Ghetto Slang Words: Hood Slang Meaning

Slim Shady

Answer: A term of endearment used to express appreciation of someone or something. Often used to praise a person’s effort or achievement or to express sympathy.

Smoke ‘n’ Mirrors

Answer: A euphemism for masturbation, often used when a person is sexually aroused or nervous.

Smoke Weed, Man Smoke Weed, Man

Answer: A derogatory term for someone or something of low status or value.

Slacktivism

Answer: A term used to refer to any form of advocacy of radical, leftist or liberal causes.

Snicker

Answer: An exclamation of amusement at another person’s foolishness or incompetence

Ace

Answer: Best friend, main man, a person who has someone’s back, or protection or who will go down for there friend or crew.

Aight

Answer: Short for “all right”, everything is cool,

or, a way of saying something is not great, and not bad, but in the middle like.

Answer: AK 47 gas-operated assault rifle.

All that

Answer: You think you hot, or the hottest, or the coolest.

Answer: An east coast term short for brother, or bro.

Baby Mama Baby Daddy

Answer: A person you had a child with.

Back/Back up

Answer: 1- Booty, but, nice looking round butt. Remember the song “Baby got back”.

2- Crew, people that will defend you and back you up in a situation.

Bail

Answer: To Leave, or go. Short for leaving someplace (usually

Bangin/ Bang

Answer: 1- Short gang term for “Gang Bangin”

2- Girl with a ghetto body, big booty, slim waist

3- Term for sexing a girl.

Banger

Answer: Knife or a sharp weapon.

Bank

Answer: Money, cash

Baller

Answer: Ghetto term for money makers in the hood, be it by legal or illegal activities.

Also a term for a street basketball player.

Beef

Answer: Serious trouble with an individual, or group, or gang. It’s to have arguments or war.

Benjamins

Answer: $100 bills.

Benz

Answer: Short for Mercedes Benz.

Biscuit

Answer: Gun/butt

Blew it up/ Blew up the spot

Answer: When a Hip Hop crew (MC’s, BBOYS, WRITERS, DJ) gives a great performance that leaves the crowd or observers screaming.

Blunted

Answer: High Off of marijuana rolled in a Philly blunt (cigar).

Bolo/ BOLOS

Answer: 1) Meaning: Be on the lookout.

2) Term used to describe a wild punch that was invented by famous boxer Kid Chocolate and used by Sugar Ray Leonard.

Bomb

Answer: 1- A graffiti rampage on trains and walls, where you try and flood as many tags and throw ups as possible.

2- When fighting to throw as many big punches as to end the fight quick.

Break

Answer: 1-The percussive part of an 70’s James Brown style record, where the drums play a funky beat. This we called the break, and is one of the key roots to Hip Hop music.

2- original NYC gang term for getting violent on someone, or a situation. Stems from the word Breaking Point.

Booya

Answer: 1- sound of a shot gun blast

2- Used as an exclamation point

3- Name of a west coast Samoan Gangsta rap group

Break it down

Answer: 1- To dissect a knowledge situation or concept, and explain it in a simple format

2- to get down in any aspect of culture, especially dance.

Buggin

Answer: Buggin means you trippin or wilen

Bust / Bus

Answer: To take action or fight/hit/punch/shoot gun.

Also can mean to dance, or get down

note: saying “bust a move” is incredibly corny and old now.

Busta

Answer: A person who is fake, phony, or a punk who can’t fight, or snitches.

Butter

Answer: When someone, something, or someone’s Hip Hop skills are great and smooth.

Buck/ Buck Wild

Answer: 1- To shoot someone, or at someone.

2- To get crazy one someone, or violent on someone.

3- To get crazy with ones Hip Hop skills.

Bum Rush

Answer: 1- When a crew or group of people rush the door or gates of a party without paying. Bum meaning person with no cash, rush meaning forcing there way in.

2- A person getting jumped/ beat up by a group of people.

But/Booty

Answer: 1- When someone, someone’s skills or something is not good or is lacking.

2- Someone’s butt

Cheese/Cheddar

Money, cash

Chill

Answer: Relax, stay cool.

