MUTHAFUCKA’S GUIDE TO ENGLISH
as seen on www.rapdict.org
A
a
(v) Going to. "I'm a do it like this"
A&R
(n) Refers to Artist and Repetoir execs in record companies they are hooked up with an artist to help to
find new artists and put out an image for them. artists albums. "First of all, who's your A&R, a mountain
climber who plays an electric guitar?" -- Wu Tang Clan (Protect ya neck [1994]).
A-Town
(n) Atlanta
Ac
(n) The Acura Legend, a brand car. "With the Mac in the Ac door panelin'" -- Notorious BIG
(Unbelievable [1994]).
afro
1) (n) Hairstyle like the Jackson Five had, much hair and round like a ball.
2) (n) Person with an afro. "Don't laugh hoes, I'm down with The Afro's" -- Ice Cube (I gotta say what
up!!! [1990]) (note that Cube refers to a rap group).
AK/AK-47
(n) Assault rifle of Russian origin, nowadays produced in China. The letters stand for "avtomat
Kalashnikova", an automatic assault rifle invented by Mikhail Kalashnikov, who invented the gun in 1947.
"My AK-47 is the tool" -- Da Lench Mob (Freedom got an AK [1993]) (originally from NWA (Straight out of
Compton)).
Al B Square Mall
(n) Albee Square Mall in Brooklyn - Bizmarkie
Alizé
(n) French beverage made from passion fruit and cognac.
all that
(adj) in possession of all good qualities.
Alpine
(n) Make of car stereo from a Japanese-based company. From the name of the manufacturers of the top
in-car speaker systems. "Sit back and let the Alpine blast" -- Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince (Summertime
[1991]).
am
(n) The morning, as in A.M. "Steppin' to the am" -- 3rd Bass (The cactus album [1989]).
Amarredos
(n) Italian bit-size cookies that often come with meals. "eatin' better amarrettos" -- Raekwon
(Investigative Reports [??]).
around the way
(n) From the neighbourhood. "From around the way" -- Beastie Boys (No sleep till Brooklyn [1986]).
axe
(v) Ask. "Gave her ten dollars, then she axed me for some more" -- Schoolly D. (P.S.K. (what does it
mean?) [??]).
ay yo trip
(interj) Phrase to seek attention, compare "Check this out".
B
b-boy
(n) From "break boy"; one who breakdances. B-boys in the front, back, side and middle, check out my bboy rhyme and riddle" -- Schoolly D. (B-boy rhyme [??]).
B-Town
(n) Berkeley, California.
bag up
1) (v) To laugh real hard at something.
2) (v) To be caught or arrested by the police.
3) (v) To have sexual intercourse with. "Bag up bitches from John Jay" -- Nas (One Love [1994]).
bail out
(v) Run away for someone.
baller
1) (n) Ballplayer, someone who is good at playing basketball, and has moved up to earning a lot of
money and getting a lot of girls from that. "I wish I was a little bit taller, I wish I was a baller" -- Skee Low
(I wish [??]).
2) (n) Someone who has established himself in the hood, who is making much money (beit illegitimate or
not), and who is good with the ladies; it is a Blood term. The Crip version of this word is "highroller".
ballin'
(v) Having it all.
bama
1) (n) Person who cannot dress, a loser. Short for Alabama, meaning a person from the country,
backwards unsophisticated. "Me and the rest of the bama's" -- Question Mark Asylum (Deriving from the
D.C. area [??]).
2) (n) Shake, a type of marijuana from the leaves rather than the buds of the hemp plant.
bang
(v) To fight to kill
banger
1) (n) someone associated with gangs and murder.
2) (n) Rocker, from headbanging.
bank
(n) Money. "That's cool cause I whipped out bank" -- Sir Mix-a-lot (I got game [??]).
Bankhead Hwy
(n) Highway in Atlanta where all the players go.
battle
(v) To compete, usually freestyle rapping, sometimes breakdancing or graffiti. "You want to rap and you
got no battle, it's like havin' a boat and you got no paddle" -- Public Enemy (??? [1987]).
Bay Plaza
(n) Movie theatre in the Bronx - Nice and Smooth.
be geese
(interj) To leave. "Yo we be geese"
beam me up, Scotty
(interj) Give me crack.
beamer
(n) Expensive European car: BMW, status symbol. Used by Tribe Called Quest on Low End Theory.
References to 325i's are to BMW 3-series models with a 2.5 litre engine. References to 735i's, 740i's,
750i's are to models in the 7-series range of BMW models. The 750iL is the flagship model made by
BMW. A reference to the a seven series model is found in Ice Cube's "Ghetto Bird". 850i's (mentioned in
Wu-Tang's "Can It All Be...") is to the BMW 850i Coupé.
bean
(n) Head or brain.
Bed Stuy
(n) Bedford Stuyvesant section of Brooklyn. Also called The Stuy. Radio Raheem wears a Bed Stuy Tshirt in the movie "Do the right thing" by Spike Lee.
beef
1) (n) And argument or discrepancy with another individual or group of individuals. The following citation
is from the book Juba to Jive: the dictionary of African-American slang, by Clarence Major. Beef n.
(1930s-1940s; 1960s-1970s) an "old" word dating back to general criminal use in the thirties. For young
black in the sixties and later it meant roughly the same as it had earlier: a complaint or argument; a
disagreement in progress.
2) (n) Sexual meat, like a penis. "No service of beef ... meaning to have sex" -- NWA (Parental Discretion
Iz Advised [??])
being [down] with something
(v) Favouring something, thinking the same way. "Howie Tee, are you with me?" -- The Real Roxanne
and Howie Tee ((Bang zoom) let's gogo).
bend
(n) A prostitute. "She was more than just a bend" -- Grand Puba
bent
1) (v) Drunk. "It doesn't matter if I'm dead sober or I'm bent" -- Heltah Skeltah (Therapy [??]).
2) (v) Sad. "You got me bent like elbows, amongst other things" -- Outkast (Aliens [???]).
Benz
1) (n) Expensive brand of European car: Mercedes Benz, status symbol. "I used to get no play, now she
stays behind me, 'cause I said I had a Benz 190" -- N.W.A. (I ain't the one [1988]).
2) (interj) Used to acknowledge "Audi", meaning goodbye.
Benzi-box
1) (n) A pull out radio. "Here come the cops... put the Benzi-box under the seat" -- Naughty by Nature
(Strike a nerve [1991]).
2) (n) A box full of Mercedes Benz emblems that were stolen off the cars.
berry
(n) A police car. The red lights on old cop cars looked like a berry on top of an ice cream. "Berry flashing
those high beams" refers to a cop behind your car signalling for you to pull over. "Didn't even see a berry
flashing those high beams" -- Ice Cube (Today was a good day [1993]).
BG
1) (n) Baby gangster, as opposed to OG. An OG has shot somebody, a BG has not shot anyone yet. "I
quit school cuz of recess, you fuckin BG" -- Snoop Doggy Dogg (Pump Pump [1993]).
2) (n) Black gangster.
bill
(n) A one hundred dollar banknote.
bima
(n) See beamer. "Lex, coupe, bimaz, benz" -- Lost Boyz (??? [1996]).
bird
(n) Kilo. "A bird in the hand" -- Ice Cube (A bird in the hand [1991]).
biscuit
1) (n) Gun.
2) (n) Behinds. "Gals, if you see a man you like, just grab him in the biscuits... and doowutchalike" -Digital Underground (Doowutchalike [????]).
bitch
1) (n) Prostitute, literally meaning "female dog"; girls call each other "What's up, bitch?" Doesn't
necessarily have to be negative. Doesn't have to mean females either. "Cause some of y'all niggas is
bitches too" -- Ice T (Bitches 2 [1991]).
2) (v) To curse or nag about something.
bite
1) (v) To copy lyrics from other people. "I know you down south are biting my lines, and if I catch you
boy, your ass is mine" -- Schoolly D. (Gucci time)
2) (v) To steal
bizzo
1) (n) A girl. "My seven bizzos" -- 2 Live crew (My seven bizzos [1989]).
2) (n) Someone who is bizarre.
black book
1) (n) A small book carried by graffiti artists for others to do work in.
2) (n) A book to carry phone numbers in.
3) (n) The Bible.
Black Panther movement
(n) This movement was founded in Oakland, California by Huey P. Newton, H.R. Brown and Bobby
Seale. Fought for the rights of black to bear arms like white people in the late 1960's and the early
1970's.
blast
1) (v) To smoke crack.
2) (v) To play music loud.
blend
(n) See marijuana.
blindside
(v) To creep up on someone.
blood
1) (n) Blood brother
2) (n) Member of the Bloods gang.
blunt
(n) See marijuana. Marijuana cigarette, herb stuffed cigar, generally phillies.
blunted
(v) Under influence of a blunt. "Made a little record for the blunted to chill with" -- Cypress Hill (Hand on
the pump [1993])
BM
(n) See beamer. "Drop top BM's, I'm the man, girlfriend" -- Notorious BIG (Big Poppa [??]).
BMX
(n) Refers to now-defunct Chicago radio station WBMX, which used to play hip-hop and house music
mixes through the 1980s. "I tuned into BMX, and taped Farley on the Tonemaster." -- Common Sense
("This is Me" [????])
boat
(n) Marijuana laced with embalming fluid.
bolos
(n) South American throwing weapon, a number of balls on cords. "I'm throwin' bolos you'll find out who's
the number one solo" -- Lady of Rage (?? [????]).
bomb
1) (n) Marijuana laced with heroin.
2) (adj) Very good. "Gimme that bomb beat from Dre" -- Tupac (California love [1994]).
bone
1) (v) To have sexual intercourse. "Your aim is to bone" -- Tribe Called Quest (Classic example of a date
rape).
2) (n) Penis. "You can act like a doggy, and play with my bone" -- Schoolly D. (Another poem [??]). 3) (n)
One dollar.
3) (n) Core, soul. "I'm a rock hard trooper to the bone" -- Public Enemy (Louder Than A Bomb)
4) (v) To bone out, as in leaving. "They all got in the car and boned out" -- Smokey (Friday [1995]).
5) (n) A joint. "Smokin' bones in the staircase" -- Wu-Tang Clan (C.R.E.A.M. [1993]).
bones
(n) Dominos.
boneyard
1) (n) Graveyard.
2) (n) Domino pile to draw from.
bong
(n) A waterpipe for smoking marijuana. The marijuana is filtered through the water. When you suck it
decreases the pressure in the chamber so the smoke get pulled through the water so it looks like it
boiling. It is good because it filters out some of the bad stuff like tar. It also cools the smoke to make it
less harsh.
boo
(n) A term of endearment, like baby. "I'll be in here, boo" -- Method Man (You're all I need [1994]).
boo boo head
(n) Whore, deceitful woman. Used mostly around the Bay Area, especially East Bay (check the whole
song dedicated to this word by Del on his No Need For Alarm album).
boo-yaa
1) (n) Totally dope, incredibly fine. Probably orignated from the "Boo-yaa Tribe". That shit was straight-up
boo-yaa" -- ??.
2) (n) Impression of the sound of a shotgun, also "boo-yaaka". "Shotgun goes boo-ya" -- Cypress Hill
(Hand on the pump [1993]).
3) (n) Marijuana, probably derived from Buddha. 4) (n) Crack, probably related from the fact that smoking
crack is sort of equivalent to putting a shotgun to your head and pulling the trigger.
booster
(n) A shoplifter.
booty
1) (adj) Not good, lacking. "And them rhymes you were kickin were quite bootylicious" -- Snoop Doggy
Dogg (Dre Day [??]).
2) (n) Bottom, ass. Or getting a piece of ass.
3) (n) Biblical, as in pirates booty or treasure. Since booty is stolen treasure, it could be good or bad.
Often used in the negative today.
bounce
1) (v) To leave, to get up, to break. "You mean bounce... I'm with you, bounce right outta NYC" -Raekwon the Chef (??? [1995]).
2) (n) Form of music from New Orleans. Check Mystikal's album for a song called "Neva gonna bounce".
3) (n) A reference to the Banhead Bounce, a dance made famous in Atlanta rap music.
bout it
(n) Real, not fake, true to the game. "I'm bout it, bout it" -- Master P (Bout it, bout it [1995]).
box
(n) Video Music Box, a NYC hip-hop video music show.
boy
1) (n) Friend, possibly short for homeboy. "That's my boy".
2) (n) Racist term used by white masters to address a slave. "Boy is a racist white word" -- Dr. Dre
(movie: Who's the man)
boys in blue
(n) Police. "As I ran there were the boys in blue, pointing their guns at my four man crew" -- Boogie
Down Productions (Love's gonna getcha [1990]).
bozack, 'zack
(n) Scrotum.
Brass Monkey
(n) an alcoholic concoction available in liquor stores. "Drinking Brass Monkey" -- Beastie Boys (Brass
Monkey [1986]).
break off
(v) Marijuana is sometimes sold as little blocks. So, breaking off some means to share the good stuff
with others. "Break ya off something" -- Cypress Hill (Insane in the brain [1993]).
break to
1) (n) Comes from the Biblical term "selah". Comes from music, "on the break", but for hip-hop refers to
the break in the record that is created by the DJ. "Beats and breaks".
2) (v) transport onesself to, often quickly.
bremelo
(n) Derogative term for fat ugly women from Bremerton, WA, a working-class town with a Naval Base.
The joke is that these women hang around and "chasin' fellas in the Navy".
brick
1) (adj) Very cold.
2) (v) To punch.
3) (n) A quantity of cocaine.
broady
(v) To take or steal something.
broccoli
(n) See marijuana. "With a handful of broccoli" -- Spice 1 (??? [??]).
Bronx
(n) New York City borough where hip-hop was born and raised. Home of Boogie Down Productions. "My
posse from the Bronx is thick" -- Boogie Down Productions (My philosophy).
Brooklyn
(n) New York City borough. "No sleep till Brooklyn!" -- Beastie Boys (No sleep till Brooklyn [1987]). Home
of Fugees and DAS EFX.
brother
(n) Man of the same group; friend. In the Bible you will read "brethern", which is used in the same
meaning.
bucket
(n) Old car in bad shape. "So I moved on an old car, it was a bucket, but fuck it, it had to do" -- Ice-T.
(Midnight [1991]).
Bucktown
(n) A neighborhood better known as the Brownsville section of Brooklyn used by Smif & Wesson and
Black Moon.
buckwilding
(v) To get buckwild means to have sex, see also wilding. A "buck" is a young, unbroken horse that
cowboys try to master at a rodeo. "Get buckwild with the white freaks, show 'em how to really work the
white sheets" -- Body Count (KKK Bitch [1992]).
buddah
(n) See marijuana. "I'm an addict for sneakers, 20's of buddah and bitches with beepers" -- NAS (New
York state of mind [1994]).
buddy
1) (n) At the start of De La soul's "Buddy" video, Prince Paul makes a statement to the effect that "Buddy
means body."
2) (n) Sexual partner. A bit more than a friend.
3) (adj) Something that appears okay at first, but is actually a cheap imitation; a knockoff, ripoff or fake.
