Lord Finesse (born Robert Hall) is a legendary MC-turned-producer who has produced tracks for Notorious B.I.G. (1997's Ready to Die) and Dr. Dre (1999's Chronic). As a young cocky MC, he would travel to any borough in New York to battle their best rapper and win. He shopped his demo to various record labels and eventually dropped the first of several records, his 1990 classic Funky Technician. The record had a few tracks produced by his good friend Diamond (formerly Diamond D), a former member of the rap group Ultimate Force. One of the oldest members in the D.I.T.C. crew, Diamond got his first whiff of hip-hop DJing for Jazzy Jay of the Zulu Nation in 1979. In the mid-'80s, he was turntable scratching at late-night park parties, often competing with area top DJs (Showbiz was once his nemesis.) In 1992, this DJ, then a producer, showcased New York City's underground talent and his rap skills on his classic debut Stunts, Blunts & Hip-Hop.
Bronx native Fat Joe became the first Latino rapper in New York to secure a solo deal with a major label with his 1993 debut Representin'. In 1998, his Don Cartagena release went gold (500,000 copies sold). Showbiz & A.G. were the first to adopt the do-it-yourself attitude by releasing their 1992 debut EP, Can I Get a Soul Clap, practically out of the trunk of their cars. Showbiz, a name he stolen from an old Richard Pryor record, pioneered taking an instrumental and looping voices over it. His partner A.G. was known as the Bronx's "punchline" rapper. Through the mid-'90s, he was a prolific producer, producing tracks for primarily underground rap acts. In 1999, A.G. restarted his rap career with his solo CD Dirty Version.
Meanwhile, another Bronx native named Buckwild, who once started out as Lord Finesse's apprentice in his production company, started producing tracks around 1994. He later delivered melodic beats for rap heavyweights like Fat Joe, Notorious B.I.G., Big L, Mic Geronimo, and Big Pun. But it was his first at-bat, producing tracks for O.C.'s Word Life in 1994, that established him as a vital producer in the underground rap scene. O.C., one of hip-hop's most energetic lyricists, was an up-and-coming MC before Word Life. After the album's release, he made numerous guest appearances on other D.I.T.C. members' records while maintaining a low profile.
The final member of D.I.T.C. was Big L, a lyrically ferocious MC with raps deadlier than a snakebite and mannerisms cooler than the uptown pimp he claimed to be on records. Calling himself the flamboyant (meaning "rich") MC, he dropped his classic 1994 record Lifestylez ov da Poor and Dangerous on Columbia. He was gearing up for a comeback, with a second CD due for release on Rawkus, when he was slain on February 15, 1999. The crew came together later that year for a memorial concert at Trammps in New York (anthologized by a series of CD releases), and recorded a self-titled group record in 2000. In 2011 it was reported by Showbiz that the group will no longer release any new material due to musical differences
Ebonics
D.I.T.C. Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And listen real closely how I break this slang shit down
Check it, my weed smoke is my lye
A ki of coke is a pie
When Iโฒm lifted, I'm high
With new clothes on, Iโฒm fly
Cars is whips and sneakers is kicks
Also, cribs is homes, jacks is pay phones
Cocaine is nose candy, cigarettes is bones
A radio is a box, a razor blade is a ox
Fat diamonds is rocks and jakes is cop
And if you got rubbed, you got stuck
You got shot, you got bucked
And if you got double-crossed, you got fucked
Your bankroll is your poke, a choke hold is a yoke
A kite is a note, a con is a okey doke
And if you got punched that mean you got snuffed
To clean is to buff, a bull scare is a strong bluff
I know you like the way I'm freakin' it
I talk with slang and Iโฒma never stop speakinโฒ it
Chorus(x2):
"Speak with criminal slang" -Nas
That's just the way that I talk, yo
"Vocabulary spills, Iโฒm ill" -Nas
Yo, yo
A burglary is a jook, a woof's a crook
Mobb Deep already explained the meaninโฒ of shook
If you caught a felony, you caught a F
If you got killed, you got left
If you got the dragon, you got bad breath
If you 730, that mean you crazy
Hit me on the hip means page me
Angel dust is sherm, if you got AIDS, you got the germ
If a chick gave you a disease, then you got burned
Max mean to relax, guns and pistols is gats
Condoms is hats, critters is cracks
The food you eat is your grub
A victim's a mark
A sweat box is a small club, your tick is your heart
Your apartment is your pad
Your old man is your dad
The studio is the lab and heated is mad
I know you like the way Iโฒm freakin' it
I talk with slang and I'ma never stop speakinโฒ it
Chorus(x2)
The iron horse is the train and champaign is bubbly
A deuce is a honey thatโฒs ugly
If your girl is fine, she's a dime
A suit is a fine, jewelry is shine
If you in love, that mean you blind
Genuine is real, a face card is a hundred dollar bill
A very hard, long stare is a grill
If you sneakinโฒ to go see a girl, that mean you creepin'
