"Get Ur Freak On" is a song by American rapper Missy "Misdemeanor" Elliott. It was written and produced by Elliott and

Timbaland Timothy Zachery Mosley (born March 10, 1972), known professionally as Timbaland, is an American record producer and rapper. Born and raised in Norfolk, Virginia, he is widely acclaimed for his distinctive production work and "stuttering" rhythm ...

for her third studio album '' Miss E... So Addictive'' (2001). Based on heavy bhangra elements, a popular music and dance form from the region of

Punjab Punjab (; ; also romanised as Panjāb or Panj-Āb) is a geopolitical, cultural, and historical region in South Asia. It is located in the northwestern part of the Indian subcontinent, comprising areas of modern-day eastern Pakistan and no ...

India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...

, the song features a six-note base that is a Punjabi melody played on a tumbi and rhythm and bassline played on

tabla A ''tabla'' is a pair of hand drums from the Indian subcontinent. Since the 18th century, it has been the principal percussion instrument in Hindustani classical music, where it may be played solo, as an accompaniment with other instruments a ...

. Released as the album's first single on March 13, 2001, the track reached number seven on the US ''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart. Internationally, "Get Ur Freak On" became a top-10 success in the Netherlands and the United Kingdom, where it became her first solo top-10 hit, peaking at number four. A remix of the song featuring

Nelly Furtado Nelly Kim Furtado ( , ; born December 2, 1978) is a Canadian singer and songwriter. She has sold over 45 million records, including 35 million in album sales worldwide, making her one of the most successful Canadian artists. Critics have noted ...

was a dance club hit during this period. On the ''Billboard'' magazine issue dated February 21, 2015, "Get Ur Freak On" re-entered at number 40, more than a decade after its original chart run. This re-entry was spawned by Missy Elliott's performance at the Super Bowl XLIX halftime show that occurred earlier in the month.

Background and promotion

At the beginning of the song, a man says in Japanese: 「これからみんなでめちゃくちゃ踊って騒ごう、騒ごう。」 "''Kore kara minna de mechakucha odotte. Sawagou, sawagou''". Translated into English, it means: "Everyone start dancing together wildly now. Let's make some noise, let's make some noise." Before the second chorus (after Missy says ''"Let me throw you some"''), the song samples German artist Karunesh’s song “Solitude” from the album ''Global Spirit''. The outro of the song features the man who speaks Japanese saying "Ichi, ni, san, shi", translating to "One, two, three, four."

Critical reception and legacy

"Get Ur Freak On" is widely considered one of Missy Elliott's best songs. ''

Stereogum ''Stereogum'' is a daily Internet publication that focuses on music news, reviews, interviews, and commentary. The site was created in January 2002 by Scott Lapatine. ''Stereogum'' was one of the first MP3 blogs and has received several awar ...

'' and '' Paste'' ranked the song number one and number two, respectively, on their lists of the 10 greatest Missy Elliott Songs. In 2011, the song was listed 14th on ''

Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. The magazine was first known fo ...

'' Best Songs of the 2000s. In 2004 and 2010, it was ranked at number 466 on their

500 Greatest Songs of All Time "The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time" is a recurring song ranking compiled by the American magazine ''Rolling Stone''. It is based on weighted votes from selected musicians, critics, and industry figures. The first list was published in December 2 ...

. In the 2021 reranking, it was ranked at number eight. In 2002, "Get Ur Freak On" was named the best single released in the year 2001 by ''The Village Voice''s

Pazz & Jop Pazz & Jop was an annual poll of top musical releases, compiled by American newspaper ''The Village Voice'' and created by music critic Robert Christgau. It published lists of the year's top releases for 1971 and, after Christgau's two-year abse ...

annual year-end critics' poll. The song also lists at number seven on ''

Pitchfork Media ''Pitchfork'' (formerly ''Pitchfork Media'') is an American online music magazine founded in 1996 by Ryan Schreiber in Minneapolis. It originally covered Alternative rock, alternative and independent music, and expanded to cover genres includin ...

''s Top 500 Songs of the 2000s and number 16 on

VH1 VH1 (originally an initialism for Video Hits One) is an American basic cable television network that launched on January 1, 1985, and is currently owned by the MTV Entertainment Group unit of Paramount Global's networks division based in New Y ...

's Greatest Songs of Hip-Hop. In 2011, ''

NME ''New Musical Express'' (''NME'') is a British music, film, gaming and culture website, bimonthly magazine, and brand. Founded as a newspaper in 1952, with the publication being referred to as a "Rock music, rock inkie", the ''NME'' would be ...

'' placed it at number 17 on its list "150 Best Tracks of the Past 15 Years". In April 2014, the song was remixed with

the Black Keys The Black Keys are an American Rock music, rock duo formed in Akron, Ohio in 2001. The group consists of Dan Auerbach (guitar, Singing, vocals) and Patrick Carney (Drum kit, drums). The duo began as an Independent music, independent act, record ...