Said to be from "Buddies" which are shoes that look cool but fall apart real quickly. "Get that buddy shit
out of here" -- (???).
bug
(v) To act strange, crazy, weird. See ill. "You don't have to take us seriously, we're only buggin'" -Whistle (Only buggin' [1984]).
bump
(v) To make a car with hydraulics bump. "Why you gotta pull me over... cause I'm bumpin'" -- Warren G (I
shot the sheriff [????]).
bumrush
1) (n) Crash the gates of a show with a pack of people, in the hope to get in without having to pay. "Yo!
Bumrush the show" -- Public Enemy. (Yo! Bumrush the show) [1987].
2) (v) To get beaten up by a large, angry group of people. Literally to get rushed by bums or lowlifes.
bunk
1) (adj) Unpleasant, bad.
2) (n) A load of bunk: a lot of nonsense.
burner
1) (n) A large piece of graffiti involving many colors, making it bright and colorful. It usually refers to
whole-car productions on subways.
2) (n) A gun.
bust a nut
(v) To ejaculate.
bust slugs
(v) To fire bullets. "And bust some slugs for South Africa" -- Heather B. with BDP (Seven MC's)
bust this
(interj) Pay attention. "But bust this!" -- Ice-T (Bitches 2 [1991]).
busta
1) (n) Fake person, weak individual. "Busta ass nigga talkin' bullshit" -- Dr. Dre (Rat-a-tat-tat [1992]).
2) (n) A snitch, a person who tattle-tales.
butt
1) (n) Bottom.
2) (adj) Not good, lacking. "Get yourself some toilet paper 'cause your lyrics is butt" -- Tribe Called Quest
(Low End Theory).
butter
(adj) Well liked, smoothed out. "Phife Dog is on the mic and I'm smooth like butter. It's like butter, not no
Parkay, not no margerine, strictly butter, baby" -- A Tribe Called Quest (Butter [??]).
buyaka
(n) Jamaican, resembles the sound of gunshots. See boo-yaa.
C
C-Town
(n) Cleveland, Ohio.
C.B.
1) (n) See cock block.
2) (n) Cell block.
3) (n) Trucker radio.
C.R.E.A.M.
(n) Money. Acronym for Cash Rules Everything Around Me. From the Wu-Tang Clan (36 chambers
[1993]).
Calliope
(n) Project in the New Orleans UPT (uptown New Orleans).
cap
1) (n) Bullet. "I'm a pop a cap in him" -- Jules in the movie "Pulp Fiction"
2) (n) Cranium, top of the skull. "Blood's on my gear, from caps I've peeled" -- Ice-T. (Mic contract
[1991]).
3) (n) Crack.
Casper
(interj) "I'm Casper", I'm out of here, I'm ghost. From the Casper the ghost cartoon.
cat
1) (n) Vagina. "Sprung on the Cat" -- Sir Mixalot (Sprung on the cat [1992]). 2) (n) Person. Used in the
70s. "You cant take the jungle out of the cat" -- Jeru Tha Damaja (Frustrated Nigger [1995]).
2) (adv) When someone is being a pussy about something. "Why don't you ask the girl out and stop
being so cat?"
cateye
1) (v) To stare at a woman/man with sexual intentions.
2) (n) A stud with many women.
cave bitch
(n) Female version of "cave boy". Ice Cube (Cave bitch [1993]).
cave boy
(n) A white person. Derived from the theory that early white man lived in caves.
Celo
(n) A dice game also called "4-5-6", because you need to roll 4-5-6 to win in this game. "Like shootin'
Celo, and always hittin' head cracks" -- A Tribe Called Quest (Low end theory [??]).
cha
(n) You. "I'm comin' to getcha" -- Ice Cube (I'm gonna wetcha [1993])
cheeba
1) (n) See marijuana. Company inscriptions on pharmaceutical drugs read "ciba", pronounced "cheeba".
2) (n) Black, sticky, gooey Brazilian marijuana often sold in pounds. "Some call it cheeba, some call it
weed" -- Schoolly D. (Saturday night [??]).
cheese
(n) money; material wealth (from Bone: Thugs & Harmony).
chickenhead
1) (n) Any dumb person (usually refers to women unfortunately) who clucks (speaks) alot, and walks
around aimlessly or without purpose (like a chicken with its head cut off). "Give me all the chickenheads
from Pasadena to Medina, let B.I.G. get in between ya" - Total featuring the B.I.G. (Can't you see
[1995]).
2) (n) A derrogatory term used when referring to females who perform oral sex on males, because of the
motion of the woman's head: back and forth, like a chichenhead. "Chickenheads be cluckin' in my
bedroom" -- Notorious B.I.G. (Warning [??]).
3) (n) Crack addict, because many will perform oral sex to get free crack or money. Repeatedly referred
to in "Do or die", a book about the conflict between the Crips and the Bloods in South Central.
chill
1) (n) Relax. "Why don't you just chill" -- L.L. Cool J. (Eat em up L chill [1990]).
2) (adj) Mellow.
Chilltown
(n) Jersey City, Double XX Posse.
ChiTown
(n) Chicago.
Chocolate City, Capital City
(n) Washington D.C.
chrome
1) (n) Gun. "Now I gotta follow him home with the chrome" -- Ice Cube (Robbin' hood [1994]).
2) (n) Chrome wheel. "Sittin' on da chrome" -- Masta Ace Inc. [1995].
chronic
(n) See marijuana. Incredibly potent marijuana, it started out as weed laced with coke. "The Chronic" -Dr. Dre (The Chronic [1992]).
chronic flakes
(n) Ashes from a marijuana cigarette. "What up Ren? Still droppin' chronic flakes on yo ass, bitch" -Snoop Doggy Dog (The Chronic [1992]).
chubby
(n) Erection.
chulo
(n) The word in Spanish directly translates to "pimp". In Spain the word means "cool". It is synonymous
with bad ass" or "bad guy". Vatos, chulos, call us what you will" -- Kid Frost (La Raza [1990]).
cipher
1) (n) A circle of brothers dropping science, showing and proving. A 5%-er term.
2) (n) A graffitti writer.
claim
1) (v) To say one allies oneself with a gang or set.
2) (v) To claim membership in a gang.
3) (v) To say something that is not necessarily true.
Clarks
(n) Clarks are an excellent English shoe brand.
clip
(n) Gun or holder of bullets to load a semi-automatic or fully automatic gun with. "My AK-47 holdin' 50
clips" -- Da Lench Mob (Freedom got an AK [1992]).
clique
(n) the West Coast equivalent of "crew".
clock
1) (v) To stay aware of what happens around you. "You're the one that I'm clocking" -- Ol' Dirty Bastard
(Raw hide [1994])
2) (v) To earn. "I clock ducats" -- Public Enemy (??? [??]).
3) (v) To always watch, always have or to always be into something. "clockin' a grip" -- Dr. Dre and
Snoop Doggy Dogg (Ain't nothing but a G-thang [1992]).
4) (v) To hit or knock someone out, as in "he clocked him". Probably comes from "he got his clock
cleaned".
cluck (head)
(n) Crack user.
cock
1) (n) Penis.
2) (n) Vagina. "She was giving up the cock" -- Ice Cube (Gangsta's Fairytale [1991])
3) (v) To pull the hammer of a gun. "Cock the hammer, it's time for action" -- Cypress Hill (Cock the
hammer [1993])
cock block
(v) To prevent someone from getting sexual intercourse. See the Kool G Rap song "Operation CB".
cock diesel
(adj) Very muscular.
coconut
(n) A hispanic person trying to be white. Compare with oreo.
cold
1) (adj) Intensely. "Stone cold rhymin'" -- Young MC (Stone cold rhymin').
2) (adj) Mean, not nice.
come correct
(v) To represent the real, to do something the way it should be done. "When I'm on the mic, I come
correct" -- Beastie Boys (Sure shot [1994])
Compton
(n) Los Angeles borough. This is from where the gangsta style was brought to a greater height.
coochie
(n) Vagina.
cool
(adj) Okay as in "good" or "good idea".
coqui 900
1) (n) A type of malt liquor. "Coqui 900" -- Schoolly D. (Coqui 900 [??]).
2) (n) A kind of frog native to Puerto Rico.
county blues
(n) Prison-issue clothes.
CPT
1) (n) Compton in the phonebook. Call it CPT for ease of use. "Claimin' they are from the CPT" -- N.W.A.
(Compton's in the house [1990])
2) (n) Short for "Colored People Time"; being late.
3) (n) Phonebook abbreviation for Compton.
4) (n) Colored People's Time.
crab
(n) Derogatory name for a member of the Crips, an L.A. gang, used by members of the Bloods, another
L.A. gang. On the album "Damu ridas" there is a song called "Fucc Crabz".
crack
(n) Synthetic drug, extremely addictive.
crack a brew
(v) Open a beer. "Crack another 40, smoke some kill" -- Schoolly D. (Smoke some kill)
cracker
(n) Originally a term from Reconstruction time (1870) to mean southern men. Now it means white bigot,
from whip-cracker or slavedriver. "Got a little problem with the redneck cracker" -- Ice Cube (The
Predator).
crazy
1) (adj) Besides meaning insane or extremely daring, it is kind of synonymous with mad.
2) (adj) Extremely or very. "Crazy fly bitches" -- Ice-T (???).
cream
(n) Money. From: Cash Rules Everything Around Me, by the Wu-Tang Clan.
creep
1) (v) To sneak up on someone.
2) (v) To be unfaithful in a relationship.
Crenshaw
(n) Los Angeles street. Know for it's sunday nights, where people go to floss phat cars, get their mack
on, chill, etc.
crew
(n) Group, band.
crib
(n) Home. "Black Ceasar at the crib" -- Public Enemy (Burn Hollywood Burn [1990])
crip
(n) Member of the Crips gang.
Cronkite
(n) News, after the newsreader Walter Cronkite. "Grand Puba and Studd Doogie droppin' Cronkite" -Grand Puba (A little of this).
Crooklyn
(n) See Brooklyn.
cross fader
(n) Fading switch to select the left or right turntable. Without it, scratching wouldn't sound too good.
cruise
(v) Driving around, preferably showing off your car.
crump
(adj) Hype, phat.
crunk
(adj) Hype, phat. "Tonight is going to be crunk" -- ??.
cut
1) (n) A record, the latest hit
2) (n) A recently received haircut.
3) (v) Cutting wax: scratching a record. "Rip the cut!" -- Just Ice (Back to the old school) [198?]
4) (n) Behind, or out of the way. "I glance in the cut and I see my homey Nate" -- Warren G (Regulate
[1994]).
cut up
(n) Vagina. "I gots to get me some cut up!" -- Kriss Kross (??? [??]).
cuz
1) (n) homeboy or homegirl.
2) (n) Cousin, apparently a Crip term.
[cold] hoopin' it
(v) Playing a game of basketball.
D
D's, Dayton's
(n) An expensive brand of alloy wheels. "Rollin' in my fo' on D's, hittin' the switches" Dr. Dre (Let me ride
[1992]).
D-Town, The D
(n) Detroit, with its own sound, D-Funk.
D.O.A.
(n) Police term: "dead on arrival".
dank
(n) See marijuana. "Go on and hit the dank" -- Too Short.
dap
1) (n) Sort of high-five type of handshake. "Gimme a dap, I'll give you one back" -- Ice T. (Ziplock [1991])
2) (n) Dignity and Pride, old slang (think 70's here).
dead presidents
(n) Money. Most American dollarbills have a former president of the United States on them. "I'm out for
dead presidents to represent me" -- NAS (The world is yours [1994]).
deal with
(v) To take care of business.
deep
1) (n) A unit of measure. "It was a crew four deep" -- D-Nice (??).
2) (n) A hip hop clothing manufacturer (X-Large).
3) (adj) Heavy in the hippy sense of the word.
def
1) (adj) Really good, the bomb. The word has been officially buried by BET. "But you still think our music
is def, right?" -- De La Soul (Brain washed follower [??]).
2) (adj) the standard of excellence.
3) (adj) Some more info on def: comes from the expression "Death O.J." but I think first used on record in
"Rapper's Delight". As Nelson George defines it:"In "Rapper's Delight" the term "Death OJ" is used. In
current slang "death" means something good, while "OJ" is a reference to a big car: Erstwhile football
star and all-around adman O.J. Simpson does Hertz commercials featuring Ford and Lincoln Mercury
cars. If we add "death" to Ford and Lincoln Mercury cars (leaving out any disrespectful reference to
Pintos), we come up with the "Rapper's Delight" character driving off in a Lincoln Continental." From
_Buppies, B-Boys, Baps & Bohos: Notes on Post-Soul Black Culture_ by Nelson George.
Def Jam
1) (n) A great record.
2) (n) One of the first big labels for rap artists, founded by Rick Rubin, led by Russels Simmons.
delf
(n) "Delf" was quoted for the first time by Parrish Smith when EPMD's last album was released in 1992. It
was in a Source interview and it's about the same as "self" like going for delf (self). "Release yo delf" -Da Method Man (Release yo delf [1994]).
deuce
1) (n) A "deuce deuce" is a .22 caliber handgun. "About to get loose with the deuce deuce" -- Ice Cube
(Gangsta fairytale II [1993]).
2) (n) 20 ounce of liquor.
devil
(n) an enemy, usually white people. "The devil made me do it" -- Paris (the devil made me do it) [??].
dick
(n) penis. "Mister Big Dick, who do you think you are?" -- Schoolly D. (Mr. Big Dick).
dig
1) (v) To understand; "can you dig it?"
2) (v) To like.
dig out
(v) To have sexual intercourse. "By 2 am. I was diggin' her out" -- Ice Cube (Ghetto bird [1993]).
Dillon
(n) Pistol. "Made a move for my Dillon; and all I remember the Gangsta Lean was killin'" -- ?? (??? [??]).
dime
1) (n) Ten dolar bag of marijuana. Due to price variations the price may actually be higher for the same
bag.
2) (n) "To drop a dime", to fink. The term has probably descended from the time when phone calls were
10 cents, and is related to the notion of moving gossip quickly, as one would drop a dime into the phone
to make a call.
3) (n) Ten as in a rating on a woman's beauty. "Slaying dime honeys".
dip
1) (v) Dipping is what a car with a hydraulic suspension does. "Set trippin', fo' dippin'" -- Ice Cube (Friday
[1995]).
2) (v) To pay more attention to other people's business than to one's own.
3) (v) To leave, "Yo, let's dip to the mall".
4) (adj) Dressed in the latest fashion, "looking fresh dipped".
dis
(v) Insult or thwart in a social manner, short for disrespect. "Challenge BDP, you'll get dissed, expect it" - Boogie Down Productions (Part time sucker [1988]).
DJ
(n) Disc Jockey, means MC in Jamaica. "My DJ Derek B is best" -- Derek B. (Get down [??]).
DL
(n) See down low.
do
1) (n) Hairdo.
2) (v) Having sex.
3) (v) Killing someone.
dog
1) (v) To tear something up like a dog would do.
2) (v) To insult someone in front of his friends.
3) (v) To have sex the doggy way. "You don't love me, you just love my doggy style" -- Snoop Doggy
Dog (What's My Name [??]).
