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It's been 30 years since rapper Freak Nasty lit up the airwaves with his ode to the dance floor, “Da' Dip,” and the song continues to find new life — and new audiences.
The latest incarnation finds Freak Nasty teaming up with Church's to launch a new “Churchie” dipping sauce. To celebrate the launch, the rapper surprised fans last month at a Church's location in Atlanta for a special performance of his platinum-certified single. Freak Nasty says it was a no-brainer to return to Atlanta to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the song, as the city was where he recorded the song and where the inspiration for “Da' Dip” first dropped (pun intended).
“I was working as a courier, and I was on 285 headed to Jimmy Carter Blvd. on my route around 3:15 pm,” he recalls. “I'm a DJ first, so I hear what's moving people, and what I knew for a fact was the 'Dip' was already happening,” he continues. “I just put words to what everybody was already doing on the floor.”
“It felt super duper performing back in the place where I started in the Nineties, after moving from
New Orleans,” he says. “Church's is headquartered right here in Atlanta, and Atlanta has been home base for a long time. The city is in the DNA of this whole story, so it made sense on every level.”
Three decades later the song was released as the lead single from the album Controversial… That's Life… And That's the Way It IsFreak Nasty says he's still “amazed” every time he hears the song on the radio or — like in 2024 — seeing it become a TikTok trend. The rapper says the track owes its longevity to the fact that it was written for everybody.
“I put it right there in the lyrics: 'It don't even matter your age, it don't even matter your color.' That
it was not accidental,” he says. “The inclusivity was built in from the beginning.”
“And it's participatory,” he notes. “It's not just a song you listen to. It tells you what to do. That's rare. You put it on [and] everybody in the room already knows their part.”
On the heels of “Da' Dip's” 30th anniversary and the new Church's dip, Rolling Stone asked Freak Nasty to rank his ten favorite dips of all time. The criteria: just like the “Churchie” dipping sauce, each product on the list “hits where it needs to hit: in the heart, as it dances on your taste buds [and] as it goes to your stomach.”
1. Churchie Sauce
“My number 1 is Churchie Sauce by Church's Texas Chicken because it's smooth and it has just the right amount of kick,” Freak Nasty says.
2. Tabasco Brand Original Red Pepper Hot Sauce
“Number two is Tabasco: it's powerful and has a taste that hits hard but soft, and leaves a great after taste.”
3. Louisiana Brand Hot Sauce (Two-Pack)
“Number three is Louisiana Hot Sauce because I grew up on it,” says the New Orleans-born rapper. “And it goes good with red beans.”
4. Sweet Baby Ray's Variety BBQ Sauce Set
Why does Freak Nasty like Sweet Baby Ray's? “It has the sweetness and barbecue taste that feels like getting together at the park or cooking out,” he says. This Amazon variety pack gets you three flavors: “Sweet 'n Spicy,” Honey Barbecue and Hickory & Brown Sugar.
5. Texas Pete Original Hot Sauce (Two-Pack)
Freak Nasty also recommends “Texas Pete” hot sauce because it “has the same kick I feel as Tabasco at a certain level.”
6. Frank's RedHot Hot Sauce
Freak Nasty says Frank's RedHot is nostalgic and “reminds me of the feeling I get when I want something hot, spicy and relaxing.”
While we're not sure how the cayenne pepper-based recipe is “relaxing,” Frank's RedHot continues to be an online bestseller, with thousands of units sold in the last few weeks alone, per Amazon.
7. Stubb's Jalapeño & Honey BBQ Sauce
Stubbs makes everything from rubs to marinades, but the Texas-based chain also makes a slightly spicy jlapeño and honey BBQ sauce. “It's a taste that you won't forget,” Freak Nasty says.
8. Hidden Valley Original Ranch Salad Dressing and Topping (Two-Pack)
Hidden Valley Ranch also makes Freak Nasty's list: “It's mellow and goes with everything,” he says. Amazon sells a two-pack of the ranch dressing and dip in these “easy squeeze” bottles.
Heinz 57 Original Sauce
Heinz may be best known for ketchup, but Freak Nasty says not to sleep on its Heinz 57 sauce. “It's a classic and it also goes with everything,” he says.
Ken's Chef's Reserve Parmesan Peppercorn Dressing (Two-Pack)
Ken's offers a number of salad dressings, ranging from creamy to oil-based vinaigrettes. “I haven't tried them all yet,” Freak Nasty says, “but all my friends tell me it has a nice flavor.”
