Hip

Since the inception of rap music, certain words have been associated with hip-hop and become increasingly popular in the genre. Sometimes, normal words take on new meanings and other times, artists make up their own slang. Right when you think you know it all, every so often, another word pops up that sends you to Google its definition. To make things easier XXL, created a slang dictionary that can be referenced the next time you hear something that doesn't immediately translate.

Though XXL doesn’t glorify any violence, modern day rappers who come from survive-or-die situations are quick to make some type of reference to guns. Take for example the noun nina, which is slang for a semi-automatic pistol. In Nicki Minaj’s Young Money 2021 track “Seeing Green,” Lil Wayne used the term. "I put you six-feet deep, I'm bein' socially distant/Nina Ross on the hip, the .44 is my mistress," he raps on the record.

Rappers specialize in painting pictures with descriptions. On the note of adjectives, the word fire finds its way into nearly every album and song. The description is used to describe something or someone that’s of high quality. "You got that fire and I'm not a liar/You had me down on my knees every day, had to talk with Messiah," Future raps on Drake's 2021 song "Desires." The word fire is also used to describe having guns on deck and potent marijuana.

There are plenty of verbs in rap lingo, too. Take for example straightenin’, which means getting something back on track. We can thank Migos for bringing the term to life. “There go a rocket, is Take' in it?/It's a problem with few then we straightenin' it,” Quavo raps on Migos' 2021 track “Straightenin.” The word flossin’ is a valid example as well, referring to flexing and stunting. “Red bottoms, I'm kicking shit, I'm flossing on you fools/Cameltoe big, I see the print inside her suit,” Young Thug spits on “Daddy’s Birthday” in 2017.

There’s plenty more where that comes from. Below, you can find a dictionary of rap slang used since the 2000s. And if you scroll down even further, you’ll peep some lingo from the 1990s as well.

Activis noun1. lean, drank

EXAMPLE: "Christian Louboutins, a walking mannequin, my Balmains full of blue Benjamins/Don't drink that shit just to be cool, I only sip Actavis ’cause it's my medicine"—Takeoff on Migos' “Trap Funk”

act up phrase1. to engage in foolish behavior.

EXAMPLE: "Act up, we gon' mask up, boy, I dare you/Brody catch a body, I'ma leave you in the rearview"—Lil Tjay's “F.N”

bagnoun1. money

EXAMPLE: "You get the bag and fumble it/I get the bag and flip it and tumble it (Yeah),"—Quavo on Gucci Mane's "I Get the Bag" featuring Migos

bando noun1. an abandoned house, a trap house

EXAMPLE: "Fill the bando up with bags, give the lil' bro them a job/You can come get rich with us, you gon' eat or you gon' starve?"—Lil Baby's “On Me"

Barbz or Barbies noun1. Nicki Minaj's fan base

EXAMPLE: "Yeah, my money's so tall that my Barbies got to climb it/Hotter than a Middle Eastern climate, violent"—Nicki Minaj on Kanye West's “Monster"

bussin’ adjective1. to let gun shots ring out2. something that is very good

EXAMPLE: "Police-ass niggas with that cuffin'/Try to run up on us, we gon get to bussin'"—G Herbo's “Get 2 Bussin” featuring Lil Bibby

cake noun1. a big butt2. money

EXAMPLE: "Mink coats make your woman wanna fornicate/Rozay and Drake, I'm getting cake, nothin' short of great"—Rick Ross on Drake's “Lord Know”

cap noun1. lying2. the top of one's head3. to take one's head off

EXAMPLE: "I've been had my way out here, yeah, know that's facts/You ain't livin' that shit you say, yeah, we know that's cap"—Meek Mill's “Going Bad” featuring Drake

chicken noun1. money

EXAMPLE: "I be gettin' to the chicken, countin' to the chicken/And all of my niggas gon' split it"—Desiigner's “Panda”

crack adjective1. something really good and addicting

EXAMPLE: "Florida BasedGod what it do? I'm back/One hundred grand show, man, dude, that's crack"—Lil B's “Bloggers Anthem”

dab noun1. dance move2. fashion sense3. a concentrated form of cannabis

EXAMPLE: "Took your hoe ’cause she gave me a boner/Look at my dab persona"—Quavo on Migos' "You Wanna See"

dat wayphrase1. For real2. To curve or swerve in a certain direction

EXAMPLE: "Nigga try Lil' Tay-K, it's gon' be his last day/If you not talkin' ’bout smoke, you could go dat way"—Tay-K's “Dat Way”