Chin Check

Answer: Punch someone in the chin/ face, To test someone’s chin with a punch to see if they can take it.

Chips

Answer: Referring to casino chips, money, cash.

Chrome

Answer: 1- Guns

2- Chrome car rims

Chucks

Answer: Short for Chuck Taylor Converse all stars sneakers, made popular in the 1970’s and were heavily popular in East coast Hip Hop and West coast Gangs.

Cipher

Answer: 1- refers to a circle of people where Mc’s battle, and freestyle, or BBoys battles and get down. It is where BBOYS and MC’s get there real training and work on there skills.

2- in 5% religion (an NYC based religion made popular by rap artists like Brand Nubian and Wu Tang) it refers to the chosen and the non chosen, 5% and non 5%, and angels and devils..so forth.

Clock, Clockin

Answer: 1- Killin time

2- Punch someone in the head.

Clown walkin

Answer: New young Hip Hop dance style. Uses allot of footwork.

Cold

Answer: 1- Short for cold hearted. Not nice, that’s not cool, what you did was cold.

2- Great, nice, good. Young people now use it to mean when something is great.

3- a word that expresses an attribute of something. Cold chillin, cold knock you out, Cold gettin down.

4- When your wrist cold

Cop

Answer: To buy, originally a term for buying drugs.

Crab

Answer: 1-A ghetto girl with nothing happening and too much attitude. A slutty girl.

2- A person who has nothing to show for him or herself, and still likes to talk crap

Crackin/ What’s crackin/ Crackalackin

Answer: Whats happening.

Crew

Answer: A group of people who work together for a common cause. Originally a slang used by the Mob for a crew of men who work to rob, steel and extort money.

In Hip Hop a crew can also be a group of MC’s (rappers), BBOYS, WRITERS (graffiti artists).

Crib

Answer: A persons home.

Crooklyn

Answer: Slang for Brooklyn

Cut up/ Cuttin the rug

Answer: Refers to gettin down, dancing.

Dead Presidents

Answer: Paper money.

Deep

Answer: 1- A wise person, a person who speaks with great knowledge.

2- A large group of people traveling together to a party, or how a person rolls up to a club, or spot.

Def

Answer: Old school term for something great.

Deuce

Answer: Ghetto way of saying the number 2

22 caliber gun = deuce deuce

42nd street = forty deuce

Dilly/Dealy/What the Dealy

Answer: Whats the deal?, whats going on?.

Dip

Answer: 1- Time to go, to leave.

2- Original Hip Hop rhyme started by members of the Furious 5.

Dip dive socialize

trying to make yall realize

that we are qualified

to rectify

to satisfy

to burn in desire, set them on fire

to boogie

Digits

Phone number

Dime

Answer: 1- bag of weed

2- A snitch, the amount for a phone call in the 60’s and 70’s and that’s what it took for a snitch to make a call.

3- a way to tell a female or male to call you.

4- referring to Bo Derrick’s move TEN, a perfect woman with pretty face, and ghetto body

Dis

Answer: Short for disrespect

Dog/Dawg

Answer: 1- friend that you can count on in times of trouble. A person who watches your back.

2- Old school NYC word for beating someone up.

Dome/Dome piece

Answer: A persons head. Usually referring to fighting and punching someone in the head, or shooting someone in the head.

Don

Answer: Spanish and Italian word for God father, or person of great respect.

They will put the word before there real name.

Dope/dopenes

Answer: 1- Another word for someone or something great

2- Drugs, heroin

Do or Die

Answer: Slang for Bedstuy Brooklyn. Do or Die Bedstuy.

D.L/Down Low

Answer: To keep something quiet, to protect a secret, shhh don’t tell anyone, or to lay low and not be seen for a while because of a situation.

Down by Law

Answer: An old school term for a person who is certified, or who has great credentials, great repoir in the streets

Dozens

Answer: A back and forth game of making fun of each others mothers, family, disabilities. This is no holds bar jokes where people get there feelings hurt, but you have suck it up. Mama jokes seem to be the most common and popular.-Your girlfriend is so stupid, the first time she used a vibrator she cracked her two front teeth.

