Like a Boss
Encyclopedia
"Like a Boss" is the tenth track with jarden innit and fourth single
from The Lonely Island
's debut album Incredibad
. The song is a parody of the first official single from Slim Thug
's first album Already Platinum
, also named 'Like a Boss'. Lonely Island writer Andy Samberg revealed in an interview with NME that the content of the song, whilst parodying Slim Thug's song of the same title, drew from his experiences of a senior manager from his time working at Los Angeles law firm, PV Legal.
digital short
on April 4, 2009. The video features Seth Rogen
, recording over the vocals done by Akiva Schaffer
on the single. In the song, Andy Samberg
is a businessman having a performance review. Samberg is asked to describe the things he does in an average day, and does so for the remainder of the song in his trademark aggressive style while repeating the lyric "like a boss" after every activity.
He lists activities which are fairly mundane at first, such as talking to corporate headquarters, approving memorandums, remembering birthdays, leading a workshop
, and promoting synergy
. However, the song takes a turn after he mentions a time that a female subordinate he repeatedly hit on rejected him, causing him to "swallow sadness", get hit with a sexual harassment
lawsuit and get passed up for a promotion. The ensuing depression
leads to him to binge drinking
and defecating on the subordinate's desk, after which he starts listing activities that are more and more bizarre, such as calling a sex line, crying deeply, attempting suicide, being afraid of committing suicide, vomiting
on the subordinate's desk, jumping out of a window
, "sucking a dude's dick
", purchasing cocaine
, crashing his car, "sucking his own dick
", eating chicken strips
, castrating
himself, blacking out
in a sewer
, meeting a giant fish and "fucking its brains out", turning into a jet
, bombing the Russians
, crashing into the sun
, and finally dying, all of which are done "like a boss".
The video ends with Samberg's tombstone being shown (which has the epitaph
"He was da Best"), and a skeptical Rogen trying to confirm some of the more bizarre events with Samberg, who confirms he does chop his testicles off and die daily, but denies ever having said he fellates himself. While Samberg then keeps repeating the words "I'm the boss", Rogen leaves the room, annoyed and disgusted.
The video features brief cameo appearances from Saturday Night Live
writer John Mulaney
as the worker that Samberg micromanages
, Kristen Wiig
as Samberg's office crush Deborah, Jason Sudeikis
as Samberg's boss and Bill Hader
as the man on whom Samberg performs fellatio. It also features Jorma Taccone
as the man giving him the lawsuit, and Akiva selling him the gun.
.
This song has sparked the saying, "like a boss," in many different places, particularly on the internet.
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
from The Lonely Island
The Lonely Island
The Lonely Island is an American comedy troupe composed of Akiva "Kiv" Schaffer, Jorma "Jorm" Taccone, and David Andrew "Andy" Samberg, best known for their comedic music. Originally from Berkeley, California, the group is currently based in New York City. The group broke out due to their...
's debut album Incredibad
Incredibad
Incredibad is the debut studio album of the American comedy troupe The Lonely Island, released on February 10, 2009, through Universal Republic Records...
. The song is a parody of the first official single from Slim Thug
Slim Thug
Stayve Jerome Thomas , better known as Slim Thug, Boss Hogg or Thug Boss, is an American rapper. He gained mainstream attention for his contribution to the popular single from rapper Mike Jones, "Still Tippin'"....
's first album Already Platinum
Already Platinum
- Samples :* "3 Kings"** "Secretary" by Betty Wright* "Miss Mary"** "A Moment With You" by George Michael- Chart history :Album...
, also named 'Like a Boss'. Lonely Island writer Andy Samberg revealed in an interview with NME that the content of the song, whilst parodying Slim Thug's song of the same title, drew from his experiences of a senior manager from his time working at Los Angeles law firm, PV Legal.
Video
"Like a Boss" premiered as a Saturday Night LiveSaturday Night Live
Saturday Night Live is a live American late-night television sketch comedy and variety show developed by Lorne Michaels and Dick Ebersol. The show premiered on NBC on October 11, 1975, under the original title of NBC's Saturday Night.The show's sketches often parody contemporary American culture...
digital short
SNL Digital Shorts
An SNL Digital Short is one in a series of comedic and often musical video shorts created for airing on NBC's Saturday Night Live, generally produced and written by The Lonely Island , though originated by Adam McKay, in collaboration with SNL hosts, writers, and cast members...
on April 4, 2009. The video features Seth Rogen
Seth Rogen
Seth Rogen is a Canadian stand-up comedian, actor, producer, screenwriter, and voice artist. Rogen began his career doing stand-up comedy during his teen years, winning the Vancouver Amateur Comedy Contest in 1998. While still living in his native Vancouver, he landed a small part in Freaks and...
