Ghostface Killah is critically acclaimed for his loud, fast-paced flow, and his stream-of-consciousness narratives containing cryptic slang and non-sequiturs.
Ghostface Killah was raised in the Stapleton housing projects in Staten Island, New York. In his autobiographical song "All That I Got Is You", Ghost tells the story of his childhood. He raps about how he grew up in a three bedroom apartment without his father, who left him at the age of six. Apparently, his mother had nine children.
His stage name was taken from one of the characters in the 1979 kung fu film Mystery of Chessboxing.
He was also a close friend of the three founding members of Wu-tang clan
Shakey Dog Starring Lolita
Ghostface Killah Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Pullin' up mad slow blunted, passin' police cars
I saw one two three bodies
Blood mixed with the rain ran through the gutter
That's the work of a Tommy
But then I heard it was the work of a mami
Spanish chick bad, about five six, long hair, red Jag
Kinda bowlegged, Chanel sweatpants, she thick
That's when I got the call, yo Tone come to the shop
Some fire jumped, chill I'm about to pull in the lot
Lowered the tunes, pulled the Benz keys out the ignition
Brushed the ashes off my blazer then finished my Guinness
So then I walked in, seen the God shufflin' cards
Spades game, it's goin' down, he lost a couple of yards
Peace Lord, how your physical?
He upstate miserable
Stressed, doin' a thousand sets
But yo check the visuals
I'm at this hotel in Queens
Me and Charene getting' slow necked
That's live, I couldn't finish the bean
Gotta a phone call, seen the whole bitch face fall
Dope fiend look like the bitch swallowed an eight ball
They talkin' about killin' ya man's and them
That kid from Staten, his jewels is tough, his robes is satin
Yo that's my heart Tone; yea yea he killed the captain
What nationality nigga? The kid was Latin
It happened uptown, broad day, right in Manhattan
I was shoppin' with my home girl, Leona with acne
But you know what, Flaco meets Lolita
Flew in, she from Medellin, he deaded her uncle over them seventeen bricks
Niggas ain't slick, niggas is dicks
Y'all got beef for life now 'cause that bitch is a trick
Ay yo fuck that, close the gate
And lower the shade
Then a shot popped off
Hit lil' bro in his fade
And then I see him dropped his clippers
He dipped with the quickness
It was Lolita black down yo
With four other bitches
He had a nasty hammer, fat ass
Her tits was bananas
Yo the clip was a ninety shot
She lit up the cameras
And then I bugged out, ran up the steps
Yo I got hit in the leg
He shot back, hit one bitch in her breast
Under the pinball game aimin'
It's foggy and rainin'
My jewels is clangin'
Yo Tone tuck your chain in
She shootin' like she wanted a payment
Throwin' bullets like Joe Nameth, yellin'
Yo it's all entertainment
Where y'all girls at? Where ya'll pussies at?
Thought y'all bang on Gaten Island?
I killed three things on Staten Island
Take that
You fuckin' with me huh
That's all you got baby?
Hold that! Motherfucka
Yea! You on Staten Island now nigga
Now where the fuck is your brain at now ho?
You fuckin' with me, brains is all over the wall like Velcro
I fuck your pussy while you die slow
Wake up! You cock suckin' ass maricon
That's what you get for killin' Frankie
Tony Starks, Tony Starks drop you weapons now
Put your weapons down or we will shoot
Ay yo Rae I got this
I ain't surrenderin', they gon' hang me
You know what it do, yo I love you
Say peace to my kids, say peace to my wiz
I ain't goin' to jail
Fuck it's on G, let's get, fuck y'all niggas!
The lyrics of Ghostface Killah's "Shakey Dog Starring Lolita" depict a robbery gone wrong where Ghostface and his accomplice come across the aftermath of a shooting where three people have been killed. He then receives a call informing him that a friend of his has been killed and this leads him to take revenge. His rage and violence are palpable in the lyrics as he goes after the killers and their associates.
