The Way You Move
Encyclopedia
"The Way You Move" is a 2003 number-one single recorded by Big Boi
of the hip-hop
duo OutKast
, released by LaFace Records
. The song features OutKast mentor Sleepy Brown
on guest vocals. Along with "Hey Ya!
", recorded by OutKast's other member André 3000
, "The Way You Move" is one of the two lead single
s from Speakerboxxx/The Love Below
, OutKast's double album
project which includes a solo album from each member. Released from Big Boi's Speakerboxxx half of the double album, "The Way You Move" peaked at number-one on the Billboard Hot 100
, becoming OutKast's third number-one pop single and the 900th for "Billboard." In 2009 it was named the 22nd most successful song of the 2000s, on the Billboard Hot 100 Songs of the Decade.
, Atlanta-style southern hip hop, and 1970s soul music
, "The Way You Move" is Big Boi's light-hearted dedication to women. The song's instrumental track is punctuated with the prominent live horn section
"Hornz Unlimited" of Atlanta reminiscent of Earth Wind and Fire, and the chorus and bridge feature Sleepy Brown singing in style inspired by the work of Motown star Marvin Gaye
.
, directed by Bryan Barber
, features Big Boi as the proprietor of a rim
shop. The video's performance shots eventually gravitate to other locations during the video's running time, featuring several young women who Big Boi, dressed in a pimp's suit, attempts to pick up. The video features an appearance from Fonzworth Bentley
and another from actress Ki Toy Johnson. "The Way You Move" music video was designed to be shown in tandem with the video for André 3000's "Hey Ya!
". A long-form "The Way You Move/Hey Ya!" video combines both clips with a bridging sequence.
The music video opens with Big Boi and Sleepy Brown pulling into a garage that specializes in automotive audio systems.
behind "Hey Ya!
", one of the longest runs at that position in the chart's history. It finally replaced "Hey Ya!" at number one on February 7, 2004, where it stayed for one week. That was the sixth time a recording act has replaced itself on the Billboard pop chart. "The Way You Move" was ranked number five on the 2004 Billboard Year-End Chart. On the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks
chart, "The Way You Move" peaked at number two (seven positions higher than "Hey Ya!"), and reached the top of the Hot Rap Tracks
chart.
UK CD2
UK card sleeve single
12" vinyl single
and funk legends Earth, Wind & Fire
released a cover of the song "The Way You Move" with Philip Bailey
and Maurice White
on vocals. The song appears on Kenny G's At Last... The Duets Album
and Earth, Wind & Fire's 2005 album Illumination
The song went to number 12 on the Adult Contemporary Chart.
Big Boi
Antwan André Patton , better known by his stage name Big Boi, is an American rapper, song-writer, record producer and actor, best known for being a member of American hip hop duo OutKast alongside André 3000. His work in the duo has produced six studio albums. During the duo's hiatus, he and André...
of the hip-hop
Hip hop music
Hip hop music, also called hip-hop, rap music or hip-hop music, is a musical genre consisting of a stylized rhythmic music that commonly accompanies rapping, a rhythmic and rhyming speech that is chanted...
duo OutKast
OutKast
Outkast is an American hip hop duo based in East Point, Georgia, consisting of Atlanta native André "André 3000" Benjamin and Savannah, Georgia-born Antwan "Big Boi" Patton. They were originally known as Two Shades Deep but later changed the group's name to OutKast...
, released by LaFace Records
LaFace Records
LaFace Records is an American record label, owned and operated by Sony Music Entertainment.-Company history:LaFace was formed in 1989 as a joint venture between the producing duo Antonio "L.A." Reid & Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds, and Arista Records. The combined nicknames of the duo's successful...
. The song features OutKast mentor Sleepy Brown
Sleepy Brown
Patrick "Sleepy" Brown is an R&B singer-songwriter, and record producer. He is one-third of the successful Atlanta-based production team of Organized Noize, which has created hits for acts such as OutKast, Goodie Mob, and TLC...
on guest vocals. Along with "Hey Ya!
Hey Ya!
"Hey Ya!" is a song written and produced by André 3000 for his 2003 album The Love Below, part of the hip hop duo OutKast's double album Speakerboxxx/The Love Below. The song takes influence from funk and rock music...
", recorded by OutKast's other member André 3000
André 3000
André Lauren Benjamin , better known by his stage name André 3000 is an American rapper, singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, record producer and actor, best known for being part of American hip-hop duo OutKast alongside fellow rapper Big Boi...
, "The Way You Move" is one of the two lead single
Lead single
A lead single is usually the first single released by a musician or a band before the release of its home album.During the era of the grammophone record, all music arrived in the marketplace as what is now termed a single, one potential hit song backed by an additional song of generally less...
s from Speakerboxxx/The Love Below
Speakerboxxx/The Love Below
Speakerboxxx/The Love Below is the fifth studio album by American hip hop duo OutKast, released September 23, 2003 on LaFace Records in the United States. Issued as a double album, it clocks in at over two hours and consists of a solo album from both of the group's members...
