Touch It

Single infobox
Name = Touch It


Artist = Busta Rhymes
from Album = The Big Bang
Released = October 2005
Format = Single
Recorded =
Genre = East Coast Hip Hop, Hip Hop
Length = 3:34
Label = Aftermath/Interscope
Writer = Busta Rhymes
Swizz Beatz
Thomas Bangalter
Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo
Producer = Swizz Beatz
Last single = "Don't Cha"
(2005)
This single = "Touch It"
(2006)
Next single = "Touch It (remix)"
(2006)

"Touch It" is a rap/hip-hop hit by Busta Rhymes which contains a sample from "Technologic" by the electronic band Daft Punk. Released as an official single on May 14, 2006, it was the first single from Rhymes' Aftermath/Interscope debut, "The Big Bang".

ingle release

The release date for the single in the UK was 15 May 2006. However, due to UK chart rules allowing songs to chart on download sales alone, one week before the single's physical release, "Touch It" managed to make the top 40, entering at #23 on download sales only. After the physical single release, the song climbed to #6, its peak position The song had a strong chart run initially, spending seven weeks inside the top 30 there, however, because the physical copies of the single were deleted, the single was withdrawn from the chart due to new chart rules stating that singles could only remain in the chart for two weeks after their physical deletion. This is why the record seemingly fell from the UK top 75 from the top 30.

Infobox Single
Name = Touch It (Remix)


Artist = Busta Rhymes featuring Mary J. Blige, Rah Digga, Missy Elliott, Lloyd Banks, Papoose & DMX
from Album = The Big Bang
B-side =
Released = May 2006
Format = Single
Recorded = 2006
Genre = Hip hop
Length = 03:56
Label = Aftermath, Interscope
Writer = Busta Rhymes, Swizz Beatz
Producer = Swizz Beatz
Chart position =Extra chronology
Artist = Busta Rhymes
Type = singles
Last single = "Touch It"
(2006)
This single = "Touch It (Remix)"
(2006)
Next single = "I Love My Bitch"
(2006)Extra chronology
Artist = Mary J. Blige
Type = singles
Last single =
This single = "Touch It (Remix)"
(2006)
Next single =Extra chronology
Artist = Rah Digga
Type = singles
Last single =
This single = "Touch It (Remix)"
(2006)
Next single =Extra chronology
Artist = Missy Elliott
Type = singles
Last single =
This single = "Touch It (Remix)"
(2006)
Next single =Extra chronology
Artist = Lloyd Banks
Type = singles
Last single =
This single = "Touch It (Remix)"
(2006)
Next single =Extra chronology
Artist = Papoose
Type = singles
Last single =
This single = "Touch It (Remix)"
(2006)
Next single =Extra chronology
Artist = DMX
Type = singles
Last single =
This single = "Touch It (Remix)"
(2006)
Next single =

Remix

After the release of "Touch It", a series of remixes were set into play. The result was five popular versions of the song and a video, each featuring different well-known hip-hop artists. The final full-length remix had an accompanying video.

History

Remix video

In the opening of the video, the head cheerleader and the rest of the girls are in Burgundy and silver outfits. Busta Rhymes then arrives and decides who runs the city. Upon the entrance of each performer, they mention something positive happening. After Bust and Spliff finish their battle (freestyle), the cheerleaders sing and step to the Touch It beat. An electronic machine makes a zapping-sound and a bolt of green lighting appears in the background.

In each scene, all the rappers wear colors that match the background. Usually, after one rapper finishes their verse the others appear and start strutting and dancing on beat. The screen shows two or more sides of the other backgrounds and their rappers. After Busta Rhymes the other rappers appear in this order: Mary J. Blige in white, Rah Digga in pink, Missy Elliott in purple, Lloyd Banks in blue, Papoose in green and DMX in black (he has his hood up). Busta Rhymes and his friend, Spliff Star, appear in red at the beginning and in yellow at the end. Each singer appears with different outfits, such as Busta's white t-shirt, Papoose's, DMX's, Lloyd Banks' jackets, and the ladies' fur coats. During Mary J. Blige's part, her alter ego, Brooke Lynn, appears dressed in a matching white costume. Other appearances in the music video are Sean Paul, DJ Kayslay, Swizz Beatz, Winky Wright, Felix Trinidad and Spliff Star.

