‘90s Rap Mashup’ by Austin Williams - Lyrics & Meaning

Paying tribute to Hip Hop sensations like Nelly, Dr. Dre, Master P and more, country newcomer Austin Williams put a twangy twist on ten iconic tunes on ‘90s Rap Mashup’.

Sharing the country-fied rap medley on social media – specifically TikTok, garnering more than six million views to date on his original teaser – Williams finally dropped his ’90s Rap Mashup' on all streaming services on November 17 after months of teasing. It didn't take long for it to become a fan-favourite, combining two genres that have started crossing paths more and more in today's industry.

Beginning by plucking an acoustic guitar, Williams lulls the listener into a false sense of security by making his ‘90s Rap Mashup’ seem entirely country from the first few seconds - that is, until trap 808 beats are introduced in the second verse.

Rapping with his signature southern drawl, ‘90s Rap Mashup’ is undoubtedly unique, with a sound that appeals to those who love both country and rap music.

[Verse 1: ‘Ruff Ryders' Anthem’]

“Stop, drop, shut 'em down, open up shop singin'

Oh, no, that's how Ruff Ryders roll”

The first verse stems from DMX’s ‘Ruff Ryders' Anthem’, which was released in May 1998 as a part of his debut album, It's Dark and Hell Is Hot. These lyrics appeared word-for-word as part of the chorus of ‘Ruff Ryders' Anthem’. With Williams’ distinctive drawl, these lines begin the country-leaning rap medley with a bang.

[Verse 2: ‘Country Grammar (Hot Shit)’]

“I'm goin' down down, baby, yo' street in a Range Rover

Street sweeper, baby, cocked, ready to let it go

Shimmy shimmy cocoa what? Listen to it pound

Light it up and take a puff, pass it to me now”

Although not technically a 90s rap song like the title of the mashup implies, verse number two comes from ‘Country Grammar (Hot Shit)’ by Nelly, which was released in February 2000 as the lead single from his first record of the same name.

Much like the opening verse, the lyrics of the second verse are taken from the chorus of ‘Country Grammar (Hot Shit)’, with Williams translating the exact words into his medley.

[Verse 3: ‘Burbons And Lacs’]

“I got that wood grain with the leather seats

I got the windows so dark you need a flashlight to see me

Smokin' on that doja

Four of my buddies in the back screamin', "No Limit soldiers!"”

Verse Three derives from ‘Burbons And Lacs’ by Master P. Released in September 1997 as a part of his much-loved fourth studio album, Ghetto D - featuring vocals from Mo B. Dick, Silkk the Shocker and Lil' Gotti Gambino as well.

[Verse 4: ‘Nuthin' But a G-Thang’]

“One, two, three and to the four

Snoop Doggy Dogg and Dr. Dre is at the door

Ready to make an entrance so back on up

'Cause you know we're about to rip stuff up

Give me the microphone first so I can bust it like a bubble

L.A. and Nashville together, man, you know you in troublе

It ain't nuthin' but a G-thang, baby

Y’all loc'ed out people so wе're crazy”

As the medley continues, Austin Williams references Dr Dre's hit song, ‘Nuthin' But a G-Thang’, in verse four, copying the lyrics of the opening verse over to ‘90's Rap Mashup’, making a few minor changes along the way. For instance, Williams’ swaps ‘Compton and Long Beach’ to ‘L.A. and Nashville’ to make the track more personal to him.

Dr. Dre released ‘Nuthin' But a G-Thang’ in January 1993 as a part of his celebrated solo debut, The Chronic, featuring vocals from Snoop Dogg to make the track even more iconic. As rap-lovers might have noticed, Williams chose to utilize a portion of the track that features the names of both artists – “One, two, three and to the four / Snoop Doggy Dogg and Dr. Dre is at the door” – paying tribute to both artists in a deeper way than simply adding their track to his ‘90's Rap Mashup’.

[Verse 5: ‘Ghetto Love’]

“Remember walking you from school and homies hate me

But I ain't trippin' 'cause I know one day, girl, you'll be my lady

You'll probably have my babies, I know it sounds crazy

But thugs need love

If you real, girl, save me”

Williams pays tribute to Master P once again in verse number five, utilizing lyrics from the 1998 hit ‘Ghetto Love’, which stemmed from his fifth studio album, MP Da Last Don, and featured vocals from Mo B. Dick and Mia X. Copying the lyrics of the opening verse over to his ‘90's Rap Mashup’, the Tennessee native paid homage to ‘Ghetto Love’ by keeping every word the same.

