African American Vernacular English In A Popular McDonalds Rap

Edited by Azizi Powell

This post showcases an example of a popular, customer composed McDonalds [fast food restaurant] rap and also presents an analysis of examples of African American Vernacular English in that rap.

The content of this post is presented for cultural, entertainment, and aesthetic purposes

Thank to all those who composed this rap and who are shown performing this rap. Thanks also to all those who are quoted in this post and also to the publishers of these videos on YouTube.

DISCLAIMER: I'm indicating that this showcased rap contains examples of African American Vernacular English. However, I don't know if the rap's composer is African American or not.

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SHOWCASE VIDEOS
Example #1: McDonald's Rap with Lyrics!!!



carfreak0801 Uploaded on May 11, 2008

PLEASE WATCH!!! This is the McDonald's Rap with lyrics. It took me a long time to put this together so please watch this.
The song and lyrics were from camneedsthis and Pictures were from Google.

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Example #2: McDonalds Drive Thru Rap



Stewart Howorth, Uploaded on Jun 7, 2009, Yep. Just watch.

Special thanks to the guys who originally wrote this rap. It wasn't us.

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LYRICS: MCDONALD RAP
Boom, Boom Boom Big Mac
Boom, Boom Boom Big Mac(said throughout song for beat)

I need a double cheeseburger and hold the lettuce
Don't be frontin' son no seeds on a bun
We be up in this drive thru
Order for two
I gots a craving for a number nine like my shoe
We need some chicken up in here
In this dizzle
For rizzle my nizzle
Extra salt on the frizzle
Dr. Pepper my brother
Another for your mother
Double double super size
And don't forget the FRIES......................
Crispy
-lilf96, https://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20080409142644AA0xN9D, Mcdonalds rap lyrics?, 2009

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EXPLANATIONS ABOUT SOME OF THE WORDS AND PHRASES IN THIS RAP
(These words/phrases are assigned numbers for referencing purposes.)

1. "Don't be frontin' son" = Don't pretend like you are going to do something but actually aren't going to do it.
-snip-
Read other definitions of "frontin", my comment about the possible origin of that slang word in the Addendum #1 of this post. That Addendum also contains my comments the use of "son" in the line "Don't be frontin' son".

2. We be up in this drive thru = We're at [or "We're in"] this drive-through [line].
-snip-
"Up in here" is also sometimes given as "all up in here".

In those usages, "all up" [in here] are intensifiers that both convey the same meaning as the word "really".
From http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/archive/index.php/t-582760.html Peremensoe, 10-22-2010, 09:58 PM
...[quoting] "up" as an intensifier is also seen in "up in my face" which describes a situation in which a person has confronted you on a particular issue (perhaps, without justification). It means exactly the same thing as saying a person "got in your face" about the subject, just more so.

Right. Up means active, aroused, energized, focused, like starting up an engine. You put your guard up. If somebody bothers you, you may get either your dander or your ire up.

Being in somebody's face is confrontational, but up in somebody's face is flat-out asking for a fight. Being in a nightclub means you're there, but up in the club means you're really on the scene."

3. I gots a craving for a number nine like my shoe = I have a craving for the item that is listed as number 9, that number being the same as my shoe size.

4. We need some chicken up in here = "up in here" means "right here"

5. In this dizzle /For rizzle my nizzle/Extra salt on the frizzle" = in this [?]*, for real, my [n word], extra salt on the [French] fries

* A commenter on one of the many video viewer comment threads for this rap wrote that "dizzle " was supposed to be "hizzle" which would be "izzle" talk for "house" (even though the person rapping wasn't actually in a house.)

Read information about "izzle talk" in Addendum #2 of this post.

7. Dr. Pepper my brother = ordering a Dr. Pepper carbonated drink; the use of the "my brother" referent is to show a congenial familiarity with another man (who isn't actually part of your family). "Bro", "brutha" and "sister", "sis", "sistah" are also used for the same purpose. While these family referents used to used by Black people as references to other Black people only, they are now used by any person as a sign of familiarity toward any other person regardless of their race or ethnicity.

8. Another for your mother - I wonder if this line originally was "another for my mother". "For your mother" (meaning another [Dr. Pepper] for the mother of the McDonalds worker sounds to me like its too close to the "Your Mama" ("Yo Mama" dozens put down/insult game.
-snip-
Also, "Double double super size" probably refers to a super sized double [ham]burger

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ADDENDUM #1
Here are some definitions of the African American slang word "frontin" from
http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=frontin

1. "frontin
to pretend or act like somethin or someone your not.

Quit Frontin man you know yo ass aint got a job! "
by Juicy August 05, 2004
-snip-
Note: The form of African American Vernacular English in which a person is referred to by saying "your ass" or "your butt". Another example: A mother or father saying to her or his child "Get your butt down here".

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2. frontin
"to put on a false disguise usually to impress others

Why you frontin man? we all know you live with yo mamma!

by irish kiwi from samoa October 07, 2003
-snip-
In this example, the word "yo" means "your".

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3. frontin'

Verb. To put up a false facade. See frontin

Yo, check out backstreet over there frontin in his hyundizzay.

by 50 cent crack dealer July 15, 2003
-snip-
In this example, the word "yo" means something like "Hey".

"Backstreet" appears to be a put down nickname for a man.

"hyundizzay" is the Hyundai car with that brand name spelled with izzay gibberish talk.
-snip-
My guess is that the slang word "frontin" was coined in the 1950s or earlier to mean acting like something you're not because of the custom in poor African American neighborhoods of using a small, rundown business (known as a "storefront") as a façade for a legitimate "mom *& pop" store which sold food items, milk, candy, toiletries etc.) when that place was actually being used as a center for "numbers running" or other illegal gambling operation.

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The word "son" in the line "Don't be frontin' son" (from the McDonald's rap showcased above) probably just conveys familiarity to someone younger than the speaker. However, in 2009 Ed Lover, the host of the American television show Yo! MTV Raps "created a series on YouTube titled "C’mon, Son!" in which he criticized the errant acts of celebrities." http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ed_Lover

The word "son" in "C'mon son" means that the person addressed is acting foolishly or has said something foolish like a child, or someone young would do. Since Ed Lover popularized "C'mon son" it has been used as a commentary on something stupid or foolish a male or a female has said or done. That saying means "Really, you should know better than to say [or do] that."

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ADDENDUM #2:
From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gibberish_(language_game)
"Gibberish (sometimes Jibberish) is a language game or secret language similar to Pig Latin that is played in the United States, Canada and Northern Ireland. Similar games are played in many other countries. The name Gibberish refers to the nonsensical sound of words spoken according to the rules of this game...

Gibberish family
The term "gibberish" is used more generally to refer to all language games created by inserting a certain infix before the vowel in each syllable. For example, if the code infix were "ob", then "Hello, Thomas" would be translated as "Hobellobo, Thobomobas". While a relatively simple code, this can be difficult to understand when spoken swiftly and sounds merely like meaningless babble, which is how it received its name. The terms "Double Talk" and "Double Dutch" are alternate names for such codes. While any syllables could be used as code syllables, some syllables are more commonly used."
-snip-
“iz", "izzle" and "izzay" are included in this category. This "pig latin" style of talking was popularized in the 1990s by rapper Snoop Dog.
-snip-
Click http://www.cocojams.com/content/iggity-izza-izzle-english-code-language-games for a post on my cocojams cultural website about this "secret language" style.

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