Stir Fry

Album: Culture II (2017)
Charted: 51 8
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • The second track to be released from Culture II, this finds Migos dropping a number of fast food references as they flaunt their status as innovators and wealth-makers.

    Dance with my dogs in the nighttime (wroof)
    Trap nigga with the chickens like Popeye's (Popeye's)
    Money changin' colors like tie-dye (tie-dye)


    Quavo, Offset and Take Off also touch on the trio's usual topics of cash, girls, luxuries and drugs.
  • The song title comes from Quavo's catchy hook in which he compares the Chinese cooking technique to making crack; whipping the wrist to combine ingredients.

    Watchin' me whip up, still be real and famous
    Dance with my dogs in the nighttime (yeah, woo, woo, woo, roof)
    In the kitchen, wrist twistin' like a stir fry (whip it)
  • The drum-heavy upbeat track features a shuffling beat, courtesy of Pharrell Williams. The pop beat is rare for Migos who infrequently step away from their usual Atlantan trap-style producers.

    Linking up with Pharrell for "Stir Fry" was an organic process. "We was in the studio in L.A. and he was in the next room," Quavo told Beats 1's Ebro Darden. "We had been running into each other, we've been cool, but he was over there working and he just stepped in because we just walk in everybody's sessions and it's love, and go to work. And [Pharrell] had, like, three or four beats, but the pack was from 2008, like, the old hard drive. He had the old pack. He said he was waiting on this moment. The genie way."
  • The song's music video was directed by Sing Lee (Halsey, Muse, Chvrches) and Quavo. Lee recalled to Genius. "I had an email from their label with notes from Quavo just saying, 'The song is called 'Stir Fry.' We want something Asian.' And that was it."

    Lee came up with a clip that features Migos and Pharrell Williams dressed as martial artists gambling in a Chinese restaurant. The Migos trio get in a fight with an opposing gang, and we seem them show off their wild martial arts moves. "There's a huge relationship, a long relationship with black culture and Chinese culture, and hip-hop and martial arts," Lee explained. "So that was something that I really wanted to homage as well. And do it right, but do it with a bit of humor, and Migos bring humor. So, that was taken care of."

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Who's Johnny, And Why Does He Show Up In So Many Songs

Who's Johnny, And Why Does He Show Up In So Many SongsSong Writing

For songwriters, Johnny represents the American man. He has been angry, cool, magic, a rebel and, of course, marching home.

Women Who Rock

Women Who RockSong Writing

Evelyn McDonnell, editor of the book Women Who Rock, on why the Supremes are just as important as Bob Dylan.

Rupert Hine

Rupert HineSongwriter Interviews

Producer Rupert Hine talks about crafting hits for Tina Turner, Howard Jones and The Fixx.

Did They Really Sing In That Movie?

Did They Really Sing In That Movie?Fact or Fiction

Bradley Cooper, Michael J. Fox, Rami Malek, Reese Witherspoon, Gwyneth Paltrow and George Clooney: Which actors really sang in their movies?

Tanita Tikaram

Tanita TikaramSongwriter Interviews

When she released her first album in 1988, Tanita became a UK singing sensation at age 19. She talks about her darkly sensual voice and quirky songwriting style.

Harry Shearer

Harry ShearerSongwriter Interviews

Harry is Derek Smalls in Spinal Tap, Mark Shubb in The Folksmen, and Mr. Burns on The Simpsons.