"The Creep" is a song by American comedy hip hop group
The Lonely Island
The Lonely Island is an American comedy trio, formed by Akiva Schaffer, Andy Samberg, and Jorma Taccone in Berkeley, California, in 2001. They have written for and starred in the American TV program ''Saturday Night Live'' (''SNL'').
The three ...
, released as the second single from their second studio album ''
Turtleneck & Chain
''Turtleneck & Chain'' is the second studio album of the American comedy troupe The Lonely Island, whose members are Andy Samberg, Akiva Schaffer, and Jorma Taccone. The album was released on 10 May 2011 by Universal Republic Records. Turtlenec ...
''. It features rapper
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 ...
. Filmmaker
John Waters
John Samuel Waters Jr. (born April 22, 1946) is an American filmmaker, writer, actor, and artist. He rose to fame in the early 1970s for his Cinema of Transgression, transgressive cult films, including ''Multiple Maniacs'' (1970), ''Pink Flamin ...
also gives the introduction to the song. He is credited as a featured artist on the album, but not the single. The song as well as its music video made its debut on ''
Saturday Night Live
''Saturday Night Live'' (often abbreviated to ''SNL'') is an American late-night live television sketch comedy and variety show created by Lorne Michaels and developed by Dick Ebersol that airs on NBC and Peacock. Michaels currently serves a ...
'' on January 29, 2011.
The song and its lyrics revolve around a dance called the "Creep", as well as "creeping" in various scenarios and places.
Background
"The Creep" was written by The Lonely Island during the summer of 2010. The comedy troupe, in the same fashion to the recording process for their debut, ''
Incredibad
''Incredibad'' is the debut studio album of the American comedy troupe The Lonely Island, released on February 10, 2009, through Universal Republic Records. Composed of writers and childhood best friends Andy Samberg, Akiva Schaffer, and Jorma Ta ...
'', rented a house in
Los Angeles
Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...
and created a makeshift studio where they would record songs. Taccone first created the idea for the dance, and the troupe then decided that it would be best for Waters to introduce the song, as they were all fans of his work.
Music video
The video begins with an introduction by
John Waters
John Samuel Waters Jr. (born April 22, 1946) is an American filmmaker, writer, actor, and artist. He rose to fame in the early 1970s for his Cinema of Transgression, transgressive cult films, including ''Multiple Maniacs'' (1970), ''Pink Flamin ...
; the song begins, and the three members of The Lonely Island come out "doing the creep", the dance that the song revolves around. They are also dressed as "creepers", wearing grey suits, green ties, pencil mustaches and big-framed glasses. The video generally revolves around the lyrical content of the song, and the Lonely Island are seen creeping in various places. After the first two verses,
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 ...
raps the third verse from a female point of view as a "creeper", hiding inside a locker in a male
locker room
A locker is a small, usually narrow storage compartment. They are commonly found in dedicated cabinets, very often in large numbers, in various public places such as locker rooms, workplaces, elementary schools, middle and high schools, trans ...
. The video and the song end with a reappearance by John Waters, who seductively says, "Don't forget to smile!"
Charts
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Creep, The
2011 singles
The Lonely Island songs
Nicki Minaj songs
Comedy rap songs
Songs written by Nicki Minaj