La Di Da Di

"La Di Da Di" is a song performed by Doug E. Fresh, who provides the beatboxed instrumental, and MC Ricky D (later known as Slick Rick), who performs the vocals. It was originally released in 1985 as the B-side to "The Show". The song has since gained a reputation as an early hip hop classic, and it is one of the most sampled songs in history.[2]

This article is about the Doug E. Fresh and MC Ricky D song. For the 2015 album by Battles, see La Di Da Di (album).
"La Di Da Di"
Song by Doug E. Fresh and MC Ricky D
A-side"The Show"
ReleasedAugust 13, 1985
Recorded1984
Genre
Length4:31 (Original-4:58)
LabelReality/Fantasy Records
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)Dennis Bell & Ollie Cotton for City Slicker Productions

Content

"La Di Da Di" is a light-hearted party song wherein MC Ricky D (Slick Rick) tells a seemingly autobiographical story of a typical day in which he wakes up, bathes, gets dressed, and upon leaving his apartment is accosted by a female love interest, and then by her mother.[3]

Different edits

There are two releases of the song. The original vinyl and cassette versions contain sung lyrics from "Sukiyaki" by A Taste of Honey, but due to a lack of clearance, CD versions are missing the following [slightly modified] refrains in the middle of the song:

"It's all because of you, I'm feelin' sad and blue
You went away, now my life is [filled with] rainy day[s]
[And] I love you so, how much you'll never know
'Cause you took your love away from me"

Cover versions
"Lodi Dodi"
Song by Snoop Doggy Dogg featuring Nanci Fletcher
from the album Doggystyle
Released1993
Genre
Length4:24
Label
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)Dr. Dre

Snoop Dogg covered "La Di Da Di" as "Lodi Dodi". Mindless Self Indulgence also covered the song, with some changes in lyrics. The song has been covered live by Chuck Brown and also by Korn.

Snoop Dogg version charts
Chart (1994)Peak
position
US Hot 100 Airplay (Billboard)[4] 63
US Rhythmic (Billboard)[5] 34

Samples and references by later artists

"La Di Da Di" has gained a reputation for consistently being sampled and referenced by many artists. The line, "Hit it!" for example, has appeared in songs like Ludacris and Mary J. Blige's "Runaway Love," Beastie Boys' "Hold It Now, Hit It," N.W.A.'s "Gangsta Gangsta", Naughty by Nature's "O.P.P.", and Ini Kamoze's "Here Comes the Hotstepper." The line, "We like to party" has appeared in such songs as Vengaboys' "We Like to Party", Miley Cyrus' "We Can’t Stop", and Beyoncé's "Party" (not to mention Slick Rick's own later songs “Hey Young World”, "The Ruler's Back", and "Children's Story."[6]

The following is a list of other songs that referenced "La Di Da Di":