4) (n) a form of addressing: "Whatup dog?", not meant to be offensive
5) (n) a friend, "That's my Dog". Road ~: West Coast gangsta for friend.
doing a buck 50
(v) To speed or get out of a bad situation. Derived from a "buck", or dollar. A buck fifty would then be
1.50, referring to doing 150 miles per hour.
dolo
(n) Like delf/self, dolo/solo. I go for dolo -- ??? (?? [??]).
dome
(n) A person's big head, skull, gun against your head.
dope
1) (n) Narcotics.
2) (adj) Great, addictive.
dopeman
(n) Seller of narcotics. "If you see somebody getting pussy for crack, he's the dopeman, dopeman" -N.W.A. (Tha Dopeman [1988])
Double 99
(n) The street East 99th and St. Clair in Cleveland. Home of the group Bone Thugs'n Harmony.
double deuce juice
1) (n) 22 oz of cold 45 ml beer.
2) (n) Colt 45 (the Billy D. juice).
dough
(n) Money. "Don't you know when the dough get low, the juice go" -- Mobb Deep (Survival of the fittest
[??]).
down low
(n) Covert, secret, "hush hush", derived from low profile".
down with
(adv) To be down with: to be sympathetic to something, or to be friends with someone.
DPG
(n) Dogg pound gangsta.
drawers
(n) Pants, underpants.
drawin'
(adj) Sometimes pronounced "drawlin'", Philly slang meaning that one is acting in such a way as to draw
attention to oneself in public, usually in an embarrassing manner.
drive-by
(n) A gang form of execution; armed with guns they drive by their victims, take a shot at them, and drive
off. "With your drive-by's it took time to getcha, but now I'm gonna wetcha" -- Ice Cube (I'm gonna
wetcha [1993])
drop science, drop knowledge
(v) To demonstrate wisdom or skill. "I'm droppin' science" -- 7a3 (Coolin' in Cali) [1988]
Dropping a Dime
(v) Informing.
DSL
(n) Dick sucking lips; oral sex.
dubs
(n) Car wheel rims. "can I get a WOOP WOOP to these niggaz from all my bitches who don't got love for
niggaz without doves" -- Jay Z (Can I get a...[????])
duckets
(n) Money, from "ducats": coins. He's gettin' juiced for his duckets" -- N.W.A. (I ain't the one [1988]).
dukey rope
(n) Fat gold chain.
dumm
(v) To act stupid, from the english "dumb". "Ya dummin'" -- Funkdoobiest (You're dummin').
dun
1) (n) Used like the word son. "What up, dun?" -- Nas (Represent [1994]).
2) (adj) Very dark, used in a negative setting as in dark and ugly. "They always let the motherfucking dun
nigger hold the cash." -- Lil Kim (Queen Bitch [????]).
dusting
(v) To use PCP, a strong hallucinogen that reportedly makes one almost inhumanly strong, also known
as "Angel Dust". "Like the Hudson on PCP, when I'm dustin'" -- Wu-Tang Clan (Proteck ya neck [1993]).
Dutch Master
(n) Dutch Master is a brand of cigars. When rolling a serious blunt, the tobacco is removed from a cigar
and replaced with marijuana. "Slit a nigga back like a Dutchmasta killa" -- Wu-Tang Clan (???).
E
E.Z. Wides
(n) Extra wide rolling paper for marijuana cigarettes. "Don't hide the crop cause I got the E.Z. Wides"
East Boogie
(n) A predominately Black city called East St. Louis. Home of Miles Davis.
East Saint
(n) See East Boogie.
El
(n) Short for El Producto cigars. "I contact eleven El's and macs in heaven" -- Nas (One time 4 your mind
[1994]).
elbow
(n) A pound of marijuana.
Elijah Muhammad
(n) Elijah Poole, a Georgia-born ex-factory worker who founded the black muslim movement Nation of
Islam in Detroit in 1930, also known as Honorable Elijah Muhammad. "Read the book how to eat to live,
from Elijah Muhammad, it's a brown paperback" -- Boogie Down Productions (Beef [1990])
Elm City, The L
(n) New haven, Connecticut.
ends
(n) Money, derived from making ends.
ese
(n) Spanish word meaning "that" or "that one", used for homeboy. Incidentally, in the 70's in California,
certain application forms had the choices "black", "white", "SA" and "other" for ethnicity, where "SA"
stood for "Spanish-American".
F
fade
1) (n) The hairdo (see high top fade).
2) (v) Means to not listen to, erase, or get rid of (kill). Has mutated into various other meanings as well as
has most other hiphop lingo. It (the phrase) started from actually pulling down the fader on a mixer,
which of course, results in not listening to whomever was on at the time. So Ice Cube wants you to listen
to him always and not fade him or turn him off... "You can't fade me" -- Ice Cube (You can't fade me).
3) (n) Term from from the dice-game craps, related to losing. The player rolling the dice must have
someone to fade them (i.e. to put up money against the money they are gambling). If you are faded, you
have lost.
fag
(n) Homosexual man, short for faggot. "...and I thought it was a gag, when I thought it was a girl, it was
nothing but a fag" -- Schoolly D. (Saturday night).
fag hag
(n) Woman who only seeks homosexual people for friends. "...who used to be a fag hag" -- Grandmaster
Flash (The Message [??]).
fake jacks
(v) To front, to fake moves. "Cuz the brothers that fake jacks get laid on they backs" -- Mobb Deep (???
[??]).
Farmers Boulevard
(n) Street in the New York City borough of Queens. Home of L.L. Cool J. "Farmers Boulevard, that's
where the crib's at, that's where me and E. hang out." -- L.L. Cool J. (???)
federal
1) (adj) Refering to the federal government. "The reasons are several, most of the federal" -- Public
Enemy (Black steel in the hour of chaos [1988]).
2) (adj) Something of exceptional quality or of an extreme nature. Used throughout E-40 tapes, probably
Bay Area in origin.
3) (adj) Going federal: rising up in the game.
Felt Forum
(n) New York boxing arena, many prominent New York City boxers have boxed there.
fiend
(v) To be hostile to. 2) (v) To need something badly, most often drugs. But you can also be a fiend for a
dope beat.
figga
(n) Figure.
Fillmore
(n) San Francisco district.
finger on the trigger
1) (n) Someone with the ~: someone prepared to shoot if necessary. "I got my hand in my pocket and my
finger's on the trigger" -- Beastie Boys (Posse in effect [1986]).
2) (n) In a state of readiness, prepared.
3) (n) In a position of power or authority.
fix
(n) Heroin.
flamboasting
(v) To show off in a manner of actually flashing material items in the faces of other individuals.
flava
1) (n) Flavour
2) (n) Flavor Flav, Chuck D's right hand man in Public Enemy.
Flavavision
(n) The glasses of PE's Flavor. "Don't worry, Flavavision ain't blurry" -- Public Enemy (Don't believe the
hype).
flay
(v) "Flay on the mix", serious old school mixing and scratching.
flex
1) (v) To show one's mettle, flexing one's muscles, showing one's arsenal and readiness to put it to use,
letting one's pugilistic prowess be known. To strike someone, or to get up in someones face for
intimidation. "I use my nine when suckas start to flex" -- Ice Cube (Man's best friend [1991]).
2) (v) Scratching, from flexing of the wrist. Rakim used to talk about Eric B being on the flex.
3) (v) To have sexual intercourse.
floss
1) (v) Move in and out of something. "Floss the NSX" -- DJ Quick (Dollars and sense).
2) (v) To show off.
flow
1) (n) Money.
2) (v) To rhyme continuously in the same rhyme scheme without stopping.
fly
(adj) Attractive, beautiful. "Put on the Bally shoes and the fly green socks" -- Slick Rick and Doug E.
Fresh (Ladidadi).
Forty Deuce
(n) 42nd street, Manhattan, the Times Square area.
forty dog
(n) 40 ounce bottle of Olde English 800 malt liquor. "Forty dog, one love" -- Nas (One love [1994]).
four
(n) See '64.
freak
1) (v) Dance in a provocative way.
2) (v) Have sex.
3) (n) Person who practices the above things; sexually aggressive female (never missing a beat).
4) (v) To take out the filter paper from a Black & Mild pipe-tobacco cigar. "I'm going to freak this Mild"
free world
(n) Free from incarceration; the world outside of prison. "I really miss my free world" -- Convicts (???
[1991]).
freestyle
(v) Freestyling is when an MC flows with lyrics right of the top of his or her head. It is inpromptu and
spontaneous and only the most creative rhymers can do it well. It is also a kind of competition between
MC's because you have to be good to bust a good freestyle. It helps to keep MCs on their toes too,
because its is like practice. "We gonna do a little freestyle for y'all, and it go like this" -- Schoolly D.
(Cuttin' and scratchin' [??]).
fresh
1) (adj) New
2) (adj) Very good.
Frisco
(n) San Francisco. Home of JT the bigga figga.
front
(v) Pretend to be that which you are not; act tough. "You can't front on that" -- Beastie Boys (So what'cha
want [1992]).
fu-shnicken
(n) A variety of fried chicken often cooked op in and around the area of Jackson Mississippi. Also known
as "Rico".
fuck
(n) (n,v) This is the most powerful word in the American English language. It can be the very best or the
very worst. You might enjoy getting your brains fucked out, but then again you might not.
funk
1) (adj) Malodorous.
2) (n) The essence of being, as in faking the funk.
funky drummer
(n) Famous drumtrack by Clyde Stubblefield, James Brown's drummer. Often used in hiphop.
furilla
(adj) Contraction of the phrase "for real"; something known to be true. "On the furilla, my nigga, just call
me Scarface" -- Geto Boys (Scarface [1989]).
G
G
1) (n) Anything that starts with a G. E.g. God, Gangsta, Girl, Guy. As in "Whatup, G?".
2) (v) To have sexual intercourse. E.g. Sir Mix-a-Lot's self titled EP has a song called "Let's G".
3) (n) Money, from Grands or thousands, for example a hundred G's equals $100,000. "I clock G's while
you clock Z's" - EPMD (??? [??]).
G'd up
(adv) Dressed to kill, like a bawla.
G-funk
(n) Gangsta funk. Examples: Snoop Doggy Dogg, Warren G & Nate Dog.
gaffle
(n) To harass. Especially being "gaffled" by the police.
gaffled
(adj) Past tense of "to gaffle". The state of being messed up; a misfortunate condition.
game
1) (v) Wooing. "Cause I'm gamin' on a female that's gamin' on me" -- N.W.A. (I ain't the one [1988]).
2) (v) In the game, whatever the game might be. A game is some way to make money or advance
oneself, or just a game.
3) (adv) To be game, do be down with.
gang
(n) Group of organised criminals. The main gangs in Northern California are (in random order): 1. Bloods
2. Norte 3. Surenos 4. Crips
gangbang
1) (v) To commit crimes in a gang.
2) (v) To to have sex in groups.
gangsta
1) (n) A gangster or criminal.
2) (adj) In the way of a gangster.
3) (adj) A style of rap that evolved in South Central, Los Angeles.
gangsta lean
1) (n) The way a person drives where they lean over to the passenger seat and get really low. "Digging
the scene with a gangsta lean" -- N.W.A. (Gangsta, gangsta [1988]).
2) (n) The heaven where gangsters end up, when a homie dies, you pour out a little liquor or lean the
bottle over to spill liquor. "This is for my homies kickin' it in the Gangsta Lean" -- DRS (Gangsta Lean
[1992]).
ganja
(n) See marijuana. "Ganja business controls America" -- Boogie Down Productions (Illegal Business
[??]).
gank
(v) Same as skank, ie. to hurt, steal from, or diss in some way. "I guess that's what I get, for trying to
gank the little homies for their grip" -- Dr. Dre (Lil' ghetto boy [1992]).
gasface
1) (n) To show someone a sign of disrespect.
2) (n) Make stupid face towards someone you don't like. "The same people that got gasfaced last year" - 3rd Bass (No master plan, no master race [1991])
gatt
1) (n) Refers to any gun. It originates from Gattling, the name of the man who invented the machine gun
(the Gattling gun). 2)
2) (n) Hip-Hop Clothing Co.
gauge
(n) A shotgun. "Hopped in his caddy, loaded his 12 gauge" -- Schoolly D (Signifying rapper [??]).
George Clinton
(n) One of the most sampled men alive, creator of the P-Funk.
get burned
(v) To catch a sexually transmitted disease. Specifically refers to the burning sensation caused by
gonorrhoea when urinating. "Stay in the microwave too long you'll get burned" -- Kool Moe Dee (Go see
the doctor [??]).
get busy
1) (v) Have sex.
2) (v) eat "Ya mama is so big and fat that she can get busy with 22 burritoes, but times are rough, I seen
her in the back'a taco bell with handcuffs" -- Pharcyde (Ya Mama)
get/give head/skull
(v) Receive/give fellatio.
get/give props
(v) See props.
ghetto bird
(n) Police helicopter. "Motherfuck you and your punk ass ghetto bird." -- Ice Cube (Ghetto Bird [1993]).
ghetto sled
(n) car, usually American made, that generally sports a rusted body covered with house paint. Synonym
of hooptie.
ghost
(n) Out of here: "I'm ghost".
Glock
(n) Austrian manufacturer of handguns. People usually mean the 9mm glock, which can hold up to 20
rounds, plus one in the chamber. With an extended clip they can hold up to 33 rounds. Most of the Glock
is made of steel, but it is wrapped in a plastic cover, giving the gun a futuristic feel to it.
Gore-tex
(n) Material made into jackets and other clothing. Also made into high durability boots. "Bow to the group
in the boots" -- Sir Mix-a-lot (Gortex [1989]).
government cheese
(n) On welfare.
grill
1) (n) "Guard your grill": protect yourself, grill" stands for your teeth, protect your face from getting
punched. "I got the skill, I'll bust ya in the grill" -- House of Pain (Shamrocks and Shenanigans [??]).
2) (n) Front of a car.
grip
1) (n) Ability on the microphone.
2) (n) Gun.
3) (n) Money. "I guess that's what I get, for trying to gank the little homies for their grip" -- Dr. Dre (Lil'
ghetto boy [??]).
GT
(n) Ford Mustang GT, also known as the "five-point-oh" for it's 5.0L V-8.
GTA
(n) Grand theft auto, legalese for stealing a car. "It's all about makin' that GTA" -- Eazy-E (Boyz in the
hood [1989]).
H
H-Town
(n) Houston, home of The 5th Ward.
hard
1) (adv) Tough. "Cause I'm too hard to lift" -- Dr. Dre (Let me ride [??]).
2) (adv) Erected. "Ya dicks on hard" -- Dr. Dre (In your own dogs [??]).
hardcore
(adj) True to what you claim.
hawk
1) (v) To look at something.
2) (v) To stare down someone.
3) (n) The wind, especially when it is blowing hard.
head
(n) Someone who earned respect.
hella
(adv) A hell of a lot. "I got hella scrilla" -- ??? (??? [??]).
Hennessey
(n) Brand of Cognac. "Take this Hennessey!" NAS -- (The Genesis [1994]).
herbalz
1) (n) Marijuana, comes from herbs. "Herbalz in my mouth" -- 3rd Bass (Herbalz in my mouth [1991]).
