“Let It Whip” is recognized for effectively capturing the early-1980s transition from organic live instrumentation to electronic programmed sounds. A Minimoog synth bass line growls alongside an electric bass guitar, and the beat is a combo of real drums and a percolating programmed drum machine rhythm (using a Roland TR-808 and LinnDrum). This track strikes the perfect balance between live organic instrumentation and new-tech electronic-based sounds of that era.
The song was co-written by acclaimed drummer Leon "Ndugu" Chancler and Reggie Andrews, the track’s producer. Chancler discussed the song’s inspiration in an interview featured in The Billboard Book of Number One Rhythm & Blues Hits, a 1993 music reference book by Adam White and Fred Bronson:
We wanted to create a song that they could make a dance out of, a song that was different in that it would be something that no one had ever really talked about on a record. What kind of lyric content could we talk about that could end up being a dance? And Reggie came up with the idea of a whip.
“Let It Whip” was released February 12, 1982, on Motown Records. It was a single from Dazz Band’s third studio album, Keep It Live. It topped Billboard’s R&B singles chart, peaked at #5 on the Billboard Hot 100, and climbed to #2 on Billboard’s dance club charts. It also charted in Canada (#42) and Australia (#97). The crossover dance smash earned the band a Grammy for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal at the 25th Annual Grammy Awards in 1983. Rolling Stone magazine ranked “Let It Whip” at #82 on its 100 Best Songs of 1982 list.
“Let It Whip” has been sampled on 62 songs and featured on many film soundtracks, including Air (2023), M3GAN (2022), The First Purge (2018), Almost Christmas (2016), Pitch Perfect (2012), The New Guy (2002), Next Friday (2000), and Grosse Pointe Blank (1997). Some of the notable TV series it has been featured on include The Bear (season 3, episode 6, 2024), Scandal (season 4, episode 16, 2015), and Cold Case (season 7, episode 13, 2010).
Many artists and bands have covered “Let It Whip,” including Boyz II Men. The four-time Grammy-winning vocal harmony group’s soulful cover appeared on their seventh studio album, Throwback, Vol. 1 (2004). American rock and pop-punk band SR-71 recorded a terrific cover of “Let It Whip” for the soundtrack of the 2002 teen comedy The New Guy. It appears in a high-energy, dance-filled montage sequence featuring some particularly smooth moves from comedian and actor Eddie Griffin.
The full personnel for “Let It Whip” was Sennie "Skip" Martin III (lead vocals), Michael Wiley (bass, background vocals), Isaac Wiley Jr. (drums, background vocals), Steve Cox (keyboards, synthesizer programming), Eric Fearman (guitar), Bobby Harris (background vocals), Paulinho Da Costa (percussion), Michael Boddicker (synthesizer programming), Pierre DeMudd (background vocals), Reggie Andrews (keyboards), and Kenny Pettus (background vocals, percussion).
Dazz Band emerged from Cleveland, Ohio’s jazz-fusion scene in the 1970s. Saxophonist and vocalist Bobby Harris founded Dazz Band in Cleveland in 1976. The band’s original lineup was Harris, Kenny Pettus (lead vocalist, percussion), Isaac "Ike" Wiley Jr. (drums), his brother Michael Wiley (bass), and Michael Calhoun (songwriter/guitarist). The quintet was originally named Kinsman Dazz. They renamed themselves Dazz Band after signing with Motown Records in 1980 and expanded to nine members. Dazz is short for “danceable jazz.” In addition to “Let It Whip,” some of their other big hits include “Joystick,” “Let It All Blow,” Swoop (I’m Yours),” and “On the One for Fun.”
“Let It Whip” was Dazz Band’s biggest hit and an iconic club banger of the early ‘80s. And it still gets a lot of play today. The band still tours with founder Bobby Harris and longtime member Skip Martin at the helm.