-Your sister is so stupid, she went to the baker for a yeast infection.

-Your mother is so dumb, she couldn’t pass a blood test.

Your mother is so ugly, when he sits in the sand the cat tries to bury he

Drop Science

Answer: To teach street knowledge to other people, knowledge of self

Easy, Be easy

Be smooth.

Ends

Answer: Short for make ends meet, to have or keep money.

Fade/Faded

Answer: 1- refers to the Philly haircut where they fade the sides and the back to your skin

2- It’s to be high on drugs or liquor

Fakin jacks

Answer: To be phony or acting phony.

A person telling lies.

Fasho

Answer: For sure

Fiend

Answer: To be desperate for something, like a crackhead.

Fifth

Answer: A fifth of bacardi.

Flava

Answer: To have style, pizzazz.

Flex

Answer: Referring to flexing muscle. To try and intimidate someone, or to prepare to fight someone.

Fly/Fly Girl/Fly Guy

Answer: A person who looks, dresses, and smells good. Always got there hair done, spends allot of time and money to make themselves look good.

Flow

Answer: 1- to have plenty of money/ income flowing in due to legal or illegal activities.

2- An MC or Dancer who can move or rhyme nonstop smoothly without breaking there flow.

Forty

Answer: Referring to a forty ounce of beer.

Freestyle

Answer: 1- Original term for a style of dance that came before house dance.

2- Off the top of the head, when an MC (rapper) rhymes with no pre written rhymes.

3- term for a form of Hip Hop dance that borrows from many styles of dance in and outside of Hip Hop and then freestyle’s it off the top of the head with no routines.

Fresh

Answer: To be great, or brand new. To dance or rhyme, or do a great wild style graffiti piece. To dress nice and look good.

Front

Answer: To fake something your not. Pretending to be tuff. To not show up for a situation or a fight.

Funk/Funky

Answer: 1- It refers to a music style that originated with drummers in New Orleans like earl Palmer describing the type of sound they want to play.

2- It was a term also coined by James Brown referring to the music making people move and dance so much that at the end of the night the club would be/ smell funky from all the sweating and perspiration. so James Brown would say

3- refers to a style of music originated by the African American community. heavy bass, syncopated drums, and funky grooves.

JAMES BROWN, PARLIAMENT FUNCADELIC, SLY STONE.

4- FAKIN THE FUNK means to be fake in music or Hip Hop or on the streets. Or not really

funky.

Foreally/Foreals/Foriila/Forealdo.

Answer: Slang for “FOREAL”

Answer: 1- short for gangsta

2- short for grand, $1,000

Game

Answer: 1- To have rap or the words to talk to a fly girl. Or to have words to get out of trouble.

2- To be down to do something, or ready to forward in a situation.

3- To be good at basketball, to always have a good game.

Geese

Answer: To rob a house. And fly like geese.

Get Down/Get Loose/Get buzy

They all mean to dance, jam, rock turntables, rock a graffiti piece.

Ghetto Bird

Answer: Police helicopter.

Ghost

Answer: To disappear, to leave inconspicuously, without know one seeing you.

2016 Rolls-Royce Car

Go Off

Answer: 1- To let off physical energy like a bomb. To let loose and fight or get violent on someone.

2- To get down and dance with massive energy.

Grill/Grillin

Answer: 1- another word for face.

2- To be stared at by another person with a mean face.

3-A thing in someones teeth

Grind/Grinding

Answer: When a drug dealer is on the streets selling drugs, he’s on the grind or grinding.

A person who is constantly hittin the streets to find ways to make money to survive in the hood legally or illegally.

Gritty

Answer: Street, dirty, diggin deep.

Gully

Answer: Ghetto tuff, gutter, raw, gangsta.

Hard Core

Answer: 1- Real street raw. A person into street raw style Hip Hop music about street life, guns, murder, drugs. Raw Hip Hop, Not the party stuff.

2- when a person is into something, or an activity more than others.

Hard Rock

Answer: An old school term for a New York thug or gangsta.

Hawk

Answer: 1) To stare at or be stared at hard.

