F minor · Camelot 4A · 118 BPM
Smack That
by Akon
- 118
- BPM
- F minor
- Key
- 4A
- Camelot
- 94
- Danceability
- 30
- Acousticness
When "Smack That" debuted at number 95 on the Billboard Hot 100 in October 2006, few could have predicted the leap that followed. One week later, the single by Senegalese-American singer Akon featuring American rapper Eminem jumped 88 spots to number 7, at the time the highest jump in the chart's history, driven by 67,000 downloads and a radio audience of 30.5 million. Three weeks after that it reached number two, where it stayed for five consecutive weeks, kept from the top by Ludacris' "Money Maker", Justin Timberlake's "My Love", and Akon's own "I Wanna Love You". It went on to top charts in ten countries and earned a Grammy nomination for Best Rap/Sung Collaboration, losing to "My Love".
The pairing came together after Akon met Eminem during sessions for "Snitch" with Shady Records rapper Obie Trice, and the two quickly became friends. Akon wanted Eminem on the track but knew of his claims about appearing on too many songs, so he waited until a call came saying the rapper was ready. Akon then flew to Detroit, where recording took place at 54 Sound. Mike Strange and Luis Resto played keyboards, and Strange mixed the track with Eminem.
Directed by Benny Boom, the music video remade the 1982 film 48 Hrs, with Akon as a convict given 24 hours to find a female witness. It marked the first appearance of Eminem's "PROOF" tattoo, dedicated to DeShaun Dupree Holton. In February 2023, the video passed one billion views on YouTube.
Smack That runs at 118 BPM, the tempo of pop, funk and disco-leaning dance. In classical terms it sits in moderato territory. A bar of 4/4 lasts 2.03 seconds, and a quarter-note delay is 508 ms. It is in F minor, Camelot 4A, which shares its notes with Ab major and mixes cleanly with Bb minor and C minor.
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