DJ Diamond K, Aug 13, 2014
Big Ria performs "Hey You Knuckleheads" at Diamond K's birthday party in Baltimore.
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Edited by Azizi Powell
This is Part I of a two part pancocojams series about the Baltimore Club music record "Hey U Knuckleheads" (also given as "Hey You Knuckleheads".
This post showcases Big Ria performing "Hey U Knuckleheads" in 2014 at a birthday party for DJ Diamond K, the composer of that song that she recoded in 1996.
Information about Baltimore Club music is presented in this pancocojams post along with information about DJ Diamond K's song :Hey U Knuckleheads".
The Baltimore Club song "Hey U Knuclehead" consists of a roll call of the names of some streets and neighborhoods that are familiar to Black people living in Baltimore, Maryland.
Information about Baltimore Club music is presented in this pancocojams post along with information about DJ Diamond K's song :Hey U Knuckleheads".
This post also includes the lyrics to that Baltimore Club music song.
The Addendum to this post presents information about the military cadence "Hey You Knucklehead" that inspired thet Baltimore Club Music song with the same title. .
Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2025/10/giving-shout-outs-to-baltimores-black.html_ for Part II of this pancocojams series. That post showcases a 2022 video of Baltimore dancer and comedian Carnell Nichols showing the world the streets that got a shout out in the now iconic 1996 Baltimore Club music song "Hey U Knuckleheads". The song track to that 1996 song is used for this 2022 video.
That pancocojams post also presents some comments about that song from the discussion thread of a 2008 YouTube sound file of DJDiamond K 7 Big Ria's record "Hey U Knuckleheads".
The content of this post is presented for historical, socio-cultural, and entertainment purposes.
All copyrights remain with their owners,
Thanks to Big Ria and all those who were associated with composing and recording "Hey You Knuckleheads". Thanks to all those who are quoted in this post and thanks to the publisher of this video on YouTube.
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INFORMATION ABOUT BALTIMORE CLUB MUSIC & INFORMATION ABOUT THE SONG "HEY U KNUCKLEHEADS"
Source #1
From https://tjsmithmedia.com/2018/10/10/dear-baltimore-thank-you , published by TJ Smith, 10 October 2018
..."In 1996, Baltimore club legends, Diamond K and Big Ria released a song entitled, “Hey You Knuckleheads”. The song pays homage to housing projects, neighborhoods, and well known open-air drug corners. But they are also communities that many of our families grew up in. Sadly, many of these same communities have deteriorated and it’s where we see much of our crime. The artists gave the city a blueprint, through song, of areas throughout the city that have historically and disproportionately been plagued with social ills, guns, violence, and drugs. "...
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Source #2
From https://ra.co/features/4252 A History of Baltimore Club inTen Tracks " A History Of Baltimore Club In Ten Tracks" published by Kiana Mickles, 22 Feb 2024
"Before Baltimore club music splintered into other regional East Coast genres, spawning Philly and Jersey club music, it was a local powerhouse all to itself. The early sound as pioneered by artists like Scottie B, Rod Lee and the Unruly Records label was an intoxicating blend of house music, hip-hop and electro. Baltimore club tracks usually centre around famous breakbeats like the "Think" break, staggered in an instantly recognisable pattern, but also often feature MCs, more like fleshed-out songs than pure dance tools. The genre has adapted with the times, intertwining with hip-hop in more ways than one, but its herky-jerky rhythms and commitment to songcraft—and often humour—have stayed the same.
Last year, Unruly Records put out an excellent compilation that highlights the origins of Baltimore club, which makes a great place to start. But for the real meat of the genre, I spoke to Baltimore music journalist Lawrence Burney, who guided me through ten tracks that chart the modern evolution of the style from the '90s through to 2023, from viral sensations to cutting-edge rap collaborations. The annotations for each track are his.
[…]
Big Ria - Hey You Knuckleheads
You might not really be from Baltimore like you claim to be if you don't know this song. This is a marker of validity. When I came up this was an anthem. This was playing at the cookout, at the festival and at the party. When you hear this people are going to come together—and you're especially validated when the songs call out your section. Ria's Baltimore accent is so intoxicating. She has a squeaky, nasally voice but it's still very forceful and powerful. It's a perfect song. Early club music like this feels completely different than the club music that follows it. '90s club music was very call-and-response and neighborhood-specific."...
