Jay-Z & Kanye's "That -Ish Cray" Fully Explained
Nov 05, 2011 | 3:00 PM Written By: Jessica T
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Leave it to Jay-Z and Kanye West to boggle our minds with their play on words, but alas, they have done it again with their hit single "Ni**as in Paris."
The term "Cray" isn't a shortened form of "crazy," and it's not spelled "cray," it's actually "Kray." The reference is made to schizophrenic twins Ronald and Reginald Kray, who were the crime lords of London in the 50's and 60's.
The police were unable to find them on several locations, which would explain the lyrics "ball so hard muthafu**as wanna fine me. That sh*t Kray. That sh*t Kray. That sh*t Kray."
This concludes your lesson in rap history for the day.
Source: twitpic.com
Previous Comments
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YoYoHapnin 05/02/2012 8:11 am
If you watch the video for "Niggas in Paris" you will see that he does mean "cray." They put the word on the screen.
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comedianchrissmith.com 12/13/2011 1:05 pm
You have one of the greatest metaphorical rappers serving as a mentor to another gifted rapper and people have the balls to say, "stop trying to analyze the lyrics?" Are you kidding me? That's what creates credibility in the rap industry; rappers that provide intelligent verses where people LEARN something. It's like saying a person has a Napoleon complex. If you didn't know Napoleon was diminutive, then the metaphor is lost. Ignorance, for the record, is not bliss.
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comedianchrissmith.com REPLIED 04/27/2012 4:52 pm
Shit, thanks Jason. Here I thought he was short. The whole time he was a staggering 5'7.
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jason REPLIED 04/26/2012 1:08 pm
Napoleon was actually 5'7'', average or even above average height for his time. his nickname was the little corporal, but it had no relation to his size
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X 11/06/2011 1:30 am
Sometimes you white people need to stop trying to analyze things so much and leave it alone. People been saying "That shit cray" in the hood way before Kanye and Jay put it in their song. They just toke it and added their own spin to it and flipped it. Like word play. That's what happen when you Google instead of asking one of those black kids on the corner what it means. SMFH
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YUP....blah 11/05/2011 10:06 pm
Duh, no shit! Things always have to be explained for these square ass "Hip-Hop Heads" They know who they are. Those fucking suburban douchebags.
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jed 11/05/2011 3:06 pm
too late now everybody is using it the other way
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PRETTYNANA43 11/04/2011 6:50 pm
I ALREADY KNEW THAT!!!! U KNO IM #RideorDie4JayZ!!!!! Hi JAY n YE!!!!! 2BRILLIANT MINDS REIGN SUPREME!!!!! *KEEPSHININGNSTAYBLESSED GUYS!!!
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PPA REPLIED 11/05/2011 12:46 pm
DICKEATER
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rksevenup REPLIED 11/05/2011 4:06 am
u already knew that? WOW!!! THAT SHIT CRAY!!!
