Smack That

Lore & Background

Produced by Eminem, it was written by the artists alongside Mike Strange and Luis Resto. The collaboration came after the two artists met during a recording session for Shady Records rapper Obie Trice. The song received widespread acclaim from contemporary music critics for being a great club song. Commercially, the song reached number one on ten record charts and peaked inside the top ten in nine countries, including the Billboard Hot 100, where it peaked at number two. It received several gold and platinum certifications and sold over three million downloads in the United States. The song earned a Grammy nomination for Best Rap/Sung Collaboration.

Reader's Guide

The music video, directed by Benny Boom, is a short-clip remake of the 1982 film 48 Hrs. It presents Akon as a convict in prison who is let out of jail by a police officer, Jack Gates (Eric Roberts), who is looking for a witness. Akon is let out for 24 hours to do anything he pleases as long as he can find the female witness. He is given a photo of her and follows a lead he was given that the witness is in a nightclub.

While in the club, Akon meets up with his fellow rapper and friend Eminem. Akon finds the female witness and escapes from the nightclub without Jack Gates. This is the first video that features Eminem with his then-new tattoo 'PROOF' on his left arm, which is dedicated to his friend, DeShaun Dupree Holton. The video also features cameos from Fat Joe, Lil' Fizz of B2K, Layzie Bone of Bone Thugs-n-Harmony, Nas, and Kendra Wilkinson and actor Mark Casimir Dyniewicz Jr. as the bartender.

The music video was nominated for Best Earthshattering Collaboration and Male Artist of the Year at the 2007 MTV Video Music Awards. The video also received three nominations for Best Male Artist, Best Hip Hop Video, and Best Hook-Up at the 2007 MTV Australia Video Music Awards. In February 2023, the music video reached one billion views on YouTube.

Did You Know?

• "Smack That" earned the distinction of achieving the highest jump on the Billboard Hot 100 chart at the time, jumping from number 95 to number 7 in its second week.
• The song was nominated for Best Rap/Sung Collaboration at the 2007 Grammy Awards, but lost to Justin Timberlake's "My Love".
• A remix of "Smack That" appears on Eminem Presents: The Re-Up, featuring vocals from Stat Quo and Bobby Creekwater.