Smilinโฒ is cheesin', bleedinโฒ is leakin'
Beggin is bummin, if you nuttin you comin
Takin' orders is sunninโฒ, an ounce of coke is a onion
A hotelโฒs a telly, a cell phone's a celly
Jealous is jelly, your food box is your belly
To guerrilla mean to use physical force
You took a L, you took a loss
To show off mean floss, uh
I know you like the way Iโฒm freakin' it
I talk with slang and Iโฒma never stop speakin' it
Chorus(x2)
Yeah, yeah
One love to my big brother, Big Lee
Holdinโฒ it down
Yeah, Flamboyant for life
Yeah yeah, Flamboyant for life
In the song Ebonics by D.I.T.C., the singer is breaking down and explaining the slang words that are commonly used on the streets. He begins by stating that his weed smoke is his lye, which means that smoking weed is his release and a way of calming down. He then explains that a ki of coke is a pie, and when he is high, he is lifted. He continues on by saying new clothes make him feel fly, and sneakers are kicks while cars are whips. Money is chips, and movies are flicks. Cribs represent homes while jacks are payphones, and cigarettes are bones. A razor blade is a knife, and a kite is a note. Fat diamonds are rocks while con men are okey dokes. If someone got punched, they got snuffed, and cleaning is referred to as buffing. A bull scare is an attempt to bluff someone strongly. The singer explains that he will speak with slang and will never stop and uses the words of Nas to emphasize this.
He continues to explain that a burglary is a jook and a woof is a crook. If someone has a felony, it is known as an F, and if someone dies, they are left. Someone with bad breath has the dragon, while 730 means crazy. Contacting someone through their beeper is to hit them on the hip. AIDS are referred to as the germ, and if someone gave you an STD, then you got burned. If you want to relax or chill, you max out, and guns are referred to as pistols or gats. Condoms, in slang, are known as hats, while the food you eat is your grub. While a sweatbox is a small club, a victim is a mark, and your tick is your heart.
D.I.T.C.'s song Ebonics was first released on 1998. It wasn't until 2000 that the term 'ebonics' would come to the forefront of popular linguistics. The song, though, played an important role in popularizing one of the earliest examples of naming this particular dialect. Other interesting facts about this song include its samples from other artists, including Billy Squier and James Brown. The chorus of the song features lines from Nas's "Nas is Like," where he raps, "Vocabulary spills, Iโm ill" and "Speak with criminal slang." Moreover, the track was featured on the soundtrack of the 2005 video game of Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories. The song was produced by Buckwild, who has produced for many famous hip-hop artists. Buckwild was part of D.I.T.C. crew, which consisted of skilled MCs and producers. D.I.T.C. stands for Diggin in the Crates, which refers to their love for record digging. Furthermore, Ebonics and another song named "Day One" were big hits for D.I.T.C. Finally, the song is regarded as one of the best examples of how to discuss and analyze languages that emerge from cultural exchange in urban communities.
The chords for Ebonics' are not known as it's a song that relies extensively on rapping, not singing.
Line by Line Meaning
Yo, pay attention
And listen real closely how I break this slang shit down
Listen carefully to how I explain the slang words and phrases used in my community.
Check it, my weed smoke is my lye
A ki of coke is a pie
When I'm lifted, I'm high
With new clothes on, I'm fly
Cars is whips and sneakers is kicks
Money is chips, movies is flicks
Also, cribs is homes, jacks is pay phones
Cocaine is nose candy, cigarettes is bones
A radio is a box, a razor blade is a ox
Fat diamonds is rocks and jakes is cop
And if you got rubbed, you got stuck
You got shot, you got bucked
And if you got double-crossed, you got fucked
Your bankroll is your poke, a choke hold is a yoke
A kite is a note, a con is a okey doke
And if you got punched that mean you got snuffed
To clean is to buff, a bull scare is a strong bluff
I know you like the way I'm freakin' it
I talk with slang and I'ma never stop speakin' it
In my community, weed is a very important thing for smoking and it makes me high. One kilogram of cocaine is called a pie. New clothes make me feel fly. Cars are also called whips, while sneakers are called kicks. Money is referred to as chips, while movies are flicks. Homes are called cribs, and phones are called jacks. Cocaine is described as nose candy, and cigarettes as bones. Instead of radio, we use the word box. Diamonds are also known as rocks, and police are called jakes. If someone robs you, you get stuck. If you are shot or killed, you got bucked. To be double-crossed is to be tricked. Your bank balance is poke, and a chokehold is a yoke. A note is also known as a kite, and being conned is okey doke. Getting hit is being snuffed, and to clean something is to buff it. A strong bluff is bull scare, and I speak with slang all the time.
