My Humps
Encyclopedia
"My Humps" is the third single
by The Black Eyed Peas
from their fourth album, Monkey Business
. It samples a section of the song "I Need a Freak" by Sexual Harassment, as well as the 1989 song "Wild Thing
" by Tone Lōc
and "It's Automatic" by Freestyle
. Released in 2005, it reached number three in the U.S., becoming The Black Eyed Peas' third top ten single in the U.S. The single also reached number three in the United Kingdom
, where it became their sixth top ten single. The song was not initially released as a single; "Don't Lie
" was intended to be the lead-off release for the album. The song won the 2007 Grammy Award
for "Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal." In an interview with British morning TV show This Morning
, will.i.am
claims that he originally wrote the song for the Pussycat Dolls
.
In June 2011, Lynn Tolliver, a Cleveland, Ohio
disk jockey who wrote "I Need a Freak" for his concept band Sexual Harassment, won a $1.2 million judgment by a New York jury as a result of the band's unauthorized sampling of his song in "My Humps." The lawsuit purportedly lasted for over ten years: in effect, it began five years prior to the actual release of the song.
for "My Humps," directed by Fatima Robinson
and Malik Hassan Sayeed, premiered on TRL
. It shows Fergie dancing with backup dancers as images of expensive items such as Louis Vuitton
purses and jewelry, which is supposed to be the jewelry her men have bought her, appear on the screen. The other members of The Black Eyed Peas — apl.de.ap
, Taboo
, and will.i.am
— sing about how much they spend on Fergie as she sings about her "humps
" and "lovely lady lumps
." In some vignettes Taboo, Apl.de.ap, and will.i.am are behind women erotically dancing.
The video received the award for "Best Hip-Hop Video
" at the 2006 MTV Video Music Awards
on August 31, 2006.
Novelist and composer Jack Heath cited the song and its "objectification of women disguised as empowerment" as his primary inspiration for his 2005 style parody "Don't Stall."
Peaches
covered the song in 2006, altering the lyrics humorously and changing the title to "My Dumps".
Alanis Morissette
covered the song in 2007, seemingly as an April Fools' Day
prank. In contrast to the original "My Humps," Morissette's cover is performed slowly and in the style of a ballad, with only a piano
accompanying the vocal. On April 2, a video in which Morissette parodies Fergie's dancing moves in the original "My Humps" music video was added to the website YouTube
. By April 3, the video was the most viewed on Technorati
, and it was viewed 1.5 million times six days later. The video has been hosted on Morissette's official website. TIME
stated that the parody proved that Morissette "under[stands]" irony, in reference to her hit single, "Ironic
." On April 15, Fergie confirmed to E! News that she thought that the parody was "hilarious" and "genius." Fergie also said that she sent Alanis a cake in the shape of a "derrière
." Peaches subsequently created yet another "My Dumps" parody of the song with accompanying video, this time parodying Morissette's parody.
American Greetings
parodied the song in their Christmas e-card, "Three Wise Camels," in which the camels of the Three Wise Men rap about the gifts awaiting baby Jesus
, which are sitting on their humps.
Afroman
parodied the song for his album Waiting to Inhale entitled "My Chunk." His lyrics have opposite meaning: he raps about his genitals and receiving money from women because he's a pimp
.
Sketch-comedy show MADtv
did a parody titled "My Slump" that featured George W. Bush
.
Flight of the Conchords
did a parody of the song entitled "Sugarlumps" in the second season episode "The New Cup
."
A hidden track located at the end of Dr. Acula
's first EP, titled Chillogy
has the members performing numerous gags and one-liners. One of the members eventually starts singing; "Pussy tit, my fuckin' little tit. All up on my clitty clit. Check it out."
. John Bush, writing for Allmusic, described it as "one of the most embarrassing rap performances of the new millennium," while Bill Lamb, writing for About.com
, called it "the musical equivalent of a bad Farrelly Brothers
movie." Hua Hsu of Slate
said, "It's not Awesomely Bad; it's Horrifically Bad. ... There are bad songs that offend our sensibilities but can still be enjoyed, and then there are the songs that are just really bad—transcendentally bad, objectively bad."
In a poll conducted by Rolling Stone
in 2007, the song was ranked first in the list of 20 most annoying songs.