deadassadverb1. seriously

EXAMPLE: "When it comes to that paper, I be deadass serious/My driveway look like the Fast & the Furious (skrrt)"—Young Dolph's "Dead Ass Serious"

don noun1. A boss, the head of crew

EXAMPLE: "OG on the beat, OG Jordan 3s/When you the don, you understand and you oversee it"—Big Sean's “Offense” featuring Babyface Ray and 42 Dugg

drip adjective1. a cool outfit

EXAMPLE: "Keep my head above the water while I drown in wealth/I got that drip like Gunna, I may drip or drown myself"—Juice Wrld's “Stay High”

drill verb1. to kill someone, something

EXAMPLE: "The type of shit'll make me flip out and just kill somethin'/Drill somethin', get ill and fill ratchets with a lil' somethin'"—Kendrick Lamar's “Fear”

eater noun1. a person who performs a lot of oral sex

EXAMPLE: "Bad bitch from the woods, I think she a hunter/She a killer and an eater, she a Jeffrey Dahmer"—Juice Wrld's “Bandit” with YoungBoy Never Broke Again

fire adjective1. something that's amazing, pleasant and attractive2. weapons and ammo

EXAMPLE: "My head game is fire, punani Dasani/It's goin' in dry and it's comin' out soggy"—Cardi B's “WAP” with Megan Thee Stallion

fried

adjective1. to be highly intoxicated

EXAMPLE: "In the function, and I'm fried, it's a strive, it's not a drive/When they open wide, it's a riot, riot"—Travis Scott's "No Bystanders" featuring Juice Wrld and Sheck Wes

flossin' verb1. showing off, stunting

EXAMPLE: "I don't need no one vouchin' for me/I be flossin', ain't talkin' 'bout my teeth"—Gunna's “ Who You Foolin"

flexverb1. to boast about possessions or money

EXAMPLE: "Natural born hustler, nigga, stuntin' is my strong suit/Flexin' with a hunnid cash, look at what these songs do"—Polo G's "Flex" featuring Juice Wrld

gas adjective1. high-grade marijuana2. to hype someone

EXAMPLE: "I am smokin' on that gas, life should be on Cinemax/Movie, bought my boo bigger tits and a bigger ass"—2 Chainz's “No Lie” featuring Drake

goofy noun1. A lame, cornball

EXAMPLE: "I hate a goofy especially/They always dyin' to mention me"—Drake's “Hype”

hammer noun1. a gun

EXAMPLE: "Ayo, Eli, why they testin' me?/Like I don't always keep the hammer next to me"—Young M.A's “OOOUUU”

hard noun1. someone or something that is tough in manner

EXAMPLE: "I carved OF on it this morning with a glass shard/On my green mini ramp that I built in my backyard, that's hard"—Tyler, The Creator's “Colossus”

ice noun1. jewelry, diamonds

EXAMPLE: "Ice on my neck, cost me 10 times three/$30,000 for a nigga to get flee"—Lil Yachty on DRAM's “Broccoli”

irie adjective1. the state of feeling good2. high, intoxicated

EXAMPLE: "I got dressed, I mixed the Tisa with Versace/I smoked a joint and took a bar, now I'm irie"—Ty Dolla $ign's “Irie” featuring Wiz Khalifa

jackin' verb1. not believing or thinking2. stealing3. claiming

EXAMPLE: "Now wildin', ready for all the violence/I don’t need a nigga jacking that he riding"—6ix9ine's "Kika”

jabroninoun1. a lame, cornball

EXAMPLE: "MAC-10 hungry, you pussies are baloneys/I been with your mummy ’cause your daddy a jabroni"—Young Thug's "Jumped Out The Window”

knock verb1. to play loudly

EXAMPLE: "Tint the windows by the doors, let the four ride/Speakers knockin', they can hear me in the north side"—Mac Miller's "Special”

kiss verb1. to kill

EXAMPLE: "Jada, MWAH, I'll kiss you, you bitch-ass nigga/Bet the hood won't miss you, you bitch-ass nigga"—Jadakiss' "We Gonna Make It” featuring Styles P

lick noun1. a way of making money2. a drug fiend

EXAMPLE: "Bustin' all the bells out the box/I just hit a lick with the box"—Roddy Ricch's "The Box”

lit adjective1. something that's turned up2. intoxicated

EXAMPLE: "30 for a walkthrough, man, we had that bitch lit/Had so many bottles, gave ugly girl a sip"—Post Malone's "Psycho” featuring Ty Dolla $ign

mop noun1. a firearm with a long clip2. a wet mouth

EXAMPLE: "I got the mop, watch me wash ’em like detergent/And I'm ballin', that's why it's diamonds on my jersey"—Roddy Ricch on DaBaby's "Rockstar”

moola noun1. money, currency

EXAMPLE: "She know I get that moola, man trappin' is a habit/We ballin' every night, baby, woah Kemosabe"—Future on Dej Loaf's "Hey There”

