His stagename stemmed from his large ears, which led to the nickname Dumbo in his youth. "Ele" started out his musical career as a member of the Scare Dem Crew, later continuing as a solo artist. He was later characterized for several trademarks, such as his yellow-orange hair, his unique low-key voice, or his stage performance, which included excessive jumping and running, or even climbing on stage props and monitors. His acoustic trademark is marked by a light lisp.
The first international recognition came when Elephant Man and Puma settled a contract for using his single "All Out" for their Olympics commercial campaign in 2004.
Elephant Man has been widely criticised for his lyrics calling for violence against gay people. In 2003 British LBGT group OutRage! called for the arrest and prosecution of several dancehall stars including Elephant Man, Bounty Killer and Beenie Man for violation of hate crimes statutes [1]
Elephant Man also had a song called "Willie Bounce" that appeared on several Mixtapes in early 2006. It borrowed the first few bars from I Will Survive by Gloria Gaynor.
Recently, the Jamaican star has been signed to New York-based label Bad Boy Entertainment.
What's Up
Elephant Man Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
[Intro: Elephant Man (Mr. Vegas)]
Yeah mon!!! Well mi know nowadays but...
How a gal dem pretty mon??? Bad bad bad
Well mi haffi date one a dem girl deh
Ha!!! Yuh know!!! Hey yo!!!
Right now this a fi di gal dem yuh know
Get ready for this my ladies Ha!!!!
Hey yo!!! What's up baby???
(Yeah)
Yuh know we roll...Hey yo what's up???
Di gal dem around deh look good
Tek di dancefloor, yuh know...ha!!!
[Chorus: Mr. Vegas]
OOoh say what say what say what
OOoh girl you know what's up
OOoh say what say what say what
OOoh girl you know what's up
[Verse 1: Elephant Man]
They should know!!! What's up
All a di gal dem wey fat till your buff
Tek di dancefloor yuh nuh old and tough
Nah sell your body fi nuh bwoy cause your gruff
Miss fat enough...push up your one
From yuh know seh yuh and your man number one
And yuh know yuh never get nuh one night stand
Hold yuh foot back dem nuh tough like gang
Push up your one...Ha!!!!
[Mr. Vegas:]
Me and my peoples be rollin, trailin on you and your homies
Very first day of summer, all chromed out in my hummer babe
In the park and parle, hope your up and awake
Cause you and your girls wanna ride
Play all day, puff on the la
[Chorus]
[Mr. Vegas:]
Say what say what say what
You know that I like it baby
OOoh girl you know what's up
You know what I need
Say what say what say what
You know that I like it baby
OOoh girl you know what's up
You know what I need
[Verse 2: Elephant Man (Woman)]
Downtown mall mi and di girls dem go shoppin
Platinum card we spend non stoppin
Candlelight dinner inna mi private cabin
When mi dun she seh she ready fi di stabbin
Whisper inna mi ears and seh she waan plan wedding
Straight inna di bedroom mi and har headin
Holla mi name!!! Yuh feel seh she heaven
(Please don't stop!!!)
A so di gal beggin
[Mr. Vegas (Elephant Man):]
I'm diggin you I'm feelin you
And you know what's up
Said I'm big on you I'm wanting you
So tell me what's up???
(What's up my ladies come and get this.)
[Chorus: Mr. Vegas]
Say what say what say what
You know that I like it baby
OOoh girl you know what's up
You know what I need
Say what say what say what
You know that I like it baby
OOoh girl you know what's up
You know what I need
[Verse 1]
In "What's Up," Elephant Man and Mr. Vegas are addressing a group of attractive women, expressing their admiration for them and prompting them to take to the dance floor. Elephant Man assures the women that they don't have to resort to selling their bodies to attract men, and encourages them to be confident and proud of their bodies, specifically referencing women who may be considered "fat" as deserving of love and attention. The verse ends with a call for the women to "push up" and show off their bodies on the dance floor.
Mr. Vegas takes over the chorus, repeating the phrase "you know what's up" and encouraging the women to let him know what they need. He addresses the women directly, expressing his interest in them and indicating that he and his friends are looking for fun and adventure.
In the second verse, Elephant Man describes a more intimate encounter with a woman, including shopping trips and candlelight dinners. He implies that the woman is interested in a more serious commitment, but Elephant Man seems more interested in the physical aspect of the relationship.
Overall, "What's Up" is a song that celebrates the female form and encourages women to own their bodies and take pride in their appearance. It also portrays women as confident, independent and in control of their sexuality.
Line by Line Meaning
They should know!!! What's up
I'm addressing the ladies and they should know what's up
All a di gal dem wey fat till your buff
All the women who are curvy and confident should come to the dancefloor
Tek di dancefloor yuh nuh old and tough
Don't be afraid to dance, you're not old and tough
Nah sell your body fi nuh bwoy cause your gruff
Don't sell your body for any man because you're worth more than that
Miss fat enough...push up your one
Ladies who are curvy enough, show off what you got
From yuh know seh yuh and your man number one
If you know you and your man are the best, show it off
And yuh know yuh never get nuh one night stand
If you know you're not the type for one night stands, show it off
Hold yuh foot back dem nuh tough like gang
Hold your foot back and dance gracefully, not violently like a gang
Push up your one...Ha!!!!
Show what you got and dance with confidence
Downtown mall mi and di girls dem go shoppin
Me and the girls are going shopping at the downtown mall
Platinum card we spend non stoppin
We're using a platinum card and not stopping our shopping spree
Candlelight dinner inna mi private cabin
Having a romantic candlelight dinner in my private cabin
When mi dun she seh she ready fi di stabbin
After dinner, she's ready for some intimate time
Whisper inna mi ears and seh she waan plan wedding
She whispers in my ear that she wants to plan our wedding
Straight inna di bedroom mi and har headin
We're heading straight to the bedroom
Holla mi name!!! Yuh feel seh she heaven
She calls out my name and it makes me feel like I'm in heaven
(Please don't stop!!!)
She's enjoying herself and doesn't want me to stop
Say what say what say what
What are you saying? What's on your mind?
You know that I like it baby
I really like what you're doing, baby
OOoh girl you know what's up
You know what's going on, girl
You know what I need
You know what I want and what I need
I'm diggin you I'm feelin you
I'm really into you, I'm attracted to you
And you know what's up
And you're aware of the situation and what's going on
Said I'm big on you I'm wanting you
I'm really interested and desire you
So tell me what's up??? (What's up my ladies come and get this.)
So what's the deal? Ladies, come and get this offer.
Contributed by Layla O. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@odurs
Its February 2024, let’s see how many legends are listening to this masterpiece❤
@MikySrbija
I Just find it out today... I was searching for this song about 15 years
@rainardlothar5203
Our generation growing up had the best music
@alexandragrit8827
Here🙌
@YisneySoto
@@MikySrbijaoh my.
I like both English and Spanish version.
@LemonJuice2314
g'day
@donnysky12
I love how she flexed her Opera skills at the beginning with no context 😂😂
@maya-ci2py
😭😭😭
@zooobie
She gets asked 😂😂
@alinamarianelana8522
https://youtu.be/ZaI2IlHwmgQ