2) (n) Semen (mentioned in an interview once by 3rd Bass).
high top fade
(n) Haircut high on the top, fading down to close cut on the sides "Livin' in fear of my shade or my high
top fade" -- Public Enemy (??? [??]).
high-five
(n) Greeting where you slap hands together in the air, as opposed to low-five, where you slap hands at
waist height.
highside
(v) To ignore or disrespect someone by not acknowledging their presence. "Bitches get mad cause we
highside" -- Big Mike (Smoke 'em and & choke 'em [??]).
hip-hop
(n) In Jamaican ska era, 60's, a DJ would spin and cut the wax and a MC would sing or shout or dub
poetry over it. That's the roots of hiphop which were brought to New York City by Kool DJ Herc, but hiphop or rap was created in New York City.
ho
1) (n) Hooker, prostitute, from the Southern pronounciation of the word whore. "She ain't nothing but
another ho, according to the system" -- KRS-One (Exhibit D. [1990]).
2) (v) To sell out.
ho cake
(n) Vagina.
hold the fort down
(v) To represent where you are from. "If so hold the fort down and represent to the fullest" -- Nas (One
Love [1994]).
hole
1) (n) Vagina.
2) (n) Gun chamber. "16 in the clip and one in the hole" -- Nate Dogg (Regulate [??]).
holler
(v) To shout.
holly
(n) See ho.
homeboy
(n) Close friend.
homegirl
(n) Female equivalent of homeboy. "Homegirls, see a guy you like? Just grab him in the biscuits... and
doowutchalike" -- Digital Underground (Doowutchalike [??]).
homeskillet
(n) A close relative or friend. "My homeskillet gets me the goods whenever I want" -- ?? (?? [??]).
homey
(n) See homeboy. "But I wish he could have said it to my dead homey" -- Ice Cube (Dead Homiez
[1990]).
honey
(n) Female, generally attractive.
Honey Dip
(n) pretty young ladies with golden brown complexions.
hood
(n) The neighbourhood, usually a poor community.
hoodie
(n) T-shirt or sweatshirt with hood attached to it.
hoodlum
(n) A criminal; drugdealer, car thief, stick up kid. "Hoodlums and hustlers and bangers with Jheri-curls" -Ice T. (Lifestyles of the rich and infamous [1991])
hoodrat
(n) female, generally sexually promiscuous, and not upwardly mobile "Homies in the hood labeled her as
a hoodrat" -- Domino (Ghetto jam [1993])
hook
(n) A hook, used in load of songs, is an aspect of popular or commercial music that "grabs" people and
makes it easy to like like or remember the song. For example, the riff from "Son of a Preacher Man" used
in Cypress Hill's "Hits from the Bong" [1993] is an example of a hook. "Check out the hook while I drop
crazy rhymes" -- ??? (???).
hooptie
(n) Old car in bad shape.
hooptie ride
(n) To do a driveby murder.
hoota
(n) Blunt. "It's a hoota of the Buddah blessed"
hop on the side
(v) To get on the passenger side of a car.
hops
(n) Vertical jump, usually related to basketball. "He's got mad hops" -- ??? (??? [??]).
hottie
(n) A very attractive female. "This hottie got a body and I wanna get naughty" -- Sir Mixalot (Sprung on
the Cat [1992]).
housenigger
(n) Person who blindly follows simple-minded people, the term was used by Malcolm X. In slavery days,
you had house slaves and field slaves. The house slaves were "well behaved" and were "rewarded" by
being allowed to work in the "big house" close to the master. The field slaves were "rough" and only
suited for field work. Thus the people were divided and pitted against themselves, instead of the
common enemy.
HP
(n) Hunter's Point, a San Francisco district.
Huey P. Newton
(n) Founder of the Black Panther movement along with H. R. Brown and Bobby Seale. Mentioned in a
few PE songs.
humming
(v) Coming at someone.
hydro
(n) Hydroponic marijuana, which is due to an agricultural technique of cultivation in the production of
cannabis, a more potent product. "Hydro, me just can't let me, high go " - Bone Thugs 'n Harmony
(Buddah lovas [1995]).
hype
1) (n) Statements made about something before that thing comes out, especially wild statements
guessing about the things nature (whether positive or negative). For example, record companies will
often put many advertisements out before a record comes out. Before Public Enemy's album came out
there was much negative hype in the media. "Yo Harry! You're a writer; are we that type? Don't believe
the hype..." -- Public Enemy (Don't believe the hype).
2) (adj) Cool. "Too damn hype" -- Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince (??? [1988]).
I
IBWC
(n) The Intelligent Black Womens Coalition, a group that Yo-Yo is a member of.
ice
1) (n) Diamonds or jewelry with diamonds in it. "Hands smothered in ice." -- Ice-T (Bitches 2 [1991]).
2) (n) On ice - at the morgue.
3) (n) Ice or ice cream: drugs, or cocaine in particular.
ill
1) (v) To be obnoxious, or to act weird, as in eating dogfood. "You be illin'" -- RUN-DMC (You be illin'
[1986]).
2) (adj) Negative.
3) (adj) Positive. "Most illinest b-boys" -- Beastie Boys (Rhymin' and stealing [??]).
Illtown
(n) East-orange, NJ. Home of Naughty By Nature, Queen Latifah.
Impala
(n) Type of popular low-cost car made by Chevrolet in the seventies. The car is popular with low riders,
especially the 1964 model. '63, '62 and '65 models are also sometimes used. Ice Cube's car in "Boyz 'n
the hood" was an Impala. "Knew her from the back of my homeys Impala" -- Ice Cube (You can't fade
me [1990]).
in check
1) (n) Under control by someone else. Probably from a game of chess.
2) (adv) Under control, due to skills. "I got you all in check" -- Busta Rhymes (Woo Hah! [1996]).
in foe deep
(n) A term used to refer to a car that contains four people at once. "In foe deep we creep" -- RBL Posse
(Don't give me no bammer [??]).
in the house
(n) Present, here. "Compton's in tha house" -- N.W.A. (Compton's in tha house [1990])
in [full] effect
(adv) Present and taking place.
Indo
(n) Marijuana from Indonesia. "Indo smoke up in your lungs like that" -- Dr. Dre (Rat-tat-tat-tat [1992]).
J
jack
1) (v) To rob someone face to face. "Lets see who the fuck I'ma jack today" -- Ice Cube (Robin hood
[??]).
2) (n) Nothing, "I ain't got jack to give you".
jack roll
(v) To rob the helpless.
jacker
(n) Short for carjacker.
jailbait
(n) Anybody who is at least five years younger than you are. The word is from old taxi drivers who date
young high school girls and when high school guys go out with junior high school students.
Jakes
(n) The police.
jam
1) (n) song, cut, track. "This is the dope Jam!" -- Public Enemy (Night the living baseheads [1989]).
2) (n) The sweet stuff - like honey.
3) (n) Slam dunk in basketball.
4) (n) To lock up, like when a bullet gets caught up in the chamber of a gun the gun jams.
James Brown
(n) One of the funkiest and most sampled men alive.
jammy
1) (n) Penis. "All the fly ladies are on my jammy" -- Beastie Boys (The new style [1986]).
2) (n) Gun. "Pulled out the jammy aimed it at the sky" -- Beastie Boys (Paul Revere [1986]).
janky
1) (adj) Bad, flawed (northern California)
2) (adj) Good, smooth (souther California). "Dub C, nigga, still janky as fuck!" -- W.C. and the Maad
Circle (Intro [1995]).
jawn
1) (n) Another word for joint, a marijuana cigarette. "Back in Philly, they call me da jawn" -- Bahamadia
(Total Wreck [??]).
2) (n) Any type of thing, as in "Yo, check this jawn out".
jenny
(n) Vagina.
jet
(v) To leave in a hurry.
Jheri-curls
(n) Wetlook, curly hairstyle. "Hoodlums and hustlers and bangers with Jheri-curls" -- Ice T. (Lifestyles of
the rich and infamous [1991])
jiggy
(n) To have a lot of money or riches. "DKNY, oh my I'm jiggy" -- Junior M.A.F.I.A. (Player's Anthem
[1995]).
jimbrowsky
(n) See Jimmy.
Jimmy
(n) Penis. "Never sleep alone because Jimmy is a magnet" -- Beastie Boys (3 Minute rule [1989]).
Jimmy hat/cap
(n) Condom.
jock
1) (n) Crotch. Being on someone's jock means trying to get involved with someone for his money or his
status etc. The best definition can be found on Ice Cube's "Kill at will" in the full version of the song "Get
off my dick and tell yo bitch to come here".
2) (v) To sweat someone.
jone
(v) To taunt or to make fun, see snap.
Jones
(n) A craving for something. It is said to come from Jones Alley in Manhattan where junkies used to live.
E.g.: "Baseball Jones": needing baseball, "love Jones": a dire craving for someone, "Jonesing for some
MJ": wanting some marijuana. I got a love Jones for your body and skin tone" -- Method Man & Mary J.
Blidge (You are all I need [1994]).
JPT
(n) Japanese People Time; being early or on time.
juice
1) (n) Having hydraulics.
2) (v) To squeeze the juice out of something. "You can't juice Ice Cube, girl" -- N.W.A. (I ain't the one
[1988]).
3) (n) "To have juice means you kiss and lick a lot of booty" -- KRS-One (Blackman in effect [1990]).
4) (n) Respect, e.g. the movie "Juice".
5) (n) Alcohol, as in "being juiced up" or get juice for the party".
6) (n) Willpower.
K
Kakalaka
(n) North Carolina "New York, North Kakalaka and Compton." -- A Tribe Called Quest (Scenario [??]).
kangol
(n) A brand of hat. LL Cool J used to wear this along with other east coast rappers. It has a kangaroo on
the side, but brothers wore them with the 'roo in front. "Went back in, I forgot my Kangol" -- Slick Rick
and Doug E. Fresh (Ladidadi).
Kani
(n) Short for "Karl Kani," which is a clothes label popular in the hood.
KDAY
(n) Radio station that broadcasted from Crenshaw in South Central LA, and was devoted to local
underground Hip Hop. The musical director of KDAY was Greg Mack, and he single handedly turned
NWA from an unknown group to superstars. It signed Dr. Dre and DJ Yella in 1983 to broadcast their
own Mix Show, as the Wreckin' Crew. "It (KDAY) was percieved as a Rap station cause we played rap
no one else would" (Greg Mack, as interviewed by Brian Cross in the book "It's not about a salarie").
KDAY was sold in 1990, and was turned into a business network. The defunct radio station symbolizes
to a lot of rappers coming out of LA area the shutting down of black voice in America. "This is K-Eazy E,
wassup y'all this is Greg Mack, Mack Attack" -- Eazy-E (Radio [1988]).
key
(n) Kilo, often used in conjuction with cocaine. "Dope, like a pound or a key" -- N.W.A. (Tell 'em what
your name is [1988]).
khakis
(n) Hip-hop clothing, brown/tan colored pants. "Wearin ghackis, mob while ya ryhme, little fag tried to
sag" -- Eazy-E (Real Motherphuckkin' G's [1993]).
kicks
(n) See sneakers.
kill
1) (n) See marijuana. "Crack another 40, smoke some kill" -- Schoolly D. (Smoke some kill).
2) (n) To be dope on the microphone.
knocka
(n) A pest. "Leave Flavor Flav alone, knocka" -- Public Enemy (Cold lampin' with Flavor [1988]).
knocking boots
(v) To have sexual intercourse. The knock refers to the man's hips hitting the woman's ass, which
produces a slapping sound. The motion litterally knocks her boots (buttocks). "Bring your friend, I likes
you two's I'll knock the boots, the sneakers and the house shoes." -- Digital Underground (Flowing on the
D-line [??]).
knuckle up
(v) Prepare to fight, by closing and raising ones fists.
[kitty] cat
(n) Vagina.
L
'lac
(n) Short for Cadillac. "Macks drive 'lacs" -- Big Mello [1993].
L-train
1) (n) The late train. "I'm on the L train going insane" -- The Roots (Silent treatment).
2) (n) Elevated trains in Chicago or NYC.
LA
(n) Los Angeles. In particular the phrase "LA 1992" indicates the riots that broke out after the Rodney
King trial.
Laketown
(n) Salt Lake City, Utah.
lamp
1) (v) To hang out next to a streetlamp. "I'm on the street, cold lampin'" -- Public Enemy (Cold lampin'
with Flavor).
2) (v) To relax while others panic.
Land of Dope
(n) Oakland.
Land of the Heartless
(n) Cleveland, Ohio.
lay pipe
(v) Having sexual intercourse. "Cause a nigga like me'll lay plenty of pipe" -- Ice Cube (I'm only out for
one thang).
LBC
(n) Phonebook abbreviation for Long Beach city, California. Home of 21 & Lewis. "With so much drama
in the LBC" -- Snoop Doggy Dogg (Gin and Juice).
leather Tuscadero
(n) Female equivalent of The Fonz that appeared on Happy Days. "Now he's zipped up like leather
Tuscadero" -- Ice Cube (We had to tear this motherfucker up [1992]).
leg pull
(n) From: to pull someones leg, to make a joke. No leg pulls means no jokes; speak the truth. "No leg
pulls kid".
Lexus
(n) Japanese luxury car. "Drivin' a Lexus with a death wish" -- Nas (Watch them niggas [1996]).
lime
1) (v) Hanging around with friends of family.
2) (n) A casual gathering of friends and family. "This lime has no juice", this gathering is dull.
lina
(n) A line of cocaine. From the spanish "una lina" which translates to one line.
live
(adv) Great. "Is it live?" -- L.L. Cool J (Is it live? [??]).
llello
(n) Cocaine, crack; it is a Spanish word, and the double l's are pronounced as "y"'s. Used in the movie
"Scarface" [1983]. The bitch came back with a bag of llello" -- Ice Cube (Once upon a time in the projects
[1991]).
loc
1) (n) Term used for local person.
2) (n) Crazy one, from the Spanish "loco", often used for friends or locals in a positive way. "Don't you
know I'm loco?" -- Cypress (Insane in the brain [1993]) Hill (Insane in the brain [1993])
3) (n) Lock or locks, as in Jheri-curls, but always pronounced with the long o as in "go".
4) (v) To "go loc" means to get ready for a drive-by or to shoot someone. This means putting on dark
glasses, skullies, caps and generally getting hard to identify.
5) (n) To get high. "We was in the park gettin' loc-ed" -- ???
lock
(n) Short for dredlocks.
Long Beach
(n) City south of Compton. "Rollin' from the East Side south of Compton, see a big ass, and I say 'word',
took a look at the face, and the bitch was to the curb!" -- N.W.A. (8 ball (remix) [1988])
Louies
(n) Louis Vuitton gear.
low low
(n) Lowrider car with adjusted suspension. "Hitting them corners in them low low', girl" - Dr. Dre (Still Dre
[????])
lowriding
(v) Adjusting the suspension of a car to get it closer to the ground. Since it is illegal to drive that way,
people have hydraulic systems to adjust the height of the car while driving, making it bounce.
LP
1) (n) Long Play, a nine or ten song regular tape.
