"Did It On'em" is a song by
Trinidadian-American rapper and singer
Nicki Minaj
Onika Tanya Maraj-Petty (; born December 8, 1982), known professionally as Nicki Minaj ( ), is a Trinidadian-born rapper based in the United States. She is known for her musical versatility, animated flow in her rapping, alter egos and accent ...
. It was written by Minaj with J. Ellington,
Safaree Samuels
Safaree Lloyd Samuels (born July 4, 1981) is a Jamaican-American rapper. Samuels started his musical career in the group the Hoodstars in the early 2000s alongside American rapper Nicki Minaj. Samuels is also known as a solo artist. In 2016, he ...
, and Shondrae "Bangladesh" Crawford, who produced the track. The song served as the sixth single from her debut album, ''
Pink Friday
''Pink Friday'' is the debut studio album by rapper Nicki Minaj. It was released on November 22, 2010, by Young Money, Cash Money and Universal Motown. After signing a recording contract with Young Money Entertainment in 2009, Minaj began plann ...
'', in the United States.
The song has a distinct sound when compared to the rest of the tracks on the album as it contains a harder, "massive, ungainly" beat, reflecting her prior work on mixtapes. It also features
hi-hats
A hi-hat (hihat, high-hat, etc.) is a combination of two cymbals and a pedal, all mounted on a metal stand. It is a part of the standard drum kit used by drummers in many styles of music including rock, pop, jazz, and blues. Hi-hats consist o ...
in "overdrive" and multiple synth patterns sounding as if a car-alarm siren was going off. Lyrically, Minaj delivers explicit phrases talking about winning over her competition.
"Did It On'em" reached number forty-nine on the US
''Billboard'' Hot 100, and reached number 3 on the US
R&B/Hip-Hop Songs
The Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart ranks the most popular R&B and hip hop songs in the United States and is published weekly by ''Billboard''. Rankings are based on a measure of radio airplay, sales data, and streaming activity. The chart had 100 p ...
and number 4 on US
Rap Songs
Hot Rap Songs (formerly known as Hot Rap Tracks and Hot Rap Singles) 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 stat ...
charts. A music video was released for the track, featuring Minaj behind-the-scenes and performing on the I Am Still Music Tour.
Composition
"Did It On'em" is a
hardcore hip hop
Hardcore hip hop (also hardcore rap) is a genre of hip hop music that developed through the East Coast hip hop scene in the 1980s. Pioneered by such artists as Run-DMC, Schoolly D, Boogie Down Productions and Public Enemy, it is generally cha ...
and
post-dubstep
Post-dubstep is an umbrella term applied to a range of musical styles that have been influenced by the sparse, syncopated rhythms and heavy sub-bass of the UK dubstep scene. The breadth of styles associated with the term post-dubstep precluded i ...
song that has instrumentally been described as having a massive, ungainly beat.
Producer Bangladesh creates
hi-hats
A hi-hat (hihat, high-hat, etc.) is a combination of two cymbals and a pedal, all mounted on a metal stand. It is a part of the standard drum kit used by drummers in many styles of music including rock, pop, jazz, and blues. Hi-hats consist o ...
that have been described as on overdrive.
Multiple synths are heard on the track that have been described as blowing up like "a car-alarm siren."
One of Minaj's more lyrically explicit songs, the lyrics speak of Minaj winning over her competition, in phrases such as saying she "shitted on 'em" or "pissed on 'em."
Brad Wete of ''
Entertainment Weekly
''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, and popular cul ...
'' said Minaj was "ordering her Barbies to put up two fingers if they're crapping on their competition."
Mark Hogan of ''
Spin
Spin or spinning most often refers to:
* Spinning (textiles), the creation of yarn or thread by twisting fibers together, traditionally by hand spinning
* Spin, the rotation of an object around a central axis
* Spin (propaganda), an intentionally b ...
'' also reviewed the lyrics, commenting "she pulls out an imagined 'dick' and pisses on a washed-up rival."
Reception
Scott Plagenhoef of ''
Pitchfork
A pitchfork (also a hay fork) is an agricultural tool with a long handle and two to five tines used to lift and pitch or throw loose material, such as hay, straw, manure, or leaves.
The term is also applied colloquially, but inaccurately, to th ...
'' gave the song a positive review naming it the record's best track, due to the fact that it features Minaj going "toe-to-toe with a huge beat." Additionally from ''Pitchfork'', Tom Breihan stated that Minaj's voice is meant more for rapping than singing and favored "Did It On'em" on that thought.
Breihan continued complimenting Minaj, stating that the song recognizes how "beautifully, effortlessly weird she is," and how she is willing to "contort her voice and persona into pretzel shapes just to induce that oh-shit face in anyone listening."
Margaret Wappler of ''
Los Angeles Times
The ''Los Angeles Times'' (abbreviated as ''LA Times'') is a daily newspaper that started publishing in Los Angeles in 1881. Based in the LA-adjacent suburb of El Segundo since 2018, it is the sixth-largest newspaper by circulation in the Un ...
'' called the song "aggressively scatological," and compared the song to the Bangladesh-produced "
A Milli
"A Milli", abbreviated occasionally as "Milli", is a song by American rapper Lil Wayne. The song was released February 13, 2008, as the second official single from his sixth album ''Tha Carter III''.
Background
The original version leaked earl ...
" from label-mate
Lil Wayne
Dwayne Michael Carter Jr. (born September 27, 1982), known professionally as Lil Wayne, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, and record executive. His career began in 1995, at the age of 12, when he was signed by rapper Birdman (rapper), ...
, stating that it fares better musically.
