Don’t mortify yourself by saying “fo’ shizzle” to someone from Chicago or by expecting Hi-Tek slang to be recognized outside of the Cincinnati metropolitan area. (No offense, Nati residents.) Rap slang can be as hyper-regional as sports alliances. With the help of M.I.M.’s lyrical breakdown about how each part of the US raps, we created an atlas of five notable words from each region.
East Coast rap
East Coast rap is most famous for its NYC origins鈥攔ap as we know it was born in the South Bronx and developed from Queens to Virginia Beach. We could write an article on Wu-Tang’s Staten Island-based lyrical innovations alone; choosing just five words from the East Coast, the birthplace of hip hop, is as challenging as a rose growing through concrete.C.R.E.A.M. or Cash Rules Everything Around Me originated in NYC, specifically Staten Island.
In a lyric: “Cash rules everything around me, C.R.E.A.M. Get the money, dollar dollar bill, y’all.”
鈥揥u Tang Clan, “C.R.E.A.M.”
Everyday use: Should I spend Tuesday night hanging out with my grandma, or picking up extra dog walking shifts? Hmm, C.R.E.A.M.鈥擨’ll choose the paid labor.”
闯颈驳驳测听means fly or cool and originated in NYC, specifically Harlem.
In a lyric: “Let’s get the dough and stay real jiggy.”
鈥揓ay-Z, “Hard Knock Life”
Everyday use: Xavier thought his puffy vest was pretty jiggy, but I think it’s very 2002. In a bad way.
搁别辫谤别蝉别苍迟听means from or exemplifying, and it originated in NYC, specifically Brooklyn.
In a lyric: “What ya throwin on? Biggie Smalls, who you represent?”
鈥揘otorious BIG, “Jeans and Sneakers”
Everyday use: The comedian got the audience hyped by shouting “Brooklyn! Represent, represent!” as soon as she got on stage.
Jawn听辞谤 joint are all-purpose nouns originating in Philadelphia.
In a lyric: “I’m golden brown, and you know she’s the joint.”
鈥揊unky 4 + 1, “That’s the Joint”
Everyday use: Let’s go down to that jawn on 4th St. and grab a hoagie.
730 means crazy and originated in NYC (specifically from the city code used when a perp suffers from a mental disorder).
In a lyric: “They say I’m 730, say I spaz out.”
鈥揊oxy Brown, “730”
Everyday use: Julia went 730 when she scuffed her new white sneakers.
West Coast rap
Rap may have started in New York, but California taught it how to chill out and slow down.听And, there is no definitive answer to whether LA’s rap terminology is more innovative than the Bay Area’s鈥擲noop Dogg and E-40 have been there, and the debate ain’t pretty.Gangsta means gangster or tough, and it originated in LA.
In a lyric: “Gangsta, gangsta! That’s what they’re yellin.’ It’s not about a salary, it’s all about reality.”
鈥揘WA, “Gangsta Gangsta”
Everyday use: Bobby can pose as pretty gangsta sometimes, but he’s about as soft as they come.
Fo shizzle/fa shizzle听means for sure and originated in LA.
In a lyric: “Fa shizzle my nizzle, the big Snoopy D-O-double-jizzle back up in the hizzle.”
鈥揝noop Dogg, “Suited N Booted”
Everyday use: Hey, want to see a 7:45 movie? Fo shizzle.
Beotch听is an insulting or incredulous address, often aimed at a woman, and it originated in Oakland.
In a lyric: “I’ll call her a beotch 鈥� beotch!”
鈥揟oo $hort, “Call Her a B!tch”
Everyday use: Don’t call someone a beotch鈥攅specially a stranger.
Ghostride the whip听means to let a car drive itself, and it originated in Vallejo.
In a lyric: “Now let me direct traffic for a minute 鈥� ghostride the whip.”
鈥揈-40, “Tell Me When to Go”
Everyday use: There was a sideshow last weekend, and there are still marks on the road from where people were turning donuts and ghostriding the whip.
Gouda means money and originated in Vallejo.
In a lyric: “Ten racks in a rubber band (gouda), Got three or fo’ mo’ in my other hand (gouda).”
鈥揈-40, “Gouda”
Everyday use: Stefanie blew all her gouda on fixing her car, and then it broke again … immediately.
