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Break ’em
- In slang, to “break someone off” can mean to make them like something. It’s like Cube is saying to his DJ, “Let’s make my audience love this one.” “Break” can also have a violent meaning in another context.
Yeah
Just wakin’ up in the morning, gotta thank God
- *I have to thank God
I don’t know, but today seems kinda odd
No barking from the dog, no smog
- “Smog” is the collective pollution from vehicles, fumes, and other waste in the air. Los Angeles is famous for having lots of smog.
And Momma cooked a breakfast with no hog
- “Hog” is another word for pig. This has to do with Islam for Cube, since Muslims usually don’t eat pork.
I got my grub on, but didn’t pig out
- To “get your grub on” is to eat well, since “grub” is another word for food. To “pig out” is to eat too much, more than you need to. This is a play on the “hog” line before.
Finally got a call from a girl I wanna dig out
- “Dig out” can mean find out more about something or someone. Here, his meaning is probably more sexual.
Hooked it up for later as I hit the door
- To “hook something up” is to plan for it to happen or to make it. “I hooked up some eggs for you this morning.” “We need to hook up a date, you and me this weekend?” Also, he is not literally hitting the door. This just means to leave. A similar phrase is “hit the road.”
Thinkin’, “Will I live another twenty-four?”
- As in twenty-four hours.
I gotta go ’cause I got me a drop-top
- *I have to go because I have… “Drop-top” is a convertible car. “I got me” is a way to say you have something. Similar ways of phrasing: “I need me a new bed. They need them a whole new house.” It just adds emphasis to the subject of the sentence. It’s not correct grammar though 😉
And if I hit the switch, I can make the a** drop
- He’s talking about making the back of his car go down, as in low riders.
Had to stop at a red light
Lookin’ in my mirror and not a jacker in sight
- A “jacker” is someone who takes things from others, like a thief. To “jack” is to steal.
And everything is alright
I got a beep from Kim, and she can f*** all night
- A “beep” refers back before cellphones when people used pagers (or beepers) to contact each other. Sometimes, people still say “Give me a beep” when talking about a cellphone.
Called up the homies and I’m askin’ y’all
- “Homies” are your best friends, basically.
“Which park are y’all playin’ basketball?”
- *At which park are you all playing basketball?
Get me on the court and I’m trouble
Last week, f***** around and got a triple double
- A “triple-double” is an achievement in a basketball game when a player makes a double-digit total in three statistical categories. For example, 12 rebounds, 20 assists, 43 points. Basketball terminology. To “F around” or “mess around” here means to do something while not even trying or not expecting it. “I messed around and ate a whole pizza without even trying.”
Freakin’ n***** every way, like MJ
- This is a reference to Michael Jordan making other players look bad on the basketball court because he’s so good.
I can’t believe today was a good day
Drove to the pad and hit the showers
- “Pad” is another word for your house. To “hit the showers” just means to take a shower or clean yourself up.
Didn’t even get no static from the cowards
- *I didn’t even get any static… Double negatives! “Static” normally is that fuzzy electric sound your phone makes when there is a bad signal. Here, static can mean an irritating noise. He’s not hearing any annoying talk from other people.
‘Cause just yesterday them fools tried to blast me
- *Because just yesterday those fools tried… To “blast” here means to shoot.
Saw the police and they rolled right past me
No flexin’, didn’t even look in a n****’s direction
- To “flex” is to make yourself look better or show off. “No flexing” means he is not trying to show off, but is telling the truth. A similar phrase is “No lie.”
As I ran the intersection
- To “run” an intersection is to drive through it when you’re not supposed to, such as on a red light. The same concept is to “run a red light.”
Went to Short Dog‘s house, they was watchin’ Yo! MTV Raps
- *They were watching… Short Dog is another rapper.
What’s the haps on the craps?
- “What’s the haps?” is a fun way to ask “What’s happening? What’s going on?” A similar phrase is “What’s the deal?” “Craps” is a popular dice game. Learn more by clicking here
Shake ’em up, shake ’em up, shake ’em up, shake ’em
- As in shaking dice before you throw them.
Roll ’em in a circle of n*****
- And rolling dice, too. People often play dice on the floor where they throw them in the middle of a circle of other players. Also, playing this way is stereotypically associated with black Americans. In casinos, people play at a special table.
And watch me break ’em with the 7, 7-11, 7-11
- So here, “break” means to do damage to the other players. Rolling a 7 or 11 is really good. He’s winning the game.