In a list of the "50 Best songs of 2010" by ''
Rolling Stone
''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first kno ...
'', "Did It On'em" came in a number twenty-five additionally stating that the song is a "hazy, synapse-butchering throwdown." Marc Hogan of ''
Spin
Spin or spinning most often refers to:
* Spinning (textiles), the creation of yarn or thread by twisting fibers together, traditionally by hand spinning
* Spin, the rotation of an object around a central axis
* Spin (propaganda), an intentionally b ...
'' stated that the track features Minaj's "best rapping".
Sam Wolfson of ''
New Musical Express
''New Musical Express'' (''NME'') is a British music, film, gaming, and culture website and brand. Founded as a newspaper in 1952, with the publication being referred to as a 'rock inkie', the NME would become a magazine that ended up as a f ...
'' stated that the song is so vulgar that Minaj could have permanently placed herself on the "
Teen Choice Awards
The Teen Choice Awards is an annual awards show that airs on the Fox television network. The awards honor the year's biggest achievements in music, film, sports, television, fashion, social media, and more, voted by viewers living in the United S ...
blacklist," adding that the song is a "
post-dubstep
Post-dubstep is an umbrella term applied to a range of musical styles that have been influenced by the sparse, syncopated rhythms and heavy sub-bass of the UK dubstep scene. The breadth of styles associated with the term post-dubstep precluded i ...
cry."
Chart performance
The song peaked at number forty-nine on the US
''Billboard'' Hot 100 and spent sixteen weeks on the chart.
It also peaked inside the top five of the ''Billboard'' component charts
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs
The Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart ranks the most popular R&B and hip hop songs in the United States and is published weekly by '' Billboard''. Rankings are based on a measure of radio airplay, sales data, and streaming activity. The chart had 100 ...
and
Rap Songs
Hot Rap Songs (formerly known as Hot Rap Tracks and Hot Rap Singles) 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 stat ...
, reaching number three on the previous and number four on the latter chart.
Music video
In April 2011, during an interview with
KIIS-FM
KIIS-FM (102.7 MHz) is a commercial radio station licensed to Los Angeles, California, United States, and broadcasts to the Greater Los Angeles area. The station airs a top 40 format. Owned by iHeartMedia, KIIS-FM is the origin of the conglomer ...
's
DJ JoJo, Minaj revealed that she had shot a music video for "Did It On'em". In an interview with
MTV News
MTV News is the news production division of MTV. The service is available in the US with localized versions on MTV's global network. In February 2016, MTV Networks confirmed it would refresh the MTV News brand in 2016, to compete with the likes ...
on May 31, 2011, Director DJ Scoob Doo revealed that Minaj and himself pieced the video together within two weeks.
In an interview with
MTV News
MTV News is the news production division of MTV. The service is available in the US with localized versions on MTV's global network. In February 2016, MTV Networks confirmed it would refresh the MTV News brand in 2016, to compete with the likes ...
on May 31, 2011, director DJ Scoob Doo discussed the music video's styling and development:
"She's family to me and I'm family to her, but this is the first time us working together was a priority on both of our lists. So we just had to dig in and put everything to the side and really work on something ... ndwe had no idea that it would turn out as good as it did. It was a great experience ..It took me about a good two weeks to put all of the ideas that we had together. The good thing about the video is that we went in knowing we were gonna shoot the video onstage a few times. I was actually able to get my camera crew onstage"
The video premiered exclusively to fans with accounts on Minaj's official website on May 27, 2011, and later premiered worldwide.
It was directed by
Young Money
Young Money Entertainment is an American record label founded by rapper Lil Wayne. Young Money's president is Lil Wayne's lifelong friend and fellow rapper Mack Maine. The label was an imprint of Cash Money Records and is distributed by Republ ...
affiliate DJ Scoob Doo and watched over 5 million times.
The video is compiled of clips from the
I Am Still Music Tour, backstage moments with
Drake
Drake may refer to:
Animals
* A male duck
People and fictional characters
* Drake (surname), a list of people and fictional characters with the family name
* Drake (given name), a list of people and fictional characters with the given name
* ...
and
Lil' Wayne
Dwayne Michael Carter Jr. (born September 27, 1982), known professionally as Lil Wayne, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, and record executive. His career began in 1995, at the age of 12, when he was signed by rapper Birdman, joining ...
, and candids of past photo shoots.
Additionally, it features Minaj performing the track on stage, a stream of magazine photo shoots cut together with footage of Minaj signing fans' chests, and perfecting the "helicopter" move with a nearby dildo. A clean version was later shot removing the dildo scenes.
Minaj stated the video was a gesture of gratitude to her fans for their support for her on the I Am Still Music Tour.
Live performances
Minaj has performed the song on both her debut concert tour, the
Pink Friday Tour
The Pink Friday Tour is the debut concert tour by Trinidadian singer/songwriter Nicki Minaj in support of her first two studio albums, ''Pink Friday''
(2010) and '' Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded'' (2012). The tour began in May 2012 with shows in A ...
, and her
Pink Friday: Reloaded Tour. She also performed it as part of
The Nicki Wrld Tour.
Credits and personnel
Credits are taken from ''Pink Friday'' liner notes.
*Nicki Minaj – vocals, writer
*Shondrae "Bangladesh" Crawford – producer
Charts
Weekly charts
Year-end charts
Certifications
Release history
References
{{authority control
2011 singles
Nicki Minaj songs
Song recordings produced by Bangladesh (record producer)
Songs written by Nicki Minaj
Cash Money Records singles
Songs written by Bangladesh (record producer)
2010 songs
Songs written by Safaree Samuels