How Well Do You Know Your Rap Slang?

By: Lauren Lubas
Estimated Completion Time
3 min
How Well Do You Know Your Rap Slang?
Image: BJ Formento/DigitalVision/Getty Images

About This Quiz

Do you think it's easy being a rapper? There are so many different terms that you have to remember, and you have to start getting creative when you write your lyrics. Not only do creative lyrics attract fans, they also help you avoid getting your music banned from the radio. We learn so many different words for intercourse, violence, weapons, and drugs from rap music that we basically get an insight into a second language. Knowing rap slang is no joke, and if you have the additional vocabulary, you can keep up with the best of them.

This quiz isn't just about words used in rap songs, it's about the language and culture of rap music since its inception. These terms and phrases brought us an understanding of what it was like to live in the terrible neighborhoods of LA, New York and Detroit. They helped connect to those who lived in those cities, and they changed the way we look at language in general. If you think you have a grasp on rap slang, we challenge you to this intense quiz. If you think you have what it takes to ace this quiz, answer these questions, and let's see how well you know your rap slang.

Joe got "heated" over some idiot. What does it mean when Joe is heated?
He's very happy.
He's very angry.
When you're really angry, you're heated. Of course, this also is a direct term for something that has escalated. For example, you can get into a heated discussion with a heated person ... if you know your rap slang.
He's very ugly.
He's very strange.

Advertisement

"She's a 'dime'" means that she's what?
Small amount of money
A bag of pills
Driving fast
Attractive woman
In rap slang, there are quite a few words for an attractive woman. One of those words is "dime." A dime is ten cents, and an attractive woman is a perfect ten, so the correlation is that a perfect woman is a dime.

Advertisement

"He has a 'biscuit!' We should run." What is a biscuit in this situation?
Gun
A "biscuit" can refer to a lot of things in the rap slang world—the most common ones are a good-looking woman and a gun. This is a good way to get some banned words over the radio waves.
Dinner
Hostess cupcake
Twinkie

Advertisement

If you have to "dip," what do you have to do?
Leave
In rap slang, "dip" isn't chewing tobacco; it means to leave. If you want to make an exit at a party, just shout that you "gotta dip," and you'll get the proper farewell in response.
Stay
Work
Sleep

Advertisement

Jack knows Sam from the hood. Where is the hood?
On his head
In the car
In the safe
The neighborhood he grew up in
This one is an oldie but a goodie. Your neighborhood is your hood. It was used in the early stages of rap slang, where rappers simply dropped the "neighbor" because neighbors weren't always that neighborly in the hood.

Advertisement

Who would you call a "brodie"?
A close friend/homie
There have been so many variations of "homeboy" over the years, and "Brodie" is another step in the evolution of the word. It is a mix between bro and homie. The ladies love brodies, and they are normally really cool dudes.
A perfect woman
A very ugly person
A very funny person

Advertisement

If someone near you is spittin', what are they doing?
Rapping
More specifically, spittin' is a form of freestyle rap. It's just putting words out there for all to hear, or if you're in a rap battle, you might spit out a few lines about someone's mom.
Clapping
Screaming
Fighting

Advertisement

"Hop in the L dog, and let's bounce!" What are you hopping into?
A Lincoln
More specifically, an "L dog" is an old Lincoln, generally from the 1970s or 1980s. In the mid- to late-2000s, these became classic cars that many rappers coveted because they brought them back to the old days.
A pet
A band
A rapper

Advertisement

If you're "coolin' it," what are you doing?
Cooking
Dancing
Smiling
Relaxing
While there are many rap slang words and phrases for relaxing, "coolin' it" is a great way to say that you're not moving for the rest of the day. While you can tell someone who is freaking out to cool it, if you are the one coolin' it, you are simply relaxing.

Advertisement

"May I please have a 'big face'?" What am I asking for?
$100 bill
A "big face" can also mean a $20 or $50 bill, as these monetary notes' designs were changed around the time this term became famous. The design made the faces on the bills bigger, hence the term "big face."
Ugly rapper
East Coast rapper
A guy named Bill

Advertisement

Here's another easy one to give your brain a break. If someone has a lot of "bling-bling" what do they have?
Wealth
"Bling-Bling" is based on the sound that diamonds would make if they made sounds as they shine. It was made famous by Weezy F. Baby (also known as Lil Wayne), and it really came to the spotlight with P!NK's song "Most Girls."
Power
Fame
Glory

Advertisement

What does C.R.E.A.M. stand for?
Cash Rules Everything Around Me
The term "C.R.EA.M." originated from the Wu-Tang Clan song with the same name and made a splash in the mid-1990s. It was an interesting song that had different values than most rap songs of its time.
Can't Relate to Everyone Around Me
Cars are Really Everything And Me
Crunk Rich Early Arms Management

Advertisement

If you're driving a "hooptie," what kind of car are you driving?
A junkie car
There are some specific rules for calling a car a "hooptie," but for the most part, people call their terrible cars this name. Some people don't consider a car a "hooptie" unless it has a list of problems but is still treated like a classic.
A Mercedes
A brand new car
A Lambo

Advertisement

Alright, you might know what a gangsta is, but what if the word is used in this context: "That ride is so gangsta"?
It's tough.
The word "gangsta" evolved over the years, and it is no longer used just to define a person, but it can describe something as tough as well. For example, you could say that a dog is gangsta, if it can hold up.
It's funny.
It's green.
It's rich.