' song "Keep Me" for the original soundtrack to '' Neighbors'' (2014). In 2002, "Get Ur Freak On" won Elliott the Grammy Award for Best Rap Solo Performance, beating out fellow nominees "

Because I Got High "Because I Got High" is a comedy hip hop song by American rapper Afroman from Because I Got High (album), the 2000 album of the same name. The lyrics of the song humorously describe how cannabis (drug), cannabis use is degrading the narrator's q ...

" (

Afroman Joseph Edgar Foreman (born July 28, 1974), better known by his stage name Afroman, is an American rapper. His debut studio album, '' The Good Times'' (2001), featured the singles " Because I Got High" and " Crazy Rap". He was nominated for a Gr ...

), " Who We Be" ( DMX), " Izzo (H.O.V.A.)" (

Jay-Z Shawn Corey Carter (born December 4, 1969), known professionally as Jay-Z, is an American Rapping, rapper, businessman, and record executive. Rooted in East Coast hip-hop, he was named Billboard and Vibe's 50 Greatest Rappers of All Time, the ...

), and " Ride wit Me" (

Nelly Cornell Iral Haynes Jr. (born November 2, 1974), better known by his stage name Nelly, is an American rapper, singer, and actor. He grew up in St. Louis, Missouri, and embarked on his musical career in 1993 as a member of the Midwest hip hop g ...

Music video

"Get Ur Freak On" marked the first time that Elliott would team up with director Dave Meyers, who would become a frequent collaborator on subsequent projects. Elliott, a fan of his work, decided to consult Meyers after she had taken him to see ''

Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon ''Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon'' is a 2000 epic romantic drama wuxia martial arts film directed by Ang Lee and written for the screen by Wang Hui-ling, James Schamus, and Tsai Kuo-jung. The film stars Chow Yun-fat, Michelle Yeoh, Z ...

'' in theatre. Nadine "Hi-Hat" Ruffin served as the videos's choreographer. In "Get Ur Freak On," Elliott's dancers throw shapes in "some kind of industrial underworld – crouched on concrete blocks, hanging upside down like bats," whilte Elliott herself act both "queenly and cartoonish: craning her head from her body; swinging from a chandelier; and in one memorably trippy, ''

Matrix Matrix (: matrices or matrixes) or MATRIX may refer to: Science and mathematics * Matrix (mathematics), a rectangular array of numbers, symbols or expressions * Matrix (logic), part of a formula in prenex normal form * Matrix (biology), the m ...

''-like effect, spitting long-distance into a male dancer's mouth." Rappers

Ludacris Christopher Brian Bridges (born September 11, 1977), known professionally as Ludacris (, spoken as "ludicrous" in American English), is an American rapper and songwriter. Born in Champaign, Illinois, Ludacris moved to Atlanta, Georgia, at age ...

LL Cool J James Todd Smith (born January 14, 1968), known professionally as LL Cool J (short for Ladies Love Cool James), is an American rapper and actor. He is one of the earliest rappers to achieve commercial success, alongside fellow new school hip ho ...

Ja Rule Jeffrey Bruce Atkins (born February 29, 1976), better known by his stage name Ja Rule (), is an American rapper, singer, and actor. Born and raised in New York City, Ja Rule became known for blending gangsta rap with pop rap, pop and contempo ...

Busta Rhymes Trevor George Smith Jr. (born May 20, 1972), known professionally as Busta Rhymes, is an American rapper, singer and actor. Chuck D of Public Enemy gave him the moniker Busta Rhymes, after National Football League, NFL and Canadian Football Lea ...

Master P Percy Robert Miller (born April 29, 1967), better known by his stage name Master P, is an American rapper, record producer, record executive, dancer, actor and entrepreneur. He founded the record label No Limit Records in 1991, which was relau ...

, Spliff Star, Lil' Romeo,

Eve Eve is a figure in the Book of Genesis in the Hebrew Bible. According to the origin story, "Creation myths are symbolic stories describing how the universe and its inhabitants came to be. Creation myths develop through oral traditions and there ...

Nate Dogg Nathaniel Dwayne Hale (August 19, 1969 – March 15, 2011), known professionally as Nate Dogg, was an American rapper and singer. He gained recognition for providing guest vocals on several hit rap songs between 1992 and 2007, earning him the ...

and singer

Nicole Wray Nicole Monique Wray (born May 2, 1979, also known as Lady Wray, is an American singer and songwriter. Her 1998 debut single " Make It Hot" was certified gold. In the 2010s, she began pursuing a more traditional soul sound, first as part of the d ...

make cameo appearances in the video.

