Shake That

"Shake That" by Eminem featuring Nate Dogg is a high-energy party anthem that unapologetically celebrates hedonism, nightlife, and sexual indulgence. The song's lyrical content primarily revolves around the experiences of a wild night out, with a heavy focus on the atmosphere of a strip club. Eminem's verses paint a vivid, if chaotic, picture of getting drunk, encountering attractive women, and engaging in debauchery. It's a departure from the more serious and introspective themes often found in Eminem's work, showcasing a more playful and carefree side. Nate Dogg's smooth, melodic chorus and verse act as a perfect counterpoint to Eminem's aggressive, rapid-fire delivery. His contribution establishes the song's hook and core message: a direct and enthusiastic call for women on the dance floor to let loose and dance sensually. The overall meaning is not deep or metaphorical; it's a straightforward ode to partying, desire, and the uninhibited atmosphere of clubs. The song aims to capture a specific energy, encouraging listeners to embrace a carefree and pleasure-seeking mindset.

The song kicks off with an immediate scene-setter: a woman is captivating everyone on the dance floor, dancing provocatively around a pole. The energy is so infectious that the narrator feels himself losing control. This sets the stage for a narrative centered on a debaucherous night at a strip club. Eminem’s verse dives headfirst into the chaotic atmosphere. He details a cycle of getting progressively more intoxicated and 'crunk,' indulging in the club's offerings, including getting lap dances. The imagery is graphic and unrefined, depicting a scene of utter excess. He describes getting so wasted that he vomits, hastily cleans himself up in the bathroom, and then rejoins the party, with remnants of the mess still on his shoestrings. The pulsating beat of the club revitalizes him, and his focus is immediately drawn back to a gyrating woman whose movements mesmerize him. Recognizing the need for a smoother, melodic element to complement his raw energy, he introduces Nate Dogg to take over.

Nate Dogg’s verse brings a contrasting, smoother swagger to the track. He boasts with cool confidence about his lifestyle, which revolves around 'good pussy and good trees.' He uses the hyperbole of getting 'more ass than a toilet seat' to emphasize his prowess with women. He then recounts a specific conquest from the previous night in 'the D' (Detroit), explaining his simple yet effective method of seduction: good conversation and a little Hennessy. His verse isn't just about hedonism; it's a display of his smooth, charming persona and vocal style. He also touches on his resilience and status in the music world, stating he's been to the 'mountaintop' and has seen others fall. He asserts his toughness, ready to defend himself and continue his reign. He then shifts back to the party, encouraging everyone, even those with 'two left feet,' to get on the dance floor and follow the beat. He advises not to let an attractive woman pass by, cautioning that the strobe lights can be deceiving.

The bridge and chorus, delivered by Nate Dogg, serve as the song's central call to action. It’s an open invitation to a party where the music is loud and inhibitions are meant to be shed. He’s on the lookout for a girl with a great body and a 'sexy strut,' someone who is ready to have fun and is uninhibited. He categorizes women into those who are reserved or 'retarded' and those who are 'bout it,' meaning they are down for anything. He explicitly states his desire for a woman who will eagerly do whatever he says. The chorus is a simple, repetitive, and infectious command: 'Shake that ass for me.' It’s a direct and unapologetic celebration of female sexuality from a male perspective, designed to be a memorable hook that drives the song's party-centric theme. Eminem returns for the final verse, continuing the narrative of seeking a 'slut' for the night, hearing about her adventurous nature from a friend. He fantasizes about a wild encounter in his Escalade, even mentioning slipping her 'a little something to get the party bubbling,' a controversial line hinting at drugging a woman's drink to lower her inhibitions. The song concludes with the repeated, hypnotic chant of the chorus, cementing its status as an unapologetic anthem for wild, hedonistic nightlife.

"Shake That" was recorded in 2005 and is one of three new songs, alongside "Fack" and "When I'm Gone," created for Eminem's first greatest hits compilation album, Curtain Call: The Hits. The album was released on December 6, 2005, with "Shake That" being released as the second single on January 17, 2006. The track was produced by Eminem with additional production from his long-time collaborator Luis Resto. The song was written by Marshall Mathers (Eminem), Nathaniel Hale (Nate Dogg), Luis Resto, and Steve King. The recording took place at 54 Sound studios in Detroit, Michigan, with Mike Strange and Tony Campana serving as recording engineers. "Shake That" marked the sixth and final collaboration between Eminem and Nate Dogg. It represented a significant moment as it was Eminem's last major hit before his hiatus from 2006 to 2008 and was also Nate Dogg's last major hit before he suffered strokes that led to his retirement and eventual death. The music video for the song is animated and was directed by Plates Animation, depicting Eminem and Nate Dogg in a nightclub setting.

