" It 's Like That " was written by Mariah Carey , Jermaine Dupri , Manuel Seal and Johntá Austin , while Carey and Dupri produced the song , with additional co-production by Seal . The song also features Dupri and Fatman Scoop providing adlibs and rap in the intro and outro , respectively . It samples Run – D.M.C. 's hook " It 's Like that Y' all " from their track " Hollis Crew " ( 1984 ) . " It 's Like That " is a hip-hop song , about Carey going to a club to relax and forget her troubles , refusing to give in to stress , strife and sadness . Sal Cinquemani of '' Slant Magazine '' went further , writing that in the song Carey arrives at the party " already shit-faced " : " I came to have a party/Open off that Bacardi … Purple taking me higher/I 'm lifted and I like it . " As described by PopMatters 's Jozen Cummings , " Hand claps and a playful whistle set the pulse for four bars . After Dupri ’s ad-libs , the whistle drops out and allows Carey ’s voice to lead the hand claps and throbbing bass , while the chorus spawns a chord progression with strings and piano . " During an interview for MTV , Mariah explained the meaning of the lines , " Them chickens is ash and I 'm lotion , " stating : " We were sitting around basically having jokes . ... We 're like making up stupid stuff just to entertain ourselves at this point . Then Jermaine Dupri came back in the room and we 're all sitting there going something about ash and lotion . We 're not calling somebody ashy . We 're actually saying , ' You are ash and we 're lotion . ' So basically , you are the antithesis of us . Basically I 'm talking to the guy like , ' Them chickens is ash and I 'm lotion . You need to get rid of them and I 'm the antidote ' . " The song received mostly favorable reviews from music critics . AllMusic 's Stephen Thomas Erlewine picked the song as a highlight from '' The Emancipation of Mimi '' . Caroline Sullivan of '' The Guardian '' wrote a positive review for the song , praising the " headbanging Fatman Scoop rap " , also noting that " Carey is very much a presence , unfurling her three octaves judiciously . " Keith Caulfield from '' Billboard '' magazine assured that " Mariah Carey finally returns with a certifiably hot track . It 's Like That is a sparse , bass-heavy , beat-driven cut that is primed for radio and dancefloors " . Tom Sinclair of '' Entertainment Weekly '' described the song as " almost as cool as Run-DMC song ( which shares the same title ) , with Carey fantasizing about easing into a nightclub buzzed on Bacardi . ' No stress , no fights , ' she sings , making it sound like a trip to a vacation spa . " '' Vibe '' editor Dimitri Enrlich wrote that the song is an " aggressive , off kilter joint with harshly stiff beat " , pointing out that it was going to solidify comeback to her MTV crowd . " Daniel Incognito of '' Sputnikmusic '' wrote that the song " offers another example of Carey taking the entire workload , and pulling it off with variety and a delicate touch . " Jozen Cummings of '' PopMatters '' wrote a very positive reception , commenting that the song " is the perfect introduction for the rest of the album ’s carefree feel , " stating that the song " is able to go from catchy to infectious status . " Adam Webb of '' BBC Music '' wrote the track " successfully re-writes Christina Aguilera 's career blueprint , that even a typically bull-in-a-china-shop contribution from Fatman Scoop ca n't ruin it . " '' The New York Times '' editor Jon Pareles wrote a more mixed review , calling it " a come-on set to bare-bones electro from the producer Jermaine Dupri to stay contemporary , sometimes reducing her voice to the processed nasality of Britney Spears . " In 2006 , " It 's Like That " received a nomination for a Best Female Pop Vocal Performance at the 48th Annual Grammy Awards , but lost to Kelly Clarkson 's " Since U Been Gone " . Raneisha Wilkinson of '' The Celebrity Cafe '' placed the song at number 5 among her " Top 10 Songs " , calling it an enjoyable " catchy club banger song . " Mark Graham of '' VH1 '' ranked the song at number 11 on her " 43 Best Songs " list
48th Annual Grammy Awards
48th Annual Grammy Awards
It's Like That (Mariah Carey song)