Originally this was from people of color who were stared at by store or shop owners/ workers who thought that you were gonna steal something. So the shop owner/ worker will follow you around the store and stare at you.

referring to a bird of prey with great vision.

2) Weapon

Heart

Answer: To have courage, to be brave

Holla

Answer: To call someone out, or contact someone.

Herb

Answer: 1- A punk, or someone who is soft.

2- Marijuana, weed.

Home Skillet/Home Boy/Homey

Answer: 1- Close friend from around the way.

2- Used to be a dis, when calling someone homely meant like a mamas boy, who never goes out.

Hood

Answer: Short for neighborhood, but refers to ghetto neighborhood.

Hood Rat

Answer: Refers to a girl from around the way (your block, hood) who has sex with every guy on your block/ hood.

Hot 110

Answer: And old school original graffiti term. When a writer (graffiti) writer or crosses out his enemies name, or a toy (week graffiti writer). He or she will write “hot 110” over there name.

Hottie

Answer: Mid eighties term for a fine young lady. meaning she’s hot, She’s a hottie.

Hummin

Answer: 1- Rhymes with bummin so was used to call someone a bum.

2- Person with bad breath.

Hustler

Answer: Person who is always on the grind trying to make money.

A person who never sits on his or her riches, but stays grinding for more money.

A person who does what ever it takes to make money legal or illegal.

Hype/Hype Man

Answer: 1- To perform (Hip Hop)or play ball with great energy. To get hype with a burst of energy.

2- It is an MC who backs up a main rapper (in a rap group) to keep the crowd/ audience hyper during the performance.

I Ain’t the one

Answer: Short for “I ain’t the one to be messed with”.

Ice

Answer: Jewelry covered with diamonds

Ill

Answer: Way of saying something is so great it is sickening.

Iron Horse

Answer: Subway train.

Jack

Answer: 1- Term for robbing a person, or car jacking, steeling someone’s car.

2- Also a word similar to dude.

Jake

Answer: A cop, police officer.

Jam

1- Name of an old school original Hip Hop party in the parks, school yards, small night clubs, youth centers, and so forth.

2- A term for a cool funky record that someone really likes.

Jet

Answer: To leave in a hurry.

Juice

Answer: A persons street credibility. In the streets it means to have what we called Pull. Meaning we can make something happen.

Kicks

Answer: Sneakers, tennis shoes

Kickin

Answer: Good, appealing, great.

Know the ledge

Answer: To have knowledge or self and everything around you, to have street knowledge

Krump/Krumpin

Answer: New Hip Hop dance that just came out of the streets of LA, made popular by the movie “RISE”. Affiliated with dances styles like clown walkin, the stripper dance.

Krunk

Answer: 1- To have a good time, and party hard

2- new style of Hip Hop music made popular in the Dirty South (Southern States) by artists like Lil John.

Answer: 1- Short for elevated train platforms. Outside train stations.

2- joint

Lifted

Answer: A person who is high off drugs or liquor.

Answer: Master of ceremonies. In Hip Hop an MC was the original term for Rapper. Mic Controller.

Mack

Answer: Ladies man, a guy who can get any girl he wants. Made popular by the blaxploitation movie in the 70’s.

Mad

Answer: A term used to explain when something is extra huge, or great.

Math

Answer: Phone number

Murk

Answer: 1- To kill.

2- To leave.

Newjack

Answer: A person wet behind the ears, who has no street experience, a rookie.

Non stop

Answer: Term takin from subway train terminology. Used to describe a party or situation or activity that won’t end for a long time. made popular in early Hip Hop rhymes.

Off

Answer: Shoot, Kill.

Old School/Old Schooler

Answer: A way of saying Back in the days in the streets, school of hard knocks. A person who was representing the streets back in the days. Early days of the streets.

One/One love

Answer: Street way of saying good bye. Bidding someone peace.

Latino people will say Uno.

Answer: A box cutter or razor blade

Parlayin

Answer: Chillin, relaxing

P.C

Answer: Punk City, a term for a special protective jail cell for inmates who are in danger within prison population. Usually meant for inmates who can’t fight or have no pull in the prison (they don’t know any one).