"Shake That" is built on a foundation of a driving, danceable rhythm with a steady tempo typical of club tracks. Eminem's verses are known for their intricate rhyme schemes that go beyond simple end rhymes. He employs a dense network of multisyllabic rhymes, internal rhymes, and assonance. For instance, in the opening lines, 'Get buzzed, get drunk, get crunk, get fuucked up / Hit the strip club don't forget once get your dick rubbed,' the '-unk' and '-ucked' sounds create a percussive, rhythmic effect. The flow is fast-paced and syncopated, playing off the beat to create tension and excitement. Nate Dogg's sections, in contrast, have a more relaxed and melodic rhythm. His rhyme schemes are simpler and more direct (e.g., 'three / trees / believe / seat'), which makes the chorus and his verse incredibly catchy and easy to sing along to. The interplay between Eminem's complex, aggressive lyrical rhythm and the smooth, steady G-funk beat creates the song's signature energetic and hedonistic feel.

"Shake That" showcases a blend of musical and literary styles. Musically, it's rooted in G-funk, a subgenre of hip-hop characterized by synthesizer-heavy melodies and deep bass, a style Nate Dogg was famous for. This is complemented by Eminem's production, which gives the track an upbeat, minimalist 'bump-n-shuffle' feel, a departure from his often darker soundscapes. Eminem's vocal delivery is characteristically aggressive and rhythmically complex, employing a rapid-fire flow. This contrasts sharply with Nate Dogg's smooth, melodic, and laid-back vocal style, creating a dynamic call-and-response effect between the verses and chorus. Lyrically, the song uses vivid, and often graphic, imagery to depict the club scene ('puke drink up, get a new drink / Hit the bathroom sink, throw up / Wipe your shoe clean'). Eminem employs alliteration ('pasted, plastered – puke') and a conversational, narrative tone. The track's structure is a standard verse-chorus form, which, combined with the repetitive hook, makes it exceptionally catchy and suitable for its club-oriented purpose.

"Shake That" was a significant commercial success upon its release, peaking at number 6 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart. It was one of the three original tracks on Eminem's immensely popular greatest hits album, Curtain Call: The Hits, which itself debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 and has since been certified Diamond in the US. The song received a Grammy nomination for "Best Rap/Sung Collaboration" at the 49th Annual Grammy Awards. Although a departure from his more politically charged or introspective work, "Shake That" showcased Eminem's versatility and his ability to create a mainstream club hit. It marked the final major collaboration between Eminem and Nate Dogg, a significant figure in West Coast hip-hop, before Nate Dogg's health declined. In a testament to its enduring appeal, the song has experienced a resurgence in popularity nearly two decades after its release, re-charting on Billboard's digital song sales charts in 2025, fueled by viral moments on social media platforms like TikTok. A remix featuring Obie Trice and Bobby Creekwater was also released on the 2006 compilation album Eminem Presents: The Re-Up.

Unlike much of Eminem's other work, "Shake That" is largely devoid of deep symbolism or complex metaphors. Its lyrical approach is direct and literal, focusing on a narrative of hedonism and partying. The song's setting, a strip club, can be seen as a symbol of unrestrained indulgence and escapism. The act of 'shaking that ass' itself is presented not just as a dance move but as a powerful, almost hypnotic act that drives the song's protagonists to lose control. Nate Dogg's verse uses some light hyperbole, such as getting 'more ass than a toilet seat,' to metaphorically boast about his sexual prowess. However, the song's primary goal is to create a party atmosphere rather than to convey a layered, symbolic message. The focus remains on the surface-level celebration of a wild night out, with the language chosen for its provocative and energetic impact rather than for hidden meanings.

The most prominent recurring phrase in "Shake That" is the titular line, 'Shake that ass for me,' which forms the core of the chorus sung by Nate Dogg. This hook is repeated extensively throughout the song, functioning as both a command and the central theme. Its repetition makes the song highly memorable and reinforces its nature as a club anthem. Another recurring motif is the direct address to the female listener or a woman in the club, with lines like 'Come on girl,' 'Ohh girl,' and 'Tonight I want a slut, will you be mine?'. The phrase 'Make my day,' found in the outro, is borrowed from the 1983 film Sudden Impact and is repurposed here in a sexual context, acting as a final, emphatic plea. The numbers 'Two to the one, from the one to the three' and 'Three to the one, from the one to the three' are used by Nate Dogg to structure his verse, a classic hip-hop lyrical device that adds to the rhythmic flow.