2) (n) A vinyl record.
lunch
(v) To act stupid or crazy.
M
M3
(n) See beamer. M3 is a special edition model from the BMW 3-series range. "purple M3s and jet skis" -Nas (If I Ruled the World [1996]).
Mac 10
(n) The Ingram Mac-10 30 to 36-shot submachine pistol firing standard 9mm caliber (.38 in) bullets. The
American version of the Israeli Uzi. Most "Tens" are actually smuggled Czech M-61s. "The Mac 10 is in
the grass and I run like a cheetah with thoughts of an assassin" -- Nas (??? [1994]).
mack
1) (n) Pimp.
2) (v) Being a pimp. "Mackin' is a game and everybody's playing it" -- Ice Cube (Who's the mack [1991])
3) (n) The Mack, an early 70's Blacksploitation film shot in Oakland, CA.
4) (n) Ladies Man "I love the ladies and they love me right back, now who's the Mack" -- Ice T. (??? [??]).
5) (v) To steal.
6) (v) To have sex. "You know, I was all getting my macks on with her"
mad
(adj) Extremely, very, a large quantity. "His jeep was pumpin' mad bass" -- ??? (???).
madhatter
(n) Someone who sells drugs.
mag
1) (n) Short for magazine, as in clip or ammo insert.
2) (n) Short for Magnum.
mail
(n) Money. Mo' mail than the rest of the pushers -- E-40 (??? [??]).
making ends
1) (v) Dominoes term, you win when you make ends. "So make all the ends you can make, cuz when
you're broke you break" -- Dr. Dre (Lil' ghetto boy [1992])
2) (n) To make money. Think of the phrase "The ends justify the means". The ends may be taken to
mean money.
Malcolm [Malcolm X]
(n) Malcolm X, civil rights activist leader, gunned down at the age of 35 at the Audubon Ballroom on the
north edge of Harlem in New York in 1965 as he spoke to hundreds of followers. He represented the
largely urban North. Member of Nation of Islam until 1964. Wrote many texts, interviews, notes and
speeches from 1950-1963, of which some can be considered racist. Renounced these points of view in
his last year.
marijuana
(n) Dried leaves and flowering tops of the pistillate hemp plant that are smoked in cigarettes for their
intoxicating effect. Other reported words for it are: bammer, bionic, bomb, brown, bud, buddha, cannabis,
cheeba, chronic, dank, doubage, ganja, grass, green, groove weed, hash, herb, home-grown, ill, Indo,
iszm, Lebanon, Mary Jane (mj), maui wowy, method, pot, sess, shake, shit, skunk, stress, tabacci, Thai,
wacky and weed.
marinate
(v) To chill, hang out.
mark
1) (n) A sucker, a target for gaffling and crime. "You mark-ass busta, you betta raise up" -- Dr Dre (Dre
[??].)
2) (n) Someone who is claiming a set (subset of a Crip or Blood gang) to which he does not belong.
max
(v) To have great fun.
MC
(n) Probably Jamaican, in which case it comes from the TV game shows, Master of Ceremonies
(although the term existed before TV). It was the only person at a gathering that was allowed to use the
microphone. Could also stand for Microphone Controller, Mic Checka. "The term, MC, stand for Master
of Ceremonies" --- A Tribe Called Quest (Midnight Marauders [1993]).
medina
1) (n) Said to be an aphrodisiac. "Funky col' medina" -- Tone Loc (Funky cold medina [1989])
2) (n) Nickname for Brooklyn.
3) (n) One of the three holy cities in Islam (n) One of the three holy cities in Islam
Medina
(n) Second most holy city of Islam; Nickname for Brooklyn.
megablast
(n) Large breath of crack. "Oh please, oh please, oh please, just gimme just one more blast" -- Public
Enemy (Megablast).
meth, method
(n) See marijuana.
MF
1) (n) Short for motherfucker.
2) (n) Short for Mark Ferhman; the police officer who tried to set up O.J. Simpson by planting evidence
on him.
MLK
(n) Martin Luther King, civil rights leader, shot april 4th, 1968. He represented the largely rural South.
money
(n) See brother, nigga.
Moneyearnin' Mount Vernon
(n) Shabazz, 4th ave, 3rd street. One of the worst corners in Mount Vernon - hood hang out, dealers,
addicts. Home of Heavy D., Pete Rock and CL Smooth - 77 hillside straight up Columbus Hill make a left
in Mount Vernon.
Moschino
(n) Clothing label. "Moschino on my misstres" -- Notorious B.I.G. (??? [??]).
Mossberg
(n) Popular brand of twelge gauge shotgun, used by the police. "And I grabbed my 12 gauge Mossberg
pump" -- Bone Thugs-n-Harmony (??? [??]).
motherfucker
1) (n) Respectless person with no attitude.
2) (n) Also used to express a form of respect for someone. "My motherfuckin' nigga Afrika Islam" -- Ice-T
(??? [??]).
move on
(v) To mess with. "You move on the Ice and you're going to sleep" -- Ice T (Ziplock).
MPC-60
(n) Akai MPC-60 sampling sequencer/drum machine, Akai's answer to the SP-12, popular especially in
the early 90's. Most hip-hop producers have a machine of the MPC-series.
MPV
(n) The Multi Purpose Vehicle, favored by groups because of their large seating and cargo capacity.
"Dedicated to MPV's, phat" -- Wu-Tang Clan (Can it be all so simple [??]).
MVP
(n) (1) Most Valuable Poet (on the mic), compare Most Valuable Player in team sports. As used by Big L
in the song "MVP".
N
nappy dugout
(n) Vagina. The dugout is the dug-in bench at the side of a baseball field where players wait until they
are up to play. Nappy comes from hair napping up, sort of the way it it on the way to dreading. The
nappy dugout would be the dugout (small enclave a few steps off the main field) that has nappy hair
(pubic hair). "Giving up the nappy dugout" -- Ice Cube (Giving up the nappy dugout [??]).
nappy head
(n) A head with dreading hair. "Keep your heads nappy" -- Fugees (Nappy Heads [1994]).
nathan
1) (adj) Nothing; nobody. "I ain't heard shit, I ain't heard nathan" -- The Coup (Genocide & Juice [??]).
2) (n) "Nathan's" is a brand of hot dog.
3) (n) Natural born pimp.
Neighbourhood Family
(n) South Central Blood set associated with Cypress Hill.
Newark
(n) Brick City. Home of RedMan, LOTUG, Artifacts, Channel Live, T-neck.
newjack
(adj) New. When referring to an idividual, implies that he hasn't proven himself. "He was a newjack
hustler" -- Ice-T (Newjack hustler [??]).
nickel
(n) Five, as in 1995. "Everybody get in where ya fit in for tha nine five, tha nine nickel" -- Method Man
with Capleton (Wings of the morning [??]).
nigga
(n) Curseword used originally by white people, taken over by black people as a name to show their
proudness, and take off the edge; positive: "my nigga": my friend. I don't want to be called yo nigga" -Public Enemy (Yo nigga [??]).
nina
1) (n) [neenyah] Spanish for girl of 5 years or less. Chica is a teenage girl.
2) (n) [neenah] 9mm. Mixture of correct Spanish pronounciation of the i and NYC or Southern dialect
ponounciation of the final -er as -ah of the word "niner". Cuz if I got my nina then you know I'm straight
trippin'" -- Dr. Dre (The Chronic [1992]).
nino
(n) Spanish term for godfather, as in Nino Brown.From the movie "The Godfather". Also Nino Brown in
New Jack City.
no diggety
(interj) No doubt, no question.
NOI
(n) Nation Of Islam. "Elijah is alive, Louis Farrakhan, NOI" -- Ice Cube (Enemy [1993]).
Now Rule
(n) New Rochelle NY, a suburb of NYC, borders Mount Vernon. Origin of Grand Puba and Brand
Nubian.
nucker
1) (n) A stupid person. Possible a combination of Numb Skull/Fucker, or maybe derived from knuckle
head.
2) (n) Ones best friend. "You call your nigger 'nucker'" -- Digital Underground (if it wasn't for the rapping
[??]).
nutt
(n) Good sex. "Gimme that nutt" -- Eazy-E (It's on Dr. Dre 187 um killa [1993]).
nuttin'
(n) Nothing. "Nine times outta ten, she's givin' up nuttin'" -- N.W.A. (I ain't tha one [1988])
Nyquil
(n) Cold medicine that basically puts you to sleep, so you won't stay up all night coughing. "Knock ya out
like Nyquil" -- Ice Cube(?)
O
O
(n) An ounce of marijuana.
O'Malley
(n) An Irish name, pointing to the traditionally strong represented Irish in the LAPD. "Gonna put a slug in
captain O'Malley" -- Cypress Hill (We ain't goin' out like that [1993]).
O-1-2
(n) The O stands for Oakland, the 1-2 for a left-right combination punch. "Up in Oakland you might get
the O-1-2" -- Father Dom (??? [??]).
O-Town
(n) Orlando.
O.E.
(n) Short for Old English, a kind of malt liquor. "Coolin' on the corner with a bottle of O.E." -- Beastie
Boys (Time to get ill [1986]).
O.G.
1) (n) Original gangster, which you become when you 'advertise' a gang. People should talk about you
and link your name with the things you done in the past. This includes killings, driveby shootings,
spending time in jail, and living up to your name. "O.G. Original Gangster" -- Ice T. (Original Gangster
[1991]).
2) (adj) True; original.
3) (n) Someone who is true to the game, who never sold out.
O.J.
1) (n) Reference to a big car: erstwhile football star and all-around adman O.J. Simpson does Hertz
commercials featuring Ford and Lincoln Mercury cars. Used on Sugarhill Gang's Rapper's Delight.
2) (n) To pull an O.J. on someone: to set someone up, to plant evidence.
O.P.P.
1) (n) Other people's pussy.
2) (n) Other people's penis.
3) (n) Other people's property.
Oaktown, the big O, the O
(n) Oakland, California. The Westside O and the Eastside O stand for West and East Oakland. Home of
Too $hort and Luniz.
on swo
(adv) Increasing in size, often used in prisons to describe a weight lifter. "My bank roll's on swo" -- Snoop
Doggy Dogg (??? [??]).
one love
(n) (interj.) Farewell bidding, like "peace".
one-time
(n) Police officer. Refered to as one-time as you have one time or one chance to get out of the situation
alive. "One-time because it's my life on the line" -- Ice Cube (??? [??]).
oowop
(n) An uzi semi-automatic gun.
oreo
(n) Black person who wants to be white, or people of mixed race. An oreo is a type of cookie black on
the outside with white cream filling inside. "A message to the oreo cookie" -- Ice Cube (Turn off the radio
[1990]).
Osdorp
(n) Amsterdam (the Netherlands) hood where the foundations of the Dutch underground, hardcore
hiphop scene were laid. Rap artists such as Jason, West Klan and first and foremost The Osdorp Posse
are from that part of Amsterdam.
other level
(n) A higher degree of consciousness satisfaction; beyond the average. "Grip it on that other level" -Geto Boys (On that other level [1992]).
ox piece
(n) Home-made type of gun that people make in the prisons. "I heared you blew a nigga with an ox for
the phone piece" -- Nas (One love)
P
P
1) (n) Partner, friend.
2) (n) Pussy. "The P is free" -- BDP (The P is free) 3) (n) Posse.
P-Dog
(n) Paris. "P-Dog comin' up, I'm staying low" -- Paris (The devil made me do it).
P-funk
(n) Music of the George Clinton time period. Parliament Funkadelic was a group in that era and it
included such artists as George Clinton and Bootsy Collins.
P-Town
(n) Paterson.
P.E.
(n) Public Enemy.
P.O.D.
1) (n) Paid on delivery.
2) (n) Passed over-dosed; a deceased person due to an drug over-dose.
P.S.K.
(n) Park Side Killers, Philadelphia gang of which Schoolly D. used to be a member. "P.S.K., we're makin'
that green" -- Schoolly D. (P.S.K. (what does it mean?)).
PA, PAT
(n) Port Arthur, Texas. Referred to throughout UGK and Point Blank albums.
pad
(n) House, home, place where you live. "It's like that and its like this I took her to the pad and we started
to kiss..." -- Eazy-E (Gimme that nutt [??]).
paddle
(n) Gun. "Say why ya creep without a muthaphuckin paddle" -- Lady or Rage (Lyrical Gangbang [1992]).
pancake
(v) Hydraulics maneuver where a car goes from all wheels high to all wheels low. "Pancake, front-toback, side-to-side, and all that shit" -- Dr. Dre (Let me ride [1992]).
papes/papers
(n) Money. "...and we're getting papers, three months later we run our own caper" -- Boogie Down
Productions (Love's gonna getcha [1990]).
parlaying
(v) West coast slang for partying or having a good time. Comes from the French word "parler", which
means talking.
Pat Duke
1) (n) Patty Duke, an old sitcom television show. "On the stoop doing the Pat Duke" -- Ol' Dirty Bastard
(Don't you know [1994]).
2) (n) A popular dance style from the late 80's.
peace
1) (n) That's what rap is all about for all you mentally challenged.
2) (interj) Farewell bidding.
peckerwood
(n) Derogatory term for a white person.
peeling
(n) What comes off when peeling a cap. "The bigger the cap, the bigger the peelin'" -- Ice Cube (Steady
mobbin' [1991]) Note that Cube is paraphrasing a Parliament line, where GC says "The bigger the
headache, the bigger the pill", but the way he says it, "pill" comes out sounding like peel".
peeling caps
(v) Killing someone by shooting him, shots to the head often disfigure it in such a way that the cranium is
"peeled back". "One wrong move and your cap's peeled" -- Ice T. (O.G. original gangster).
peep
(v) Check this out (as in peep this).
peeps
(n) People. "To all my peeps who didn't make it" -- Nas (The world is yours [1994]).
pen
(n) Penitentiary, jail. "To all of my peoples in the pens, keep ya head up" -- Lost Boyz (Lex Coupes,
Beamaz and Benz's [??]).
Penelope
(n) Police -- E-40 (???).
pep
(v) To beat someone up. "I'm ready to pep ya".
phat
1) (adj) Rich like butter, really good, extremely well put together. "ATCQ be putting together some phat
beats" -- ??? (???)
2) (adj) If a girl was phat, she had Plenty o' Hips And Thighs, in other words PHysically ATtractive; old
slang. Think 60's or early 70's here. A bit more modern: Pussy, Hips And Tits or even Pretty Hot And
Tempting.
phat pocket
(n) A person who has a lot of money
Philly
(n) Philadelphia. Home of Schoolly D., Da Youngstas, The Fresh Prince, Tuff Crew, The Roots, DJ
Ghetto, Bahamadia.
pie
(n) Vagina.
piece
1) (n) A firearm.
2) (n) A work of graffiti art (short for masterpiece).
