Let It Whip

"Let It Whip" is a 1982 single by Dazz Band and their biggest hit, peaking at number one on the R&B chart for five non-consecutive weeks.^[2] The single also reached number two on the Dance chart^[3] and number five on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.^[4] The song won the 1982 Grammy Award for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals.

"Let It Whip"
Side A of US 7-inch vinyl
Single by Dazz Band
from the album Keep It Live
B-side	"Everyday Love"
Released	February 12, 1982
Recorded	July 1981
Genre	Electro-funk[1] post-disco
Length	4:42 (album version) 3:58 (7" single version) 6:22 (12" single version) 7:00 (instrumental)
Label	Motown
Songwriter(s)	Reggie Andrews Leon "Ndugu" Chancler
Producer(s)	Reggie Andrews
Dazz Band singles chronology
"Knock Knock" (1981) "Let It Whip" (1982) "Keep It Live (On the K.I.L.)" (1982)

Song

Co-written by producers Reggie Andrews and Leon "Ndugu" Chancler, performed by Dazz Band, "Let It Whip" features a percolating drum machine rhythm underneath live drums, and a Minimoog bassline, underneath an electric bass guitar.

Chart history

Weekly charts

Chart (1982)	Peak position
Australia (Kent Music Report)[5]	97
Canada RPM Top Singles[6]	42
US Billboard Hot 100	5
US Billboard Hot Dance Club Play	2
US Billboard Hot Soul/Black Singles	1
US Cash Box Top 100[7]	13

Year-end charts

Chart (1982)	Rank
U.S. Billboard Hot 100[8]	24
U.S. Cash Box Top 100[9]	79

CDB version

"Let It Whip"
Single by CDB
from the album Lifted
B-side	"Remixes"
Released	April 1998
Recorded	Sydney, Australia
Genre	Pop
Length	4:59
Label	Sony Australia
Songwriter(s)	Reggie Andrews Leon "Ndugu" Chancler
Producer(s)	The Rockmelons
CDB singles chronology
"Back Then" (1997) "Let It Whip" (1998) "After the Love Has Gone" (1998)

Australian boy band CDB released a version in April 1998 as the third single from their second studio album, Lifted (1997). The song peaked at number 51 on the ARIA Charts.

Track listing

CD single (665254 2)

1. "Let It Whip"
2. "Back Then" (dance remix)
3. "Good Times" (MI:II remix)
4. "Let It Whip" (instrumental)

Charts

Chart (1998)	Peak position
Australian ARIA Charts	51

Other covers and sampling

"Let It Whip" is featured the skateboard film DVS Skate More and in the films Grosse Pointe Blank (1997), Next Friday (2000), Adventures of Power (2008), Almost Christmas (2016) and The First Purge (2018).

The song also plays during the "Aww Snap!" round of the NBC game show Ellen's Game of Games.

The song appears on the radio station Bounce FM in 2004 video game Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas.

Matt Bianco covered the song on their 1991 album Samba in Your Casa. Their version features a slower tempo and a short rap at the end of the song.

It has been covered by Boyz II Men, SR-71 on the soundtrack to The New Guy, and George Lam (titled as the Cantonese song "愛到發燒"). The song was also covered by the fictional a cappella group The Treblemakers in the 2012 film Pitch Perfect and is featured on the film's soundtrack.

Hip-hop group Treacherous Three sampled the song in their version called "Whip It", also released in 1982.

Christian hip-hop artist Lecrae sampled the song in his song "Let It Whip" (featuring Paul Wall) on his 2013 mixtape Church Clothes 2.

Justin Timberlake sampled the song in a remix version of his 2003 hit "Cry Me a River".

In 2012, the song was sampled by Purple Disco Machine in his song "Let It Whip".

In 2015, the song was sampled by LunchMoney Lewis in his song "Whip It!".^[10]

In 2023, the song was sampled by BigXthaPlug in his song "Whip It".