Get It Started" (Spike Mix)
- "Let's Get It Started" (Party Mix)
- "Let's Get Retarded"
The Urbz
The Urbz: Sims in the City
The Urbz: Sims in the City is a video game for the GameCube, PlayStation 2, and Xbox consoles, as well as the Game Boy Advance and Nintendo DS portable systems. It is the third Sims game for video game consoles and is the second Sims game not to be released on PC...
Edition – EP
- "Let's Get It Started" (Spike Mix) – 3:39
- "Ga Ra Ta Da" (SimlishSimlishSimlish is a fictional language featured in EA Games' Sim series of games. It debuted in SimCopter, and has been especially prominent in The Sims, The Sims 2 and The Sims 3. The Sims development team created the unique Simlish language by experimenting with fractured Ukrainian, French, Latin,...
Version) – 3:28 - "The Sticky" – 4:39
- "Friddy Dope" (SimlishSimlishSimlish is a fictional language featured in EA Games' Sim series of games. It debuted in SimCopter, and has been especially prominent in The Sims, The Sims 2 and The Sims 3. The Sims development team created the unique Simlish language by experimenting with fractured Ukrainian, French, Latin,...
Version) – 3:46
UK Single
- "Let's Get It Started"
- "Let's Get Retarded"
- "Bridging The Gaps"
- "Way U Make Me Feel"
- "Let's Get It Started" (Enhanced music video)
Official Versions
- "Let's Get It Started" (Original Version)
- "Let's Get Retarded" (Original Version)
- "Let's Get It Started" (Party Mix)
- "Let's Get It Started" (Spike Mix)
Personnel
The Black Eyed Peas- will.i.amWill.i.amWilliam James Adams, Jr. , better known by his stage name will.i.am and occasionally by his other stage name Zuper Blahq, is an American rapper, musician, songwriter, singer, actor and producer...
– vocalsSingingSinging is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...
, productionRecord producerA record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
, engineeringAudio engineeringAn audio engineer, also called audio technician, audio technologist or sound technician, is a specialist in a skilled trade that deals with the use of machinery and equipment for the recording, mixing and reproduction of sounds. The field draws on many artistic and vocational areas, including... - apl.de.apApl.de.apAllan Pineda Lindo, Jr. better known as apl.de.ap , is a Filipino-American rapper, record producer, and occasional drummer who is best known as a member of The Black Eyed Peas.-Early life:Pineda was born in Belfast...
– vocals - Fergie – vocals
- TabooTaboo (rapper)Jaime Luis Gómez , better known by his stage name Taboo, is an American singer, actor, and rapper best known as a member of the group The Black Eyed Peas.-Personal life:...
– vocals
Additional musicians
- George Pajon, Jr. – guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
- Mike Fratantuno – bassBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
- Terence Yoshiaki – drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
- Dante Santiago – backing vocalsBacking vocalistA backing vocalist or backing singer is a singer who provides vocal harmony with the lead vocalist or other backing vocalists...
Production personnel
- Ron FairRon FairRon Fair is a veteran A&R executive, record producer arranger, recording engineer and songwriter. In a career that has spanned over 30 years at major record labels he has produced and arranged hits for several artists, but he is best known as a "guru/mentor", guiding the careers of unknown artists...
– executive productionExecutive producerAn executive producer is a producer who is not involved in any technical aspects of the film making or music process, but who is still responsible for the overall production... - Dylan Dresdow – additional vocal engineering
- Tony MaseratiTony MaseratiTony Maserati is an American record producer and studio audio engineer who has worked with many mainstream artists including Lady Gaga, Beyonce, Jason Mraz, James Brown, Mariah Carey, Destiny's Child, R...
– mixingAudio mixing (recorded music)In audio recording, audio mixing is the process by which multiple recorded sounds are combined into one or more channels, most commonly two-channel stereo. In the process, the source signals' level, frequency content, dynamics, and panoramic position are manipulated and effects such as reverb may... - Brian GardnerBrian GardnerBrian Gardner, also known as Brian "Big Bass" Gardner is a mastering engineer. He has worked on countless recordings since the mid-1960s, including classic rock, funk, disco, alternative rock, R&B, hip hop, pop punk, and dance pop. He is perhaps best known for his work on hip hop albums and in...
– masteringAudio masteringMastering, a form of audio post-production, is the process of preparing and transferring recorded audio from a source containing the final mix to a data storage device ; the source from which all copies will be produced...