The Annotated JJ Fad

So you dig JJ Fad's "Ya Goin' Down," the Roxanne Shanté dis/b-side to "Is It Love?" (Ruthless, 1988), but just aren't getting all the references? Then use these handy links and footnotes to school yourself.

Ice Cube: It’s like this if
Kid Dynamite sample: you’ve got the time
Ice Cube: to go head up with the Double J F-A-D then
Kid Dynamite sample: I’ve got the time
Ice Cube: Hey yo J.B. what you think about that sucker Shanté?


MC J.B.:
Here we go another ho wanna jump on the bandwagon
So you know, it's time to start taggin'
People thinkin' we were just a F-A-D
So let's dis a fat girl from NYC
Listen up, Shanté¹, now really
Your pimp Marley Marl need to slap you silly, girl
Who you think you are to juice me?
First Roxanne Shanté now you're Loosey ?
You couldn't get none of KRS-One²
So you tried to come west³ and get some
Makin' you turn cuz I burn through
I'm more deffer than a heffer like you
And I can't fight that ain't right
Let me show you how to strike a dyke on the mic
First of all, girl, you ain't cute
Then I hear that you're knockin' the boots with Shan
When he rocked your world,
the whole Juice Crew said "Go On Girl!"
They made a line, then they made a pile
Then you and Marley Marl did it doggy style
Biz Markie and Kane got a little
Somehow Shanté you were caught in the middle
After all that sent them on their way
Smiled at the door and said "Have a Nice Day"
Wham bam ma'am and they’re gone
Nine months later sayin' "Mother's home"
Doin' what you did now how that sound
You can't make a wacky record⁴ homegirl cuz ya goin' down

Baby-D:
We knew you was wack from the start
Did a 100 12"s⁵ and never hit the pop charts
Tryin' to get fame off my name then front
Yo – it must be that time of the month (word!)
Or you're just cracked out, you shoulda backed out
'Fore you get rapped out or even slapped out
I’m goin' way out for the kill
Roxanne Shanté you bit your name from The Real Roxanne
Cuz you never seen the world
I gotta dis this dark-skinned fat girl
Who tried to eat the fat then run it
But your eyes are too big for your stomach, girl
Cuz your songs not happenin'
About the Supersonic album? Oh – it's platinum!
When you did wacky records you said ya got 'em (?)
Been rappin' for years and you're still on the bottom
I've been rappin' for a year now I'm on top
Hmph – I mix pop with a lot of funky hip-hop
And dropped it on the Shanté for messin' with the double J F-A-D
We don't play
We slay at a pitch to abuse you
I'm on an old sucker Juice Crew
Stop! You just washed up, clown
Now how that sound, homegirl? Cuz ya goin' down

Sassy C:
I hope you don't think you're as fly as me
Cuz I'm the S-A-double S-Y C
Let's see who's a sucker
It ain't word to the mother
Cuz I'ma smother
A girl named Shanté no doubt
This time you put your foot in your mouth
I don't see you in magazines often
And when you die, it's gotta be a closed coffin
I try to be ladylike on the mic
But right about now I gotta get hype
On a female as big as a whale
Who make wack records that don't sell
Half as much as we do
Everybody wanna dis the JJ Fad crew
Go ahead and step to the tre⁶
We try to be nice but we'll spray ya
So come one come all
Let's start with a Butterball Shanté she'll fall
I try to play it off cool
But once again I gotta act the fool
Yo homegirl, this ain't no raffle
You ain't got juice cuz you're from the Big Apple
You're still a little new jack
And when you go platinum then you can talk back
But for now just zip the lip
And get off that LA tip
Take it from one girl to another
Ya goin' down cuz you a sucka

1. The greatest rapper of all-time.

2. Well-respected Bronx rapper from Boogie Down Productions; Shanté dissed him on "Have A Nice Day" (Cold Chillin' '87): "Now KRS-One you should go on vacation/With a name soundin' like a wack radio station."

3. JJ Fad were from California.

4. A reference to Shanté's "Wack Itt" in which she disses JJ Fad.

5. And not "112 inches" as stated in this review of Soul Jazz's superb Fly Girls! compilation.

6. Update: It sounded as if she was saying 'Dre' here which might make sense since Dr. Dre co-wrote "Ya Goin' Down" with Ice Cube. but a reader comment below cleared it up...I think.