3) (n) Sexual intercourse. "I'm gonna go get me a piece."
pig
(n) Police officer. "pig" as a synonym for policeman" has been around for about two hundred years
(according to "Partridge's Concise Dictionary of Slang and Unconventional English"). It did, however,
disappear in the late nineteenth century (or, as the dictionary says "go underground" though I'm not sure
what they mean by that) and reappear in common usage around 1960. I know that during Prohibition
speakeasies who had bribed the local police to not bother them were called "blind pigs" (The Blind Pig
bar here in Ann Arbor actually used to be such a place). I suspect that the term has been used to mean
any kind of unpleasant person since humans started domesticating the things....
pimp
1) (n) Boss of prostitutes.
2) (v) To be a ladies man.
PJ's
(n) The Projects.
plats
(n) Dreadlocks.
play
1) (v) To go along with. "I don't think so. Homey don't play that" -- Homey the Clown in "In Living Colour".
2) (v) To fool. "You can't buy no relationship. You played yourself." -- Ice-T (You played yourself [??]).
3) (n) Action.
play ball
(v) To play basketball. "Got a pair that I wear when I'm playin' ball" -- RUN-DMC (My Adidas).
play yourself
(v) To reveal a weakness, as in poker when you played your cards too early. "No friends 'cause you
dissed 'em too, no money, no crew, you're through. You played yourself" -- Ice T. (You played yourself)
played out
(n) Old.
player
1) (n) Someone who is "true to the game", ie. someone who never sold out. "To Chuck, Flava and Griff...
You're true players" -- Ice-T (M.V.P.'s).
2) (n) A kind of playboy, so a player is good at picking up honeys.
3) (n) "Players" is a black-oriented adult men's magazine.
player hater
(n) One who despises or speaks ill of another because he does not have any game of his own.
player's ball
(n) A party for players. Outkast mentions it.
PO
1) (n) Police officer, parole officer or probation officer. "dven pack my gatt when I go to see my P.O." -Mobb Deep (The infamous posse [??]).
2) (adj) Piece out.
3) (v) Pissed off, angry.
po-po
(n) The police, from Oakland Police Department. "Yeah it was po-po, and that's OPD for those who don't
know" -- Raw Fusion (?? [????])
point blank
1) (adj) At close range.
2) (adj) Right now, right here, in your face. Used when someone is trying to prove a point or something.
Poly Apartments
(n) An apartment project at the west side of Long Beach. Was home for artists like the Twinz and Warren
G: "Poly Apartments for tha niggaz that ain't from the LB" -- The Twinz (Good Times [1995]).
pop
(v) To shoot someone. "I'm a pop a cap in him" -- Jules in the movie "Pulp Fiction"
posse
(n) A group of people you hang out with. This doesn't necessarily mean a gang. "They got too, too, too
much posse" -- Public Enemy (Too much posse [??])
pot
(n) See marijuana. "Must have been drinking, 'cause this ain't pot" -- Cypress Hill and Sonic Youth (Mary
Jane [1993]).
potna
(n) Term to address a person, compare partner. "What's now up potna" -- Menace 2 Society.
power U
(n) Vagina. "On top of that you got the good power U" -- Method Man & Mary J. Blige (You're all I need
[1994]).
primo
1) (n) A joint laced with crack, west coast term. The east coast equivalent is "turbo". See also marijuana.
2) (n) Friend.
3) (n) Nickname for DJ Premier.
Private Stock
(n) A brand of malt liquor.
project gold
(n) Huge gold hoop earrings.
props
(n) An abbreviation of "propers" or proper respects. A show sits on physical and non-physical props. At
an award ceremony the winner gives props: "And I would like to thank...".
pruno
(n) Wine that inmates make in prison.
psych
1) (n) Dupe. Check out 70's basketball commentary. Dr. J and especially Nate Archibald used to do
dribbling moves to psych out opponents. Psych as in psychological head trips they threw.
2) (interj) I duped you.
puff lye
(v) To smoke a medicinal herb, i.e. marijuana. "Life's a bitch and then you die, that's why we puff lye" -NAS (Life's a bitch and then you die [1994])
pump
1) (n) Pump of a pump-action shotgun "Sawed off shotgun, hand on the pump" -- Cypress Hill (Hand on
the pump [1993])
2) (n) To play music loud.
punani
1) (n) Vagina.
2) (n) Sex, this is used more commonly.
3) (n) A Jamaican dance, the art of moving your stomach and behind on the dancefloor.
punk
1) (n) A person related to the Punk movement or the Punk music.
2) (n) A stupid, usually irritating person. "Motherfuck you and your punk ass ghetto bird." -- Ice Cube
(Ghetto Bird [1993]).
pussy
(n) Vagina.
puta/puto
1) (n) Prostitute.
2) (n) Asshole. "How you like me now, puto" -- Cypress Hill (Locotes [??]).
Q
Q Vo
(interj) Shout out, Chicano slang. The term comes from old Mexican movies (musicales). "Q Vo, a
qui'stoy MC Kid Frost" -- Kid Frost (La Raza [1991]).
Q.B.
1) (n) Short for Queensbridge.
2) (n) Short for Queen Bitch, or Queen Bee as Lil' Kim refers to herself. Queen Bee was a character from
the blaxploitation movie "Dolemite".
Quad City
(n) Orlando. Home of Quad City DJ's, 95 South, 69 Boyz and DJ Magic Mike.
quarter-O
1) (n) Quarter ounce (= oz.) of weed.
2) (n) 40 oz. of beer.
Queens
(n) New York City borough. RUN-DMC are often referred to as the Kings from Queens.
Queensbridge
(n) The name of a six building (six stories each) housing project in Long Island City (NY), a section of
Queens. 40 side and 41st side refer to the 40th street side of the buildings 41st street side of the
buildings. Home of Nas and Mobb Deep.
R
R.T.D.
(n) Rough, tough and dangerous: a bus that travels in the ghetto is called because people are getting
robbed or mugged on a regular basis. The former name for the Los Angeles County Mass Transit (Bus)
was Rapid Transit District.
rab
(n) Short for rabbi. "Told a rab get off the rag" -- Public Enemy (Welcome to the Terrordome[1991])
rat
(v) To betray. "Why did Judas rat to Romans while Jesus slept?" -- Genius (4th chamber)
rat pack
(n) A bum rush. "Like some pussy, or in fact, a bum rush, but we call it rat pack, on a nigga for nothing at
all" -- N.W.A. (Gangsta, gangsta [1988]).
raw
(adj) Showing the pure essence of pure hip hop.
real McCoy
1) (n) The orignal, not a fake. One real McCoy was a late 19th century boxer who fought under the name
Kid McCoy and was so good that other fighters adopted the name, whereupon he had to bill himself as
"the real McCoy". Or, it was Scotch whisky, made by A. & M. MacKay of Glasgow. In the UK the saying
is "the real MacKay". Another idea is that the expression came from heroin originating from Macao
(Dictionary of Cliches, pg.215). Yet another explanation is the American scientist Eligah McCoy, who had
several inventions well known throughout the African American community in America. If you owned
anything during those days, you wanted it to be "the real McCoy".
2) (n) A 1967 Jazz CD by McCoy Tyner, a pianist.
really doe
(interj) Wrong spelling of "Really though", used to emphasize a point. Ice Cube (Really doe).
red rum
(n) Murder spelled backwards.
reefer
(n) See marijuana. (1920s-1960s) Marijuana wrapped in cigarette paper, may be a variant of Mexican
"grefa" (Juba to Jive, pg. 380).
reel to reel
1) (n) Really real.
2) (n) Reality.
3) (n) The big tape used for studio recording and the machine that runs it.
Remy Martin
(n) A brand of cognac. "I've got to get the chronic, some Remy Martin, and my soda pop" -- Dr. Dre (Let
me ride [1992]).
represent
(v) New big hip-hop word. Means just what you think it means. "Represent!" -- NAS (Represent [1994])
ricket
(n) Derogatory term for a member of the Crips, an L.A. gang.
ride
(n) A vehicle. "So we rode in his ride" -- Ice-T (Bitches 2 [??]).
rift
(v) See step to.
rip
(v) Old street slang - to steal, stolen, to take agressively.
road dog
(n) A good friend, someone who you always hang out with. "Yo dick on hard, for fuckin' your road doggs"
-- Dr. Dre (The Chronic [1992]).
rock
1) (n) Crack.
2) (v) To have sexual intercourse.
3) (n) Biblical. Alcatraz, Jamaica...
4) (v) To wear, "I was rocking my brand new Nikes".
rock star
(n) Crack addict
rocket
1) (n) A joint (see marijuana).
2) (v) To blast off into a high when smoking a joint.
Rodney King
1) (n) Rodney King was beaten up by police when he was placed under arrest. The whole incident was
videotaped, leading to the infamous "Rodney King trials", where the police officers were under trial for
assault and battering. The outcome of the trial was not satisfactory to many people in LA, leading to the
LA riots of 1992.
2) (n) To pull a Rodney King: To initiate police brutality. "He'll probably pull me over and I laugh, pull a
Rodney King and I'll blast at his punk ass" -- Tupac (Souljah's Revenge [1993]).
roll
1) (v) To hang with a given person or crowd. "I'm rollin' with the new jack crew" -- Ice-T (Newjack hustler
[1991]).
2) (v) To roll on someone means to beat someone up.
3) (v) To roll a joint.
4) (v) To drive one's car in the neighborhood with a certain style or finesse.
roll up
(v) To arrive on a scene.
rollie
(n) Rolling papers.
Rolling 60's
(n) Notorious South Central Crip set.
ruff neck
(n) A round the way guy that keeps it real and knows the streets. "Gotta what yo gotta get a ruff neck" -MC Lyte (Ruff neck [??]).
rush
1) (v) Bogard, physically assault.
2) (v) After taking drugs , one often gets a rush
ruthless
1) (adj) Tough, hard, stopping at nothing. "Drop him in his tracks so hip that I am ruthless" - Eazy-E (It's
on Dr. Dre 187 um killa [1993])
2) (n) Ruthless Records is Eazy-E's record company.
S
S1W
(n) The Security of the First World; the military dancers on stage with Public Enemy at their concerts.
SA
(n) Wrong spelling of the Mexican word ese, which means dude. "SA's cool, don't fuck with them boys" Ice Cube (Really Doe).
sack chaser
(n) Woman using a man for money.
Sactown
(n) Sacramento, California.
sagging deuce
(n) A lowered Cadillac car.
scarface
(n) A scarface is someone who is a gangster or models themselves on the character of Tony Montana in
the film "Scarface"(1983). Scarface is one of the most influential films with regard to hip-hop. Many of the
samples used on rap albums are from Scarface. Many phrases you hear used by rappers are copied
verbatim from Scarface. Examples include The Geto Boys album (Geto Boys) the hook for "Fuck Em' All"
is sampled from Scarface. The sample at the beginning of the Kool G Rap song "Fast Life" is from
Scarface. The rapper Scarface took his name from the film.
scheme
(v) To plan to do something to get someones money, most often by cheating. "And the girls that been
scheming, gonna get creamed when I" -- The Gravediggaz (Tonite is a special nite [1995]).
school
(n) A specific era in hiphop history. There have been many discussions about the difference between the
"Old School" and the New School". One accepted view was put to words in alt.rap by Charles L. Isbell:
All of time can be divided pretty easily this way:
- Everything before "Run DMC" (Run DMC [1984])
- Everything before "It Takes A Nation of Millions To Hold Us Back" (Public Enemy
[1988])
It gets harder after that, but maybe you'd have to label parallel movements with stuff
like:
+ Everything before "Straight Outta Compton" (NWA [1988]) and "Amerikkka's Most
Wanted" (Ice Cube [1990]) for the West Coast Gangsta Movement
+ Everything before "3 Feet High And Rising" (De La Soul [1989]) and "Low End
Theory" (A Tribe Called Quest [1991]) for the Jazz/Bohemian Movement
Others seem to think we're about to enter the Everything before "93 'Til Infinity" (Souls
of Mischief [1993]) era for the Ascendency of Hieroglyphics, but I'll reserve judgement
on that.
There are also several dark moments: MC Hammer ushered in the HipPop Era and
Vanilla "No I really used to be rich; May I take your order?" Ice ushered in something
unspeakable (Snow, if nothing else).
Hmmmmm, here's a way to pass the time: what are the key moments/movements and
what albums/artists best represent them? How have they influenced the direction of
rap? Making no value judgements, I'd have to say that the four most influential hiphop
moments/movements are the ones I listed above and for obvious reasons.
Scooby Doo
1) (n) The cartoon character.
2) (n) A blunt. "Scooby Doo, where the fuck are you?" -- Cypress Hill (??? [??]).
3) (n) The B-side on Lick a Shot (US).
scope
1) (v) Look at something. "Scope that bitch"
2) (v) Stare down someone.
scrap a lick
(v) As in "can't scrap a lick", meaning, can't put up a fight, has a poor fighting ability. From Dr. Dre (Fuck
wit Dre day).
scratch
(n) Money, loot. "Scrilla scratch paper" -- E-40 (One love [??]).
screw
(v) To play a hip-hop record at a slower speed, said to accentuate the bass and facilitate mixes with
ballads. Also screw mixes, get my screw on. Originated in the late 80's, when Fresh Records released
12" singles at 45 rpm. Many DJ's missed the speed designation and mistakenly played it at the slower 33
rpm speed. Many listeners began to intentionally request those records (esp. Mantronix's "Fresh is the
Word") at the slow speed. Now done with CD players with variable pitch (or vinyl).
scrilla
(n) Money, loot. "Scrilla scratch paper" -- E-40 (One love [??]).
Seatown
(n) Seattle.
sell out
(n) Doing something purely for the financial gain, Selling your soul. "Should Ice Cube sell out? You say
hell no!" -- Ice Cube (When will they shoot? [??]).
sense
(n) An abbreviation of the word "sinsemellia", which is a form o marijuana that has no seeds, because it
is isolated from male pollen during te blooming process. Instead of making seeds, the marijuana plant
makes more THC, hence this "sense" is more potent, and generally better than standard ganja.
serve
1) (v) To defeat an opponent with skill.
2) (v) To deliver a subpoena
set
1) (n) A denomination of one of the larger gangs, a set is not necessarily friendly with other sets in the
same gang. "Baby girl asked me what set am I claiming" - Sir MixaLot (Rapper's Reputation)
2) (n) The group of songs in a concert by a specific performer.
set tripping
(v) Killing someone in your own gang, but who is in a different set. i.e. a different street but in the same
gang.
shackles
(n) Handcuffs.
shank
(n) A custom made knife as used in prisons, made from whatever materials are available. "You better
grab your shank, cuz ain't no fistfight" -- Dr. Dre (Lil' ghetto boy [??]).
Shaton
(n) Shaton or Shaitan is an Arabic word meaning "devil". "At night the evil armies of Shaton don't play" -Fugees (Family business [1996]).
Shea Town
(n) New York, from Shea stadium.
sherm stick
(n) Marijuana dipped in embalming fluid.
shife
(adj) See mark or newjack. A rookie or one who purports to be more than he is. "And he knew he was
shife, he knew he was hype" -- Bust Down (Nasty bitch (intro) [1993]).
shimmy
(n) See booty. "Shimmy shimmy ya!" - Ol' Dirty Bastard (Shimmy shimmy ya [1995]).
sholda than show
(interj) Surer than sure.
shook one
(n) Individual who acts like he is tough, but when things get hectic or tense, he gets scared and acts like
the punk he really is. They have been shook up by the reality and are labeled shook ones. "Shook ones"
-- Mobb Deep (Shook ones pt. II [1995]).
short
(n) Vehicle.
shorty
1) (n) Little person.
