The twists and turns hip hop takes…

New Orleans-based rapper Juvenile is showing there’s no topic he won’t touch, and his latest creation sees him tackle one of the most prominent issues in the world: in the COVID-19 vaccine rollout.

Now, the ‘Just Another Gangsta’ rapper has remixed one of his biggest hits ‘Back That Thang Up’ into a vaccine anthem titled ‘Vax That Thang Up,’ reuniting with OG collaborator Mannie Fresh while replacing Lil Wayne on the hook with Mia X.

The tune sees Juvenile reimagine the bars of his 1998 hit through a COVID-19 vaccine lens, dropping rhymes like “Date in real life, you need to vax that thang up,” that bare an eery resemblance to the spirit of the NSW ‘Stoner Sloth’ advertisements from a couple years back.

Mannie Fresh makes a pretty hilarious (but compelling) argument to get the shot as well while paying tribute to BLK, a dating service for black singles that sponsors the song, rapping “Internet date, yeah, I’m the mate, yeah/Download the app shorty, you ain’t got to wait yeah/I love it when you hold me/Eggplant emoji,” while Mia X concludes the track singing “Wanna smash with Scott/Smash smash with Scott/Then BLK says go get the shot.”

The accompanying music video is your quintessential hip hop visual, but still keeps the emphasis on the songs message, shots of vaccine cards and centres interspersed between pimped out cars and a wild block party. And of course, all artists in the track make appearances, clad in white outfits as they go all the way in on a basketball court.

Explaining the move in a statement, Juvenile wrote online “I just wanted to do something positive for my people and to stand in the front to show that I’m willing to sacrifice my life not just for me but also for my family. “We don’t know what we’re facing right now but we really do all need to be vaccinated so we can continue to do our thing and survive.”

Definitely an important tune, and judging by the amount of views its racked up online, the world seems to agree. Check out ‘Vax That Thang Up’ and its 1998 counterpart ‘Back That Thang Up’ below.