"Boots with the fur, with the fur…" If those lyrics immediately bring to mind visions of women proudly shaking their apple bottom jeans, you‘re not alone. Ever since its 2008 release, hip hop fans have been delightfully chanting along to the party anthem "Low" by Flo Rida featuring T-Pain.
So why has this bootylicious track remained so wildly popular well over a decade later? Let‘s break down the elements that turned "Low" into Flo Rida‘s breakout smash hit.
The Artists Behind the Magic
"Low" marked the first number one Billboard Hot 100 song for both Flo Rida and T-Pain. These ascendant hip hop stars brought very different strengths to the collaboration:
Flo Rida
- Born Tramar Dillard in September 1977 in Miami, Florida
- Began rapping in the early 2000s, attracted attention for freestyling on Miami radio
- Known for feel-good party tracks and clever wordplay with plenty of pop culture references
- Delivers an upbeat, energetic rap flow and infectious melodic hooks
- Breakout single "Low" spent 10 weeks at #1 on Billboard in 2008
- Has gone on to release several multi-platinum albums and top 10 singles
T-Pain
- Singer, rapper and producer Faheem Najm born in September 1985 in Tallahassee, Florida
- Musically inclined from a young age, taught himself to play instruments as a teen
- Pioneer of the Auto-Tune vocal effect to create a robotic yet soulful sound
- Smooth R&B crooner yet quirky rapper with a versatile vocal range
- Multiple top 10 hits both solo and featured, including "Buy U a Drank" and "Can‘t Believe It"
- Has won two Grammy Awards and collaborated with stars like Kanye West, Pitbull and Chris Brown
This winning combo perfectly matched the vibe of "Low"—an ode to beautiful women that encourages them to flaunt their best assets. The collaboration aligned with the artistic strengths of both acts.
Deconstructing the Lyrics and Sound
While the lyrics capture most of the attention in "Low," the instrumentation, tempo and vocal performances are equally crucial in creating its addictive appeal.
Let‘s break down some key elements:
Lyrics
- The call for "apple bottom jeans, [and] boots with the fur" encapsulated cultural fashion trends of the late 2000s, from low rise jeans to Ugg boots
- Utilizes call-and-response structure between Flo Rida‘s rap verses and T-Pain‘s sung chorus
- Weaves in clever references to popular media like The Black Eyed Peas song "My Humps" and actress Halle Berry
- Suggests confidence and defiance of haters by subverting classic childhood rhyme "Shawty had them apple bottom jeans, boots with the fur, the whole club was lookin‘ at her"
- Deeper interpretation: Asserting desirability and beauty standards on their own terms versus seeking external validation
Vocals
- T-Pain‘s signature Auto-Tune vocal effect gives a robotic yet soulful digital sheen
-trademark style he would ride to fame - His smooth sung vocals glide atop the instrumentation
- Flo Rida "toasts" to sexy women with fast syncopated rapping
- Backing vocals from relative unknowns echo key phrases like "boots with the fur" to hype up crowds
Instrumentation
- Synthesized funk horns sample the 1978 disco song "More Today Than Yesterday" by The Spiral Starecase
- Nile Rodgers-esque rhythm guitar gives a poppy, retro roller disco vibe
- Thumping bass line reminiscent of Too Short‘s classic rap track "Shake That Monkey"
- Prominent hand claps on two and four emphasize the song‘s club readiness
- Whistles, scratches and echo effects give a playful, celebratory atmosphere
The fusion of slick R&B/hip hop production with Flo Rida and T-Pain‘s tag-team boisterous vocals resulted in a radio-friendly yet club-banging track destined to get the party started. The lyrics encouraged women to have confidence in their inherent sensuality and ‘drop down low,‘ but did so with a sense of cheeky fun versus raunchiness.
