Teach Me How to Dougie

"Teach Me How to Dougie"
Single by Cali Swag District
from the album The Kickback
ReleasedApril 12, 2010[1]
GenrePop-rap
Length3:59 (explicit version)
3:01 (edited version)
  • 4:45 (remix version)
LabelCapitol
Songwriter(s)Cahron Childs, Corey Fowler, Chanti Glee and Ebony West[2]
Producer(s)RunWay Star[3]
Cali Swag District singles chronology
"Teach Me How to Dougie"
(2010) 		"Where You Are"
(2010)

"Teach Me How to Dougie" is the debut single by American hip hop group Cali Swag District. The song was written by Chanti Glee, Cahron Childs, Corey Fowler, and Ebony Star West, and was released digitally on April 12, 2010, through Capitol Records. It was produced by Runway Star for the group's debut studio album, The Kickback (2011). The title refers to the Dougie dance, which originated in Dallas, Texas by rapper Lil' Wil from his song "My Dougie".

"Teach Me How to Dougie" was a commercial success, peaking at number 28 on the Billboard Hot 100, number 9 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, and at number 6 on the Hot Rap Songs chart. It was certified platinum in the United States.

The song's accompanying music video was directed by Yolande Geralds, and features Cali Swag and others partying, dancing and skateboarding.

Composition

The song features a metronomic and "cowbell-bolstered" beat.[4] Cali Swag District trades their verses "tag-team" style, bragging about the "Dougie" dance and the "special treatment it earns them from women."[4] Jon Caramanica of The New York Times states that JayAre "stakes out dissenter ground", and quotes the lyric: "Back of the party, I don't really like to boogie / I'm just trying to get bent and meet a thick redbone."[5]

Critical reception

Melanie Bertoldi of Billboard said the track seeks to pick up where "You're a Jerk" and "Crank That" left off, and commented while the dance might leave something to be desired, that the track's "catchy, refreshingly simple hook makes it a no-brainer for repeat play."[4] Jon Caramanica of The New York Times praised the song, especially JayAre's verse, calling him "kinetic", and said he flows "hard on all angles."[5]

Music video

The music video was directed by Yolande Geralds, and was filmed in the group's hometown of Inglewood, California.[6] Aside from showcasing Inglewood's diversity, video features cameos from B-Hamp, New Boyz, and Teyana Taylor, as well as the members of Cali Swag District dancing, partying and skateboarding in the town. It also includes dancing shots of "bubba", a person referenced in the song because of his ability to do the Dougie.[6] C-Smoove stated:

We enjoyed it because everybody came through. It was like our whole city came, so we pretty much knew everybody and if we didn't, we got to meet them. It was all around fun, because we didn't expect that many people to turn out, even though that's what we were looking for. We hoped for the best, but ... it turned out better than we expected. It was just a good look.[6]

Chris Ryan of MTV Buzzworthy complimented the dance and video, comparing it to Hurricane Chris's "Halle Berry" and Digital Underground's "The Humpty Dance", stating, "Finally, a dance movement that we can actually see ourselves participating in. It's simple, slow and looks fun enough."[7]

In September 2024, Saturday Night Live made a comedy sketch featuring the candidates of the 2024 United States presidential election. One of the characters also present, the Second Gentleman of the United States Doug Emhoff, played by Andy Samberg, entered the stage with the song playing.[8] It is likely that the song was chosen because of Emhoff's name of endearment given to him by his spouse and the Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris being "Dougie".

Live performances

After releasing "Teach Me How to Dougie" in the spring of 2010, Cali Swag District was invited to perform the single on a number of television programs and at various concert settings. They first performed the single at the 2010 102 JAMZ SuperJam at Greensboro Coliseum in Greensboro, North Carolina on May 21, 2010.[9] The group performed the single at the 2010 BET Awards pre-show by 106 and Park which aired live on the network June 27, 2010.[10] On June 30, 2010, they performed at Skeetox, hosted by DJ Skee, at The Roxy in West Hollywood, California.[11] They performed on Fuel TV network's The Daily Habit on July 2, 2010.[10] On July 21, 2010, Cali Swag District performed the hit song at the Entertainer's Basketball Classic at Rucker Park in Harlem, New York City, New York. During the event, the group members also served as judges during a "Teach Me How to Dougie" competition.[12] Cali Swag District performed "Teach Me How to Dougie" live at the Foxy Summer Jam at Crown Coliseum in Fayetteville, North Carolina on July 24, 2010.[13] Again, Cali Swag District performed at the University of California, Irvine, for their annual Shocktoberfest on October 15, 2010. Finally, they helped kick off the 2011 NBA All-Star Weekend on February 18, performing at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California, which was aired live on TNT.[14]