2) (n) Female, like baby or honey. "I got myself a shorty, I got myself a forty" -- Wu-Tang Clan (Method
Man).
3) (n) A seven ounce bottle of beer.
shotty
(n) Shotgun.
show and prove
(v) Demonstrate.
show case
(v) To carry out a fraud.
siamese
(n) A person who acts two-faced.
sike
(n) See psych.
simp
1) (n) Derived from simpleton, used for rhyming with pimp. "Short baby I ain't no simp, but the nigga in
the suit ain't nothin' but a pimp" -- Too $hort (Cocktales [??]).
2) (v) To sing and pimp. From Boyz II Men (Simpin' ain't easy).
sister
(n) Woman of the same group; friend.
skank
(n) A scandalous woman.
skeezer
(n) See freak. "If you wanna know what a skeezer is, it's a girl who's on my jock cause I'm in showbiz" -LL Cool J. (??? [??]).
skill
(n) General ability; ability on the microphone.
skins
1) (n) The lips of the vagina. "She likes to bend over and then she spreads the skins" -- Brand Nubian
(Slow down [1990]).
2) (n) Condom.
3) (n) Rolling papers.
skirt
(n) A female.
skitzing
(v) Acting bizarre or crazy, from schizophrenic.
skully
(v) Getting oral sex performed. "My buddy, daz dilly, we gettin' skully" - Kurupt (My Buddy [1998]).
skunk
(n) A medium grade and smelly form of marijuana.
slab
1) (n) The ground; to lower a car to the slab: to lower down. "I'm breaking em down to the slab" -- Rage
(The chronic [1992]).
2) (n) Crack.
slamming
1) (adj) Dynamic.
2) (adj) Something really good/attractive. "And may I say, may I say, that, that outfit you got on is
slammin'" -- L.L. Cool J (MrGoodbar).
slang
(v) The act of selling drugs.
slanted-back
(n) A Caddillac Seville, because of the slanted trunk of the earlier models.
slap skins
1) (v) Slapping hands together.
2) (v) Having sex. Slapping skins, hitting skins, getting skins, etc. Skins being the skin of the opposite
sex.
Slauson
(n) Los Angeles street. "The sun went down when I hit Slauson" -- Dr. Dre (Let Me Ride [??]).
sleep [on]
(v) Ignore. (v) To be unaware or unprepared. You can creep up on someone while they are "sleeping"
(even if they are awake).
slipping
1) (adj) On the downward trend, losing the edge. "Cause you're slipping!" -- Boogie Down Productions
(You're slipping [1988]).
2) (v) Not paying attention "Yeah I caught that fool slippin' and I smoked him" -- ?? (??? [??]).
slob
(n) Derogatory name for a member of the Bloods, an L.A. gang, used by members of the Crips, another
L.A. gang.
slow your roll
(interj) Slow down whatever you are doing. "Slow ya roll like your leg was broken" -- Kurupt (For my
niggaz and my bitches [1993]).
smacked
(adj) Under the influence of drugs.
smashing
(v) See slapping skins.
smoke
(v) Killing someone. "Right then, I knew I had to smoke his ass" -- N.W.A. (Gangsta gangsta [1988]).
snap
(n) a form of verbal jestering. Also French and English speaking Africans especially in Dakar and Paris
say 'oh snap' in two contexts. 1) 'oh snap' if you get bagged on (snapped on) and 2) meaning 'oh shit' as
in 'I didn't know' or 'I forgot something'.
snaps
(n) Money.
sneakers
(n) Sportswear shoes. "I wear my sneakers but I'm not a sneak" -- RUN-DMC (My Adidas).
snow
(n) Cocaine.
soggy indo
(n) A joint (see marijuana) that has been dipped in PCP or something.
soldier
(n) Non-OG gangbanger.
South Central
(n) Los Angeles area. A very important place for gangsta rap. Origin of a lot of rappers.
SP-12
(n) The E-MU SP-12 (or SP-1200), a high-end sampling drum machine for rap music production. These
pieces of equipment came out around 1985 and 87 respectively. The SP-12 did not have an internal disk
drive, but EMU saw the problems since it only worked with a Commodore diskdrive. So they made the
next model with an internal drive. Incidentally Ced-Gee of Ultra-Magnetics was the first person in hip-hop
to use this machine which has become one of the most sought after pieces of equipment to date. So
much that EMU has reissued the SP-1200. "Just me, a mic, and an SP-12" -- Young MC (Album Filler).
spliff
(n) Jamaican marijuana cigarette, see marijuana.
spray
(v) Firing a round of bullets. "Pulled out the uzi, cruised by and sprayed him" -- Ice Cube (Gangsta's
Fairytale).
sprung
1) (adj) Erected. "Sprung, niggaz call her lips 'n lungs" -- Ice Cube (Check yo self [??]).
2) (adj) Obsessed with something.
3) (n) Released on bail by someone else.
squab
(n) Shortened form of "to squabble"; to fight, physicallly confront. "Quick to squab, always down for the
job" -- E-40 featuring Suga T (Sprinkle me [??]).
squash
(v) To end, Squash that beef.
squeeze the trigger
(v) To shoot a gun. "Yo homeboy,squeeze the trigger!" -- Ice T. (squeeze the trigger) [198?]
St. Ides
(n) A specific brand of maly liquor. Ice Cube and Scarface have done radio commercials for St. Ides.
"Gotta get tha S-T-I-D-E-S, first of tha month" -- Bone Thugs-N-Harmony (??? [??]).
stab out
(v) To leave.
stake
(v) Making money, often used in conjunction with paper, i.e. "stakin' paper".
steel
(n) Pistol. "Finger on the trigger with my hand upon the steel" --Cypress Hill (Hand on the pump [1993])
step off
(v) Back away from a confrontation.
step to
(v) Engage a confrontation. "So don't step to me 'cause you boys 'll get wacked" -- Ice-T (Power).
step up
(v) See step to.
stilo
(n) Pronounced as "steelo", is a term that like a lot of other hip-hop terms originated in New York City. It
is Spanish, and it means style.
straight
1) (n) Okay.
2) (n) Short for stright up, truly, used for emphasis. "Straight booty" or "straight wack".
strap
(n) A gun.
strapped
(adj) Strapped in: armed.
strawberry
(n) Someone who willingly exchanges sexual services for drugs. "Strawberry, Strawberry is the
neighbourhood ho" -- N.W.A. (Dopeman [1988]).
stroll
1) (v) To be out on parole. "27 years old, out on parole, stroll." -- Dr. Dre (Lil' ghetto boy [??]).
2) (n) To drive one's car.
Strong island
(n) Long island.
stunt
1) (n) Sexual act.
2) (n) A person who performs stunts.
3) (n) To pull a stunt, to try something difficult.
stupid
1) (adj) Creative.
2) (adv) Very. "Evil's got the funky beat, a stupid dope loop" -- Ice-T (Fried chicken [1991]).
sucka
(n) person easily duped.
Sucka Free
(n) San Francisco.
SWASS
(n) Short for "Some wild-ass silly shit".
SWAT
(n) Southwest Atlanta. Home of Outkast, Goodie Mob, Kriss Kross, Parental Advisory.
Swayze
(n) I'm out of here, I'm ghost. From the movie "Ghost" which features the actor Patrick Swayze, used for
example in a cut by EPMD..
sweat
1) (n) over-patronize.
2) (v) Worry, as in "don't sweat it".
3) (v) Harrass or scrutinize. "There's one or two narcs in the area that's sweatin' me" -- Digital
Underground (Sex packets).
sweet
(adj) Cool, dope, fresh.
swerver
(n) Car.
swing
(n) To have sexual intercourse (Grand Puba).
swing low
(n) To have oral sex (Kool Moe Dee).
switch
(n) Your average toggle switch. Low-riding drivers use them to control the hydrolics or any other
electrical device in their cars. "Rollin' in my fo' with sixteen switches" Dr. Dre -- (Let Me Ride).
T
tag
1) (n) A persons graffiti nickname.
2) (v) The act of writing graffiti on an object (tagging up).
Tanqueray
(n) A brand of distilled English Gin, used to make cocktail drinks. It was recently popularized by several
rap and also by a very creative advertising campaign in the US, featuring and elderly white man named
Mr. Jenkins: "Mr. Jenkins doesn't understand all the Hip-hop lyrics at his friend's record release party,
but he understands gin and juice very clearly." is the line that was used. "My homey Dr. Dre came
through with a gang of Tanqueray" -- Snoop Doggy Dogg (Gin and Juice [??]).
tastey
(n) A fly honey.
tax
1) (v) To rob. "Stick up kids are out to tax" -- Gangstarr (Just to get a rep [??]).
2) (v) To take away something after you kick a sucka's ass."and Ima tax that ass like the government" -BDK (Pimpin ain't easy).
3) (v) To dig into or estimate, I'm gonna tax that ass.
Tec 9
(n) A 9mm semiautomatic or fully automatic gun made by Infratec. "Every kid's got a Tec 9 or a
handgrenade" -- Ice-T (??? [??]).
thai stick
(n) See marijuana.
thang
(n) Thing; "your own thang": your own way.
The (island of) Shao-Lin
(n) Staten Island, a New York borough. Home of the Wu-Tang clan
The Boogie Bang / The Boogie Down
(n) See Bronx. King Sun mentions it in one of his EPs.
The Boogie Down
(n) The Bronx.
The Bridge
(n) See Queensbridge.
The Burgh
(n) Pittsburgh, PA.
The Get Low
(n) San Francisco. JT the Bigga Figga's group is call GLP: Get Low Players.
Thompson
(n) Tommy gun.
three-wheel motion
(n) Ride upon three wheels with a low rider car. You can see it in videos for "Ain't nuthin but a G thang"
and Today was a good day" [1993]. One of the back corners of the car is really close to the ground and
the opposite corner is picked up off the road.
through
(n) Drunk or high to the point of almost being unconscious.
throw-up
1) (n) A non-complex piece of graffiti usually involving only two colors.
2) (n) To tag your graffiti on something ("Watch my back as I throw up this tag").
thug
(n) Someone who does not have anything but himself. "Livin' life thug style" -- Tupac (To live and die in
L.A. [????]).
thump
(v) To engage in a fistfight. "Remember they used to thump, but now they blast, right?" -- Dr. Dre (Lil'
ghetto boy [??]).
tical
(n) See marijuana. "Smoke a bag of tical" -- Method Man (???).
tight
1) (adj) A state of mind, feeling really good at the moment. Straight, legitimate, all-good.
2) (adj) Cool, dope, fresh.
tip
1) (n) Penis (Get off my tip).
2) (n) Q-Tip from a Tribe Called Quest
3) (n) The end, the fullest. "To the tip!" -- Schoolly D. (Mr. Big Dick).
Tipper Gore
(n) Tipper, the wife of vice-president Al Gore, has become a synonym for narrowmindedness. She had to
do with the committee that decides which CD's get the "Parental advisory" stickers. "You gotta be high to
believe that you can change the world with a sticker on a record sleeve" -- Ice-T (Freedom of speech /
Just watch what you say [1991]).
to get your swerve on
(v) A compliment of skill. If you are about to get your swerve on then you are confidently preparing to
enter the conflict. If you got your swerve on it means you accomplished something skillfully.
toa
(n) Gang pride/love (Polynesian/Maori).
Tony Montana
(n) The character of Tony Montana in the film "Scarface"(1983). "1995 Tony Montana" -- Ice Cube
(Summer Vacation [??]).
toy
1) (n) A poor or beginner graffiti artist.
2) (v) To purposefully write over another graffiti artists work (toy someone out).
3) (n) A sucker.
4) (n) Short for Trouble On Your System.
Tragniew Park Crips
(n) Compton crip set, associated with MC Eiht. "Tragniew Park you say..." -- DJ Quik (Dollaz & Sense
[1994]).
trap
(v) to sell drugs.
tray eight
(n) See 38.
Trenton
(n) Home of the old schoolrappers, PRT.
trick
(n) Short for trick bitch. Derives from the turning tricks action of oral sex/doggy style of a prostitute. Can
be used to acknowledge any sort of woman. More than often used as "slut", but a replacement for "bitch"
will work too.
trill
(adj) Rough, street-wise person; "Trill ass nigga" -- Underground Kingz (The Southern way [1992], also
on Too hard to swallow [1994]).
triple beam
(n) Balanced scales for weighing with three grades of weights, originally used to measure gold, it is more
commonly used to measure drugs. "You learned about your triple beam from me" -- Ice Cube (Dr.
Frankenstein [1998])
tripping
1) (v) Literally making a misstep, figuratively doing something wrong.
2) (v) Responding to the effects of narcotics.
3) (v) Freak for any reason. "Don't start tripping, or we'll go toe to toe" -- ??
truck jewelry
(n) big gold jewelry.
true that
(interj) See word is bond.
trump
(n) To have lots of money, like billionaire Donald Trump. 2) (n) In certain card games the highest ranking
suit is called trump (e.g. spades). When a person has nothing but trump cards in his hand it is referred to
as being 'trump tight'. "cause Snoop dog is trump tight like the virgin-surgeon" -- Snoop Dogg (Tha
Shiznit [??])
TTP
(n) Tree Top Piru, a notorious Compton Blood set, associated with DJ Quik (addressed to MC Eiht)
"Westside Trees sprayin' all tha fleas" -- DJ Quik (Dollaz+Sense [1995]).
turbo
(n) A joint laced with crack, east coast term. The west coast equivalent is "primo". See also marijuana.
turn (it) out
1) (v) To make records.
2) (v) To have sexual intercourse with.
twenty sack
(n) One gram of marijuana, which costs $20. See marijuana. From Nas (NY state of mind).
twisted
(n) Drunk.
[to be] high
(v) To be intoxicated by a drug of somekind. Reported other terms for it are: blazed, blunted, bombed,
charged, juiced, skunked, stressed, toked. "I want to get high, so high" -- Cypress Hill (I want to get high
[1993]).
U
uncle L.
(n) L.L. Cool J. "Like uncle L. said, I'm rippin' up shows" -- Public Enemy (Shut 'em down).
uncle tom
1) (n) A black man who wants to be white. From the book Uncle Tom's Cabin.
2) (n) A tattle-taler; a person who befriends another only to deceive him, usually in the workplace.
Union Square
1) (n) A park in New York City on Broadway between 14th and 16th(?). Origin of Kid n Play.
2) (n) A hip-hop club from the late 1980's in the above area. The name of this routine is called live at
Union Square. - KRS One
up north trip
(n) Being sent to jail. "Up north trip" -- Mobb Deep (?? [??]).
UPT
(n) Uptown New Orleans
Uptown
(n) The word uptown originated in the New York city train stations. As you leave downtown Manhattan
the trains direct you to Uptown. Uptown includes Harlem, East Harlem, Washinton Heights, Inwood and
(sometimes) the South Bronx.
