# Swalla
**Swalla** is a song recorded by the American singer [Jason Derulo](https://www.edgepedia.org/jason-derulo) featuring the rappers [Nicki Minaj](https://www.edgepedia.org/nicki-minaj) and Ty Dolla $ign, released on February 24, 2017 by Warner Bros. Records as the intended lead single from Derulo's planned album *777*. Produced by Ricky Reed, the track interpolates [Ol' Dirty Bastard](https://www.edgepedia.org/ol-dirty-bastard)'s 1995 recording "Shimmy Shimmy Ya", and its hook borrows that song's "shimmy shimmy yay" chant.[1](https://pro.imdb.com/title/tt6975774/companycredits?rf=cons_tt_cocred_tt) • [2](https://www.du-bruit.com/59399-jason-derulo-ft-nicki-minaj--ty-dolla-%24ign-swalla.html) It became one of Derulo's biggest hits, topping most-added lists at rhythmic radio in the United States within days of release, peaking at number 6 on the UK Singles Chart, and later appearing on his 2024 album *Nu King*.[3](https://hiphopdx.com/news/id.42689/title.jason-derulo-says-he-was-oblivious-nicki-minaj-dissed-remy-ma-on-his-swalla-hit) • [4](https://www.officialcharts.com/songs/jason-derulonicki-minajty-swalla/) • [5](https://press.atlanticrecords.com/sites/g/files/g2000014001/files/2024-02/02.16.24%20Jason%20Derulo%20Nu%20King%20Album%20Release%20PR%20%5BFINAL%5D.pdf)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Released | February 24, 2017 (single); Warner Bros. Records / Beluga Heights[1](https://pro.imdb.com/title/tt6975774/companycredits?rf=cons_tt_cocred_tt) • [6](https://musicbrainz.org/release/c167f671-5614-4ed6-858e-b2e7be73d2cd) |
| Length | 3:36[7](https://www.allmusic.com/album/swalla-mw0003023714) |
| Writers | Jason Desrouleaux, Eric Frederic, Jacob Kasher Hindlin, Robert Diggs, Russell Jones, Tyrone Griffin Jr, Gamal "LunchMoney" Lewis, Onika Maraj[8](https://music.apple.com/us/song/1205573619) |
| Producer | Ricky Reed (also guitar, organ, synthesizer, programming); Madison Beer on background vocals[8](https://music.apple.com/us/song/1205573619) |
| Source material | Interpolation of Ol' Dirty Bastard's "Shimmy Shimmy Ya" (1995)[2](https://www.du-bruit.com/59399-jason-derulo-ft-nicki-minaj--ty-dolla-%24ign-swalla.html) |
| UK chart | Peak number 6; 31 weeks on the Official Singles Chart[4](https://www.officialcharts.com/songs/jason-derulonicki-minajty-swalla/) |
| US chart | Billboard Hot 100 top 40 by May 23, 2017; number 85 on the year-end Hot 100 for 2017[9](https://headlineplanet.com/home/2017/05/23/jason-derulos-swalla-reaches-top-40-hot-100-charlie-puths-attention-top-50/) • [6](https://musicbrainz.org/release/c167f671-5614-4ed6-858e-b2e7be73d2cd) |
| Certification | Six times Platinum single in Canada (November 27, 2023)[10](https://musiccanada.com/gold-platinum/?_gp_search=Jason+Derulo+Jason+Derulo) |
## Release and background
The single was officially announced on January 2, 2017 and released on February 24 as the lead single from *777*, a fifth studio album Derulo never released under that title.[1](https://pro.imdb.com/title/tt6975774/companycredits?rf=cons_tt_cocred_tt) Seven years later the song found its album home anyway: [Atlantic Records](https://www.edgepedia.org/atlantic-records)' 2024 album *Nu King*, Derulo's first album since 2015, collates fan favorites including "Swalla", "Acapulco", "Slow Low", and "Lifestyle" with newly recorded material.[5](https://press.atlanticrecords.com/sites/g/files/g2000014001/files/2024-02/02.16.24%20Jason%20Derulo%20Nu%20King%20Album%20Release%20PR%20%5BFINAL%5D.pdf) A Shazam catalog entry for the *Nu King* version lists a release date of February 16, 2024 by Atlantic Records.[11](https://www.shazam.com/song/1727466937/swalla-feat-nicki-minaj-ty-dolla-ign)
Derulo's Korean label profile positioned the song as following up his 2014-2015 dance hits "Talk Dirty" and "Wiggle", describing a primitive island-flavored rhythm and a falsetto-led chorus, and noting that Derulo recorded it at his home in Los Angeles.[12](https://music.bugs.co.kr/album/622292) Reviewers at The Singles Jukebox placed its beat closer to soca or Haitian zouk than to dancehall.[13](https://thesinglesjukebox.com/jason-derulo-ft-nicki-minaj-ty-dolla-ign-swalla/)
