Dougie Fresh?

Clearly Doug hadn’t settled on a spelling for his name yet. The year before this he released records as both Dougé Fresh and Dougy Fresh (“Just Having Fun” and “The Original Human Beatbox” respectively).

From the 1985 BK anthem “Brooklyn’s In The House” by Cutmaster DC.

A random reference to Tribe’s previous single “Bonita Applebum”.

The Hootie Mix of “Bonita” was backed by the song “Mr. Muhammad” and featured a ‘Bonita Applebum meets Mr Muhammad’ picture sleeve with Bonita blowing weed smoke in Ali Shaheed Muhammad’s face.

Ace isn’t impressed by rappers who wear excessive amounts of jewellery just to keep up appearances. If you want to rock ice then rock it but don’t do it for his sake.

He refers to something Ghostface Killah said in “Shark Niggas” while making the same point about champagne-popping rappers:

Don’t front for me, man
You gon' play that role, play it though

In 2010 Jay Electronica played two nights at London’s Jazz Cafe (to rave reviews). During the second show he gave his Nepalese pendant to someone in the audience, later tweeting this explanation:

The other night, I gave away my chain & medallion to a brother in the crowd in London. I had to. He was from the same place I got it from.

Several days later, when Jay played in Oxford, the same Nepalese guy gave him a khukuri knife in return.

See this NME interview for more on the pendant.

Nil by mouth is a hospital instruction indicating that a patient should not receive food or drink. Here it means that ringtone rappers will gain nothing (nil) from their sub-par rap skills (by mouth).

There is also a film called Nil By Mouth which came out in 1997, the year Biggie died.

These intro/hook vocals are sampled from the Busy Bee vs Rodney Cee routine in the classic old school Hip Hop flick Wild Style.

Hey sucker nigga, whoever you are
You didn’t buy my mink and you didn’t buy my car
So take lots of heed to these words I say
Got cheeba and cocaine and ain’t giving none away

Also used by Black Thought in Common’s “Stolen Moments Pt. II” and by Q-Tip in “Stolen Moments Pt. III”.

Supreme Magnetic, Rap and the original 50 Cent were notorious Fort Greene hustlers who ran with Eric B & Rakim back in the day. Check out the crew photo on the back of Paid In Full.

Supreme Magnetic is top left with the blue Fila gear. 50 Cent is bottom right in the red and white. Also rumoured to be in the picture is “Killer” Ben O'Garro, another infamous Fort Greene hood (shouted out by Rakim in “What’s On Your Mind”).

The deaf, dumb and blind — variously known as the savages, the uncivilized or the 85% — are those without knowledge of self. Beware any challengers not equipped with this knowledge.

As Rakim put it in “No Competition”

I’m God, G is the seventh letter made
Raining on rappers it’s no parade
So if you ain’t wise then don’t even come
Competition for this and the mixing is none

Kane shows off his Five Percent credentials with some more fancy terminology.

• To drop science is to teach the Five Percent lessons to others. Like many Five Percent terms, it eventually became part of general Hip Hop slang.

• To build is to discuss the lessons with other Five Percenters. Getting together in ciphers and building with other Gods is an important part of the lifestyle.

• Math is the Supreme Mathematics that underpins much of the philosophy.