Track listings

US 12-inch single :A1. "Get Ur Freak On" (album version) – 3:57 :A2. "Get Ur Freak On" (amended version) – 3:57 :B1. "Get Ur Freak On" (instrumental) – 3:53 :B2. "Get Ur Freak On" (a cappella) – 3:10 :B3. "Get Ur Freak On" ( TV track) – 3:58 UK 12-inch single :A1. "Get Ur Freak On" (edit) – 3:31 :A2. "Get Ur Freak On" (album version) – 3:57 :B1. "Get Ur Freak On" (instrumental) – 3:53 :B2. "Get Ur Freak On" (a cappella) – 3:11 :B3. "Get Ur Freak On" (TV track) – 3:50 UK CD single # "Get Ur Freak On" (edit) – 3:31 # "Get Ur Freak On" (amended version) – 3:57 # "Get Ur Freak On" (instrumental) – 3:53 UK cassette single and European CD single # "Get Ur Freak On" (edit) – 3:31 # "Get Ur Freak On" (album version) – 3:57 Australian CD single # "Get Ur Freak On" (edit) – 3:31 # "Get Ur Freak On" (radio edit—Bastone & Bernstien club mix) – 3:27 # "Get Ur Freak On" (amended version) – 3:57 # "Get Ur Freak On" (instrumental) – 3:53

Charts

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

Certifications

Release history

Cover versions

*In 2005, Scottish acoustic rocker

KT Tunstall Kate Victoria "KT" Tunstall (born 23 June 1975) is a Scottish singer-songwriter and musician. She first gained attention with a 2004 live solo performance of her song "Black Horse and the Cherry Tree" on ''Later... with Jools Holland'', and h ...

released her version of "Get Ur Freak On" performed for

BBC Radio BBC Radio is an operational business division and service of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) which has operated in the United Kingdom under the terms of a royal charter since 1927. The service provides national radio stations cove ...

Live Lounge The Live Lounge is a segment on the British radio stations BBC Radio 1 and BBC Radio 1Xtra. It was originally hosted by Simon Mayo, and later by Jo Whiley on her weekday mid-morning, and later weekend lunchtime radio shows, then by Fearne Cott ...

on certain versions of the single for " Suddenly I See". * Anda Adam's single "Nai, Nai" from her debut album '' Confidențial'' (2005) samples the Elliot's track. * Shawn Lee's Ping Pong Orchestra released a

surf rock Surf music (also known as surf rock, surf pop, or surf guitar) is a genre of rock music associated with surf culture, particularly as found in Southern California. It was especially popular from 1958 to 1964 in two major forms. The first is inst ...

rendition on the 2007 album "Hits the Hits." American rock band

Eels Eels are ray-finned fish belonging to the order (biology), order Anguilliformes (), which consists of eight suborders, 20 Family (biology), families, 164 genus, genera, and about 1000 species. Eels undergo considerable development from the earl ...

also released a version of "Get Ur Freak On" on '' Meet the Eels: Essential Eels Vol. I'', having frequently performed it live during the Shootenanny! tour several years previously. *On the comedy show '' Fonejacker'', the track was parodied by Kayvan Novak as he tried to get "Sounds of the Universe" record shop manager Jon Burnip, to identify the track by singing the tune with nonsensical lyrics. *In

Britney Spears Britney Jean Spears (born December 2, 1981) is an American singer. Often referred to as the "Princess of Pop", she has sold over 150 million records worldwide, making her one of the world's best-selling music artists. Cultural impact of Brit ...

' Britney: Piece of Me revamped Vegas residency show, "Get Ur Freak On" was performed as a medley along with other Elliott songs. *Though not covered, the melody of the song was sampled in the song “ILoveYourAunt” by American rappers A$AP Ferg and $ki Mask the Slump God. *Japanese experimental music group Satanicpornocultshop sampled lyrics from "Get Ur Freak On" in their 2010 songs " .i.p.Tide" and " Pinky." *During

James Corden James Kimberley Corden (born 22 August 1978) is an English comedian, actor, writer, producer, singer, and television host. In the United Kingdom, he is best known for co-writing and starring in the critically acclaimed BBC sitcom '' Gavin & S ...

Carpool Karaoke Carpool Karaoke was a recurring segment on '' The Late Late Show with James Corden'', in which host James Corden invites famous musical guests to sing along to their songs with him while traveling in a car driven by Corden on a planned route usu ...

segment

Michelle Obama Michelle LaVaughn Robinson Obama ( Robinson; born January 17, 1964) is an American attorney and author who served as the first lady of the United States from 2009 to 2017, being married to Barack Obama, the 44th president of the United Stat ...

rapped with Missy Elliott "Get Ur Freak On".Michelle Obama raps Missy Elliott's "Get Ur Freak On" on Carpool Karaoke and it's so friggin' good
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References

{{Authority control 2001 songs 2001 singles Missy Elliott songs Bhangra (music) songs Elektra Records singles Grammy Award for Best Rap Solo Performance Song recordings produced by Timbaland Songs written by Missy Elliott Songs written by Timbaland Music videos directed by Dave Meyers (director)