, recording over the vocals done by Akiva Schaffer
Akiva Schaffer
Akiva Schaffer is an American writer for Saturday Night Live, a film director, songwriter, and a member of The Lonely Island, a sketch-comedy troupe that first found success on the Internet, which includes SNL cast member Andy Samberg and SNL writer Jorma Taccone...
on the single. In the song, Andy Samberg
Andy Samberg
David Andrew "Andy" Samberg is an American actor, comedian, rapper and writer best known as a member of the comedy group The Lonely Island and as a cast member on Saturday Night Live...
is a businessman having a performance review. Samberg is asked to describe the things he does in an average day, and does so for the remainder of the song in his trademark aggressive style while repeating the lyric "like a boss" after every activity.
He lists activities which are fairly mundane at first, such as talking to corporate headquarters, approving memorandums, remembering birthdays, leading a workshop
Workshop
A workshop is a room or building which provides both the area and tools that may be required for the manufacture or repair of manufactured goods...
, and promoting synergy
Synergy
Synergy may be defined as two or more things functioning together to produce a result not independently obtainable.The term synergy comes from the Greek word from , , meaning "working together".-Definitions and usages:...
. However, the song takes a turn after he mentions a time that a female subordinate he repeatedly hit on rejected him, causing him to "swallow sadness", get hit with a sexual harassment
Sexual harassment
Sexual harassment, is intimidation, bullying or coercion of a sexual nature, or the unwelcome or inappropriate promise of rewards in exchange for sexual favors. In some contexts or circumstances, sexual harassment is illegal. It includes a range of behavior from seemingly mild transgressions and...
lawsuit and get passed up for a promotion. The ensuing depression
Depression (mood)
Depression is a state of low mood and aversion to activity that can affect a person's thoughts, behaviour, feelings and physical well-being. Depressed people may feel sad, anxious, empty, hopeless, helpless, worthless, guilty, irritable, or restless...
leads to him to binge drinking
Binge drinking
Binge drinking or heavy episodic drinking is the modern epithet for drinking alcoholic beverages with the primary intention of becoming intoxicated by heavy consumption of alcohol over a short period of time. It is a kind of purposeful drinking style that is popular in several countries worldwide,...
and defecating on the subordinate's desk, after which he starts listing activities that are more and more bizarre, such as calling a sex line, crying deeply, attempting suicide, being afraid of committing suicide, vomiting
Vomiting
Vomiting is the forceful expulsion of the contents of one's stomach through the mouth and sometimes the nose...
on the subordinate's desk, jumping out of a window
Defenestration
Defenestration is the act of throwing someone or something out of a window.The term "defenestration" was coined around the time of an incident in Prague Castle in the year 1618. The word comes from the Latin de- and fenestra...
, "sucking a dude's dick
Fellatio
Fellatio is an act of oral stimulation of a male's penis by a sexual partner. It involves the stimulation of the penis by the use of the mouth, tongue, or throat. The person who performs fellatio can be referred to as the giving partner, and the other person is the receiving partner...
", purchasing cocaine
Cocaine
Cocaine is a crystalline tropane alkaloid that is obtained from the leaves of the coca plant. The name comes from "coca" in addition to the alkaloid suffix -ine, forming cocaine. It is a stimulant of the central nervous system, an appetite suppressant, and a topical anesthetic...
, crashing his car, "sucking his own dick
Autofellatio
Autofellatio is the act of oral stimulation of one's own penis as a form of masturbation. It is physically possible for men who have sufficient flexibility, penis size or a combination of the two to perform autofellatio...
", eating chicken strips
Chicken fingers
Chicken fingers are deep-fried strips of chicken meat that do not include any bones or skin....
, castrating
Castration
Castration is any action, surgical, chemical, or otherwise, by which a male loses the functions of the testicles or a female loses the functions of the ovaries.-Humans:...
himself, blacking out
Unconsciousness
Unconsciousness is the condition of being not conscious—in a mental state that involves complete or near-complete lack of responsiveness to people and other environmental stimuli. Being in a comatose state or coma is a type of unconsciousness. Fainting due to a drop in blood pressure and a...
in a sewer
Sewerage
Sewerage refers to the infrastructure that conveys sewage. It encompasses receiving drains, manholes, pumping stations, storm overflows, screening chambers, etc. of the sanitary sewer...
, meeting a giant fish and "fucking its brains out", turning into a jet
Jet aircraft
A jet aircraft is an aircraft propelled by jet engines. Jet aircraft generally fly much faster than propeller-powered aircraft and at higher altitudes – as high as . At these altitudes, jet engines achieve maximum efficiency over long distances. The engines in propeller-powered aircraft...