Matthew Wilkening of AOL Radio
also ranked the song at #80 on the list of the 100 Worst Songs Ever, advising the girls that they should "try to make the song as pretty as the subject" if they want to sing about their "special parts."
Despite the heavy criticism, it became a huge hit, charting at #3 in the United States and staying there for about two months.
In the U.S., "My Humps" reached number 3 on the Billboard Hot 100
becoming their second top 5 on the chart from the album Monkey Business
and the third overall. As of June, 2009, "My Humps" has so far sold 2,203,000 downloads in the United States.
Pitchfork Media
ranked the song in its 15 worst releases of 2005, stating 'Like "Who Let the Dogs Out" before it, "My Humps" is so monumentally vacuous, slapped together and tossed-off that it truly tests the definition of "song."' and described it as a 'five-minute commercial jingle'
, will.i.am stated that the group has retired the song.He concluded that "My Humps" will not be performed on future tours, admitting the track isn't his best writing work.
iTunes digital download
12 inch 33⅓ rpm black vinyl record from A&M Records
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...
by 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...
from their fourth album, Monkey Business
Monkey Business (album)
-Track listing:Notes*"My Humps" contains a hidden track "So Real".*"Audio Delite at Low Fidelity" includes a hidden track "Change".Sample Notes*"Pump It" samples "Misirlou" by Dick Dale....
. It samples a section of the song "I Need a Freak" by Sexual Harassment, as well as the 1989 song "Wild Thing
Wild Thing (Tone Lōc song)
"Wild Thing" is the name of rapper Tone Lōc's 1988 single from the album Lōc-ed After Dark. The title is a reference to the phrase "doin' the wild thing," a euphemism for sex, unlike The Troggs' hit song, "Wild Thing", in which the "wild thing" was a girl.Tone Lōc's song peaked at number two on...
" by Tone Lōc
Tone Lōc
Anthony Terrell Smith , better known by his stage name Tone Lōc, is an American rapper and actor.-Early life and career:...
and "It's Automatic" by Freestyle
Pretty Tony
Tony "Pretty Tony" Butler was an influential 1980s electro and freestyle artist based out of Miami, Florida.He recorded a string of popular club tracks on Jam Packed in the mid-'80s. Butler's tracks with his primary group Freestyle Express include such club staples as "It's Automatic", "Don't Stop...
. Released in 2005, it reached number three in the U.S., becoming The Black Eyed Peas' third top ten single in the U.S. The single also reached number three in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, where it became their sixth top ten single. The song was not initially released as a single; "Don't Lie
Don't Lie
"Don't Lie" is the second single from The Black Eyed Peas' fourth album Monkey Business. The single was released in 2005. The song received a 2006 Grammy nomination for "Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal".-Background:...
" was intended to be the lead-off release for the album. The song won the 2007 Grammy Award
Grammy Award
A Grammy Award — or Grammy — is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry...
for "Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal." In an interview with British morning TV show This Morning
This Morning (TV series)
This Morning is a British daytime television programme broadcast on ITV. As of September 2011, its main presenters are Phillip Schofield and Holly Willoughby, and Ruth Langsford and Eamonn Holmes, with various other presenters standing in for illness or contributing to sections of the programme.The...
, 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...
claims that he originally wrote the song for the Pussycat Dolls
Pussycat Dolls
The Pussycat Dolls are an American pop girl group and dance ensemble based in Los Angeles; currently consisting of Lauren Bennett, Vanessa Curry, Kristal "Lyndriette" Smith, Tiffany "Taz" Zavala, Kia Hampton and Paula Van Oppen. The Pussycat Dolls were founded by choreographer Robin Antin in 1995...
.
In June 2011, Lynn Tolliver, a Cleveland, Ohio
Cleveland, Ohio
Cleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Cuyahoga County, the most populous county in the state. The city is located in northeastern Ohio on the southern shore of Lake Erie, approximately west of the Pennsylvania border...
disk jockey who wrote "I Need a Freak" for his concept band Sexual Harassment, won a $1.2 million judgment by a New York jury as a result of the band's unauthorized sampling of his song in "My Humps." The lawsuit purportedly lasted for over ten years: in effect, it began five years prior to the actual release of the song.