Chorus(x2):
"Speak with criminal slang" -Nas
That's just the way that I talk, yo
"Vocabulary spills, I'm ill" -Nas
Nas wanted me to speak with criminal language, and that's how I talk. My vocabulary spills are really good.
Yo, yo
A burglary is a jook, a woof's a crook
Mobb Deep already explained the meanin' of shook
If you caught a felony, you caught a F
If you got killed, you got left
If you got the dragon, you got bad breath
If you 730, that mean you crazy
Hit me on the hip means page me
Angel dust is sherm, if you got AIDS, you got the germ
If a chick gave you a disease, then you got burned
Max mean to relax, guns and pistols is gats
Condoms is hats, critters is cracks
The food you eat is your grub
A victim's a mark
A sweat box is a small club, your tick is your heart
Your apartment is your pad
Your old man is your dad
The studio is the lab and heated is mad
I know you like the way I'm freakin' it
I talk with slang and I'ma never stop speakin' it
In my community, a burglary is referred to as jooking, and crooks are called woofs. Mobb Deep has already explained what it means to be shook. If you commit a felony, it's known as catching an F. If you're killed, you're left behind. Having bad breath is called having the dragon. If you're 730, it means you're crazy. When someone says, 'hit me on the hip,' it means you should page them. Angel dust is also known as sherm, and if someone has AIDS, they are said to have the germ. If someone gives you a disease, it's called getting burned. Maxing is relaxing, while guns and pistols are called gats. Condoms are also referred to as hats, and crack is called critters. The food you eat is called grub, while a victim is called a mark. A sweatbox is a small club, and your heart is your tick. An apartment is called a pad, while fathers are known as old men. Studios are labs, and things that are heated are mad. I speak with slang all the time, and I won't stop.
Chorus(x2)
Nas wanted me to speak with criminal language, and that's how I talk. My vocabulary spills are really good.
The iron horse is the train and champagne is bubbly
A deuce is a honey that's ugly
If your girl is fine, she's a dime
A suit is a fine, jewelry is shine
If you in love, that mean you blind
Genuine is real, a face card is a hundred dollar bill
A very hard, long stare is a grill
If you sneakin' to go see a girl, that mean you creepin'
Smilin' is cheesin', bleedin' is leakin'
Beggin is bummin, if you nuttin you comin
Takin' orders is sunnin', an ounce of coke is a onion
A hotel's a telly, a cell phone's a celly
Jealous is jelly, your food box is your belly
To guerrilla mean to use physical force
You took a L, you took a loss
To show off mean floss, uh
I know you like the way I'm freakin' it
I talk with slang and I'ma never stop speakin' it
In our community, the train is called the iron horse, and champagne is bubbly. A deuce is an ugly girl. A fine girl is a dime, while a fine suit is also called a fine. Jewelry is also known as shine. In love, people are said to be blind. Genuine means real, and a hundred dollar bill is called a face card. A long, hard stare is called a grill. If you sneak to see someone, it means that you're creeping. Cheesing is smiling, while bleeding is leaking. To beg is to bum, and for men, ejaculation is called coming. To take orders is called sunning, and one ounce of coke is an onion. A hotel is called a telly, while a cell phone is referred to as a celly. Jelly is used for jealousy, while your belly means food box. Being a guerrilla means using physical force, while to take a L means loss. To show off is to floss. I speak with slang all the time and I won't stop.
Chorus(x2)
Nas wanted me to speak with criminal language, and that's how I talk. My vocabulary spills are really good.
Yeah, yeah
One love to my big brother, Big Lee
Holdin' it down
Yeah, Flamboyant for life
Yeah yeah, Flamboyant for life
Shoutout to my big brother, Big Lee! He's the best! I'm a proud member of the flamboyant crew, and I hold it down. Flamboyant for life!
Writer(s): Chris Martin, Lamont Coleman, Rondell Edwin Turner, Lester Coleman
Contributed by Molly J. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
blaise gordon
This is real hip hop kids ๐ New York style where it all began if it wasn't for the old school there wouldn't be a new school so pay homage to the old school rappers
Joseph Fazio
RIP Big L ๐๐ป๐ค๐ฅ๐
Jerry Spearman
This is definitely dope but I also like the album version as well โ๐ฟ๐ผ
makoshark69x
The other version is much better.... It flows better with the words !
Legendary DQ
"Mobb Deep already explained the meaning of Shook" - Big L
m town
0:04 greatest "Check-It" of all time
Charlie Digital
Tommy Boy got that REAL hip hop. Don't sleep
Rugged Hedz Media
They used to
Jordan 23
Mobb deep already explained the meaning of shook
NEW JERSEY GIANT
Hard body hip hop