Nina noun1. a handgun

EXAMPLE: "I bet a lot of niggas plottin' so you know I got that heater, bruh/Drive my side of Harlem, catch me ridin' with my Nina, bruh"—A$AP Rocky's "Excuse Me"

nice adjective1. skilled

EXAMPLE: "Pull up on them bikes, let the throttle pop/Niggas know I'm nice, and I got a lot"—Meek Mill's "Flexing"

no cap adverb1. to tell the truth2. no lie

EXAMPLE: "Opp, I'll slap the shit out a nigga/No talkin', I don't like to argue with niggas (I don't)/Ain't gon' be no more laughin'/You see me whip out ’cause I'm gon' be done shot me a nigga (No cap)"—DaBaby's Suge

OD adjective1. past the limit2. overdone

EXAMPLE: "Trips that you plan for the next whole week/Bands too long for a nigga so cheap/And your flex OD, and your sex OD"—Drake's "No Guidance" with Chris Brown

opp noun1. an enemy

EXAMPLE: "In New York I Milly Rock/Hide it in my sock/Running from an opp/And I shoot at opp"—Playboi Carti's "Magnolia"

P

noun1. a positive thing

verb1. player2. keeping it real

EXAMPLE: "She let me squeeze, then she lеave ’cause she keep it P"—Gunna and Future's "pushin P" featuring Young Thug

pack noun1. a dead person or thing2. to carry a weapon3. a collection of drugs

EXAMPLE: "My nigga sell crack like it's back in the ’80s/Know a young nigga, he actin' so crazy/He serve a few packs and he jack a Mercedes/He shoot at the police, he clap at old ladies"—J. Cole's "KOD"

peon noun1. a soft, lame person

EXAMPLE: "These niggas groupies, they peons, mane/King of my city like Leon, mane"—Lil Uzi Vert's "Lo Mein"

quickie noun1. a brief sexual act2. to do something in a hurry

EXAMPLE: "Yung Miami, yeah, bitch, I'm from the city/I'm litty, diamonds drippy, eat my pussy, that's a quickie"—Yung Miami on City Girls' "Twerkulator"

quarter noun1. one fourth of one million dollars2. one fourth of an ounce in drugs

EXAMPLE: "Earrings cost a quarter, certified by GIA/If it's ’bout my bae or ’bout some smoke, I'm on my way"—21 Savage on Travis Scott's "NC-17"

rat noun1. a snitch

EXAMPLE: "Stuart Little, heard these niggas some rats/Pockets full of cheese, bitch, I got racks"—21 Savage's "No Heart" with Metro Boomin

ratchet adjective1. out of pocket, unruly

EXAMPLE: "Not classy, I’m ratchet, if I twerk it, he gon’ smack it/Put money in my basket, I got some expensive habits"—Flo Milli's "My Attitude"

simp noun1. a desperate person, a person who does too much for someone they like

EXAMPLE: "Them whack hoes, y'all niggas simpin'/Them bad hoes, my niggas pimpin'"—Maxo Kream's “Hella Yellas”

slatt phrase1. slime love all the time

EXAMPLE: "In L.A., I smoke that gas/In L.A., I link with slatt"—Playboi Carti's “FlatBed Freestyle”

slime noun1. a homie, ride or die2. to do someone dirty

EXAMPLE: "She slid her hand down my pants just to grab the torpedo/I had to go back and link with my slimes like I'm 13 and zero"—Travis Scott on Young Thug's “Hot” with Gunna

straightenin' verb1. getting things right

EXAMPLE: "Niggas act like somеthing been taken/Ain't nothing but a little bit of straightenin'"—Quavo on Migos' "Straightenin"

sucka noun1. a punk, chump

EXAMPLE: "I don't rap to suckas/God bless you all, I only talk special talk"—Jay-Z on DJ Khaled's "I Got The Keys" with Future