At the 2006 BET Awards, Busta performed the Video Remix live on stage, along with Elliott, Banks, Blige, Papoose, and Rah Digga. DMX was absent for the performance, but his part was played on the screens on the stage. The performance also featured a surprise final verse by Eminem, who began with some of Busta's lines from A Tribe Called Quest's Scenario.

Official Remixes and Versions

"Touch It" by Busta Rhymes

"Touch It" (Remix Part 1) by Busta Rhymes feat. DMX

"Touch It" (Remix Part 2) by Busta Rhymes feat. Mary J. Blige, Missy Elliott and Rah Digga

"Touch It" (Remix Part 3) by Busta Rhymes feat. Lloyd Banks and Papoose

"Touch It" (Remix Part 4) by Busta Rhymes feat. Mary J. Blige, Rah Digga, Missy Elliott, Lloyd Banks, Papoose and DMX

"Touch It" (Mega Remix) by Busta Rhymes feat. Lloyd Banks, DMX, Mary J. Blige, Ne-Yo, Papoose, Rah Digga and Missy Elliot

"Touch It" (BET Awards '06 Remix) by Busta Rhymes feat. Mary J. Blige, Rah Digga, Missy Elliott, Lloyd Banks, Papoose, DMX and Eminem

"Touch It" / "Technologic" by Daft Punk from the live album "Alive 2007"

Controversy

Busta Rhymes' bodyguard, Israel Ramirez, was shot and killed outside the set of this song's music video during filming in Brooklyn on February 5 2006. The police have still not found a suspect. In later versions of the video, the cheerleader scene is preceded by a slideshow of Israel "Izzy" Ramirez with a message from Busta Rhymes to the deceased telling him how much he meant to him and how he would not be forgotten. [Ford, Tracey. [http://www.rollingstone.com/artists/bustarhymes/articles/story/9248820/busta_rhymes_bodyguard_killed Busta Rhymes Bodyguard Killed] . "RollingStone". Accessed March 18 2007.]

Tony Yayo

It was thought that Tony Yayo was on the remix, but he had a struggle with Swizz Beatz and left the video shoot, causing Busta to replace him with Papoose.

tructure

The structure can be described as containing a futuristic, electronic beat in the chorus, and has high and low sounds. It has a thumping beat mixed with some futurist vibes. The first half of each person's rhyme is sung in a low tone when Rhymes says "get low *name of the performer*, example: "Get low Papoose!", when Busta Rhymes yells "Turn it up!", their voices rises to the sound of the music. A siren sound is projected throughout the video, as well as the zapping-sound appears to the thumping sound of the beat. Even, the cheerleaders themselves say Get Low in their scene. Rhymes appears in everyone's background. The line "touch it, bring it, pay it, watch it, turn it, leave it, stop, format it" is a sample of the Daft Punk song "Technologic", though the line is also sung by Missy Elliot in a remix.

Daft Punk combined "Touch it" with "Technologic" for their live album "Alive 2007".

Nominations and success

Along with the video for the original version of the song, a new video was created, featuring abridged versions of all six guest artists' verses. The video also includes cameos from Brooke Valentine, DJ Kay Slay, Sean Paul, Swizz Beatz, Spliff Star, and boxing champions Félix Trinidad and Winky Wright, whom had fought in May 2005.

It was nominated for Best Male Video, and Best Rap Video at the 2006 MTV Video Music Awards. Busta Rhymes himself placed it # 1 on his BET Top 25 countdown. It debuted on "BET 106 & Park" in the spring and received major airplay. It also spun the career of Papoose. The remix was also nominated for Best Rap Solo Performance at the 2007 Grammy Awards. The song was also popular on the charts, peaking at #16 on the Hot 100 and topping the chart in New Zealand.

Charts

References

External links

* [http://youtube.com/watch?v=c_DWMJc0_RQ Touch It (Remix)]
* [http://www.ohhla.com/anonymous/b_rhymes/rm_bside/touchpt4.brm.txt Touch It Remix Lyrics]

References