[Verse 6: ‘1st of Tha Month’]

“Wake up, wake up, wake up, it's the first of the month

Get up, get up, get up, cash your checks and get up

Wake up, wake up, wake up, it's the first of the month

Get up, get up, get up, everybody singin'”

You may recognize the lyrics in verse six from TikTok, but they actually originated in 1995 as a part of Bone Thugs-N-Harmony’s ‘1st of Tha Month’, which was released as a part of their second studio album, E. 1999 Eternal. Here, Williams uses the most well-known lyrics from the track, adding a sense of familiarity to his ‘90's Rap Mashup’ for those who have yet to hear a song they know.

[Verse 7: ‘Air Force Ones’]

“Give me two pairs

'Cause I need two pairs

So I can get to stompin' in my Air Force Ones

Get to stompin' in my Air Force Ones”

Nearing the end of the medley, Williams incorporates ‘Air Force Ones’ by Nelly – featuring Kyjuan, Ali and Murphy Lee – into verse seven, a song taken from Nelly's second studio album, Nellyville.

Despite being released in November 2002, contrary to the title of ‘90's Rap Mashup’, these lyrics discuss a timeless and hugely popular Nike shoe brand still widely worn today.

[Verse 8: ‘Crazy Rap’]

“Sayin' Colt 45 and two Zig-Zags

Baby, that's all we need

We can go to the park after dark

We can smoke that tumbleweed

As the marijuana burn, we can take our turn

Singin' them dirty rap songs

Stop and hit the bong like Cheech and Chong

Sellin' tapes from here to Hong Kong

So roll, roll, roll my joint

Pick out the seeds and stems

Feeling high as hell

Flyin' through Palmdale

Skatin' on Dayton rims

So roll, roll, the '83 Cadillac Coupe De Ville

If my tapes and my CDs just don't sell, I bet my Caddy will”

The biggest section of the song is devoted to ‘Crazy Rap’ by Afroman – also known as ‘Colt 45 and 2 Zig-Zags’ or simply ‘Colt 45’ – deriving from his third studio album, Sell Your Dope.

Given the fact that ‘Crazy Rap’ is arguably the most widely known song featured within Williams’ ‘90s Rap Mashup,” it makes sense for it to receive the biggest section in comparison to its counterparts, running for a total of 42 seconds.

[Verse 9: ‘Wanna Be a Baller’]

“I wanna be a baller, shot caller

Twenty inch blades on my Impala

Caller gettin' paid tonight

Swisher rolled tight, gotta sprayed by Ike

I hit the highway, making money then fly way

But there's got to be a better way

A better way, better way, yeah”

‘Wanna Be a Baller’ by Lil' Troy – released in 1998 as a part of his debut album, Sittin' Fat Down South, and featuring vocals from Fat Pat, Yungstar, Lil' Will, Big T and H.A.W.K. – is the root of the second-to-last song of the ‘90s Rap Mashup’, with Austin Williams incorporating the opening verse of the song into his medley. Williams again keeps the lyrics the same, with the exception of changing “laid” to “paid,” likely to make his ‘90s Rap Mashup’ more radio-friendly.

[Verse 10: ‘What Would You Do?’]

“Boys and girls, wanna hear a true story?

Saturday night, I was at this real wild party

They had the liquor overflowing the cup

About five or six strippers trying to work for a buck

And I took one girl outside with me

Her name was Mariah, she went to junior high with me

I said, "Why you up in there dancing for cash?

I guess a whole lot's changed since I seen you last."

She said:

What would you do if your son was at home

Crying all alone on the bedroom floor

And he's hungry

And the only way to feed him is to, sleep with a man for a little bit of money

And his daddy's gone

Somewhere smoking rock now, in and out of lockdown

I ain't got a job now

Just for you, this is just a good time

But for me, this is what I call life, yeah”

Closing out ‘90s Rap Mashup’, Williams sings a portion of ‘What Would You Do?’ by City High, released in March 2001 as a part of their self-titled debut album.