tech noun1. a semi-automatic pistol2. lean, cough syrup

EXAMPLE: "Ayo, I walk through the valley of the shadow of death/Where niggas hold techs like they mad at the ref"—J. Cole's "Forbidden Fruit"

thot or thotty noun1. an overindulgent person when it comes to sex

EXAMPLE: "I see two twin opps, leave ’em on a banner/And I got two thick thots, wanna link the gang, yeah"—Lil Tecca's "Ransom"

up it phrase1. to raise weapons, shoot

EXAMPLE: "Hey, the beat go off?/I up it then my heat go off"—Chief Keef's "Earned It"

vamp noun1. someone who stays up all night2. Playboi Carti's fan base

EXAMPLE: "When them vamps outside, lil' bitch, you better be ready/When them guns outside, lil' bitch, you better be ready"—Playboi Carti's "Vamp Anthem"

wetty noun1. an attractive woman2. to be wet

EXAMPLE: "Fivio said she a wetty/I was sittin' at the trap house whippin' shit out the crocker like Betty"—Roddy Ricch's "Thailand"

WAPphrase1. an acronym for wet-ass pussy

EXAMPLE: "I'm talkin' WAP, WAP, WAP, that's some wet-ass pussy/Macaroni in a pot, that's some wet-ass pussy"—Cardi B's "WAP" with Megan Thee Stallion

Xanny noun1. Xanax

EXAMPLE: "She say I'm insane, yeah/I might blow my brain out/Xanny, help the pain, yeah/Please, Xanny, make it go away"—Lil Uzi Vert's "XO TOUR Llif3"

yams noun1. a big butt

EXAMPLE: "I'm in the kitchen, yams everywhere/Just made a juug, I got bands everywhere"—2 Chainz's "Birthday Song"

YOLO phrase1. you only live once

EXAMPLE: "I'm screamin' out, 'YOLO,' yeah, that's still the motto/I know I be on some shit that they ain't thought of"—Lil Baby on Drake's "Wants and Needs"

Zaza noun1. exotic, potent weed

EXAMPLE: "I smoke Zaza, I'm in La La off them trees/Took the T-tops off the ’Vette, I need a breeze"—Trippie Redd's "Weeeeee"

zooted adjective1. to be lit, highly intoxicated

EXAMPLE: "Popped me a Perc' and went ooh on her titties/Smokin' exotic, I'm zooted, I'm litty"—Lil Keed's "Tip Top"

—K.H.

1990's Dictionary

bangin’ noun1. of extraordinary quality2. attractive or desirable

EXAMPLE: "Goddamn, backyard's bangin’ like a Benzie/If I was jiggy, you'd be spotted like Spuds McKenzie"—Ghostface Killah's “Ice Cream”

big willie noun1. someone with a lot of money and luxury goods, usually acquired through hustling; one with extravagant taste and a penchant for flaunting their wealth.

EXAMPLE: “The crew is lampin’ Big Willie-style/Check the chip-toothed smile, plus I profile wild”—Nas' “The World is Yours”

bling noun1. jewelry made primarily of platinum or diamonds; characterized by distinct gleam emitted when hit by light

EXAMPLE: “All day my phone ringin' bling, bling, bling/Can see my earring from a mile, bling, bling”—B.G.'s “Bling, Bling”

’bout it adj.1. showing dedication; all about a particular topic or action2. to be thorough in handling one’s business3. down for any and everything4. intrepidness; not showing fear

EXAMPLE: “’Cause I'm bout it, I mean I'm rowdy/I hang with these killas that everyone talk about”—Master P's “Bout it, Bout it”

cheddar noun1. currency; money, usually cash.

EXAMPLE: “See it's all about the cheddar, nobody do it better/Going back to Cali, strictly for the weather”—The Notorious B.I.G.'s “Going Back to Cali”

chillaxin’ verb1. to chill and relax at the same time.

EXAMPLE: I'm just chillaxin'

coolio adjective1. remarkably cool or fresh

ADDITIONAL NOTES: The name of 1990’s rapper Coolio of “Gangsta’s Paradise” fame.

cream noun1. currency, usually signaling substantial, long-term wealth

EXAMPLE: “Cash rules everything around me/CREAM! Get the money, dolla, dolla bill y’all.”—Method Man's “C.R.E.A.M.”

da bomb or bomb noun1. something of surprisingly exceptional quality

verb1. to be explosively good; mind-blowing.

