"Down Bad" is a song by American record label Dreamville featuring performances by American rappers J. Cole, JID, Bas, Johnny Venus of EarthGang, and Young Nudy, released on June 12, 2019 alongside "Got Me" as the dual second single from the label's 2019 compilation album, Revenge of the Dreamers III.[2]
| "Down Bad" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by Dreamville featuring J. Cole, JID, Bas, EarthGang, and Young Nudy | ||||
| from the album Revenge of the Dreamers III and the EP 1-888-88-DREAM | ||||
| B-side | "Got Me" | |||
| Released | June 12, 2019 | |||
| Recorded | January 6, 2019 | |||
| Studio | Tree Sound Studios, Atlanta, Georgia[1] | |||
| Genre | Hip hop | |||
| Length | 2:49 | |||
| Label | ||||
| Songwriter(s) | ||||
| Producer(s) | Pluss | |||
| Dreamville singles chronology | ||||
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| J. Cole singles chronology | ||||
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| JID singles chronology | ||||
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| Bas singles chronology | ||||
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| EarthGang singles chronology | ||||
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| Music video | ||||
| "Down Bad" on YouTube | ||||
Background
editThe song was created on the first day of Dreamville's sessions for the compilation album.[3] Bas wrote on Instagram about his initial reaction to the song when he arrived in Atlanta:
"I had just landed from South Africa and went straight to the studio. Soon as I walked into the A-room, JID was starting this song, first verse and hook, and I was like '[save me a verse please]. That was literally the first verse I recorded when I got to Atlanta after a 17 hour flight, J. Cole was tucked off with T-Minus finishing "Middle Child" and popped his head in [the room] like 'yes, I need parts.' My brother Johnny Venus, who has my vote for camp MVP, well I don't want to give it away but he came in and managed to make the song his. A big assist from our host city's own Young Nudy."[4]
In February, Dreamville gave a live preview of the song after the All Star game – which J. Cole was the halftime show performer, during the free concert in Charlotte.[5] In May, JID also gave fans a snippet of the single during his set at Miami's Rolling Loud Festival.[6]
Under the EP 1-888-88-DREAM, the single was released with "Got Me" on June 12. The EP's title is referencing the "1-888-88-DREAM" phone number that Cole used to announce the original Revenge of the Dreamers in 2014.[7] Dreamville representatives used hotline phone number to talk to fans and also play some exclusive tracks from the label's compilation album.[8]
Composition
editAccording to Genius, the song's "underlying beat is highly reminiscent" of "Rebel Without a Pause" by Public Enemy, although it is not a direct sample of the song.[6]
Music video
editThe official music video of the song was filmed in Atlanta, Georgia, and was uploaded on YouTube on October 22, 2019.[9]
Critical reception
editComplex named "Down Bad" as one of the best songs of the week, calling it a "rowdy, kick-in-the-door anthem ready-made for summer mischief"[10] and said the artists pack a ridiculous amount of energy into less than three minutes, beginning with a "tragically short verse" from Young Nudy and closing things with a "rapid-fire verse" from EarthGang's Johnny Venus.[10]
Commercial performance
edit"Down Bad" originally peaked at number 75 on the US Billboard Hot 100. Following the release of its parent album, Revenge of the Dreamers III, the song reached a new peak of number 64.[11] On November 22, 2019, the song was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).[12]
Credits and personnel
editCredits and personnel adapted from Tidal.[13]
- Jermaine Cole – featured artist, composer, lyricist
- Destin Route – featured artist, composer, lyricist
- Abbas Hamad – featured artist, composer, lyricist
- Olu Fann – featured artist, composer, lyricist
- Quantavious T. Thomas – featured artist, composer, lyricist
- Pluss – producer, composer, lyricist
- Joe LaPorta – mastering engineer
- Juru "Mez" Davis – mixer
- Miguel Scott – recording engineer
Charts
edit| Chart (2019) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Canada (Canadian Hot 100)[14] | 69 |
| New Zealand Hot Singles (RMNZ)[15] | 10 |
| US Billboard Hot 100[11] | 64 |
| US Rolling Stone Top 100[16] | 15 |
Certifications
edit| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| United States (RIAA)[17] | Platinum | 1,000,000‡ |
|
‡ Sales streaming figures based on certification alone. | ||
Awards and nominations
edit| Year | Award | Category | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | Grammy Award | Best Rap Performance | Nominated | [18] |
References
edit- ^ Hundred, Juan (January 19, 2019). "The Creator's POV of the Dreamville 'ROTD3' Camp". istandardproducers. Retrieved January 20, 2019.
- ^ Marie, Erika (June 12, 2019). "Dreamville Delivers "Down Bad" Single Ft. J.I.D, Bas, J. Cole, EarthGang, & Young Nudy". HotNewHipHop. Retrieved June 13, 2019.
- ^ Martinez, Jose (January 6, 2019). "J. Cole Announces 'Revenge of The Dreamers III'". Complex.
- ^ "Bas". Archived from the original on December 24, 2021 – via Instagram.
- ^ "J. COLE PREVIEWS 2 NEW SONGS AT NBA ALL-STAR DREAMVILLE SHOW: WATCH". HipHop-n-more. Retrieved February 18, 2019.
- ^ a b "Dreamville Pays Homage To Public Enemy With "Down Bad"". Genius. Retrieved June 15, 2019.
- ^ "1-888-88-DREAM". Genius. Retrieved June 14, 2019.
- ^ "Dreamville Artists Drop 'Down Bad' & 'Got Me' Off Upcoming Compilation Project: Listen". Billboard. Retrieved June 15, 2019.
- ^ "Watch Dreamville's "Down Bad" Video f/ J.I.D, Bas, J. Cole, EarthGang, and Young Nudy". Complex. Retrieved October 23, 2019.
- ^ a b Bernucca, Carolyn (June 14, 2019). "Best New Music This Week: Dreamville, Mac Miller, GoldLink, and More". Complex. Retrieved July 30, 2019.
- ^ a b "J Cole Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved July 16, 2019.
- ^ "Down Bad". RIAA. Retrieved December 19, 2019.
- ^ "1-888-88-DREAM" – via Tidal.
- ^ "J Cole Chart History (Canadian Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved July 16, 2019.
- ^ "NZ Hot Singles Chart". Recorded Music NZ. June 24, 2019. Retrieved June 21, 2019.
- ^ "Top 100 Songs". Rolling Stone. July 5, 2019. Archived from the original on November 2, 2021. Retrieved January 8, 2020.
- ^ "American single certifications – Dreamville – Down Bad". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved November 3, 2022.
- ^ "Artist - J. Cole". Grammy Awards. Retrieved November 24, 2019.