Piece

Answer: 1- A gun

2- An outlined graffiti artwork with color fill ins, and decorated on a train, wall, or black book (hardcover graffiti book)

Played/Play yourself

Answer: 1- To be discovered that your pretending your something your not, or to get caught in a lie.

2- when someone takes you for a fool. You usually get played by a so called friend or boyfriend/ girlfriend cheating on you.

Playa/Playa Hater

Answer: 1- a guy who has tons of girls and manages to play them all at the same time.

2- A person who can play the streets and system to get what he wants.

3- It is a person who down plays another playas game.

Played Out

Answer: When a fad is over and old, and no one is doing it no more.

Pop/Poped

Answer: 1- To shoot someone

2- To get busted by the police and sent to jail.

Rikers Island

Answer: A prison

Run it/ Run it back

Answer: 1-What a stick up kid (robber) would say to a victim, if it’s for a bike, or a wallet or a chain.

2- Mean rewind, or try again, or bring it back.

Saggin

Answer: Wearing you pants low and most of the time with no belt. This style of dress originated in the prison system because they confiscated belts and shoe laces so an inmate can’t hang himself.

Sawed off

Answer: A sawed off shotgun, in which the barrel(s) are sawed off to become shorter, for the purpose of the pellets inside the shells to spread out over a vast area. The accuracy is lessened by this but a sawed off 12 gauge is a gully weapon to have.

Sazon

Answer: A type of Puerto Rican food seasoning that gives Spanish food it’s flavor. The term is used by Puerto Ricans to describe someone with style and flavor.

Scrilla

Answer: Money

Scrub

Answer: 1- Originally a sports term for a person who sucks at a particular sport.

2- A term used by material girls/ gold diggers to describe A dude with no money, no car, no class, but he fronts and tries to get material girls.

Serve

Answer: To beat someone in a Hip Hop Battle. MC battle, BBOY battle, Graffiti battle, DJ battle.

Shank

Answer: A home made knife made in prison out of any object that can be sharpened.

Shorty

Answer: 1- Originally a gang term for a young kid from the neighborhood.

2- A cute/ fly ghetto girl/ honey.

Skeezer

Answer: 80’s term for slut.

Snuff/Sneak/Snuck

Answer: To sneak a punch or an attack on someone when there not lookin.

Spittin

Answer: 1- When an MC (rapper) starts rhyming.

2- It is when a person is flirting with a female.

Stack chips

Answer: To make money and save it, or put it away, then go out and make more money. A term for hustlers.

Straight

Answer: Everything is OK.

An individual is OK.

Strapped

Answer: Packing a gun.

Tag

Answer: Writing your nick name on a wall or train.

Tax

Answer: Forcibly take your money like the government. To rob.

Thorough

Answer: When something is cool, good , or safe it’s thorough.

Toy Cop

Answer: Security guards who act like there real cops.

True Dat

Answer: Means that is true.

Twisted

Answer: Don’t get it wrong, or don’t get me wrong. Don’t mess around.

Up North

Answer: A prison North of NYC. Clinton Correctional Facility.

Uptown

Answer: The upper parts of Manhattan. Anything above 100st. Harlem, Spanish Harlem and upwards.

Up/Get up

Answer: A writers (graffiti) main goal is to gain fame. To get up, is to gain fame by bombing the system (trains, walls, busses) with as many tags and throw ups.

Vic

Answer: Short for victim. A stick up kid (robber) term for a potential victim.

Wack

Answer: Not good, terrible. Referring to someone’s skills, clothes, situations.

Wax

Answer: 1- An LP or record. A DJ term for records.

2- Means to keep it cool

Whip

Answer: 1- a nice looking expensive car.

Wreck/Wreck Shop

Answer: To accomplish or destroy.

Xerox

Answer: To Copy

Youngin

Answer: A young person

Zootie/Zooted/Zootie Bang

Answer: High on angel dust, PCP.

Answer: 22 caliber gun

24/ 7

Answer: 24 hours 7 days a week. Meaning your doing something all day and all night.