## Credits and the Ol' Dirty Bastard sample
Eight songwriters share credit, several of them carried over from the interpolated recording: Robert Diggs (RZA) and Russell Jones (Ol' Dirty Bastard) are credited for "Shimmy Shimmy Ya", alongside Derulo (Jason Desrouleaux), Minaj (Onika Maraj), Ty Dolla $ign (Tyrone Griffin Jr), Eric Frederic, Jacob Kasher Hindlin, and Gamal "LunchMoney" Lewis.[8](https://music.apple.com/us/song/1205573619) The sample database du-bruit lists "Shimmy Shimmy Ya", from the 1995 album *[Return to the 36 Chambers: The Dirty Version](https://www.edgepedia.org/return-to-the-36-chambers-the-dirty-version)*, as the source of the "shimmy yeah, shimmy ya" element in "Swalla".[2](https://www.du-bruit.com/59399-jason-derulo-ft-nicki-minaj--ty-dolla-%24ign-swalla.html) IMDb's music-department credits for the video likewise list Ol' Dirty Bastard under music, and RZA among the composers.[14](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt6975774/fullcredits/)
Behind the board, Ricky Reed produced and played guitar, organ, synthesizer, and programming; Chris Gehringer mastered; Manny Marroquin and Chris Galland mixed; and Aubry "Big Juice" Delaine, Andy Barnes, and Jordan Silva served as vocal recording engineers.[8](https://music.apple.com/us/song/1205573619) • [15](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ycQqiLpEbZI)
## Nicki Minaj's verse and the Remy Ma feud
Minaj's verse includes the lines "I gave these b-hs two years, now your time's up / Bless her heart, she throwing shots, but every line sucks." TIME's account of the Minaj–[Remy Ma](https://www.edgepedia.org/remy-ma) feud notes that the two-year reference could correspond with the time Remy Ma had been out of prison, and that the verse appeared days before Minaj's feature on [Gucci Mane](https://www.edgepedia.org/gucci-mane)'s "Make Love", which escalated the feud into Remy Ma's diss track "ShETHER".[16](https://time.com/4684737/nicki-minaj-remy-ma-rap-feud/) Derulo told HipHopDX at a media brunch in March 2017 that he was oblivious to the diss embedded in his own single, and observed that the record had become the number 1 most-added song on rhythmic radio and number 4 on [Top 40](https://www.edgepedia.org/top-40) just days after release.[3](https://hiphopdx.com/news/id.42689/title.jason-derulo-says-he-was-oblivious-nicki-minaj-dissed-remy-ma-on-his-swalla-hit)
## Charts and certifications
In the United Kingdom the single entered the Official Singles Chart on March 9, 2017 at number 43, climbed to number 6 in May 2017, and spent 31 weeks on that chart through October 2017; on the Official Streaming Chart it peaked at number 4 and ran 39 weeks.[4](https://www.officialcharts.com/songs/jason-derulonicki-minajty-swalla/) In the United States it reached the Billboard Hot 100 top 40 in late May 2017[9](https://headlineplanet.com/home/2017/05/23/jason-derulos-swalla-reaches-top-40-hot-100-charlie-puths-attention-top-50/) and placed at number 85 on the year-end Hot 100.[6](https://musicbrainz.org/release/c167f671-5614-4ed6-858e-b2e7be73d2cd) [Music Canada](https://www.edgepedia.org/music-canada) certified the single six times Platinum on November 27, 2023.[10](https://musiccanada.com/gold-platinum/?_gp_search=Jason+Derulo+Jason+Derulo) Spotify chart history recorded by Kworb shows a peak-date cumulative stream count of 564,515,101 for the track.[17](https://kworb.net/spotify/artist/07YZf4WDAMNwqr4jfgOZ8y.html)
## Music video
A lyric video directed by Alex Lockett was uploaded to Derulo's YouTube channel on February 24, 2017, and the official music video premiered on March 17, 2017.[1](https://pro.imdb.com/title/tt6975774/companycredits?rf=cons_tt_cocred_tt) Gil Green directed the video, with Joseph Labisi as cinematographer and Judd Allison as producer; Minaj and Ty Dolla $ign appear alongside dancers Kirsten Dodgen and Kaea Pearce.[14](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt6975774/fullcredits/) • [18](https://vimeo.com/220133603) By February 2018 the video had received over 1 billion YouTube views.[1](https://pro.imdb.com/title/tt6975774/companycredits?rf=cons_tt_cocred_tt) Derulo's own website currently lists the official video at 1,880,958,207 views.[19](https://www.jasonderulo.com/)
