kwone casper, Oct 27, 2014
Tuskegee University MCP jamming to Ball and Parlay before HC
2014 game.
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Edited by Azizi Powell
This is Part I of a two part pancocojams series on the Tuskegee University Song "Ball And Parlay".
This post presents definitions about the terms "ballin', "parlay", and "ball and parlay". This post also presents information about and lyrics of part of Big Pokey's 1999 song "Ball N Parlay" along with information about and lyrics for Tuskegee University's version of that song.
In addition, this pancocojams post presents some comments about Tuskegee University's version of "Ball And Parlay"
Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2024/08/tuskegee-universitys-marching-band.html for Part II of this pancocojams series. That post showcases several YouTube videos of Tuskegee University's marching band performing Big Pokey's track "Ball N Parlay" with Tuskegee students singing along.
The content of this post is presented for historical, linguistic, and cultural purposes.
All copyrights remain with their owners.
Thanks to the Big Pokey for the song "Ball'n Parlay" Thanks to Tuskeegee University for its version of this song and thanks to all those who are quoted in this post. Thanks also to the publisher of this video on YouTube.
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This post is part of an ongoing pancocojams series on specific Historically Black Colleges And Universities (HBCUs).
Click that tag below or google "specific Historically Black Colleges And Universities pancocojams" for additional posts in this series.
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GENERAL OVERVIEW
The Hip Hop track "Ball'n Parlay" was recorded in 1999 by Houston, Texas rapper Big Pokey. The title "Ballin' Parlay" is often given as "Ball & Parlay" or "Ball and Parlay".
In Big Pokie's Hip Hop track "Ball'n Parlay the title "Ball'n Parlay" "ball'n" appears to usually be interpreted as three words "ball and parlay" instead of two words "ballin ("balling") parlay".
Both the term "ballin'" and the meaning of the term "parlay" (in the context of that Hip Hop track) come from African American Vernacular English.
SLANG DEFINITIONS OF "BALLIN'" AND "BALL"
From https://www.quora.com/What-is-the-meaning-of-the-slang-term-ballin "What is the meaning of the slang term "ballin"?"
1. Raynetta Manees, 2016
I am an award-winning author, a singer, an actress, and a
former disc jockey.
" “Ballin" is a term often heard as slang, especially in the
black community. It means to live with affluence, to have wealth. It is
sometimes spelled and pronounced with a “g,” and sometimes not. It’s thought to
have originated from the term “having a ball.”
**
2. Dewin Mage, 2019
"Former Information Security Specialist (retired) at British
Telecommunications (BT) (1977–2007)
Originally Answered: What does it mean when someone is
“ballin?”
Question: What does it mean when someone is “ballin?”
He was ballin’ - Less common, “engaged in sexual
intercourse” "
**
3.Scott Krager, April 26, 2024
"B.A. from Seattle Pacific University (Graduated
2005)
"Ballin' is one of those terms that has seeped into our culture with a catchy vibe and a trail of misunderstandings in its wake. To put it simply, when someone says they're "ballin', they're not talking about dribbling down the basketball court-at least, not in the context most are using it today. This term has roots deeply planted in the world of luxury, success, and flaunting financial abundance.
Historically speaking, the term originates from the sports world where being "on the ball" meant you were doing exceptionally well. It took a sharp turn into the lanes of hip hop and urban culture, where its essence got infused with the imagery of living large. Think flashy cars, designer clothes, extravagant lifestyles, and , yes, literal balls of money"...
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Pancocojams Editor's Note: "Having a ball" is a very common colloquial term in the United States for "having a good time".
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SLANG DEFINITIONS OF "PARLAY"
From https://www.quora.com/What-is-the-actual-meaning-of-the-word-parlay-Can-you-give-an-example-of-it "What is the actual meaning of the word parlay. Can you give an example of it?
Natesan Jegadesan, 2022
Originally Answered: What does parlay mean?
Parlay means winning from a smaller amount to a greater
amount in betting. In gambling .
Marina Carroll, 2020
1 : to bet in a parlay. 2a : to exploit successfully He
hoped to parlay his basketball skills into a college scholarship. b : to
increase or otherwise transform into something of much greater value She
parlayed $5,000 and years of hard work into a multimillion-dollar company.
parlay.Definition of parlay (Entry 2 of 2)
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These are African American Vernacular English (or-more broadly-American English) slang meanings for the "parlay".
Read the section immediately below for an explanation of the words "ball and parlay" in that Big Pokey's song and in Tuskegee University's adaptation of that song.