The first verse sets the scene of the crime and offers a glimpse into the lifestyle of Ghostface - he is smoking weed and driving around slowly in his car. We also learn about the murder being the work of a "Tommy" or a "mami" who is a bad-ass, bowlegged woman. Then, the subsequent verses explore Ghostface's reaction to the news of his friend's death and his hunt for the killers.
In terms of literary devices, the song's structure is nonlinear where it jumps around different points in time without any clear chronology. The imagery used, particularly that of the murder and the subsequent revenge, is graphic and violent.
Overall, "Shakey Dog Starring Lolita" is a complex, gritty, and intense narration of revenge that showcases Ghostface's storytelling abilities and his prowess as a rapper.
Line by Line Meaning
I had my eyes squinched up tryin' to get through the fog
I was driving through dense fog and squinting to see better
Pullin' up mad slow blunted, passin' police cars
Driving slowly and high, passing police cars
I saw one two three bodies
Saw three dead bodies
Blood mixed with the rain ran through the gutter
Blood from the bodies mixed with rainwater and flowed through the gutter
That's the work of a Tommy
Thought it was the work of a man named Tommy
But then I heard it was the work of a mami
Later found out it was a woman who did it
Spanish chick bad, about five six, long hair, red Jag
Describing the appearance of the woman who committed the crime
Kinda bowlegged, Chanel sweatpants, she thick
Further physical description of the woman
She love her some pussy, don't really give a fuck about dick
The woman is attracted to women and not interested in men
That's when I got the call, yo Tone come to the shop
Received a call to go to a shop
Some fire jumped, chill I'm about to pull in the lot
There was a fire, but the person is calm and about to park
Lowered the tunes, pulled the Benz keys out the ignition
Turned down the music and removed the car keys from the ignition
Brushed the ashes off my blazer then finished my Guinness
Cleaned off the ashes from a blazer and continued drinking a Guinness beer
So then I walked in, seen the God shufflin' cards
Entered the shop and saw someone shuffling cards
Spades game, it's goin' down, he lost a couple of yards
They were playing a game of Spades, and one person lost a couple of points
Peace Lord, how your physical?
Greeting someone and asking about their well-being
He upstate miserable
The person is upstate and feeling unhappy
Stressed, doin' a thousand sets
The person is under a lot of stress and doing many sets
But yo check the visuals
Take a look around and see what's happening
I'm at this hotel in Queens
Currently located at a hotel in Queens, NY
Me and Charene getting' slow necked
Engaging in sexual activity with someone named Charene
That's live, I couldn't finish the bean
Had to leave something unfinished due to an interruption
Gotta a phone call, seen the whole bitch face fall
Received a phone call that caused someone's expression to change
Dope fiend look like the bitch swallowed an eight ball
Saw a drug addict who appeared to have swallowed a drug-filled object
They talkin' about killin' ya man's and them
Received information that someone is planning to kill a group of people including your man
That kid from Staten, his jewels is tough, his robes is satin
Describing someone from Staten Island who wears expensive clothes and jewelry
Yo that's my heart Tone; yea yea he killed the captain
Identifying someone as a friend who killed another person
What nationality nigga? The kid was Latin
Asking about the ethnicity of the person who was killed
It happened uptown, broad day, right in Manhattan
The murder occurred during the daytime in Manhattan
I was shoppin' with my home girl, Leona with acne
Was at a store with a friend named Leona who has acne
But you know what, Flaco meets Lolita
Introducing two names, Flaco and Lolita
Flew in, she from Medellin, he deaded her uncle over them seventeen bricks
Lolita is from Medellin, and Flaco killed her uncle over a drug deal involving 17 bricks
Niggas ain't slick, niggas is dicks
People are not clever, they are foolish
Y'all got beef for life now 'cause that bitch is a trick
Now there is a lifelong feud because of Lolita's involvement
Ay yo fuck that, close the gate
Disregard what was just said, and close the gate
And lower the shade
Lower the window shades in the room
Then a shot popped off
A gunshot was fired
Hit lil' bro in his fade
The shot hit someone's hairline
And then I see him dropped his clippers
Witnessed someone drop their hair clippers
He dipped with the quickness
The person left quickly
It was Lolita black down yo
Lolita was involved in the shooting
With four other bitches
Lolita was accompanied by four other women
He had a nasty hammer, fat ass
The shooter had a large gun and a nice physique
Her tits was bananas
Lolita had impressive breasts
Yo the clip was a ninety shot
The gun used a 90-shot clip
She lit up the cameras
Lolita shot the cameras in the room
And then I bugged out, ran up the steps
Reacted suddenly and ran up some stairs
Yo I got hit in the leg
Got shot in the leg
He shot back, hit one bitch in her breast
Returned fire and hit one of the women in the chest
Under the pinball game aimin'
Took cover and aimed under a pinball game
It's foggy and rainin'
The weather is foggy and rainy
My jewels is clangin'
The person's jewelry is making a clanging noise
Yo Tone tuck your chain in
Someone warned Tone to hide his chain for safety
She shootin' like she wanted a payment
Lolita is shooting as if she expects to be paid for it
Throwin' bullets like Joe Nameth, yellin'
Shooting a lot of bullets and yelling
Yo it's all entertainment
Describing the situation as entertainment, even though it's dangerous
Where y'all girls at? Where ya'll pussies at?
