Latest revision: November 16, 2023
This is Part II of a two part series on the word "jiggy" and the phrases "gettin jiggy wit (with) it", "keepin it jiggy", and "its a jiggy time."
Part II features Will Smith's Hip Hop video "Gettin Jiggy Wit It" as well as two videos and one sound file of Dancehall records that include the word "jiggy" in their lyrics. Those records are Voicemail featuring Bogle and Delly Rank's "Weh Di Time" (also known as "Jiggy Time"), Sean Paul's "Get Busy", and Elephant Man's "Keeping It Jiggy".
Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2015/02/what-jiggy-means-where-that-word-really.html for Part I of this series.
Part I provides information and comments about the meanings and sources of the word "jiggy" and those phrases mentioned above. This post also includes my interpretation of certain slang words that are found in lyrics to selected songs that include those words and phrases. My interpretation of selected blogger comments are also included in this post.
The content of this post is presented for cultural, entertainment, and aesthetic purposes.
Thanks to all those who are featured in these videos. Thanks to the producers of these videos and the publishers of these videos on YouTube. Also, thanks to all those who are quoted in this post.
****
ONE DEFINITION OF "JIGGY" "Jiggy" is an adjective that was coined by African Americans probably in the late 20th century. As is the case with other slang words, "jiggy" has multiple meanings. Here's one definition of that term:
From Don Malvo, http://forum.dancehallreggae.com/archive/index.php/t-59720.html, 08-20-2005
"Jiggy - originally black American urban slang, made popular in mainstream American culture by actor/rapper Will Smith and co-opted by Elephant Man, has since become passe in the African-American community in which it originated; used varyingly to refer to 'having a good time'....
or a blanket descriptive term for the colourful, dance-oriented style of dancehall reggae currently in vogue, epitomized by artists Elephant Man and Voise Mail (and a few tracks by Beenie [m]an."
-snip-
Warning: Some of the comments in that discussion contain Jamaican English profanity and American English profanity.
Other definitions for "jiggy" and for some phrases that contain that word are found in Part I of this series.
****
FEATURED EXAMPLES
These examples are presented in chronological order based on the years that the songs were recorded.
Notice that the use of the word "jiggy" by Jamaican Dancehall artists demonstrates those songs include both Jamaican slang and African American slang.
Example #1: Will Smith - Gettin' Jiggy Wit It
WillSmithVEVO, Uploaded on Mar 23, 2011
Music video by Will Smith performing Gettin' Jiggy Wit It. (C) 1997 SONY BMG MUSIC ENTERTAINMENT
-snip-
Here's an excerpt from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gettin%27_Jiggy_wit_It :
""Gettin' Jiggy wit It" is a single by American actor and rapper Will Smith, released as the third cut from his debut solo album Big Willie Style (1997). The verse is based around a sample of "He's the Greatest Dancer" by Sister Sledge, and the chorus is sampled from "Sang and Dance" by the Bar-Kays. Released in January 1998, the song was Smith's second hit produced by Poke & Tone and L.E.S., who replaced his long-time partner Jazzy Jeff, though the record-scratching techniques of Jazzy Jeff can be heard in the song.[1]
This is Part II of a two part series on the word "jiggy" and the phrases "gettin jiggy wit (with) it", "keepin it jiggy", and "its a jiggy time."
Part II features Will Smith's Hip Hop video "Gettin Jiggy Wit It" as well as two videos and one sound file of Dancehall records that include the word "jiggy" in their lyrics. Those records are Voicemail featuring Bogle and Delly Rank's "Weh Di Time" (also known as "Jiggy Time"), Sean Paul's "Get Busy", and Elephant Man's "Keeping It Jiggy".
Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2015/02/what-jiggy-means-where-that-word-really.html for Part I of this series.
Part I provides information and comments about the meanings and sources of the word "jiggy" and those phrases mentioned above. This post also includes my interpretation of certain slang words that are found in lyrics to selected songs that include those words and phrases. My interpretation of selected blogger comments are also included in this post.
The content of this post is presented for cultural, entertainment, and aesthetic purposes.
Thanks to all those who are featured in these videos. Thanks to the producers of these videos and the publishers of these videos on YouTube. Also, thanks to all those who are quoted in this post.
****
ONE DEFINITION OF "JIGGY" "Jiggy" is an adjective that was coined by African Americans probably in the late 20th century. As is the case with other slang words, "jiggy" has multiple meanings. Here's one definition of that term:
From Don Malvo, http://forum.dancehallreggae.com/archive/index.php/t-59720.html, 08-20-2005
"Jiggy - originally black American urban slang, made popular in mainstream American culture by actor/rapper Will Smith and co-opted by Elephant Man, has since become passe in the African-American community in which it originated; used varyingly to refer to 'having a good time'....
or a blanket descriptive term for the colourful, dance-oriented style of dancehall reggae currently in vogue, epitomized by artists Elephant Man and Voise Mail (and a few tracks by Beenie [m]an."