Track listing

Digital download EP
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Teach Me How to Dougie" (Clean version)Yung, JayAre, Smoove Da General, RunWay Star3:59
2."Teach Me How to Dougie" (Explicit version)Yung, JayAre, Smoove Da General, RunWay Star3:59
3."Teach Me How to Dougie" (Instrumental)Yung, JayAre, Smoove Da General, RunWay Star3:59
4."Teach Me How to Dougie" (TV version)Yung, JayAre, Smoove Da General, RunWay Star3:59
5."Teach Me How to Dougie" (acapella)Yung, JayAre, Smoove Da General, RunWay Star3:46

Remix

  1. "Teach Me How to Dougie (Remix)" [feat. Jermaine Dupri, B.O.B, Bow Wow & Red Café]
  2. "Teach Me How to Dougie (Remix)" [feat. Sean Kingston & B.o.B]
  3. "Teach Me how To Dougie (Remix)" [feat. Tyga]

Charts

Certifications

Region Certification Certified units/sales
New Zealand (RMNZ)[20] Platinum 30,000‡
United States (RIAA)[21] Platinum 1,000,000*

* Sales figures based on certification alone.
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

References

  1. ^ "Teach Me How to Dougie - Single by Cali Swag District". iTunes Store. Apple Inc. Retrieved July 13, 2010.
  2. ^ "Teach Me How To Dougie". Repertoire.bmi.com. Retrieved July 19, 2019.
  3. ^ "Teach Me How To Dougie / SR0000636694". Cocatalog.loc.gov. November 12, 2009. Retrieved December 27, 2010.
  4. ^ a b c Bertoldi, Melanie (June 11, 2010). "Cali Swag District, "Teach Me How to Dougie"". Billboard. Retrieved July 7, 2010.
  5. ^ a b Caramanica, Jon (April 2, 2010). "New Music From Gary Allan and Marvin Sapp - Reviews". The New York Times. Retrieved July 7, 2010.
  6. ^ a b c Nadeska, Alexis. "Cali Swag District Bring the Party Back to Inglewood". AOL Boombox. AOL. Archived from the original on July 13, 2010. Retrieved July 7, 2010.
  7. ^ Ryan, Chris (May 25, 2010). "Buzzworthy Obsession: Cali Swag District's 'Teach Me How To Dougie' Video". MTV Buzzworthy. Archived from the original on May 27, 2010. Retrieved July 7, 2010.
  8. ^ Travis, Emlyn (October 1, 2024). "Doug Emhoff reacts to Andy Samberg playing him on SNL: 'I approve'". Entertainment. Retrieved October 1, 2024.
  9. ^ "More Artists Announced for SuperJam". Greensborocoliseum.com. June 2010. Retrieved July 14, 2010.
  10. ^ a b "Cali Swag District Daily Habit (A Top Story)". Antimusic.com. June 30, 2010. Retrieved July 11, 2010.
  11. ^ "DJ Skee's Skeetox Returns With Lil Jon, Clinton Sparks, Ray J & Cali Swag District". Ballerstatus.com. June 30, 2010. Retrieved July 14, 2010.
  12. ^ "EMI Recording Artists Cali Swag District To Perform Hit Single "Teach Me How To Dougie" At The Entertainers Basketball Classic". Hiphoppress.com.com. July 20, 2010. Retrieved July 28, 2010.
  13. ^ "Fantasia Barrino added to Foxy Summer Jam lineup". Fayobserver.com.com. July 13, 2010. Retrieved July 14, 2010.
  14. ^ "Cali Swag District Teaches NBA All Stars "How To Dougie"". 923now.radio.com. Retrieved October 2, 2011.
  15. ^ "Cali Swag District Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved August 5, 2010.
  16. ^ "Cali Swag District Chart History (Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved July 15, 2010.
  17. ^ "Cali Swag District Chart History (Hot Rap Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved July 15, 2010.
  18. ^ "Hot 100 Songs – Year-End 2010". Billboard. Retrieved March 28, 2021.
  19. ^ "Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs – Year-End 2010". Billboard. Retrieved March 28, 2021.
  20. ^ "New Zealand single certifications – Cali Swag District – Teach Me How to Dougie". Radioscope. Retrieved December 25, 2024. Type Teach Me How to Dougie in the "Search:" field.
  21. ^ "American single certifications – Cali Swag District – Teach Me How to Dougie". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved December 25, 2024.