USG
(n) United States Ghettos (Onyx).
uzi
(n) Israeli semi-automatic gun. "Hold it, rock! Miuzi weighs a ton" -- Public Enemy (Miuzi weighs a ton).
V
V-Town
(n) Vallejo, California. Home of E-40.
Vacaville
(n) Nothern California Prison (Too $hort).
vacuum lungs
(n) Taking a deep smoke. "Cause fools be havin' them vacuum lungs" -- The Luniz (I've got 5 on it [??]).
vato
(n) East LA hispanic slang, meaning homeboy. "Vato, cholo, call us what you will" -- Kid Frost (La Raza
[1990]).
Vegas
1) (n) High quality speaker units mabe by Cerwin-Vega, used in car and hi-fi systems. "Going to school
with the Vegas on my earlobe" -- Da Luniz (I got 5 on it [1995]).
2) (n) A marijuana sigarette rolled in Garcia Vegas (a brand of cigar) papers.
Versace
(n) Clothing label. "I stay laced cuz my body got Versace taste" -- Monifa (I miss you (come back home)
[1995]).
vexed
(v) Very angry.
VIP Records
(n) Famous Long Beach record store where a lot of current stars first sold their demo tapes. Snoop was
standing on it in his "Who am I?" video. "Let's journey to the VIP for the latest hits" -- Domino (Long
Beach Thang [1993]).
VMB
(n) Video Music Box, a NYC hip-hop video music show.
W
wack
1) (adj) Negative: crazy or weird. Mostly this is meant
2) (v) To kill someone. "So don't step to me 'cause you boys'll get wacked" -- Ice-T (Power).
watching Andy Griffith
(v) refers to masturbating. Martin Lawrence (You so crazy).
wax
1) (n) Record album(s). "And we put it on wax, it's the new style" -- Beastie Boys (The New Style [1986]).
2) (v) Synonym to tax as in "wax his ass" from the black popular "mop up the floor with your ass".
3) (adj) Describing refinement as in 'waxed, buffed and simonized' from the Mister Magic radio show.
4) (v) To have sexual intercourse. "Wax that ass" -- Ice Cube (Get off my dick [??]).
5) (v) To make a car appear very shiny.
WBLS
(n) One of the original hip-hop stations in New York City. "BLS, 97, KISS, bounce to this" -- Craig Mack
(??? [??]).
wet
1) (v) Kill someone. As in wet from blood when someone is sprayed. "Now I gotta wetcha" -- Ice Cube
(I'm gonna wetcha)
2) (v) Excite a female.
WHBI-FM (105.9)
(n) The first radio station in New York that had a hip-hop show (Mr. Magic, the Awesome Two, Afrika
Izlam). The station later changed its call letters to WNWK-FM.
wheels of steel
(n) Turntables. "My DJ Code Money on the wheels of steel" -- Schoolly D. (Gucci time).
Whitestone
(n) Movie theatre in the Bronx - Diamond D.
who ride
1) (v) To get buckwild. "The darkside where the real G's who ride" -- Macadoshish from Thug Life (Don't
get twisted [1994])
2) (n) The who ride is the act of getting wild and crazy, like a riot or an assassination, or any wild activity.
wigger
(n) A derogatory term for white people usually used by white people.
wild thing
(n) Sexual intercourse. "Hey you two, I was once like you and I loved to do the wild thing" -- Tone Loc
(Wild thing).
wilding
(adj) To act without without rational thought. Wilding was a term not used until the Central park jogger
attack in 1989. The victim in this case was raped, and, upon being questioned, kids in the neighborhood
of the attackers had said that they had done the "Wild Thing" (after the Tone Loc release). Misinterpreted
by reporters not accustomed to the slurred speech of the attackers, the term wilding was born out of the
NYC media's lust for a catch phrase. (Info from: "Black Studies, Rap and the Academy" by Houston
Baker Jr.) "Across the street you was wilding" -- Nas (?? [1996])
Willy
1) (n) Penis.
2) (n) Someone with money or status in the neighbourhood, a player or bawler.
wood
(n) Erected penis. "Delivering the wood" stands for having sexual intercourse.
word
1) (n) Biblical (John1:1). "logos": truth.
2) (interj) Exclamation or term of endearment.
word is bond
(interj) Saying this means that what you are saying is absolutely correct, and you do not have to put up
money to prove it, you just say it. The term originates from the financial markets where hirstorically
traders woul tell each other "my word is bond", i.e. my word is good enough, you don't need it in writing.
"Cause I'm frontin' in my ride, and my word is bond" -- LL Cool J (The boomin' system [1990]).
word up
(n) (interj.) A question like "What's up?", or "What's the word?".
wreck
1) (v) To accomplish something.
2) (v) To destroy or break up. "All they wanted to do is wreck and flex" Public Enemy (Burn
Hollywood, burn [1990]).
3) (v) To show great freestyling skills.
X
xerox
(v) To copy, from the Rank-Xerox copying machine. "and still they try to xerox" -- Public Enemy (Don't
believe the hype [1987]).
Y
y'all
(n) Short for "you all". Also sometimes used for you", singular.
yo
1) (n) You.
2) (n) Your.
Z
zig zags
(n) Rolling papers. "Send some gin and a pack of zig zags" -- Snoop Doggy Dogg (Pump pump)
zooted
(adj) Smoked out on weed. "I want to get zooted, nigga" -- Total Devastation (??? [1993]).
zootie
(n) A joint laced with crack.
#
1 and 2
(n) Turntables. "DJ behind the 1 and 2".
1-2 checker
1) (n) Checking the MIC.
2) (n) Checking the scene.
10
(n) See Mac 10. "Had my ten in my hand" -- Coolio (Gangsta's paradise [1995]).
10%
(n) See 5%. "Ten percent took a loss" -- Boots of The Coup.
107.5
(n) The big "urban format" station in Chicago, Illinois. 107.5 WGCI, home of the nationally-syndicated
"Tom Joyner Morning Show," a focal point for activism and unity in the black community.
1200
1) (n) The Technics SL 1200 is regarded as the best turntable for DJ'ing. The reason for this is its very,
very high torque. If you hit the start/stop button, the platter will reach top speed within a 1/4th revolution.
Not many turntables can match that. "My DJ you know 1200's he's using, I don't!" -- Schoolly D. (I don't
like rock 'n roll [??])
2) (n) SP-1200 sampler, a top of the line product.
1555
(n) The year the first slaveships arrived in America. "Sayin' 1555 how I'm livin'" -- Public Enemy (Can't
truss it [??]).
186
(n) Police term for a murder or homicide. To be on the lookout for someone who is trying to kill you.
187
(n) Californian penal code number for homicide. The police in California uses the penal code numbers as
shorthand on the radio. Eg. in Oregon the code for homicide is "163.005", different from California. "Try
to set me up for a 211, fuck around and get caught up in a 187" -- Dr. Dre (Let me ride [1992]).
2 to 4
(n) The duration of a imprisonement sentence, two to four years in jail. "Hit with a 2 to 4 is difficult" -Mobb Deep (Survival of the fittest [1995]).
20
(n) See twenty sack. "I'm an addict for sneakers, 20's of buddah and bitches with beepers" -- NAS (New
York state of mind [1994]).
21 & Lewis
(n) Streetcorner in Long Beach, California. "I hung a left at two-one and Lewis" -- Warren G. (Regulate
[1994]).
21 Cerritos
(n) Long Beach crip set. The Dogg Pound and Warren G have rumored association with them. "But you
don't really know about, you know, the Cerritos silly ho" -- Daz (Who gotz some gangsta shit [1994]).
211
(n) Police code for armed robbery. "Try to set me up for a 211, fuck around and get caught up in a 187" - Dr. Dre (Let me ride [1992]).
212
(n) A New York area code.
213
1) (n) The name of a group with Snoop, Nate Dogg and Warren G. This group was separated when they
all got big. "Way back then 213 was the clique" -- Warren G (Do you see [1994]).
2) (n) Also, 213 was the area code for Long Beach before it got 310, which now is the area code for a
large portion of southern California, including Compton. Inglewood is 213 nowadays.
3) (n) 213 was named after a car (not a motor vehicle but an alliance of inmates in a prison). See Ice-T's
book "Who gives a Fuck?" for reference. There are other cars as well but most West coast and/or Death
Row rappers claim to be affiliated with the 213 car (not to be confused with the set somebody claims)
22
(n) 22 caliber gun. "Twentytwo automatic on my person" -- Beastie Boys (Posse in Effect [1986])
226
(n) Police code for drugs.
24/7, 24/7/365
(n) All the time, from 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year.
25 with an L
(n) 25 years to life sentence. "25 with an izL" -- Snoop Doggy Dog (Murder was the case [1993]).
30
(n) A firearm of .30 calibre.
310
(n) The area code for Long Beach.
357
(n) A .357 Magnum pistol. ".357 break it on down" -- LL Cool J. (.357 Break it on down [1987]).
36 chambers
1) (n) The 36 chambers a warrior has to go through to become a Shaolin. Every chambers has a special
task the warrior has to complete in order to be able to continue to the next chamber. The RZA said in an
interview with Billboard Magazine that there are nine members in the Clan, and each member has four
chambers in his heart, which makes 9x4 = 36 chambers.
2) (n) There are 36 'death-points' on the body, each seperated from the other at 10 degree intervals,
where the trained Wu expert can cause death at a single blow.
38
1) (n) 38 caliber pistol.
2) (n) "38 hot" means very angry.
380
(n) A .380 calibre handgun. "Unpacked and I grabbed my three eighty cause where we stayin', niggaz
look shady" -- Ice Cube (Summer Vacation [1991]).
4 pound
(n) 45 caliber (1 caliber = 1/100th inch) gun.
4-5-6
(n) See celo. See the song "456" by Kool G Rap.
4-9-3-11
(n) The numbers represent letters of the alphabet; 4 is D, 9 is I, and so on. These numbers spell "dick". I
be comin' through like the 4-9-3-11 tearing up the power-U" -- Method Man (Meth vs Chef [1994]).
40
1) (n) A 40-ounce bottle of malt liquor. "Use to drink every day, straight 40's to the head" -- Ice-T. (Ed
[1991]).
2) (n) A 40 caliber gun "With my 40 and my 40 to the fucking dome".
411
(n) Information, from the US phone number for information.
4:20
(n) The time to smoke some marijuana.
50
1) (n) A police officer, from the series Hawaii Five-O. The word is used mainly in East LA. "Five-O said
'freeze', and I got numb" -- Public Enemy (Bring the Noise).
2) (n) A 5.0 liter Ford Mustang, which is used as a police vehicle in some areas.
5 on it
(n) Five dollars on a sac of marijuana. "I got five on it" -- The Luniz (I got five on it [1995]).
5% Nation
(n) A group which started as an offshoot of the NoI. They teach that any large group of people, and more
specifically, the African American nation, can be divided into three groups, the 85% = basically the
ignorant masses which need to be led, the 5% = the people with true knowledge of self whose job it is to
lead the masses and fight against the 10%, the 10% = people who have partial knowledge of self and
use it to gain power and wealth by exploiting the 85, also referred to as "bloodsuckers of the poor". The
chosen percentages are what they feel that the percentages are within the black community. These
numbers are neither universal (all though these groups do exist within any large group) nor
unchangeable. "That'll be the day the five percent eat swine" -- Dred Scott (Breakin' combs [1994]).
5-plated
(adj) Nickel plated.
5000
(interj) A farewell bidding, from "I'm outta here", which evolved to "I'm Audi", and to 5000" after the Audi
5000 car, which got recalled and is a rare sight nowadays. "Yo, we outta here, 5000, G!" -- Ice Cube and
Flavor Flav (I'm only out for one thang [1990]).
502
(n) 25 years ago, California had a vehicle code 502 for drunk driving. The current code is 23152(a) vc.
"Fuck the police and a 502" -- N.W.A. (8-ball [??]).
504
(n) New Orleans area code.
5150
(n) 5150 is the section of the California Welfare and Institutions Code dealing with involuntary
confinement of a mentally disordered person. (I.e. California law consists of 29 codes, of which the
Welfare and Institutions Code is one, and 5150 is a section number in that code.) Also the name of an
old Van Halen album. It is also a track on Da Luniz' album "Operation Stackola".
64
1) (n) A 64-ounce bottle of malt liquor. "40's are no more because now I'm drinkin' 64s" -- Grand Puba
(Three Men at Chung King)
2) (n) A 1964 Chevrolet Impala. "Jumped in the 64 with the diamond in the back, sunroof top" -- N.W.A.
(Gangsta, gangsta [1988]).
7-11
1) (n) All-night convenience store, which was originally open from 7am to 11pm when other stores were
closed. "He always has me open like a 7-11" -- Salt 'n Pepa (What a man [??]).
2) (n) From the dice game called craps, rolling a 7 and then 11 wins. "Shake em up, shake em, rollin with
a couple of homies and watch me break em with a seven, seven-eleven" -- Ice Cube (Today was a good
day [1993]).
8-ball
1) (n) Old English 800, a popular beer in the hood.
2) (n) An eightball is literally, in drug terms, an eight of an ounce. There are twenty-eight grams in an
ounce, and hence, three and one half grams in an eightball. In places where an eightball is less than
three and a half grams, the laws of supply and demand have constricted the quantity in favor of a
popular price.
3) (n) On to it. Ie: "on the 8-ball", up with the play.
4) (n) The 8-ball is the last ball to pot in the billiards game of pool. If you accidentally pot it before the end
of the game, you lose. So, the 8-ball also represents chance.
808
1) (n) The bassdrum from a Roland TR-808 drum machine, which is now a popular sample.
2) (n) The penal code for disturbing the peace. Refers to the sound of bass from stereos.
85%
(n) See 5%. "Why? That's most asked by 85" -- Ladybug of Digable Planets (???).
86
(v) To kill a plan or action. In the restaurant lingo it means that you want to cancel an order already
placed with the kitchen or on the bill. "86 that spinach salad!".
9 to 5
(n) A job where you work from 9:00 am till 5:00 pm. "While your were at your job working nine to five, the
Beastie Boys were at the garden cold kickin' it live!" -- Beastie Boys (No sleep till Brooklyn [1986]).
9, 9mm
(n) 9 mm gun. "My nine is easy to load" -- L.L. Cool J. (Mama said knock you out [1990])
911
(n) The US phone number for emergencies. "Now I dialed 911 a long time ago" -- Public Enemy (911 is a
joke).
917
(n) New York City area code where all the cellular phones and pagers are on.
950
(n) The Akai S-950, a widely used rackmount sampler. A nice piece of equipment that allowed the
producer to "stretch" the sound wave so that the sample could be sped up or slowed down without
changing the pitch. It was made popular by the Bomb Squad who used them to stack samples thus
giving their tracks the dope sound. From the Alkaholiks (The next level [1994]).
97.1
(n) HOT 97, A CHR-turned-hip hop station in New York.
98 Oldsmobile
(n) A make of Oldsmobile, usually considered to be their best make of car, year after year. A real status
symbol. "My 98 is tough to chase" -- Public Enemy (You gonna get yours [1987]).
98.7
(n) WRKS KISS FM, a NYC radio station that helped bring hip-hop to the radio.