7, even back door Little Joe
- Again, references to the game of craps. He’s doing very well.
I picked up the cash flow
- He won a lot of money.
Then we played bones, and I’m yellin’: “Domino!“
- “Bones” is a game you play with dominos. It can be another word for the game of dominos. “Domino!” is what you say when you win the game.
Plus nobody I know got killed in South Central LA
Today was a good day
Left my n****’s house paid
- *I left…
Picked up a girl been tryna f*** since the 12th grade
- *I picked up a girl I have been trying to…
It’s ironic, I had the brew, she had the chronic
- The “brew” here means liquor. “Chronic” means marijuana.
The Lakers beat the Supersonics
- The Supersonic were a basketball team from Seattle, and were rivals of the LA Lakers.
I felt on the big fat fanny
- “Fanny” in the U.S. means butt, and it’s not particularly offensive. In the UK, it has a much more derogatory meaning, I hear. Americans usually say it to be funny.
Pulled out the jammy and killed the p*****
- “Jammy” here means condom. Much like “jimmy.” To “kill” means to have a lot of success or perform really well in something. Obviously, he is talking about something pretty intimate. That P-word is a reference to a woman’s private parts. It’s not the usual American English way to say this, but it’s a word that we borrowed from Indian slang by way of Jamaica.
And my d*** runs deep, so deep
So deep put her a** to sleep
- Usually, the “A-word” means butt. However, people often use it just to refer to a person. “James’s a** was so rude yesterday.” Not his butt, but James himself was rude.
Woke her up around one
She didn’t hesitate to call Ice Cube the top gun
- A reference to the movie Top Gun. She says Cube was the best.
Drove her to the pad and I’m coastin‘
- “Coasting” is driving smoothly and happily. It can be used for any vehicle, really, but especially those with wheels, like cars, skateboards, bikes, etc.
Took another sip of the potion, hit the three-wheel motion
- The “potion” means his drink. In normal situations, “potion” is a magic liquid that has some special properties. Sometimes people use it to mean liquor. “Three-wheel motion” refers to his low-rider. He can make his car stand on three wheels.
I was glad everything had worked out
- Here, “work out” means that things went well, everything was good.
Dropped her a** off and then chirped out
- Here, “chirp out” means to make noise with your car’s tires as you leave. More simply, it means to drive away. Similar to “roll out.” These days, instead of “chirp,” most young people say “skert.”
Today was like one of those fly dreams
- In slang, “fly” means really cool. You can have fly clothes, or meet a fly person, for example. “Those shoes are fly!”
Didn’t even see a berry flashin’ those high beams
- “Berry” references the colorful lights on a police car. High beam lights.
No helicopter lookin’ for a murder
Two in the morning, got the Fatburger
- Fatburger is a popular fast-food burger restaurant. They have some famous locations in Southern California, especially.
Even saw the lights of the Goodyear Blimp
- A “blimp” is a big air vehicle that looks like a balloon. In Los Angeles, the Goodyear Blimp is famous for flying around and showing messages or advertisements in the sky.
And it read “Ice Cube’s a Pimp”
Drunk as hell, but no throwin’ up
- To “throw up” is to vomit.
Halfway home and my pager still blowin’ up
- *My pager is still… To “blow up” here is to get a lot of attention or action. “My phone is blowing up.”
Today I didn’t even have to use my AK
- An “Ak-47” is a type of gun. I think you knew that. It’s also the state initials of Alaska, fun fact.
I gotta say, it was a good day
- Similar to “I must say,” or “I have to say.” It’s like saying “To be honest,” or “To tell the truth.” “I gotta say, you can make a good German chocolate cake!”
Hey, wait, wait a minute!
Pooh, stop this s***!
- Pooh is the DJ on this song.
What the f*** am I thinkin’ about?
.
- This is a very dear song to me; it’s old-school West Coast rap and it speaks on a lot of the problems of Los Angeles in a unique way. Instead of complaining about the problems, he raps about how perfect a day would be without those problems. There would be no violence, no police, good food, plenty of sleep and lots of love from a girl he’s always wanted to be with. There wouldn’t even be any smog in the LA skies! The song is kind of dreamy and hopeful for the future in a way, all the while criticizing how hard a normal day in South Central LA really is. Does this sound like a perfect day for you too? Let me know what you think!
Listen to the song:
Also, watch the music video:
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