Advertisement

We're going to start with some easy ones to warm you up. If your friend says, "He is so gangsta," what is he?
He's a gangster.
The word "gangsta" originated in LA. The term can be heard in dozens of rap songs, and it shows that a man has power, wealth and superiority. In general, it is used to describe a hardcore rapper.
He's dumb.
He is a rapper.
He knows how to sing.

Advertisement

If someone tells you to meet them at the "telly," what should you do?
Call them
Go to a hotel
If you don't know your rap slang, you might think that the telly is your telephone, as it was once referred to as such. However, in rap slang, a "telly" is a hotel. It's also spelled tely, telli, tellee.
Call your friends
Find a fun boy

Advertisement

Here's an oldie but goodie: If someone came up to you and said, "Let's bust a move," what do they want you to do?
Dance
"Bust a move" is another phrase that has come to have many meanings over the years. But for the sake of this quiz, it means to get on the dance floor and do some specific dance moves.
Smile
Rap
Make money

Advertisement

What is rapper slang for Rolex?
Timbs
Rolly
Snoop Dogg doesn't mind telling people that he has a Rolly on his arm, and you shouldn't either. For many rappers, fine jewelry was a sign of success and importance. Snoop Dogg was no different.
Lex
Lexus

Advertisement

If you're "bent", what are you?
Tired
Sleeping
Intoxicated
Being "bent" is the same as being under the influence of both drugs and alcohol. The intoxication may have some people "bent" out of shape and unable to perform basic tasks.
Married

Advertisement

If something was stolen from you, what would you say?
"They ganked it."
The word "gank" has been used for a long time, and it even crossed genres out of the rap world in the early 1990s. To gank something is to steal something or take something that isn't yours.
"They took it."
"They want it."
"They flanked it."

Advertisement

When someone is "plexing," what are they doing?
Starting a fight or argument
There are many definitions for plexing, some of which aren't suited for this quiz. However, for rap slang, plexing simply means that you are starting some stuff with someone.
Sleeping
Juicing
Dancing

Advertisement

Did you know Sally is a juggale? In this sentence, what is Sally?
A fan of Will Smith
A fan of Insane Clown Posse
A juggalo isn't just a fan of Insane Clown Posse, they are avid followers, fanatics and a part of the culture. While many juggalos find that they are targeted by police and religious groups, others have been able to live out their lives in peace.
A fan of Garth Brooks
A fan of Nelly

Advertisement

Which of these slang terms is NOT used to describe a vehicle?
Ac
Benz
Cad
Dom P.
Rap slang is filled with words that are names for different vehicles. Unfortunately, Dom P. is not one of them. Dom P. refers to the very expensive champagne that rappers like to have at parties.

Advertisement

Which of these numbers has meaning in the rap slang world?
5150
5150 is the California Welfare and Institutions code from someone who is mentally ill. More specifically, it's the police code for someone who is mentally unstable and a danger to others and themselves.
4011
5874
6589

Advertisement

What does the number 730 mean?
Insanity
"730" means crazy, but it also can be used to call someone crazy. For example, you could say "that was 730" or you could say "he's 730." 730 refers to the code officers use when someone is out of control and a danger.
Happiness
Disdain
Divided

Advertisement

Which of these terms is NOT East Coast rap slang?
C.R.E.A.M.
Jiggy
Represent
Fa shizzle
Fa Shizzle was made famous by Snoop Dogg with his lyrics in "Suited N Booted." He rapped "Fa shizzle my nizzle, the big Snoopy D-O-double-jizzle, back up in the hizzle." It made sense to him, and now it makes sense to us.

Advertisement

What kind of car is a "Cut"?
Oldsmobile
An Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme was often referred to as a "cut" or a "cut dog." These older cars were also considered classics in the early and mid-2000s.
BMW
Lambo
Cadillac

Advertisement

What is "808" a reference to?
A keyboard
A guitar
A microphone
A drum machine
The Roland TR-808 was a drum machine that could create synthesized music and keep beats for rappers on the streets. 808 also refers to a penal code ... the one for disturbing the peace.

Advertisement

If you called someone "ratchet," what did you call them?
Smart
Intoxicated
Crazy
The term "ratchet" is generally used in a very negative way to call someone crazy. It's very rarely used in a friendly or joking manner. This rap term originated in New Orleans and Baton Rouge.
Stupid

Advertisement

Who would you most likely call a "boy boy"?
A friend from back in the day
You might call your best friend "boy," but your closest friend would be called "boy boy." This term can also mean a friend with benefits or street slang for a common and dangerous drug.
A male friend of a male friend
A secret friend
A female friend of a male friend

Advertisement

Which of these terms is NOT used to describe an amount of money in rap slang?
Handful
On Grind
"On Grind" actually means "making money" whereas the other terms are denominations of money. A handful is a $5 bill, a c-note is a $100 bill and K is $1,000.
K
C-Note

Advertisement

Which of these terms is a Midwest rap term?
Crunk
Flossin'
Stan
A Stan is an obsessed fan. Made famous by Eminem's song "Stan," this term originated in Michigan and can be used to replace the word "fan." Example: She's the biggest Beastie Boys Stan
Gouda

Advertisement

"Gouda" isn't just cheese. It also means money. Where did this word originate?
South
Midwest
West Coast
Gouda isn't a kind of cheese when it comes to rap slang, but cheese is money in rap slang, so it does kind of connect. In rap slang, "Gouda" is one of the many words that mean money.
East Coast

Advertisement

You Got:
/33
BJ Formento/DigitalVision/Getty Images