-snip-
Warning: Some of the comments in that discussion contain Jamaican English profanity and American English profanity.
Other definitions for "jiggy" and for some phrases that contain that word are found in Part I of this series.
****
FEATURED EXAMPLES
These examples are presented in chronological order based on the years that the songs were recorded.
Notice that the use of the word "jiggy" by Jamaican Dancehall artists demonstrates those songs include both Jamaican slang and African American slang.
Example #1: Will Smith - Gettin' Jiggy Wit It
WillSmithVEVO, Uploaded on Mar 23, 2011
Music video by Will Smith performing Gettin' Jiggy Wit It. (C) 1997 SONY BMG MUSIC ENTERTAINMENT
-snip-
Here's an excerpt from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gettin%27_Jiggy_wit_It :
""Gettin' Jiggy wit It" is a single by American actor and rapper Will Smith, released as the third cut from his debut solo album Big Willie Style (1997). The verse is based around a sample of "He's the Greatest Dancer" by Sister Sledge, and the chorus is sampled from "Sang and Dance" by the Bar-Kays. Released in January 1998, the song was Smith's second hit produced by Poke & Tone and L.E.S., who replaced his long-time partner Jazzy Jeff, though the record-scratching techniques of Jazzy Jeff can be heard in the song.[1]
The song spent three weeks at the top of the Billboard Hot 100 chart from March 14, 1998. It also won a Grammy Award in 1999 for the Best Rap Solo Performance. It was ranked the 68th greatest song of the 1990s by VH1. However, it was ranked at number 19 on the list of AOL Radio's 100 Worst Songs Ever in 2010.[2] The song was included in Pitchfork Media's 2010 list of "the seven worst U.S. No. 1 singles of the 90s".[3]
Composition
The song samples the 1979 Sister Sledge song "He's the
Greatest Dancer". The "mama-uh, mama-uh, mama come closer" line
is a reference to the song "Soul Makossa" by Manu Dibango,
specifically the version adapted by Michael Jackson in "Wanna Be Startin'
Somethin'"'s final bridge. The connotations associated with the expression
getting jiggy were heavily influenced by this single. The term went from being
used to acclaim one's fashion or style towards being synonymous with dancing,
and eventually back to the original association with sexual connotations.[4]
Smith has attested in an interview[5] that his inspiration
to alter the meaning for the purpose of the song came from his association of
the term "jiggy" with "jigaboo", a derogatory term for
African-Americans, which made the literal meaning of the title "getting
African-American with it" and which was meant to reference the popular
folk-myth of an innate sense of rhythm in black folks. The co-opting of a once
offensive word also was racially empowering.[5] "...
****
Example #2: Bogle ft Delly Ranks & Voicemail - Weh Di Time
L Roach, uploaded on May 28, 2006
-snip-
This record was released in 2004.
This song is often given as "Weddy Time" and "Jiggy Time"
"Weh Di Time" is the older form of "Weddy Time".
There was some disagreement about the meaning of "Weh Di Time" ("Weddy Time") on http://forum.dancehallreggae.com/archive/index.php/t-59720.html, a Jamaican discussion thread about slang terms found in Dancehall music. Most of the bloggers participating in that online discussion believed that "weddy time" meant "ready time". However, two bloggers firmly believed that it meant "what the [f word] is going on", similarly to that sentence in American English. By the end of that post, the bloggers agreed that the Dancehall artists recording this song had changed the meaning to "ready time" (and "weddy weddy" to "ready ready") and that meaning is the one which most people knew.
****
Example #3: Sean Paul - Get Busy
Maja Martin, Uploaded on Aug 2, 2008
Sean Paul performing Get Busy - Official Music Video
-snip-
This record, also colloquially known as "Shake That Thing Miss Annabella", was released in 2003..
****
Example #4: Elephant Man- Jiggy [sound file]
guiltysquad, Uploaded on Aug 12, 2008
-snip-
Click https://genius.com/Elephant-man-jiggy-lyrics for the full lyrics to that song.
Here's the lyrics for that song's hook from https://genius.com/Elephant-man-jiggy-lyrics
[Hook]
What a Weddi, Weddi, Weddi, Weddi (March out! March out!)
Weddi, Weddi, Weddi, Weddi
Weddi, Weddi, Weddi, Weddi (March out! March out!)
Weddi, Weddi, Weddi
A Weddi, Weddi, Weddi, Weddi (March out! March out!)