, OutKast's double album
Double album
A double album is an audio album which spans two units of the primary medium in which it is sold, typically records and compact discs....
project which includes a solo album from each member. Released from Big Boi's Speakerboxxx half of the double album, "The Way You Move" peaked at number-one 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 OutKast's third number-one pop single and the 900th for "Billboard." In 2009 it was named the 22nd most successful song of the 2000s, on the Billboard Hot 100 Songs of the Decade.
Song information
"The Way You Move" is credited to Big Boi, Sleepy Brown, and the song's producer, Carlton Mahone; Big Boi also does some co-production. Combining elements of bass musicMiami bass
Miami bass , is a type of hip hop music, that became popular in the 1980s and 1990s. Its roots are directly linked to the Electro-funk sound of the early 1980s, pioneered by Afrika Bambataa & The Soulsonic Force and later on by UK-based musician Paul Hardcastle...
, Atlanta-style southern hip hop, and 1970s soul music
Soul music
Soul music is a music genre originating in the United States combining elements of gospel music and rhythm and blues. According to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, soul is "music that arose out of the black experience in America through the transmutation of gospel and rhythm & blues into a form of...
, "The Way You Move" is Big Boi's light-hearted dedication to women. The song's instrumental track is punctuated with the prominent live horn section
Horn section
In music, a horn section can refer to several groups of musicians. It can refer to the musicians in a symphony orchestra who play the horn . In a British-style brass band it refers to the tenor horn players. In popular music, it can also refer to a small group of wind instrumentalists who augment a...
"Hornz Unlimited" of Atlanta reminiscent of Earth Wind and Fire, and the chorus and bridge feature Sleepy Brown singing in style inspired by the work of Motown star Marvin Gaye
Marvin Gaye
Marvin Pentz Gay, Jr. , better known by his stage name Marvin Gaye, was an American singer-songwriter and musician with a three-octave vocal range....
.
Music video
The song's 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...
, directed by Bryan Barber
Bryan Barber
Bryan Barber is a music video and motion picture director. He has directed many music videos for popular artists.-Personal:Barber graduated from Sacramento, CA Hiram Johnson High School in 1988...
, features Big Boi as the proprietor of a rim
Wheel
A wheel is a device that allows heavy objects to be moved easily through rotating on an axle through its center, facilitating movement or transportation while supporting a load, or performing labor in machines. Common examples found in transport applications. A wheel, together with an axle,...
shop. The video's performance shots eventually gravitate to other locations during the video's running time, featuring several young women who Big Boi, dressed in a pimp's suit, attempts to pick up. The video features an appearance from Fonzworth Bentley
Fonzworth Bentley
Derrick Watkins, in Atlanta, Georgia and popularly known as Fonzworth Bentley or Farnsworth Bentley, is a musician and author. He is perhaps best known for being Sean Combs' former personal valet and assistant, as first seen in Making the Band 2, and is currently the host of MTV's From G's to Gents...
and another from actress Ki Toy Johnson. "The Way You Move" music video was designed to be shown in tandem with the video for André 3000's "Hey Ya!
Hey Ya!
"Hey Ya!" is a song written and produced by André 3000 for his 2003 album The Love Below, part of the hip hop duo OutKast's double album Speakerboxxx/The Love Below. The song takes influence from funk and rock music...
". A long-form "The Way You Move/Hey Ya!" video combines both clips with a bridging sequence.
The music video opens with Big Boi and Sleepy Brown pulling into a garage that specializes in automotive audio systems.
Chart performance
"The Way You Move" spent eight weeks at the number-two position on the Billboard Hot 100Billboard 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...
behind "Hey Ya!
Hey Ya!
"Hey Ya!" is a song written and produced by André 3000 for his 2003 album The Love Below, part of the hip hop duo OutKast's double album Speakerboxxx/The Love Below. The song takes influence from funk and rock music...
", one of the longest runs at that position in the chart's history. It finally replaced "Hey Ya!" at number one on February 7, 2004, where it stayed for one week. That was the sixth time a recording act has replaced itself on the Billboard pop chart. "The Way You Move" was ranked number five on the 2004 Billboard Year-End Chart. On the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, is a chart released weekly by Billboard in the United States.The chart, initiated in 1942, is used to track the success of popular music songs in urban, or primarily African American, venues. Dominated over the years at various times by jazz, rhythm and blues, doo-wop, soul,...
chart, "The Way You Move" peaked at number two (seven positions higher than "Hey Ya!"), and reached the top of the Hot Rap Tracks
Hot Rap Songs
Rap Songs is a chart released weekly by Billboard in the United States. It lists the 25 most popular hip-hop/rap songs, calculated weekly by airplay on rhythmic and urban radio stations and sales in hip hop-focused or exclusive markets. From 1989 through 2001, it was based on how much the single...
chart.