-snip-
In American English, a "knucklehead" is an informal term for a foolish or stupid person or a person who does or says something that can be considered stupid or foolish. However, people may also affectionately refer to someone as a "knucklehead". I believe that's the way "knucklehead" was used in the United States military cadence in the military cadence with that title and in the Baltimore Club music song "Hey U Knucklehead" that was inspired by that military cadence.
Read an example of the "Knucklehead" military cadence in the Addendum to this post
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LYRICS -HEY U KNUCKLEHEADS (Baltimore Club music)
(DJ Diamond K)
Hey You Knuckle Heads
Hey You Knuckle Heads
Walking Down the Avenue
A few more streets and we'll be through
Sandtown, North and P
Park Heights, R and G
Whitelock, CherryHill
North and Long and Dofield
Murphy Homes, EA
Greenmount, Barclay
Walbrook JCT
Popular Grove, and EV
Flaghouse, LT
28th, Tivoly
Alameda, Mount Street
Edmonson and Pulaski
Saratoga, Garrison
North and Dukeland
Westport, Cedonia
Parkside, Moravia
Sinclair, Wolfstreet
Middle, Chase and Biddle Street
York Rd, Preston Street
24th, Bernice street
21st, 20th
Bethel and LaFayette
North Bend, Catonsville
Warwick and Rosedale
Hey You Knuckle Heads
Hey You Knuckle Heads
Walking Down the Avenue
A few more streets and we'll be through
Yeah this BigRia
Representing from ParkHeights
Ya I mean
I wanna know where all my ladies at
Let me hear ya make some noise
And if ya representing
I want ya to say
Straight like that
Are my ladies representing
Straight like that
Are my fellas representing
Straight like that
Yeah I like to give big thanks
To big house productions
In the 96 and I'm out
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ADDENDUM- MILITARY CADENCE
The United States military cadence "Oh You Knucklehead" (or similar titles) undoubtedly inspired the 1996 Baltimore Club music track "Hey U Knuckleheads".
Here a three versions of that military cadence:
(with numbers given for referencing purposes only)
1.Here's a 1964 version of that military cadence:
From https://www.facebook.com/groups/1102549541173343/posts/1230800698348226/
Never Forgotten Fort Ord, California ·
Don Wilkison
August 14, 2024
"Remember this one from marching in Basic?
"Oh you knucklehead,
Marching down the avenue,
Two more weeks and you'll be through,
Yur left-Yur left,
Yur left-right-left!"
Don, Ft. Ord BCT A-1-1, 1964"
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2. Here's another version of that military cadence:
From https://www.military-quotes.com/forums/threads/knucklehead.92956/ submitted by CdtCplMarshie, Oct 25, 2011
"Heeeeey you knuckleheads
Heeeeey you knucklheads
You dumb dumb knuckleheads
You dumb dumb knuckleheads
You craaazy knuckleheads
You craaazy knuckleheads
Marching down this avenue
Marching down this avenue
more miles then we're through
more miles then we're through
I'm so happy how 'bout you
I'm so happy how 'bout you
Are weee going strong? We're strong
Am I right or wrong? Your right
Sound Off. 1 2
Round Off. 3 4
Turn them all around and bring them on the down then, 4 3 2 1, 4 3 2 1!"
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3. Here's a third version of that military cadence and I'm sure there were (are?) many more
"HEY YOU KNUCKLEHEADS
Hey you knuckleheads,
(reply: Hey you knuckleheads)
You dumb dumb knuckleheads,
(reply: You dumb dumb knuckleheads)
You crazy knuckleheads
(reply: You crazy knuckleheads)
Marching down this avenue
(reply: Marching down this avenue)
...(number, starting with ten) more miles and we'll be through
(reply:... more miles and we'll be through)
Are we going strong?
(reply: we're strong)
Am I right or wrong?
(reply: You're right)
Sound off
(reply: One, two)
Round off
(reply: Three, four)
Turn em all around and bring em back down now
(reply: 4,3,2,1 4,3,2,1)
Keep repeating that, changing the number of miles each time, going down from ten to zero =)
Hope that helps! xxx"
-GUEST,
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This concludes Part I of this two part pancocojams series.
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