Commercial Performance
"Low" began climbing charts in late 2007 upon its initial release:
- Debuted on Billboard Hot 100 chart on November 3, 2007 at #91
- Reached #1 position in its 16th week, remaining atop for 10 weeks
- Spent over 30 consecutive weeks in top 10 of Hot 100 chart
- Topped charts in over 15 other countries including Australia, Canada and the UK
- Went on to become one of the best selling digital singles ever released with over 12 million copies sold globally
The song reigned as the biggest hit of early 2008, fending off other chart-toppers that year like "Bleeding Love" by Leona Lewis and "Lollipop" by Lil Wayne featuring Static Major. However to this day, no song has managed to replicate the dazzling success of the Apple Bottom Jeans anthem.
Influencing 2000s Fashion and Beauty Standards
It‘s no coincidence that "Low" debuted just as terms like "apple bottom jeans" and "bootylicious" were creeping into pop culture‘s lexicon. The early 2000s welcomed the rise of hip hop as the dominant musical genre, celebrated curvier silhouettes, and brought fresh appreciation for women like Jennifer Lopez, Beyonce and Kim Kardashian flaunting shapely behinds versus rail-thin physiques.
Kim Kardashian sporting figure-hugging low rise jeans in 2009 (Steve Granitz/WireImage)
Flo Rida and T-Pain clearly had their fingers on the pulse of what music fans—especially the clubgoing set—were responding to. While "Low" didn‘t necessarily spark the appreciation for curvy women in apple bottoms and thigh-high boots, it cranked that movement into high gear.
To this day, you‘ll see ladies flaunting their assets in low rise jeans and Ugg boots on dance floors or in music videos nodding to sexy 2000s fashion trends. "Low" effectively made it more acceptable—and desirable—for women to play up their voluptuous physiques versus covering them up.
The Memes and Buzz That Still Won‘t Quit
"Low" immediately raced up music charts around the world upon its release in late 2007, ultimately spending a mammoth 10 weeks perched atop the Billboard Hot 100 chart. It went on to sell over 12 million digital copies globally and earn constant radio play even years later thanks to its sheer listenability.
The official music video published in 2009 has amassed over 800 million YouTube views and counting as of 2023
Yet public fascination goes beyond streaming numbers. "Low" has become a cultural touchstone blooming into memes and references across social media:
- Twitter jokes about still seeing "girls in apple bottom jeans and boots with the fur" in nightclubs
- TikTok creators showcase themselves lip-synching the iconic chorus
- Instagram influencers like the Kardashians pay homage wearing low rise jeans
- YouTube compilation videos like "People Who Took ‘Get Low‘ to a Whole New Level"
Both Flo Rida and T-Pain have found individual success since their breakout smash, but many still consider "Low" to be the definitive song of their respective careers. Attempts to replicate the song‘s formulaic magic can even be found in later collaborations like Flo Rida‘s "Who Dat Girl" featuring Akon in 2011.
Yet over a decade since its debut, no song has managed to out-hype the original Apple Bottom Jeans anthem. Time will tell if another hip hop track manages to pay such an infectious, ass-shaking tribute to women proudly flaunting their curves. But for now, "Low" remains the high bar against which all other club bangers celebrating bodacious bottoms are measured.
Decoding the Lyrics: Female Empowerment or Objectification?
On the surface, "Low" appears to champion confidence and sex appeal with lyrics like:
"She hit the flo‘, next thing you know / Shawty got low, low, low, low, low, low, low, low"
Advocates argue it promotes a message of body positivity and female empowerment. Yet critics counter that the lusty lyrics actually reinforce objectification of women‘s bodies.
So which interpretation rings more true? The reality likely lies somewhere in the middle.
The song undoubtedly sparked conversation on shifting beauty standards. And it still stands out for encouraging women to proudly flaunt their curves versus hiding them.
However, some lyricism seems to position voluptuous women as objects of visual pleasure and fantasies versus appreciating their humanity and intellect. Couplet phrases like "Apple bottom jeans, boots with the fur / The whole club was looking at her" place more focus on the male gaze than women simply feeling confident in their own skin.
Like many pop culture artifacts, "Low" comprises complex layers of meaning open to debate. Yet 14 years later, Flo Rida and T-Pain‘s legendary club banger keeps heads bopping and bottoms dropping with no signs of losing steam.