Weddi, Weddi, Weddi, Weddi
Weddi, Weddi, Weddi, Weddi (Dancers, march out!)
Weddi, Weddi, Weddi
A Weddi, Weddi, Weddi, Weddi (Look outta road! Look outta road!)
Weddi, Weddi, Weddi, Weddi
Weddi, Weddi, Weddi, Weddi (Look outta road! Look outta road!)
Weddi, Weddi, Weddi
A Weddi, Weddi, Weddi, Weddi (High Risen Bump! High Risen Bump!)
Weddi, Weddi, Weddi, Weddi
Weddi, Weddi, Weddi, Weddi (High risen bump! High risen bump!)
Weddi, Weddi, Weddi"
-snip-
Elephant Man's song "Jiggy" is part a command for people to do certain dances, or to dance in general, and a shout out/dissing of certain people. For examples of shout out and disses in that song, check out these lyrics:
..."Dance we a dance and keeping it jiggy
Big up the legendary Bob! Wha' happen to him son, Ziggy?****
Example #2: Bogle ft Delly Ranks & Voicemail - Weh Di Time
L Roach, uploaded on May 28, 2006
-snip-
This record was released in 2004.
This song is often given as "Weddy Time" and "Jiggy Time"
"Weh Di Time" is the older form of "Weddy Time".
There was some disagreement about the meaning of "Weh Di Time" ("Weddy Time") on http://forum.dancehallreggae.com/archive/index.php/t-59720.html, a Jamaican discussion thread about slang terms found in Dancehall music. Most of the bloggers participating in that online discussion believed that "weddy time" meant "ready time". However, two bloggers firmly believed that it meant "what the [f word] is going on", similarly to that sentence in American English. By the end of that post, the bloggers agreed that the Dancehall artists recording this song had changed the meaning to "ready time" (and "weddy weddy" to "ready ready") and that meaning is the one which most people knew.
****
Example #3: Sean Paul - Get Busy
Maja Martin, Uploaded on Aug 2, 2008
Sean Paul performing Get Busy - Official Music Video
-snip-
This record, also colloquially known as "Shake That Thing Miss Annabella", was released in 2003..
****
Example #4: Elephant Man- Jiggy [sound file]
guiltysquad, Uploaded on Aug 12, 2008
-snip-
Click https://genius.com/Elephant-man-jiggy-lyrics for the full lyrics to that song.
Here's the lyrics for that song's hook from https://genius.com/Elephant-man-jiggy-lyrics
[Hook]
What a Weddi, Weddi, Weddi, Weddi (March out! March out!)
Weddi, Weddi, Weddi, Weddi
Weddi, Weddi, Weddi, Weddi (March out! March out!)
Weddi, Weddi, Weddi
A Weddi, Weddi, Weddi, Weddi (March out! March out!)
Weddi, Weddi, Weddi, Weddi
Weddi, Weddi, Weddi, Weddi (Dancers, march out!)
Weddi, Weddi, Weddi
A Weddi, Weddi, Weddi, Weddi (Look outta road! Look outta road!)
Weddi, Weddi, Weddi, Weddi
Weddi, Weddi, Weddi, Weddi (Look outta road! Look outta road!)
Weddi, Weddi, Weddi
A Weddi, Weddi, Weddi, Weddi (High Risen Bump! High Risen Bump!)
Weddi, Weddi, Weddi, Weddi
Weddi, Weddi, Weddi, Weddi (High risen bump! High risen bump!)
Weddi, Weddi, Weddi"
-snip-
Elephant Man's song "Jiggy" is part a command for people to do certain dances, or to dance in general, and a shout out/dissing of certain people. For examples of shout out and disses in that song, check out these lyrics:
..."Dance we a dance and keeping it jiggy
Dance we a dance and keeping it jiggy
Nadine Sutherland, send her go call Twiggy
Dance she a dance and keeping it jiggy
Bubbler a do it, and favor Ms. Piggy
Dance she a dance and keeping it jiggy
Outta Asylum me see Bogle and Ribby
Dance dem a dance and keeping it jiggy
Don can't do it, not even mention Diggy
Dance dem a dance and keeping it jiggy
Mad Michelle, Stacy, none of dem anuh dibby dibby (No!)
Dance dem a dance and keeping it jiggy
Give dem a slide tackle like Whitmore and Bibby
Dance we a dance and keeping it jiggy
Big up Jungle, Tivoli, Ensome City
Dance we a dance and keeping it jiggy"...
****
This concludes Part II of this series.
Thanks for visiting pancocojams.
Visitor comments are welcome.
Thanks for visiting pancocojams.
Visitor comments are welcome.
No comments:
Post a Comment