Answer: 38 caliber gun

Answer: 40 ounce of beer

Answer: 44 caliber gun

411/What’s the 411

Answer: Imformation, gossip, rummors. Stems from telephone information servcice.

808

Answer: Roland 808 drum machin sounds. Refering to one particular bass beat sound made popular in early 80’s NYC Hip Hop, now used in most Dirty South music as well as Miami Bass music.

No half steppin

Answer: Don’t half step, don’t half fast. Put 100 % into your efforts not 50%.

Catch this fade

Answer: When you wanna fight

Ginsu

Answer: Knife

Answer: C-4 (explosive)

RDX

Answer: RDX, an initialism for Research Department explosive,[2] is an explosive nitroamine widely used in military and industrial applications. It was developed as an explosive which was more powerful than TNT, and it saw wide use in World War II.

Marquise

Answer: A diamond; Marquise cut diamonds are very sparkly.

AMC Pacer

Answer: Ugly car.

Ford Excursion

Answer: Ugly car 2.

Toe tag

Answer: 1. A method of identification of bodies in a morgue. A label on string tied to a deceased persons toe with their name and other information on it. Anklebands (like the wristbands you get when you visit a hospital) are now more common.2. (Slang) To kill somebody.

Maafa

Answer: Maafa (or African Holocaust, Holocaust of Enslavement, or Black holocaust as alternatives) are terms used to describe the history and ongoing effects of atrocities inflicted on African people.

Echelon

“Answer: Echelon” is a level of rank, achievement or reputation.

Ted DiBiase

Answer: He was a wrestler. He was called the “Million Dollar Man”, a millionaire who wore a gold-studded, dollar-sign-covered suit.

Cheeba & Ganja

Answer: Marijuana

Strong Island

Answer: Nickname of Long Island

Sheepskin

Answer: It is a jacket that were popular in East Coast cities in the ’70s and ’80s.

New York Hot Tracks

Answer: It is another classic NYC throwback. It was a television show guest hosted by The Beastie Boys and Run DMC, among others. It was cancelled in 1989.

Mr. Magic

Answer: John Rivas, was a prominent hip hop radio DJ.

Nu Nile

Answer: Nu Nile is a hair product that made African-textured hair look really slick back in the day.

Stush

Answer: Conceited, superior, having an air of rude hauteur particularly with regard to personal appearance – but with good reason.

Sirat al-Mustaqim

Answer: It is an Arabic term for the Islamic concept of the straight path, or the way of life which makes God happy (it’s a quote from the first Surah in the Quran: Surat Al-Fatiha)

Deen

Answer: It is a common Arabic term that is associated with religion. In Islamic context, it refers to a way of life that that is pleasing to God

“Talking out your neck”

Answer: It is a jive phrase that essentially means to lie.

Jezebel

Answer: A woman who is regarded as evil and scheming.

“Poppin’ yang”

Answer: Means talking trash.

Clock G’s

Answer: It’s ambiguous: It means sell drugs, but also receive thousands of dollars.

NSFW

Answer: Not Safe For Work.

Cap peeling

Answer: It’s the act of shooting someone in the head.

Fugazi

Answer: Means fake in Italian slang.

Tanqueray

Answer: A London Dry Gin. It is sold a various proofs, but the lowest seems to be 80 (or, around 40% abv). It is, in other words, a very strong drink.

Gazelle

Answer: It was a popular brand of glasses.

Jellies

Answer: They were shoes made of plastic.

Cazal

Answer: A pair of sunglasses

Tote

Answer: Synonym for carry

Ringolevio

It is a game, in which the seeking team would try to grab kids on the hiding team and hold them Answer: long enough to say ‘Ringolevio 1, 2, 3, 1, 2, 3’.

Inf

IAnswer: nfrared beam

Bogart

Answer: Means to hold something, usually a drink, joint, cigarette, etc., for a long time without sharing it.

Herringbone

Answer: It refers to a weaving pattern of broken V-shapes, called such because it resembles the skeleton of a herring fish

PCP

Answer: Angel Dust

Big up

Answer: A Jamaican term of encouragement or otherwise good cheer.