| Let's Get It Started | ||
| ||
| Single by The Black Eyed Peas | ||
| From the album Elephunk | ||
| Released: | June 22, 2004 | |
|---|---|---|
| Recorded: | 2002-2004 | |
| Genre: | Hip Hop, R&B, Funk | |
| Length: | 3:34 (album) 3:39 (video) | |
| Labels: | A&M will.i.am Interscope | |
| Writers: | will.i.am Apl.de.ap Taboo Pajon Jr. Fratantuno Yoshiaki | |
| Producers: | will.i.am | |
| Single by The Black Eyed Peas | ||
Hey Mama |
Let's Get It Started |
Don't Phunk with My Heart |
| Elephunk tracklist | ||
Labor Day (It's a Holiday) |
Let's Get It Started |
|
"Let's Get It Started" is the edited radio version of the Black Eyed Peas song "Let's Get Retarded", which appears on their 2003 album Elephunk.
It was edited because many people find this usage offensive, making the song unsuitable for play at some radio stations and sports games until it was censored. Beside included in album Elephunk, it was also included on the Barbershop 2: Back in Business and Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle soundtracks. It gained popularity as the theme song for the 2004 NBA Playoffs on ABC.
Meaning
The phrase "Let's Get Retarded" is a term used on the West Coast of the United States that means to go crazy on the dance floor, synonymous with "Go Dumb," and "Get Stupid." The colloquial meaning of "retarded", as used in this song, refers to being very carefree and having a good time - and sometimes meaning intoxicated, similar to the colloquial use of getting "blind", "wasted", or "smashed". The phrase is chanted at clubs and dances and used in everyday slang, but the word "Retarded" is offensive to people who see it as put-down of those who are mentally challenged, even though the first line of the verse says “In this context, there’s no disrespect.”
Music video
The Music video consists of a nighttime setting, in an urban area. Fergie's phone says let's get it started. The Black Eyed Peas, particularly will.i.am, are on a stage doing energetic dances while singing the song. The crowd has about 300 people, occasionally throwing someone into the sky. At the end, a broken piano rewinds how it fell from the sky.
Facts and trivia
- Radio-friendly version of "Let's Get Retarded," which appeared on the album, and explaining the (unchanged) line "In this context, there's no disrespect"
- The line "Let's get ignant..." is often written as "let's get pregnant" online. It instead is slang for "ignorant," as mirrored by the word "stupid"
- The line "Bob your head like me, Apl.de" is "Bob your head like epilepsy" in the original.