Music video
The official music videoMusic video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
for "My Humps," directed by Fatima Robinson
Fatima Robinson
Fatima Robinson is a noted music video director and choreographer. Robinson's choreography résumé includes many Aaliyah's Videos, and Mary J. Blige's "Family Affair"...
and Malik Hassan Sayeed, premiered on TRL
Total Request Live
Total Request Live is a television series on MTV that featured popular music videos. TRL was MTV's prime outlet for music videos as the network continues to concentrate on reality-based programming. In addition to music videos, TRL featured daily guests...
. It shows Fergie dancing with backup dancers as images of expensive items such as Louis Vuitton
Louis Vuitton
Louis Vuitton Malletier – commonly referred to as Louis Vuitton , or shortened to LV – is a French fashion house founded in 1854 by Louis Vuitton. The label is well known for its LV monogram, which is featured on most products, ranging from luxury trunks and leather goods to ready-to-wear, shoes,...
purses and jewelry, which is supposed to be the jewelry her men have bought her, appear on the screen. The other members of The Black Eyed Peas — apl.de.ap
Apl.de.ap
Allan 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...
, Taboo
Taboo (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:...
, and 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...
— sing about how much they spend on Fergie as she sings about her "humps
Buttocks
The buttocks are two rounded portions of the anatomy, located on the posterior of the pelvic region of apes and humans, and many other bipeds or quadrupeds, and comprise a layer of fat superimposed on the gluteus maximus and gluteus medius muscles. Physiologically, the buttocks enable weight to...
" and "lovely lady lumps
Breast
The breast is the upper ventral region of the torso of a primate, in left and right sides, which in a female contains the mammary gland that secretes milk used to feed infants.Both men and women develop breasts from the same embryological tissues...
." In some vignettes Taboo, Apl.de.ap, and will.i.am are behind women erotically dancing.
The video received the award for "Best Hip-Hop Video
MTV Video Music Award for Best Hip-Hop Video
The MTV Video Music Award for Best Hip-Hop Video was first given out at the 1999 MTV Video Music Awards. The award, according to MTV, was originally intended for hip-hop-inspired songs, not necessarily actual hip-hop music videos . This explains the recognition of non-hip-hop songs such as "Thong...
" at the 2006 MTV Video Music Awards
2006 MTV Video Music Awards
The 2006 MTV Video Music Awards aired live on August 31, 2006, honoring the best music videos from the previous year. The show was hosted by Jack Black at Radio City Music Hall in New York City....
on August 31, 2006.
Parodies
The repetitive, simple lyrics of the song have been a satire target, spawning many parodies.Novelist and composer Jack Heath cited the song and its "objectification of women disguised as empowerment" as his primary inspiration for his 2005 style parody "Don't Stall."
Peaches
Peaches (musician)
Merrill Beth Nisker , better known by her stage name Peaches, is a Canadian electronic musician and performance artist who lives in Berlin, Germany. Her songs are noted for disregarding traditional gender norms and their use of sexually explicit lyrics...
covered the song in 2006, altering the lyrics humorously and changing the title to "My Dumps".
Alanis Morissette
Alanis Morissette
Alanis Nadine Morissette is a Canadian-American singer-songwriter, guitarist, record producer, and actress. She has won 16 Juno Awards and seven Grammy Awards, was nominated for two Golden Globe Awards and also shortlisted for an Academy Award nomination...
covered the song in 2007, seemingly as an April Fools' Day
April Fools' Day
April Fools' Day is celebrated in different countries around the world on April 1 every year. Sometimes referred to as All Fools' Day, April 1 is not a national holiday, but is widely recognized and celebrated as a day when many people play all kinds of jokes and foolishness...
prank. In contrast to the original "My Humps," Morissette's cover is performed slowly and in the style of a ballad, with only a piano
Piano
The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
accompanying the vocal. On April 2, a video in which Morissette parodies Fergie's dancing moves in the original "My Humps" music video was added to the website YouTube
YouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
. By April 3, the video was the most viewed on Technorati
Technorati
Technorati is an Internet search engine for searching blogs. By June 2008, Technorati was indexing 112.8 million blogs and over 250 million pieces of tagged social media...
, and it was viewed 1.5 million times six days later. The video has been hosted on Morissette's official website. TIME
Time (magazine)
Time is an American news magazine. A European edition is published from London. Time Europe covers the Middle East, Africa and, since 2003, Latin America. An Asian edition is based in Hong Kong...
stated that the parody proved that Morissette "under[stands]" irony, in reference to her hit single, "Ironic
Ironic (song)
"Ironic" is a song recorded by Canadian-American singer Alanis Morissette for her third studio album Jagged Little Pill . It was written by Morissette and Glen Ballard, and was produced by him. Maverick and Warner Bros. Records released it as the album's fourth single on February 27, 1996 in CD,...