ONLINE SOURCE #1
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hardest_Pit_in_the_Litter
"Hardest Pit in the Litter is the debut studio album by
American rapper Big Pokey, from Houston, Texas. It was released on May 18,
1999, via Chevis Entertainment. The album peaked at No. 72 on the US Billboard
Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart.
Track listing
[…]
"Ball'n-Parlay" (featuring Big Moe, 3-2 & Lil'
Keke)
[…]
Released - May
18, 1999
Recorded- 1999
Studio Uptown
Recording Studio (Houston, TX)
Genre Southern hip
hop"
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SOURCE #2
"Ball N-Parlay" by Big Pokey ... is
a song about the rapper's lavish lifestyle and how he spends his days. The
verses reflect the mentality of those who come from an underprivileged
background, but have found success and now enjoy the fruits of their labor.
The chorus suggests that regardless of the weather or the circumstances, they will always find a way to ball and parlay. .. The lyrics portray a luxurious lifestyle, with iced-out jewelry, trips to exotic locations, and fancy cars.
The artist's focus in the song is on constantly grinding and staying on their hustle to continue to succeed in the rap game. They boast about their skills and staying "true to the game" and demonstrate their commitment to their craft. The message of the song is to enjoy life, succeed, and live it to the fullest, no matter the weather or the circumstances.
This meaning interpretation was written by AI. Help improve
it with your feedback."
****
SOURCE #3
From https://hbcugameday.com/2023/06/18/big-pokey-rapper-behind-ball-n-parlay-passes-away/ by Tolly Carr Posted on June 18, 2023
"Houston rapper Milton Powell, better known as Big Pokey,
passed away on Saturday night after collapsing during a performance at a bar in
Beaumont, Texas. Powell recorded the song Ball N-Parlay on his debut album,
“Hardest Pit in the Litter” which debuted in 1999. The song has since become
the signature song of the Marching Crimson Pipers at Tuskegee University.
Powell would later put out two subsequent albums, D-Game 2000 and Da Sky’s Da Limit, over the course of the next three years. But his lore within the circles of HBCU bands and fans lies with the hit song Ball N-Parlay.
The marching band does not appear during football season without playing the song. Members of the crowd at Tuskegee sing the lyrics along with the band with a slight alteration to customize the song for the University. It is instantly recognizable when the music starts and the crowd reacts accordingly every time.
Powell was 45 years old at the time of his death, and was performing during a Juneteenth celebration in Texas.”…
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PARTIAL LYRICS FOR BIG POKEY'S "BALL' N PARLAY" TRACK
...Whether sunny or grey, we gon ball n' parlay
Pour a drank and smoke hay, we gon ball n' parlay
Whether sunny or grey, we gon ball n' parlay
Pour a drank and smoke hay, we gon ball n' parlay"...
-snip-
Click https://genius.com/Big-pokey-ball-n-parlay-lyrics for the complete lyrics for this Hip Hop track.
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LYRICS FOR TUSKEGEE UNIVERSITY'S VERSION OF BIGPOKEY'S "BALL AND PARLAY" TRACK
"Whether Its Sunny or Grey
We Gonna Ball and Parlay
Keep It Crunk Everyday
That's The Tuskegee Way.
So Take Your Seat Cuz We Live Marching Hard 8 to 5
That's What We Do Everyday
As We Ball and Parlay."
-https://www.reddit.com/r/listentothis/comments/rlvj9b/tuskeegee_u_marching_band_ball_and_parlay/ "Tuskeegee marching band ball and parlay"
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Here's a comment from that reddit.com discussion thread:
twenty-eight2three,2021
"For anyone unfamiliar with marching band when the lyrics say
hard 8 to 5 they arent referring to an amount of time but rather the standard
step size for marching band. 8 even steps to travel 5 yards on the field. Not
that it matters but i teach drill for a living so i figured id chime in lol"
-snip-
Here's information about the word "crunk" from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crunk
"Crunk is a subgenre of southern hip hop that emerged in the early 1990s and gained mainstream success during the early to mid 2000s.
[...]
Etymology
The term has been attributed mainly to African-American
slang, in which it holds various meanings.[5] It most commonly refers to the
verb phrase "to crank up". It is theorized that the use of the term
came from a past-tense form of "crank", which was sometimes
conjugated as "crunk" in the South, such that if a person, event, or
party was hyped-up, i.e. energetic – "cranked" or "cranked
up" – it was said to be "crunk".[5]"...
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This concludes Part I of this two part pancocojams series.
Thanks for visiting pancocojams.
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