EXAMPLE: “The pussy was da bomb, had a nigga on sprung”– Snoop Doggy Dogg's “Bitches Ain’t Shit”

doe or dough noun1. currency; quick means of exchange

EXAMPLE: "So think a little 'bout the people minus money/And when you get your dough, why don't you show some kindness, honey?"—Run-DMC's "Christmas Is"

drop it like it’s hot verb1. to drop one’s backside quickly to the rhythm of a song, catching it just before it touches the floor.

EXAMPLE: “After you back it up, then stop/Then wha, wha, what, drop drop it like it's hot”—Lil Wayne's “Back that Azz Up”

everything is everything phrase1. it’s all good; used to affirm or confirm that a situation is chill; all is right in the world.

EXAMPLE: “Everything is everything, what is meant to be will be”—Lauryn Hill's “Everything Is Everything”

groovy adjective1. cool; used to confirm that everything is OK; often uttered during the use of hallucinogenic or psychedelic drugs.

EXAMPLE: “Groovy dude, not to prove to be rude/But this stuff is like what you might put on movie food”—MF DOOM's “Great Day”

holla back verb1. to reply in order to continue a correspondence with a friend or new acquaintance.

EXAMPLE: "It's alright, you heard? It's alright, holla back"—Jay-Z's "It's Alright"

ADDITIONAL NOTES: officially died in 2005, after the release of Gwen Stefani’s “Hollaback Girl”

hooty hoo noun1. call used by hustlers to signal the presence of police.2. tribal utterance acknowledging a friend.

EXAMPLE: “One for the playas at the crib, dank and dranks/And two is for the sound, Hootie Hoo that I make”—Big Boi's “Hootie Hoo”

jiggy adj.1. fly; dapper; exceptionally well-dressed and put together

EXAMPLE: “Let’s get the dough and stay real jiggy, uh huh/And sip the Cris and get pissy-pissy/Flow infinitely like the memory of my nigga Biggie, baby!”—Jay-Z's “Hard Knock Life”

keepin’ it real verb1. the act of staying true to one’s self or upbringing

EXAMPLE: “Keepin’ it real, packin’ steel, getting’ high/’Cause life’s a bitch and then ya die”—AZ's “Life’s a Bitch”

live 1. full of energy; exciting; lively2. real, authentic

EXAMPLE: “From Bedford Stuyvesant, the livest one/Representin’ BK to the fullest”—The Notorious B.I.G.'s “Unbelievable”

maxin’ verb1. to do a whole lot of nothing; relaxing without a care in the world.

EXAMPLE: “Chillin’ out, maxin’, relaxin’ all cool and, uh, shootin’ some b-ball outside of the school”—The Fresh Prince's “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air Theme Song”

mo’ money, mo’ problems phrase1. the eternal conundrum of success; the more money you get, the more problems you have.

EXAMPLE: “I don’t know what they want from me/It’s like the more money we come about, the more problems we see”—The Notorious B.I.G.'s “Mo Money, Mo Problems”

no diggity adj.1. without a doubt; definite; used to show supreme confidence in something

EXAMPLE: “I like the players/No diggity, no doubt”—Blackstreet's “No Diggity”

slammin' adj.1. aggressively good; of a definitely superior quality

EXAMPLE: “My rap’s steady slammin’, I keep a heavy cannon/It’s a new sheriff in town, and it ain’t Reggie Hammond.”—Big L's “Put it On”

sneaks noun1. from the root word sneakers2. tennis shoes; kicks; gym shoes

EXAMPLE: "Freaks be movin' in fly sneaks/Two finger rings and gold teeth and ain't afraid to hold heat"—Raekwon's "Ice Cream"

phat adj.1. used to describe something of considerable thickness or girth, usually a part of the female anatomy;2. describing something particularly fulfilling; robust; can refer to one’s wealth.3. acronym for pretty hot and tempting.

Note: Not to be confused with “fat.”

EXAMPLE: “Long as my mutherfuckin’ pockets was phat/I didn’t give a fuck where the bitch was at”—Dr. Dre's “Bitches Ain’t Shit”

word up adj.1. interjectional statement of the affirmative; shows that the user enthusiastically agrees with what was just said.

EXAMPLE: "Thug changes, and love changes/and best friends become strangers, word up"—Nas' "The Message"

ya played yaself verb1. To overstep one’s bounds, unintentionally embarrassing one’s self; to misjudge or underestimate an opponent based on delusions of grandeur.

EXAMPLE: “So put a quarter in your ass, ’cause ya played yaself”—Big Daddy Kane's “The Symphony”—Calvin Stovall