." On April 15, Fergie confirmed to E! News that she thought that the parody was "hilarious" and "genius." Fergie also said that she sent Alanis a cake in the shape of a "derrière
Buttocks
The buttocks are two rounded portions of the anatomy, located on the posterior of the pelvic region of apes and humans, and many other bipeds or quadrupeds, and comprise a layer of fat superimposed on the gluteus maximus and gluteus medius muscles. Physiologically, the buttocks enable weight to...
." Peaches subsequently created yet another "My Dumps" parody of the song with accompanying video, this time parodying Morissette's parody.
American Greetings
American Greetings
American Greetings Corporation, Inc. is the world's largest publicly-traded greeting card company. It is based in Brooklyn, Ohio and sells paper greeting cards, electronic greeting cards, party products , and electronic expressive content...
parodied the song in their Christmas e-card, "Three Wise Camels," in which the camels of the Three Wise Men rap about the gifts awaiting baby Jesus
Jesus
Jesus of Nazareth , commonly referred to as Jesus Christ or simply as Jesus or Christ, is the central figure of Christianity...
, which are sitting on their humps.
Afroman
Afroman
Joseph Edgar Foreman , better known by his stage name Afroman, is an American rapper who came to prominence with his singles "Because I Got High" and "Crazy Rap". "Because I Got High" circulated around the Internet before becoming a hit worldwide...
parodied the song for his album Waiting to Inhale entitled "My Chunk." His lyrics have opposite meaning: he raps about his genitals and receiving money from women because he's a pimp
Pimp
A pimp is an agent for prostitutes who collects part of their earnings. The pimp may receive this money in return for advertising services, physical protection, or for providing a location where she may engage clients...
.
Sketch-comedy show MADtv
MADtv
MADtv is an American sketch comedy television series. It licensed the name and logo of Mad, but otherwise had no connection with the humor magazine outside the animated Spy vs. Spy and Don Martin cartoon shorts and images of Alfred E. Neuman that the show featured during the late 1990s. Its first...
did a parody titled "My Slump" that featured George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
.
Flight of the Conchords
Flight of the Conchords
Flight of the Conchords are a New Zealand-based comedy duo composed of Bret McKenzie and Jemaine Clement. The duo's comedy and music became the basis of a BBC radio series and then an American television series, which premiered in 2007 on HBO, also called Flight of the Conchords.They were named...
did a parody of the song entitled "Sugarlumps" in the second season episode "The New Cup
The New Cup
"The New Cup" is the second episode of the second season of the HBO comedy series Flight of the Conchords. This episode was first aired in the United States on January 25, 2009.-Plot synopsis:...
."
A hidden track located at the end of Dr. Acula
Dr. Acula (band)
Dr. Acula is an American deathcore band from Long Island, New York. Formed in 2005, the group has released four studio albums, and two independent EPs . They are currently signed to Victory Records. The band is known for the use of soundclips from movies and TV shows as an accent to their songs...
's first EP, titled Chillogy
Chillogy (EP)
Chillogy is the first EP by American deathcore band, Dr. Acula. Released in 2006, the EP was independently surfaced.-Track listing:# "Vampire Breath " - 0:59# "Night of the Living Dummy" - 2:09# "Say Cheese and Die" - 1:56...
has the members performing numerous gags and one-liners. One of the members eventually starts singing; "Pussy tit, my fuckin' little tit. All up on my clitty clit. Check it out."
Critical reception
"My Humps" has been the subject of severe criticism by the music pressMusic journalism
Music journalism is criticism and reportage about music. It began in the eighteenth century as comment on what is now thought of as 'classical music'. This aspect of music journalism, today often referred to as music criticism , comprises the study, discussion, evaluation, and interpretation of...
. John Bush, writing for Allmusic, described it as "one of the most embarrassing rap performances of the new millennium," while Bill Lamb, writing for About.com
About.com
About.com is an online source for original information and advice. It is written in English, and is aimed primarily at North Americans. It is owned by The New York Times Company....