, bombing the Russians
Russians
The Russian people are an East Slavic ethnic group native to Russia, speaking the Russian language and primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries....
, crashing into the sun
Sun
The Sun is the star at the center of the Solar System. It is almost perfectly spherical and consists of hot plasma interwoven with magnetic fields...
, and finally dying, all of which are done "like a boss".
The video ends with Samberg's tombstone being shown (which has the epitaph
Epitaph
An epitaph is a short text honoring a deceased person, strictly speaking that is inscribed on their tombstone or plaque, but also used figuratively. Some are specified by the dead person beforehand, others chosen by those responsible for the burial...
"He was da Best"), and a skeptical Rogen trying to confirm some of the more bizarre events with Samberg, who confirms he does chop his testicles off and die daily, but denies ever having said he fellates himself. While Samberg then keeps repeating the words "I'm the boss", Rogen leaves the room, annoyed and disgusted.
The video features brief cameo appearances from Saturday Night Live
Saturday Night Live
Saturday Night Live is a live American late-night television sketch comedy and variety show developed by Lorne Michaels and Dick Ebersol. The show premiered on NBC on October 11, 1975, under the original title of NBC's Saturday Night.The show's sketches often parody contemporary American culture...
writer John Mulaney
John Mulaney
John Mulaney is an American comedian and writer for Saturday Night Live .In addition to writing for SNL, Mulaney has appeared on the show's "Weekend Update" segment. Mulaney also previously made regular appearances on Best Week Ever on VH1. Mulaney appeared multiple times on Late Night with Conan...
as the worker that Samberg micromanages
Micromanagement
In business management, micromanagement is a management style where a manager closely observes or controls the work of her or his subordinates or employees...
, Kristen Wiig
Kristen Wiig
Kristen Carroll Wiig is an American film and television actress who currently appears as a cast member on Saturday Night Live. Wiig was a member of improvisational comedy troupe The Groundlings, and has appeared in several films and television series, including Bridesmaids, MacGruber, Flight of...
as Samberg's office crush Deborah, Jason Sudeikis
Jason Sudeikis
Daniel Jason Sudeikis is an American actor and comedian currently starring as a cast member on Saturday Night Live.-Early life:Sudeikis was born Daniel Jason Sudeikis in Fairfax, Virginia, the son of Kathryn , a travel agent who was president of the American Society of Travel Agents, and Dan...
as Samberg's boss and Bill Hader
Bill Hader
William "Bill" Hader is an American actor, comedian, producer and writer. He is best known for his work as a creative consultant on the hit show South Park and as a cast member on Saturday Night Live and for his supporting roles in comedy films such as Superbad, Hot Rod, Tropic Thunder,...
as the man on whom Samberg performs fellatio. It also features Jorma Taccone
Jorma Taccone
Jorma Christopher Taccone is an American comedy writer-actor-director. Taccone is one third of the sketch comedy troupe The Lonely Island along with childhood friends Andy Samberg and Akiva Schaffer...
as the man giving him the lawsuit, and Akiva selling him the gun.
Popularity
As of October 11, 2011, the video has been viewed over 70,267,402 times and was featured by The Huffington Post, and TV GuideTV Guide
TV Guide is a weekly American magazine with listings of TV shows.In addition to TV listings, the publication features television-related news, celebrity interviews, gossip and film reviews and crossword puzzles...
.
This song has sparked the saying, "like a boss," in many different places, particularly on the internet.
Censorship
- The part where a crying Samberg attempts suicideSuicideSuicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Suicide is often committed out of despair or attributed to some underlying mental disorder, such as depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, alcoholism, or drug abuse...
with a gun in his mouth is edited on the NBCNBCThe National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
version. The brief shot of Samberg with a gun in his mouth is cut and Samberg's original line, "Oh, fuck me, I can't fucking do it! Shit!" is re-dubbed with, "Oh, crap, man! I can't effin' do it! Nuh!" - The parts where Samberg mentions sucking "a dude's dick" and "my own dick," the word "dick" is bleeped out.
- The part where Ian RitchieIan RitchieIan Ritchie is a composer, producer, arranger and saxophonist. He was the producer of Roger Waters' album Radio Kaos, along with many other recordings with artists such as Laurie Anderson , Pete Wylie , Hugh Cornwell and The Big Dish .Ritchie is married to the jazz and cabaret performer Holly...
comes on-screen and screams "Like a Boss!" while flipping off the camera, the finger is pixelated.
External links
- Original video:
- Video and Song Lyrics: "Like a Boss"
- Lonely Island's Song Page: "Like a Boss"
- Like-A-Bossify images: "Like A Boss"