Featuring a sample of Dr. Dre's ‘The Next Episode’, Williams utilizes this track to pay tribute to two hip hop legends, despite adjusting the tune in the country-fied rap medley.

While Williams kept the majority of the lyrics the same, he notably changed the line “Her name was Lonni, she went to junior high with me” to “Her name was Mariah, she went to junior high with me”, likely referencing an individual from his personal life.

In tandem with its release, Austin Williams underlined his excitement when the moment finally came for the song to hit streaming services. “The ‘90s Rap Mashup’ TikTok is one of the biggest reasons I get to do what I love every single day, so we decided to record it and put it out for you guys! Super pumped for y’all to jam it,” Williams shared in a statement coinciding with the arrival of ‘90s Rap Mashup’.

[Verse 1: “Ruff Ryders' Anthem”]

“Stop, drop, shut 'em down, open up shop singin'

Oh, no, that's how Ruff Ryders roll

[Verse 2: “Country Grammar (Hot Shit)”]

I'm goin' down down, baby, yo' street in a Range Rover

Street sweeper, baby, cocked, ready to let it go

Shimmy shimmy cocoa what? Listen to it pound

Light it up and take a puff, pass it to me now

[Verse 3: “Burbons And Lacs”]

I got that wood grain with the leather seats

I got the windows so dark you need a flashlight to see me

Smokin' on that doja

Four of my buddies in the back screamin', "No Limit soldiers!"

[Verse 4: Nuthin' But a G-Thang]

One, two, three and to the four

Snoop Doggy Dogg and Dr. Dre is at the door

Ready to make an entrance so back on up

'Cause you know we're about to rip stuff up

Give me the microphone first so I can bust it like a bubble

L.A. and Nashville together, man, you know you in troublе

It ain't nuthin' but a G-thang, baby

Y’all loc'ed out people so wе're crazy

[Verse 5: “Ghetto Love”]

Remember walking you from school and homies hate me

But I ain't trippin' 'cause I know one day, girl, you'll be my lady

You'll probably have my babies, I know it sounds crazy

But thugs need love

If you real, girl, save me

[Verse 6: “1st of Tha Month”]

Wake up, wake up, wake up, it's the first of the month

Get up, get up, get up, cash your checks and get up

Wake up, wake up, wake up, it's the first of the month

Get up, get up, get up, everybody singin'

[Verse 7: “Air Force Ones”]

Give me two pairs

'Cause I need two pairs

So I can get to stompin' in my Air Force Ones

Get to stompin' in my Air Force Ones

[Verse 8: “Crazy Rap”]

Sayin' Colt 45 and two Zig-Zags

Baby, that's all we need

We can go to the park after dark

We can smoke that tumbleweed

As the marijuana burn, we can take our turn

Singin' them dirty rap songs

Stop and hit the bong like Cheech and Chong

Sellin' tapes from here to Hong Kong

So roll, roll, roll my joint

Pick out the seeds and stems

Feeling high as hell

Flyin' through Palmdale

Skatin' on Dayton rims

So roll, roll, the '83 Cadillac Coupe De Ville

If my tapes and my CDs just don't sell, I bet my Caddy will

[Verse 9: “Wanna Be a Baller”]

I wanna be a baller, shot caller

Twenty inch blades on my Impala

Caller gettin' paid tonight

Swisher rolled tight, gotta sprayed by Ike

I hit the highway, making money then fly way

But there's got to be a better way

A better way, better way, yeah

[Verse 10: “What Would You Do?”]

Boys and girls, wanna hear a true story?

Saturday night, I was at this real wild party

They had the liquor overflowing the cup

About five or six strippers trying to work for a buck

And I took one girl outside with me

Her name was Mariah, she went to junior high with me

I said, "Why you up in there dancing for cash?

I guess a whole lot's changed since I seen you last."

She said:

What would you do if your son was at home

Crying all alone on the bedroom floor

And he's hungry

And the only way to feed him is to, sleep with a man for a little bit of money

And his daddy's gone

Somewhere smoking rock now, in and out of lockdown

I ain't got a job now

Just for you, this is just a good time

But for me, this is what I call life, yea”