Hip Hop Songs That Influenced Pop Culture Slang

The rap origins of "bootylicious," "YOLO," "crunk" and more.

"Bling-Bling" - It may have been Chopper City in the Ghetto but BG sure had a lot of "Bling Bling" –– diamonds and jewels, way back in 1999. The Cash Money Millionaires became known for their obnoxious, iced-out accessories, as the stunna rapped, "Everytime you come around you see me, bling bling. Pinky ring worth about 50, bling bling…" The phrase almost immediately gained national attention. "Bling-Bling" was added to the Oxford English dictionary in 2003, and transcended from the rap world to fashion and beyond. Even the Los Angeles Lakers got in on the trend, their 2000 championship ring was saturated in diamonds and had the phrase etched into the sides.(Photo: Bryan Bedder/Getty Images)
"Get Low" - When it comes to hip hop branding, Lil Jon is one artist who has the script down pat. Undoubtedly known for his pimp cup, Jon and the East Side Boyz redefined crunk (an up-tempo hip hop style that originated in Memphis, Tennessee, in the '90s) transforming it into a national movement with their 2004 album, Kings of Crunk. The Atlanta crew's fourth studio album sold more than 2 million copies thanks the album's second single, "Get Low," featuring the Ying Yang Twins. Laced with Jon's alcohol-infused crunk juice, the chart-topping song was the audio definition of "crunk" –– a combination of the words "crazy" and "drunk" –– an official party starter that dares you to "drop it to the floor," from the window to the wall.Although Jon and the East Side Boyz came out of the gate pushing the crunk funk in 1997 wit...
"O.P.P." - Thanks to Naughty By Nature in the early ‘90s, to "creep" on your mate meant to be down with "O-P-P" (at first listen most thought the acronym stood for "Other People's Property," however the last "P" refers to the female genitals).When this song from the trio, comprised of MC Treach, Vinnie and DJ Kay Gee, hit the airwaves in 1991, it became a No.1 hit, in part for the catchy chorus, "You down with O-P-P, yeah you know me." Apparently, everyone was down, it's the first rap song to top the pop charts, peaking at No. 6 on the Billboard Hot 100 list.(Photo: Araya Diaz/Getty Images)
"The Motto" - When Drizzy dropped this song featuring Lil Wayne in 2011, he introduced the world to his personal mantra, "YOLO," or "You Only Live Once," as he used the hook to encourage listeners to step out of the box and go for their dreams. "YOLO" was immediately etched into rap discourse and everyday diatribe. "The Motto" and it's hook became so popular it was nominated for Best Rap Song at the 55th Annual Grammy Awards in 2013, two years after the song was released. Weezy said it best when he rapped, "And we gon' be alright if we put Drake on every hook."(Photo: Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)"Turn Up" - This catchphrase has no hidden interpretation, it simply means exactly what it reads: Turn up! Get excited, raise the volume and let loose. Atlanta rapper Rocko takes credit for coining the phrase in 2007 when he dropped his first mixtape, Swag Season. However, "turn up" caught mainstream attention in 2012 when fellow ATL rapper 2 Chainz dropped this song. Kevin Hart even got in on the "turn up" craze when he hosted the 2013 BET Awards and dropped the phrase in nearly every sentence. Since then, "turn up" has become the new "crunk," as Lil Jon asks on his song "Turn Down for What?"(Photos from left: Scott Gries/Getty Images, Bennett Raglin/BET/Getty Images)

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"Get Low" - When it comes to hip hop branding, Lil Jon is one artist who has the script down pat. Undoubtedly known for his pimp cup, Jon and the East Side Boyz redefined crunk (an up-tempo hip hop style that originated in Memphis, Tennessee, in the '90s) transforming it into a national movement with their 2004 album, Kings of Crunk. The Atlanta crew's fourth studio album sold more than 2 million copies thanks the album's second single, "Get Low," featuring the Ying Yang Twins. Laced with Jon's alcohol-infused crunk juice, the chart-topping song was the audio definition of "crunk" –– a combination of the words "crazy" and "drunk" –– an official party starter that dares you to "drop it to the floor," from the window to the wall.Although Jon and the East Side Boyz came out of the gate pushing the crunk funk in 1997 wit...

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