26 years after the release of “400 Degreez”, rapper Juvenile unleashed the long-awaited music video, to commemorate the anniversary of his well-known southern classic. Although it was his third studio album, “400 Degreez” was the commercial debut for Juvenile, shortly after members of the beloved Hot Boyz dismantled and decided to pursue their own individual solo careers. Juvenile, or as he is so lovingly known, “Juvie”, has been riding the coattails of a comeback for a minute now. His pandemic pivot strategy is definitely one that can be studied, and he has not hesitated to seek out new paths, and business ventures.
In 2020 Juvie discussed with Rolling Stone how before the COVID-19 outbreak his wife would ask for his help in building shelves and racks for her own brick-and-mortar business. Those requests then sparked an interest that was brought to life during quarantine where he discovered his passion for building robots and lamps, which eventually evolved into chandeliers, tables, chairs, and even sofas. He launched a furniture and home décor line, once again proving that it’s never too late to pursue a new hobby, especially when that hobby can turn into a lucrative business.
In 2022, he had one of the most watched and talked about NPR Tiny Desk performances, and in 2023, he announced the launch of “Juvie Juice”, which can be described as the alcoholic offspring of an Arnold Palmer. He is also still the tour he launched in honor of the 25th anniversary of “400 Degreez”, and last week he dropped a surprise music video on YouTube which has since gone viral. Let us not forget that “400 Degreez” was also the vessel that brought us the modern-day Black trap national anthem, “Back That Azz Up.” Ask every Black millennial how they react when they hear “Cash Money taking over for the 99 and the 2000,” and I’m sure you’ll get a universal response. Let’s just say, get out the way. Juvenile was one of the iconic trailblazers of Southern hip-hop, so when I think of the phrase “The South got something to say!” aside from Andre’ 3000’s unforgettable speech at the Source Awards, Juvie is hands down one of the faces I see on my Mount Rushmore of Southern Hip-Hop.
At the peak of the pandemic, we were gifted platforms like Verzuz, created by music moguls Swiss Beatz and Timbaland, which tapped into our nostalgia and allowed us to feel socially (but virtually) connected via the art and experiences that held us together. One of the undeniable results of Verzuz was the effects it had on streaming numbers, as well as opening the doors for artists to secure post-pandemic tour contracts without requiring them to release new music. Although NPR’s Tiny Desk concerts actually began in 2008, they didn’t start to gain viral popularity until the prime pandemic days because much of the population at the time was relying on virtual entertainment. Juvenile’s Tiny Desk, as well as Trina’s, and Scarface, gave legitimacy to acoustic rap performances while also rebirthing MTV’s Unplugged vibes. Almost immediately after his performance, Juvie’s streaming numbers substantially increased, and not long after that, he announced his “400 Degreez” anniversary tour.
Many artists have found ingenious ways to utilize their resources when it comes to capitalizing on the success of their old music finding new life. Although the immediate need for platforms like Verzuz has dwindled a bit, the social urgency for sentimentality remains, which is just one of the reasons why platforms like NPR’s Tiny Desk, and the Front Porch Series, have continued to have viral success. Juvie releasing the visuals for a 26-years old project, while still to producing record-breaking views, makes me wonder if this could be the beginning of a new trend regarding the way artists reintroduce their classic music to new audiences. When I think about the deep cuts that we all wish were longer or had music videos to match, I can only hope that Juvie’s brilliant artistic decision will inspire other musicians to revisit the untold stories of their previously unreleased tracks. What are the singles (or interludes) that you think deserve extended recognition? Or the projects you would like to see artistically revisited and possibly accompanied with visuals?
“Art is an evolutionary act. The shape of art and its role in society is constantly changing. At no point is art static. There are no rules.” – Raymond Salvatore Harmon