Asking where the women are
Thought y'all bang on Gaten Island?
Asking if the women are affiliated with a gang on Staten Island
I killed three things on Staten Island
Boasting about killing three people on Staten Island
Take that
An exclamation before taking action
You fuckin' with me huh
Asking if someone is challenging him
That's all you got baby?
Taunting the opponent's lack of ability
Hold that! Motherfucka
Before attacking, tells the opponent to wait and takes a shot at them
Yea! You on Staten Island now nigga
Reminding someone where they are and who's in charge
Now where the fuck is your brain at now ho?
Taunting someone and questioning their intelligence
You fuckin' with me, brains is all over the wall like Velcro
Threatening violence against someone who challenges him
I fuck your pussy while you die slow
Threatening further violence and making a vulgar comment
Wake up! You cock suckin' ass maricon
Insulting and cursing at someone
That's what you get for killin' Frankie
Retaliating against someone for killing a friend named Frankie
Tony Starks, Tony Starks drop you weapons now
Someone calls out Ghostface's real name and tells him to drop his weapons
Put your weapons down or we will shoot
Telling Ghostface to disarm or face the consequences
Ay yo Rae I got this
Ghostface calls out to his friend Rae, letting him know he has the situation under control
I ain't surrenderin', they gon' hang me
Refusing to give up and predicting a bad outcome
You know what it do, yo I love you
Saying goodbye to a loved one
Say peace to my kids, say peace to my wiz
Asking someone to say goodbye to their children and partner
I ain't goin' to jail
Refusing to be taken to jail
Fuck it's on G, let's get, fuck y'all niggas!
Deciding to fight instead of surrendering or running away
Lyrics © Radio Tele Music, Universal Music Publishing Group, Spirit Music Group, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Corey Woods, Nick Movshon, Todd Simon, Leon Marcus Michels, Dennis D. Coles, Levar R. Coppin, Deleno Sean Matthews, Dennis Coles, Lewis Parker
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
meatymatmart
This track is ridiculous. Ghost and Rae's storytelling at it's finest. You can literally see the shootout happening right in front of you
buck rogers
Always been my fav song of the album.
Mulch
ghost and rae fucking kill it
Clayton Jones
i think specifically around the time this album came out, ghost was pissed at everybody for downloading the album, because he doesn't profit from it. that, in turn, causes him to not be able to pay for other shit, like sample clearances, production, etc. |the kid|
eugenius1126
El Michels did his thing, and I find his more satisfying musically (the horns are way iller)...but Ghost & Rae ripped this shit...
Spiritmanlives
Straight up and down! Check if it's hot then cop the disc to show the support. Young ass cats don't even know about digging in the crates or poppin tapes.
TheKingUpNorth
Actually if you visit the website posted in the video, you won't gain access to a free download. It's some free money scam shit...
butcher5603
hey you rae i got this
Forkliftdance
This is what you get for killing franky
Kasim Rai
this youtube promo thing at the beginning is so annoying