, called it "the musical equivalent of a bad Farrelly Brothers
Farrelly brothers
Peter John Farrelly and Robert Leo "Bobby" Farrelly, Jr. , professionally known as the Farrelly Brothers are screenwriters and directors of ten comedy films, including There's Something About Mary; Dumb and Dumber; Kingpin; Hall Pass; Me, Myself & Irene; Shallow Hal; Stuck on You; Osmosis Jones;...
movie." Hua Hsu of Slate
Slate (magazine)
Slate is a US-based English language online current affairs and culture magazine created in 1996 by former New Republic editor Michael Kinsley, initially under the ownership of Microsoft as part of MSN. On 21 December 2004 it was purchased by the Washington Post Company...
said, "It's not Awesomely Bad; it's Horrifically Bad. ... There are bad songs that offend our sensibilities but can still be enjoyed, and then there are the songs that are just really bad—transcendentally bad, objectively bad."
In a poll conducted by Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
in 2007, the song was ranked first in the list of 20 most annoying songs.
Matthew Wilkening of AOL Radio
AOL Radio
AOL Radio powered by Slacker, , is an online radio service available only in the United States.- Roots :...
also ranked the song at #80 on the list of the 100 Worst Songs Ever, advising the girls that they should "try to make the song as pretty as the subject" if they want to sing about their "special parts."
Despite the heavy criticism, it became a huge hit, charting at #3 in the United States and staying there for about two months.
In the U.S., "My Humps" reached number 3 on the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
becoming their second top 5 on the chart from the album Monkey Business
Monkey Business (album)
-Track listing:Notes*"My Humps" contains a hidden track "So Real".*"Audio Delite at Low Fidelity" includes a hidden track "Change".Sample Notes*"Pump It" samples "Misirlou" by Dick Dale....
and the third overall. As of June, 2009, "My Humps" has so far sold 2,203,000 downloads in the United States.
Pitchfork Media
Pitchfork Media
Pitchfork Media, usually known simply as Pitchfork or P4k, is a Chicago-based daily Internet publication established in 1995 that is devoted to music criticism and commentary, music news, and artist interviews. Its focus is on underground and independent music, especially indie rock...
ranked the song in its 15 worst releases of 2005, stating 'Like "Who Let the Dogs Out" before it, "My Humps" is so monumentally vacuous, slapped together and tossed-off that it truly tests the definition of "song."' and described it as a 'five-minute commercial jingle'
Live performances
In an April 2011 interview with MTV NewsMTV News
MTV News is the news division of MTV, one of the first and most popular music television network in the U.S., as well as some of MTV's related channels around the world. MTV News began in the late 1980s with the program The Week In Rock, hosted by Kurt Loder, the first official MTV News correspondent...
, will.i.am stated that the group has retired the song.He concluded that "My Humps" will not be performed on future tours, admitting the track isn't his best writing work.
Track listings
CD maxi- "My Humps" (single version)
- "My Humps" (Lil' Jon remix version)
- "So Real"
- "My Humps" (video)
iTunes digital download
- "My Humps" (Lil Jon remix version)
12 inch 33⅓ rpm black vinyl record from A&M Records
A&M Records
A&M Records is an American record label owned by Universal Music Group that operates under the mantle of its Interscope-Geffen-A&M division.-Beginnings:...
- "My Humps" (radio edit) - 3:44
- "My Humps" (instrumental) - 4:10 Side B
- "My Humps" (album version) - 5:26
- "My Humps" (a cappella) - 4:08
Peak positions
| Chart (2005/06) | Peak position |
|---|
End of year charts
| End of year chart (2005) | Position |
|---|---|
| Australian Singles Chart | 44 |
| Belgian (Flanders) Singles Chart | 94 |
| Dutch Top 40 | 71 |
| Irish Singles Chart | 14 |
| End of year chart (2006) | Position |
| Australian Singles Chart | 36 |
| Austrian Singles Chart | 31 |
| Belgian (Flanders) Singles Chart | 39 |
| Belgian (Wallonia) Singles Chart | 64 |
| Swiss Singles Chart | 29 |
Certifications
| Country | Certification | Date | Sales certified |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia | Platinum | 2005 | 70,000 |
| Brazil Brazil Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people... |
Platinum | 2009 | 100,000 |
| U.S. | 2 x Platinum | June 14, 2006 | 2,000,000 |
| United Kingdom United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages... |
Silver | 2005 | 200,000+ |