The Prodigy, Smack My B*tch Up | Controversial Tunes 😈🎶

On the 7th edition of Controversial Tunes, we explore the controversy behind the song, “Smack My Bitch Up” by The Prodigy. 

Bring on the controversy, won’t you? Controversial Tunes 😈🎶 is a column that provides background information and insight into songs that raised eyebrows and totally stirred the pot.  The records that grace Controversial Tunes are old and new alike, with all genres of music welcome.  On the 7^th edition of Controversial Tunes, we explore the controversy behind the song, 🎵 “Smack My Bitch Up” by British electronic band, 🎙 The Prodigy.

The Lyrics 🎼✍

The Prodigy would raise some serious eyebrows with “Smack My Bitch Up.”  This controversial song graces their 1997 album, 💿 The Fat of the Land.  The lyrics, repeated over and over, play out a little something like this:

“Change my pitch up
Smack my bitch up
Change my pitch up
Smack my bitch up
(Like this).”

Wow… It’s not surprising why “Smack My Bitch Up” received ample controversy.  The titular lyric is a questionable choice of words, seemingly promoting violence against women.  The National Organization of Women weren’t fans, expectedly and rightfully so. The band didn’t intend to promote abuse, defending the lyrics as, essentially, representing mad energy, but they had to know there’d be backlash.  Controversy sells, right? The lyrics didn’t come from 🎙 Liam Howlett or the late 🎙 Keith Flint.  You see, this groovy gem is comprised of several samples, most notably 🎙 Ultramagnetic MC’s 1988 gem, 🎵 “Give the Drummer Some”. That’s where those two lines come from, courtesy of the first verse by rapper 🎙 Kool Keith.  The part that The Prodigy didn’t sample was “like a pimp,” which follows in “Give the Drummer Some.”  While that’s risqué in the context of the original as well, “Give the Drummer Some” has a tame title and isn’t centered around those sole lyrics.

The Music Video 🎶📼 

The spare but potent lyrics weren’t the sole source of controversy on “Smack My Bitch Up.” The Jonas Åkerlund-directed music video was equally, if not more controversial.  Reflecting on the video, the Swedish musician/music video director claims he understands better why the video was infamous stateside, attributing it to cultural differences in an article appearing on Louder Sound. He goes on to note that depending on where you live, different people had different opinions of the video for different reasons.  So, why is the music video, so eyebrow raising? Nudity/sex, Partying, and wild behavior.  It certainly pushed the envelope for the late 90s.

Final Thoughts 💭

What hasn’t been discussed as much regarding “Smack My Bitch Up” is the musicianship.  This is a fabulous electronic cut, period.  Even listening to this record nearly 25 years later, it’s awesome to the nth degree.  That said, the controversy is undeniable.  Today, the word ‘bitch’ is used liberally, and while that’s not something be proud of, it’s fact. Nonetheless, when you hear the title of the song, it still raises eyebrows and probably always will, even if the song, instrumentally, is completely harmless. Worth noting, rapper 🎙 A$AP Ferg would sample the record in his 2019 banger, 🎵 “Floor Seats” from his album of the same title, which really made me want to explore this particular controversial tune.

🎙 The Prodigy • 💿 The Fat of the Land • 🏷 XL Recordings Ltd. • 🗓 1997

The Prodigy, “Smack My Bitch Up”: Controversial Tunes 😈🎶 No. 7 [📷: Aidan Feddersen on Unsplash, Brent Faulkner, The Musical Hype]