Waka Flocka's "Hard in da Paint", like his previous hit "O Let's Do It", was originally a mixtape track.[3] It first appeared as 'Go Hard' on his third mixtape titled Salute Me Or Shoot Me 2, released on August 24, 2009.[4] An early remix featuring French Montana was released on April 19, 2010,[5] and appeared in the latter's ninth mixtape titled Mac & Cheese 2, released on May 6. The track was produced by up-and-coming producer Lex Luger,[6] and went on to become an underground hit before being released as a commercial single on May 13.
In August 2014, Pitchfork listed the track at number 41 on their "The 200 Best Tracks of the Decade So Far (2010-2014)."[7]
Remixes
An official remix featuring French Montana was released on April 19,[5] while a second remix featuring Gucci Mane was released on June 22.[8][6]
R&B singer Ciara released her own remix of the song on June 2, 2010. Rappers 2 Chainz, Young Jeezy and Pusha T released a version of the song titled "Hard in the Kitchen" on February 11, 2011.[9]
Parodies
A popular video parody of "Hard in da Paint" was posted on YouTube, with Barack Obama (played by comedian James Davis) as the subject of the song.[10] The "Baracka Flacka Flames: Head of the State" video has gained over 13 million views as of 2016.[11]