Back That Azz Up, Oakland: Juvenile to Perform at the Fox Theater

It’s been nearly 25 years since New Orleans rapper Juvenile released his megahit “Back That Azz Up.”

That means for a quarter-century now, people have been running to the dance floor at the sound of the strings that start one of the greatest hip-hop songs of all time. Produced by Mannie Fresh, the seductive beat and celebratory lyrics have provided a soundtrack for generations of folks looking to shake what their momma gave ’em. The song followed the smash single “Ha,” both off of Juvenile’s multiplatinum album 400 Degrees, which signified the rise of the Cash Money Records empire as they took over for the ’99 and the 2000.

To celebrate the 25th anniversary of this landmark album, Juvenile, Mannie Fresh and an accompanying live band are scheduled to perform at the Fox Theater in Oakland this Friday, Oct. 20.

Juvenile, whose summer 2023 performance at NPR’s Tiny Desk has racked up nearly six million views, has performed a few shows in the Bay Area before. Those include a 2016 Hiero Day set that filled the block and KMEL’s Legends of Summer Jam concert in 2014.

But a show that didn’t fully happen — at the Oakland Arena in January of 2000, while Juvenile was part of the Cash Money group the Hot Boys — remains legendary.

Before the Hot Boys set, multiple physical altercations erupted in the audience after a group of young men rushed toward the stage. Folding chairs were thrown, one person was pushed from the balcony and gunshots were reported inside and outside the venue. The concert was canceled on the spot.

Though the conflicts had nothing to do with Juvenile, the Hot Boys or Cash Money, that event left an indelible mark on their Bay Area fans.

“That was my first concert,” says the Da Boy Dame, Def Jam artist and A&R of Yo Gotti’s Collective Music Group (CMG). About 12 years old at the time, Dame and his cousins had received tickets to the concert as a Christmas gift. Excited, the whole crew coordinated their clothes in preparation for the show. “We all had our jean outfits, and we thought we was Cash Money that day,” he tells me on a recent phone call.

Dame recalls seeing the opening acts, the Ruff Ryders and Ginuwine. “The next thing you know, Oakland made national CNN headlines.”

Multiple outlets, including MTV and The Washington Post, covered the unfortunate event, which resulted in approximately 25 injuries — and left a young Dame disappointed that he didn’t to see his favorite artists.

Decades later, Dame has helped orchestrate Juvenile’s return to Oakland at the Fox Theater on Friday, and is slated to be an opening performer. “That’s really why I always try to do things with Juvie and Mannie, because I feel like we never really got the chance to see it while everything was on fire,” he says.

In addition to an intimate set by Juvenile and Mannie Fresh, Dame says the show will feature a few special guest appearances from veteran Bay Area artists. For concertgoers looking to tap back into a landmark era for hip-hop, the show is guaranteed to to be a time machine.

“Twenty-five years ago — that was probably the best time in a lot of people’s lives,” says Dame. “I think this is going to be a time when people can relax and enjoy themselves and embrace the nostalgia of the music, the parties, and everything that came along with the ’99 and 2000.”

Juvenile and Mannie Fresh perform with a live band on Friday, Oct. 20, at the Fox Theater in Oakland. Details here.