Southern rap
The South is often referred to as the “dirty South” or the “third coast” of rap. Yet, it鈥攕pecifically, Houston, Memphis, Atlanta, and New Orleans鈥攈as some of the richest and most prolific online record-keeping of their regional terms. Considering that Southern hip hop is a relatively recent genre compared to the Coasts, their library of slang is pretty impressive.Crunk听means听crazy or drunk, and it originated in Memphis and Atlanta.
In a lyric: “She getting crunk in the club I mean she work.”
鈥揧ing Yang Twins, “Get Low”
Everyday use: Miquila was mortified when her parents came home crunk from the party.
Flossin听means to show off and originated in Houston.
In a lyric: “What you know about acting bad, flossin’ prowlers? I got seven DVDs, I’m watchin’ Austin Powers.”
鈥揕il’ Flip, “Texas Boyz (Screwed)”
Everyday use: Chester got a new jacket, and he’s sending everyone selfies, flossin in it.
Lean听means a type of sizzurp (a Sprite-codine-candy mixture) or the effects of heavy inebriation. It originated in Houston.
In a lyric: “Just pour it in my drink and I’ma sip until I lean hard.”
鈥揕il Jon, “Me and My Drank”
Everyday use: Sometimes it’s hard to tell if someone is sleeping or just having some heavy lean effects.
Trap house听means a house where drugs are sold and it originated in Atlanta.
In a lyric: “Bricks going in, bricks going out. Made a hundred thousand in my trap house.”
鈥揋ucci Mane, “Trap House”
Everyday use: Ever since finishing The Wire,听Adrian’s been acting like he knows everything about the drug trade, but I doubt he’s even seen a trap house in real life.
Ratchet means crazy or off-the-hook. It’s often鈥攂ut not always鈥攗sed to refer to a woman. It originated in New Orleans and Baton Rouge.
In a lyric: “We all got some rachet in us (erbody, erbody got a lil ratchet).”
鈥揕il Boosie, “Do the Ratchet”
Everyday use: Ken was naturally offended when someone accused his neighborhood of being rachet.
Midwest rap
听
The Midwest, which encompasses songs celebrating the toughest aspects of gang life and the softer backpack rap of the Twin Cities, is quite diverse. That’s because we’re including everything that’s not the South, Eastern Seaboard, and Cali in the Midwestern school of hip hop鈥攚hich admittedly tends to be Chicago-dominated. Here are some Midwestern highlights (and, in the case of ICP, lowlights).Juke听means to trick or steal or to grind. It originated in Chicago.
In a lyric: “Back it up like, juke juke, 3, 4, juke juke.”
鈥揅hance the Rapper, “Juke Juke”
Everyday use: I can’t believe you paid $100 for those cheap knockoff Ray-Bans. You’ve been juked, Danielle.
Thot听means that ho over there and originated in Chicago.
In a lyric: “Okay, you got me鈥擨 don’t love no thotties.”
鈥揅hief Keef, “Love No Thotties”
Everyday use: Commenting “THOT” in Instagram is a low blow.
WATCH: Is The 亚洲网紅露点 "Thot" Offensive?
Woo this听辞谤听dis听means so on and so forth and it originated in Chicago.
In a lyric: “They was talking ‘woo this woo wap da bam.'”
鈥揅hance the Rapper, “Angels”
Everyday use: Pras’s verse in “Ghetto Superstar”鈥�”letting bygones be bygones, and so on and so on”鈥攊s the 90s version of “woo dis.”
Stan听means an obsessive fan and originated in Detroit.
In a lyric: “Just to chat, truly yours, your biggest fan, this is Stan.”
鈥揈minem, “Stan”
Everyday use: Milica is a huge Kevin Durant stan. She has three different KD jerseys鈥攆rom each of his teams.
Juggalo or jugalette听means an avid Insane Clown Posse fan (male or female). These originated in Detroit.
In a lyric: “Yo, I’m a juggalo, so don’t forget me like you did with Menudo.”
鈥揑nsane Clown Posse, “Down with the Clown”
Everyday use: If you admit to being a juggalo, you have to be ready for people to make fun of you for it.
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Need more rap slang in your life? Check out these Everyday 亚洲网紅露点s That Have Different Meanings In Rap.
