STAY TRASHY? New Orleans Mayor Proclaims “Back That Azz Up” Day In Honor of Juvenile

You’ve heard of “Stay Classy”, but have you heard of “Stay Trashy”?

You have now.

Enter the City of New Orleans and it’s Mayor, LaToya Cantrell.

In what can only be described as a peak ghetto moment, Mayor Cantrell just declared June 11 as “Back That Azz Up Day”.

How nice!

And before anyone comes after me for using the word ghetto as if it’s some racist term, it’s not.

Google Search, citing to Columbian University, defines ghetto as “behaving in a low-class manner”:

Quite frankly, I think it’s very rude and racist for Racist Liberals to suggest that “behaving in a low-class manner” is some how associated with any certain race, so we don’t do that here.

We use the word in it’s proper meaning, and I stand behind the claim that using your power as Mayor to declare a “Back That Azz Up Day” is both trashy and behaving in a low-class manner.

Even if it’s spelled “Azz”.

Sorry, that doesn’t make it better.

Here is the actual proclamation that was issued:

That’s a little hard to read, so I have a full transcript for you.

Read here:

City of New Orleans

Be it known that

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Mayor LaToya Cantrell

City of New Orleans

Recognizes

Back That Azz Up Day

On the occasion of 25th Anniversary of the Music Video

Whereas, the City of New Orleans proudly recognizes the 25th anniversary of the iconic music video “Back That Azz Up” by its very own Juvenile, which was released in 1999 and has since become a defining anthem worldwide and our city’s vibrant musical heritage; and

Whereas, “Back That Azz Up,” produced by the legendary Mannie Fresh and featuring the esteemed Lil Wayne, has transcended its roots to become a cultural phenomenon, celebrated by millions from diverse backgrounds across generations; and

Whereas, this legendary song has remarkably honored the most pivotal genres within American music, uniting people and communities in joy and celebration, and exemplifying the unifying power of music. Over two million people have been “backing it up” since the 90s and the 2000s; and

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Whereas, as we commemorate this milestone and the enduring legacy of “Back That Azz Up,” Juvenile is launching a substantive tour, to celebrate 25 years of this groundbreaking video, to be held in cities across the country; and

Whereas, the City of New Orleans wishes to honor this historic occasion and the contributions of Juvenile, Mannie Fresh, and Lil Wayne to the music industry and our community;

Now, Therefore, I, LaToya Cantrell, Mayor of New Orleans, do hereby proclaim June 11, 2024, as “Back That Azz Up Day” in the City of New Orleans, and call upon all residents of New Orleans, and all who love our culture, to join in the celebration of this monumental achievement and the artists who have made a lasting impact on our musical heritage.

Attested to this

11th Day of June in the Year 2024

LaToya Cantrell

Mayor LaToya Cantrell

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This is a proclamation recognizing June 11, 2024, as “Back That Azz Up Day” in honor of the 25th anniversary of the music video “Back That Azz Up” by Juvenile, featuring Mannie Fresh and Lil Wayne.

In case you don’t know or aren’t familiar, the phrase is not dedicated to a “Juvenile” in general but to the musical “artist” Juvenile who wrote the indelible “Back That Azz Up”.

Where would we be without that song?

Probably much farther ahead as a society, but I digress….

Here are more details from NOLA.com:

New Orleans hip-hop icon Juvenile has made countless people worldwide back that ass up for more than 25 years. In recognition, the City of New Orleans is celebrating Juvenile and the 25th anniversary of the “Back That Azz Up” music video by declaring June 11 as “Back That Azz Up Day.”

Mayor LaToya Cantrell on Tuesday issued a proclamation to recognize “the 25th anniversary of the music video, and urge all citizens to join the celebration of this monumental achievement and the artists who have made a lasting impact on our city’s musical legacy.”

Juvenile released the music video for “Back That Azz Up” on June 11, 1999, as the second single from his album “400 Degreez,” which dropped in late 1998. Produced by Mannie Fresh and featuring Lil Wayne, the music video and single helped Cash Money Records “take over for the ’99 and 2000” as the label grew into an industry powerhouse. “400 Degreez” has since gone quadruple-platinum, and it’s virtually impossible to go to a party or wedding without hearing “Back That Azz Up.”

Juvenile and Mannie Fresh have spent the last year celebrating the 25th anniversary of “400 Degreez” — including with one of the greatest NPR Tiny Desk concerts in the series — and Juvenile continues the celebration with an extensive, nationwide “Back That Azz Up” tour this summer and fall with his live band.

“Back That Azz Up” “has been a huge part of my musical journey, and it’s amazing to see it still resonate with people today and I can’t wait for the moment each night of the tour when the song drops,” Juvenile said in a statement.

And if you want to see the song in all it’s glory, you can watch here:

But why am I even covering this?

And why am I so worked up about it?

Does it even matter?

To my daily life?  No it does not.

But if I lived in New Orleans I would care.

I would definitely care that my Mayor was wasting her time with garbage like this while our city constantly ranks among the worst major cities in the USA for crime.

Take a look at the following stats I got from ChatGPT (with all citations included):

New Orleans is among the cities with the highest crime rates in the United States. When compared to the top 50 cities in the U.S., New Orleans ranks poorly, particularly in terms of violent crime.

Crime Statistics for New Orleans:

1. Overall Crime Rate:
   • New Orleans has a total crime rate of 61 per 1,000 residents. This includes both violent and property crimes, making it one of the highest in the nation. Your chance of becoming a victim of any crime in New Orleans is about 1 in 16​ (NeighborhoodScout)​.
2. Violent Crime:
   • The violent crime rate in New Orleans is 14.46 per 1,000 residents, significantly higher than the national median of 4 per 1,000 residents. This includes crimes such as murder, rape, robbery, and aggravated assault. Specifically, New Orleans has a high murder rate of 72 per 100,000 residents, making it the city with the highest murder rate among medium-sized cities​ (NeighborhoodScout)​​ (SafeHome.org)​.
   • In 2024, New Orleans was listed among the cities with the highest violent crime rates in the country, with 1,121 incidents per 100,000 residents, placing it 18th among U.S. cities​ (World Population Review)​.
3. Property Crime:
   • The property crime rate is 47 per 1,000 residents. Property crimes tracked include burglary, larceny-theft, motor vehicle theft, and arson. New Orleans has one of the highest rates of motor vehicle theft in the nation, with a chance of 1 in 88 residents experiencing this crime​ (NeighborhoodScout)​.
4. Comparison with Other Cities:
   • In a broader context, cities like St. Louis, Detroit, and Baltimore have higher violent crime rates. For example, St. Louis has the highest violent crime rate with 2,082 incidents per 100,000 people, while Detroit and Baltimore also have very high rates. New Orleans, although slightly lower, remains within the top tier of violent crime rates​ (World Population Review)​​ (SafeHome.org)​.

Economic Impact:

The economic cost of crime in New Orleans is substantial, with an estimated cost per capita of $11,094. This figure includes medical expenses, property loss, and the broader societal costs of maintaining law enforcement and correctional facilities​ (MoneyGeek.com)​.

These statistics highlight the significant crime challenges New Orleans faces compared to other major U.S. cities. For further information, you may refer to the detailed crime reports from sources like NeighborhoodScout, World Population Review, and SafeHome.org.

How about the Mayor spends her time cleaning up her seedy city?

Maybe less official Proclamations about Azz(es) and more work on cleaning up crime?

But what do I know, I’m just your humble correspondent.

Somehow, this woman became Mayor.

[SHUDDER]

My apologies (and prayers) for all of you reading this who live in “NOLA”.