Pearlgirl121
United States
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Hi Gary, Bex is right…Black slang is largely intuitive/rapidly evolving and not easily explained (ergo, few references exist). I don't speak much slang myself, but when I hear it, some I immediately understand and some I don't so I ask. It is a combination of a lot of different things. Historically, since slavery we have had to concoct our own coded language/ terms to communicate messages (after all, if you're picking cotton under your slavemaster's watchful eye and you want to discuss escaping among other slaves who all speak different African dialects, you have to come up with something common to all). Now, I think its just an ingrained part of our culture to "tweak" the language (& sometimes confuse people…lol!). Some terms are just words in which certain letters are left out for greater ease of use [i.e. if you're free flowing or rapping, it is easier to say "aight" (1 syllable) than it is to say "alright", or to say "fitty" instead of "fifty"]. Some terms are regional (i.e from the Deep South) and spread to other areas. Some is broken English (& not necessarily just black, again i.e. in parts of the South). Sometimes it it a functional reference (i.e."kicks" instead of "shoes"). Sometimes, it is a random word with no association at all, or an association from a movie/song/weel known person/ characteristic (like when Blacks were wearing jheri curl hairstyles in the 80's we called them "juicys" because the products used to maintain them made our hair wet to the point of dripping (like "juice" from a fruit…you get the point). Points of origin are endless. Regarding Nelly's song, I looked up the lyrics (I've never heard the song…not really a hip-hop kinda girl) & will try to clarify some of the slang in [] brackets.Forgive me if I am over-simplistic: (customer) Yo yo yo, my man yo [Yo=hey. In this case, a greeting but can be used to call someone in the same way that you would use hey] (employee) Yeah man, what can I help you with? (customer) Yeah, you gotta say you got me on this one,look [I had to ask someone. He's basically telling the employee "you have to help me out with this"] (employee) Wha'da ya need, wha'da ya need? [Wha'da=what do (its the 2 words run together), ya=you. What do you need?] (customer) Ya got the new nelly? ya got that in, the new nellyville, you got that right? [Do you have the new Nelly (cd)? Do you have that in, the new Nellyville (cd), you have that in right?] (employee) What is that, rap or something? (customer) Yeah (employee) I think we just sold outta it man. [outta= out of] (customer) Sold out? ! come on brother, it's the 4th, 5th store I've been to today, they all sold out [they are all sold out.."are" was left out] (employee) We're all sold out (customer) Come on man, you gotta help a brother out, I'm in a desperate situation here (employee) I'd love to help ya, my brother (customer) I gotta nice little sexy little thang waitin for me at the crib and all she wanna hear is nelly, I'm tryin to get it, do ya feel? [at the crib= at home, do you feel= do you understand me/my situation] [Basically his girl is waiting for him at home and all she wants to listen to is Nelly so he's trying to get it for her] (employee) I hear ya, I hear ya, ya gotta get the mood going…ya know [I hear ya= I understand you/your situation/what you're saying, you have to set the right mood…you know] (customer) That's what I'm tryin to do pimp ju.. [pimp juice= probably a reference to a song, "Pimp Juice", by Nelly. We are known, especially in the South, for giving each other nicknames/references, like when girls call each other 'girlfriend'] (employee) Pimp juice? ! (customer) Look man, just let me, let me…...can ya download it for me, something? ? (employee) Naw man, we can't do that here [Naw=no] (customer) Mp3, you can't? (employee) No we can't, mp3 I'm sorry (customer) Lemme take one of these listening machines or somethin and bring it back to ya tomorrow [lemme= let me] (employee) Ya fuckin crazy, my boss would kill me man (customer) Look man, just check in the back, do whatever you gotta do [do whatever you have to do] (employee) Hold on, lemme see what I can do for ya bro, lemme see….(pause) Man this is the last one I got (customer) I'm cool (employee) It's the clean version, that's all I got, I found the clean version for ya (customer) It's the clean version? ! (employee) Ya know…the new one, nellyville? (customer) Ya say they ain't no cussin on it or nuttin? [you are saying that there is no cussing or anything? (nuttin=nothing)] (employee) Ya want it? [Do you want it] (customer) If that all you got.. [if that is all that you have…] (employee) It's hip-hop (customer) Aww damn, aight, aight, gimme that man, I just gotta make it happen now, I just gotta [alright, alright, give me that man, I just have to make it happen (meaning, I have to get that cd to set the mood for my girl at home who is expecting me to show up with this cd) (employee) Alright, alright, hurry up though, we got people waitin in line here, they've been waitin for a long time [waitin=waiting] (customer) Yeah alright, go ahead and give it to me, I'll take it (employee) good look dawg [good decision] (customer) Aight [alright] Hope this helps! Pearlgirl121, Los Angeles
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