## Reception
Critical reactions split on the song's merits. TIME ranked it the second-worst song of 2017, calling Derulo's performance "surprisingly affectless" and Minaj "unmotivated even by her own recent standard".[20](https://time.com/5048308/top-10-worst-songs-2017/) At The Singles Jukebox, reviewer Leonel Manzanares de la Rosa praised the falsetto-driven pre-chorus and the brisk, bouncy beat.[13](https://thesinglesjukebox.com/jason-derulo-ft-nicki-minaj-ty-dolla-ign-swalla/) Commercially the song has proved durable: it sits in YouTube's Billions Club, remains among Derulo's most-streamed recordings, and was still being added to his 2024 album as a flagship track.[6](https://musicbrainz.org/release/c167f671-5614-4ed6-858e-b2e7be73d2cd) • [5](https://press.atlanticrecords.com/sites/g/files/g2000014001/files/2024-02/02.16.24%20Jason%20Derulo%20Nu%20King%20Album%20Release%20PR%20%5BFINAL%5D.pdf)
## References
1. [Jason Derulo Feat. Nicki Minaj & Ty Dolla $ign: Swalla (2017) – IMDbPro summary and cast/crew](https://pro.imdb.com/title/tt6975774/companycredits?rf=cons_tt_cocred_tt)
2. [Le sample de 'Swalla' – Jason derülo ft Nicki Minaj & Ty Dolla $ign, du-bruit.com](https://www.du-bruit.com/59399-jason-derulo-ft-nicki-minaj--ty-dolla-%24ign-swalla.html)
3. [Jason Derulo Says He Was Oblivious Nicki Minaj Dissed Remy Ma On His "Swalla" Hit – HipHopDX (March 13, 2017)](https://hiphopdx.com/news/id.42689/title.jason-derulo-says-he-was-oblivious-nicki-minaj-dissed-remy-ma-on-his-swalla-hit)
4. [SWALLA – JASON DERULO/NICKI MINAJ/TY – Official Charts Company](https://www.officialcharts.com/songs/jason-derulonicki-minajty-swalla/)
5. [Jason Derulo Lifts the Veil on Nu King – Atlantic Records press release (February 16, 2024)](https://press.atlanticrecords.com/sites/g/files/g2000014001/files/2024-02/02.16.24%20Jason%20Derulo%20Nu%20King%20Album%20Release%20PR%20%5BFINAL%5D.pdf)
6. [Release "Swalla" by Jason Derulo feat. Nicki Minaj & Ty Dolla $ign – MusicBrainz](https://musicbrainz.org/release/c167f671-5614-4ed6-858e-b2e7be73d2cd)
7. [Jason Derulo: Swalla Tracks & Reviews – AllMusic](https://www.allmusic.com/album/swalla-mw0003023714)
8. [Swalla (feat. Nicki Minaj & Ty Dolla $ign) – Apple Music credits](https://music.apple.com/us/song/1205573619)
9. [Jason Derulo's "Swalla" Reaches Top 40 On Hot 100 – Headline Planet (May 23, 2017)](https://headlineplanet.com/home/2017/05/23/jason-derulos-swalla-reaches-top-40-hot-100-charlie-puths-attention-top-50/)
10. [Gold & Platinum – Music Canada](https://musiccanada.com/gold-platinum/?_gp_search=Jason+Derulo+Jason+Derulo)
11. [Swalla (feat. Nicki Minaj, Ty Dolla $ign) – Shazam (Nu King version)](https://www.shazam.com/song/1727466937/swalla-feat-nicki-minaj-ty-dolla-ign)
12. [Swalla (feat. Nicki Minaj & Ty Dolla $ign) – Bugs! album profile](https://music.bugs.co.kr/album/622292)
13. [Jason Derulo ft. Nicki Minaj & Ty Dolla $ign – Swalla – The Singles Jukebox](https://thesinglesjukebox.com/jason-derulo-ft-nicki-minaj-ty-dolla-ign-swalla/)
14. [Jason Derulo Feat. Nicki Minaj & Ty Dolla $ign: Swalla (2017) – Full cast & crew, IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt6975774/fullcredits/)
15. [Swalla (feat. Nicki Minaj & Ty Dolla $ign) – official audio video, Jason Derulo YouTube channel](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ycQqiLpEbZI)
16. [A Comprehensive Guide to the Feud Between Nicki Minaj and Remy Ma – TIME (March 3, 2017)](https://time.com/4684737/nicki-minaj-remy-ma-rap-feud/)
17. [Jason Derulo – Spotify Chart History – Kworb](https://kworb.net/spotify/artist/07YZf4WDAMNwqr4jfgOZ8y.html)
18. [jason derulo, nicki minaj, ty dolla $ign // swalla [M/V] – Vimeo (PopTown)](https://vimeo.com/220133603)
19. [Jason Derulo – Official Website](https://www.jasonderulo.com/)
20. [The Top 10 Worst Songs of 2017 – TIME](https://time.com/5048308/top-10-worst-songs-2017/)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Music › Musical works and recordings › Compositions and songs › Pop, rock, and metal songs › R&B and soul songs › Contemporary R&B songs*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license