Track listings
UK CD1- "The Way You Move" (clean album version) – 3:55
- "The Way You Move" (Johnny Toobad Radio Mix) – 3:15
UK CD2
- "The Way You Move" (club mix) – 6:04
- "The Way You Move" (Johnny Toobad Full Length Vocal) – 9:16
- "The Way You Move" (Full Phat Radio Mix) – 4:17
- "The Way You Move" (video) – 3:55
UK card sleeve single
- "The Way You Move" (radio edit) – 3:35
- "Last Call" – 3:16
12" vinyl single
- "The Way You Move" (radio edit) – 3:35
- "The Way You Move" (club mix) – 6:04
- "The Way You Move" (instrumental) – 3:35
- "Hey Ya!" (radio edit) – 3:35
- "Hey Ya!" (instrumental) – 3:35
Charts
| Chart (2003/2004) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australian ARIA Singles Chart ARIA Charts The ARIA charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling singles and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA commenced compiling its own charts in-house from the week ending 26 June... |
7 |
| UK Singles Chart UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ... |
7 |
| U.S. 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... |
1 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, is a chart released weekly by Billboard in the United States.The chart, initiated in 1942, is used to track the success of popular music songs in urban, or primarily African American, venues. Dominated over the years at various times by jazz, rhythm and blues, doo-wop, soul,... |
2 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot Rap Tracks Hot Rap Songs Rap Songs is a chart released weekly by Billboard in the United States. It lists the 25 most popular hip-hop/rap songs, calculated weekly by airplay on rhythmic and urban radio stations and sales in hip hop-focused or exclusive markets. From 1989 through 2001, it was based on how much the single... |
1 |
Decade-end charts
| Chart (2000–2009) | Rank |
|---|---|
| US 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... |
22 |
Earth, Wind & Fire/Kenny G cover
In 2004, saxophonist Kenny GKenny G
Kenneth Bruce Gorelick , better known by his stage name Kenny G, is an American, adult contemporary and smooth jazz saxophonist. His fourth album, Duotones, brought him breakthrough success in 1986...
and funk legends Earth, Wind & Fire
Earth, Wind & Fire
Earth, Wind & Fire is an American soul and R&B band formed in Chicago, Illinois, in 1969 by Verdine and Maurice White. Also known as EWF, the band has won six Grammy Awards and four American Music Awards. They have been inducted into both the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the Vocal Group Hall of...
released a cover of the song "The Way You Move" with Philip Bailey
Philip Bailey
Philip Irvin Bailey is an American R&B, soul, gospel and funk singer, songwriter, percussionist and actor, best known as one of the longtime members of Earth, Wind & Fire. Together with Verdine White, B. David Whitworth, and Ralph Johnson he forms the heart of the current EWF line-up on...
and Maurice White
Maurice White
Maurice White is a Grammy Award–winning American singer, songwriter, musician, record producer, arranger. He is the older brother of Verdine White and Fred White and the leader and founder of the band Earth, Wind & Fire...
on vocals. The song appears on Kenny G's At Last... The Duets Album
At Last...The Duets Album
At Last...The Duets Album is the second cover album by saxophonist Kenny G. It was released by Arista Records in 2004, and reached number 1 on the Contemporary Jazz chart, number 21 on the R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart and number 40 on the Billboard 200....
and Earth, Wind & Fire's 2005 album Illumination
Illumination (Earth, Wind & Fire album)
Illumination is an album by R&B band Earth, Wind & Fire. It was released in September 2005 on Sanctuary Records. It featured collaborations with several artists including Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, Kenny G, Kelly Rowland, Will I Am, and Brian McKnight...
The song went to number 12 on the Adult Contemporary Chart.
Pop culture references
- The song was featured and poked fun at in an episode of Chappelle's ShowChappelle's ShowChappelle's Show is an American sketch comedy television series created by comedian Dave Chappelle and Neal Brennan, with Chappelle hosting the show as well as starring in various skits. Chappelle, Brennan and Michele Armour were the show's executive producers. The series premiered on January 22,...
in a skit entitled "Making the Band" in which P. DiddySean CombsSean John Combs , also known by his stage names Diddy and P. Diddy, is an American rapper, singer, record producer, actor, and entrepreneur. He has won three Grammy Awards and two MTV Video Music Awards, and his clothing line earned a Council of Fashion Designers of America award. He was originally...
(played by Chappelle) is joined by his assistant, Fonzworth BentleyFonzworth BentleyDerrick Watkins, in Atlanta, Georgia and popularly known as Fonzworth Bentley or Farnsworth Bentley, is a musician and author. He is perhaps best known for being Sean Combs' former personal valet and assistant, as first seen in Making the Band 2, and is currently the host of MTV's From G's to Gents...
(also played by Chappelle), who comes flying in using his umbrella as a parachute, just as Fonzworth does in "The Way You Move" music video. - A heavily edited version of the song is featured in the console versions of Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2005Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2005Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2005 is a golf video game in the Tiger Woods PGA Tour series available for PS2, Xbox, GameCube, and PC. It was later produced and released for mobile phones and Mac OS X...
. - A "House Mix" is featured on Dance Dance Revolution Universe 2Dance Dance Revolution Universe 2Dance Dance Revolution Universe 2, or Universe 2, is a music video game for the North American Xbox 360. Released by Konami Digital Entertainment on December 4, 2007, Universe 2 is a sequel to Dance Dance Revolution Universe released earlier the same year...
.