  • A Tribe Called Quest sampled the song on their penultimate album The Love Movement on the track "The Love".
  • Spice 1's song "Strap on The Side" says the line, La di da di, I shot up his body".
  • InI & Pete Rock in their collaborative song "Think Twice" use a line saying "Throw a phat party and invite everybody, and play all the old school hits like La Di Da Di".
  • ADOR's song "From the Concrete" says the line, "Slam the child on the hard concrete" in the hook.
  • Robbie Williams's song "Rock DJ" borrows the line "and when we rock the mic, we rock the mic" with the high-pitched "right!"
  • DJ Premier sampled the song for Big Daddy Kane's song "Show & Prove".[7]
  • Rap rock band Hed PE's songs "Crazy Legs" and "Murder" both have references to the song.
  • The hook of The Notorious B.I.G.'s song "Hypnotize" interpolates Slick Rick's lyrics: "Ricky Ricky Ricky, can't you see? Somehow your words just hypnotize me, and I just love your jazzy ways, oh MC Rick my love is here to stay", changing them to "Biggie Biggie Biggie, can't you see? Somehow your words just hypnotize me, and I just love your flashy ways, I guess that's why they're broke and you're so paid."
  • It is sampled by Conspirituality in the song "4 All Y'all".
  • Ini Kamoze samples the words "hit it" in his song “Here Comes The Hotstepper”.[7]
  • Mos Def's song "Perfect Timing" (from True Magic) repeats the line "'cause this type of shit happens every day".
  • Jim's Big Ego's song "Feelin' Groovy" contains a rap section, much of which is slightly altered "La Di Da Di" lyrics, including the title.
  • The end of the hook of The Black Eyed Peas song "Don't Lie" samples the words "stop lyin'".
  • The intro to the Ludacris and Mary J. Blige song "Runaway Love" samples the beginning of "La Di Da Di" by scratching the two words "like this".[7]
  • Ludacris's verse on Jennifer Hudson's song "Pocketbook" from her self-titled album: "Baby because tonight is da night/And when we rock upon the mic we rock the mic right".
  • Will Smith's song "Pump Me Up" from his 1999 album Willennium samples this at the end of the song.
  • De La Soul samples the word "emcee" in the song "Supa Emcees" on their album Stakes Is High. They also sampled the phrase "I can't be your lover" as a running gag in several tracks on their album De La Soul Is Dead, including their Hip-house parody, "Kicked Out The House". Also on the De La Soul Is Dead album, the phrase "slammed the child on the hard concrete" in the song "My Brother Is A Basehead".
  • Pusha T also quotes the phrase "slammed the child on the hard concrete", making it part of the first verse of his song titled "Blocka"—the fourth track of his 2013 mixtape titled Wrath of Caine.
  • Kanye West references the song in 2010's GOOD Fridays release "Take One for the Team", which features Pusha T, Keri Hilson and Cyhi the Prynce: "This here a classic like the La Di Da Di verse".
  • The intro to the Mary J. Blige song "No One Else" samples the beginning of "La Di Da Di" by sampling the phrase "there is no competition".
  • Das EFX samples the words "just some men that's on the mic" in the song "Jussummen" on their album Dead Serious.
  • 2Pac sings the final hook on the song "Lost Souls", which revolves around Slick Rick's phrase "All of y'all, keepin y'all in health...".[7] in his song "old school", 2Pac sing "when slick rick was spitting LA-DI-DA-DI".
  • Black Sheep samples the phrase "on and on she kept on" in their song "La Menage", featuring Q-Tip on their album A Wolf in Sheep's Clothing. They also sample the beatboxed, "you know what?" intro (right before the first verse starts) in their song "To Whom It May Concern" on their album A Wolf in Sheep's Clothing.
  • Color Me Badd samples the phrase "to the tic toc you don't stop" in the song "I Wanna Sex You Up" on their album C.M.B.[7]
  • Ice Cube paraphrases the song in his track "Stop Snitchin'", singing "Nigga nigga nigga/Can't you see/Somehow your words incarcerate me". He also samples the phrase "Stepped out my house stopped short" in the hook of "Look Who's Burnin", on his album Death Certificate.
  • Ice-T's track "Radio Suckers" from the Power album contains a reference to the song in the lyrics: "They bleeped words from Doug's La-Di-Da-Di, I can't get a bleep - What's the deal? Maybe my words are just too real".
  • The end of "Millionaire" by Kelis and Andre 3000 samples the phrase "I feel insane"
  • Black Thought quotes the song on "Mellow My Man" track on The Roots album Do You Want More?!!!??! by saying: "La Di Da Di, who likes to party? Like Slick Rick the Ruler, I'm cool as a ice brick"
  • N.W.A sample the intro part that says 'let it go a little something like this/Hit it!' in their song "Gangsta Gangsta".[7]
  • Del the Funky Homosapien samples the line "Went to the bathroom to wash up, Put some soap on my face" in his song "If You Must" from his album Both Sides of the Brain.
  • Junior M.A.F.I.A. samples the line "This type of shit it happens everyday" in the chorus to "Player's Anthem".
  • Jazmine Sullivan's "Holding You Down (Goin' in Circles)" contains a sample of the line "on and on and on she kept on".
  • Mariah Carey samples the word "emcee" in the song "It's Like That".
  • Beyoncé samples the song on her "Party" collaboration with André 3000 of her album 4.[8] In 2003, she also used the song's line "You're about witness... before" as a prelude to "Hip Hop Star" during her Dangerously in Love Tour. The performance appeared on the 2004 DVD, Live at Wembley.
  • Slick Rick quotes the song title after a line in a Mos Def song ("Auditorium" from The Ecstatic), which features him: "Walk over kicked, one of my fabulous raps (la di da di)".
  • Earl Sweatshirt in the song "Oldie" on The OF Tape Vol. 2 raps "La di da di, back in here to fuck the party up"
  • J. Cole borrows a verse and uses the expression "La Di Da Di" in his featured appearance on Beyoncé's "Party".
  • Hi-C (rapper) samples the line "And with your wrinkled pussy, I can't be your lover" in "I'm Not Your Puppet".
  • 50 Cent in his song "I'm On It": "La Di Da Di, we like to party".
  • Tech N9ne references the song in his song "Dysfunctional": "La di da di, La-di-da-di, I'm at the party, On a drunk night with a punk, might dudes tryin' to pick a fight because he's sorry."
  • Miley Cyrus references the song in the chorus of her 2013 single "We Can't Stop": "La da di da di, we like to party..."
  • Die Antwoord references the song in their song "Happy Go Sucky Fucky" on their 2014 album Donker Mag: "La di da di, yo we party."
  • Tyler the Creator references the song in his song "Deathcamp" on his 2015 album Cherry Bomb: "La-di-da-di, I'm going harder than coming out the closet to conservative Christian fathers."
  • Kid Ink references the song in his song "Be Real" on his 2015 album Full Speed: "Roll up good Cali, la di da di."
  • Redfoo references the song in his 2013 single "Let's Get Ridiculous": "I'm fresh, I'm slick, I'm la di da di."[9]
  • Fun Lovin' Criminals reference the song in Come Find Yourself's "King of New York": "La di da di, free John Gotti, the King of New York, the King of New York!"
  • Iggy Azalea also references the line "Ricky, Ricky, Ricky, can't you see, somehow your words just hypnotize me" in her song "Beg For It" featuring MØ changing the lyrics to: "Iggy, Iggy, Iggy, can't you see, that everybody wanna put their hands on me".
  • In the Gorillaz' original version of "Clint Eastwood" with Phi Life Cypher, the word "Concrete (concrete, concrete)" is repeated at the end of one verse. This is likely an allusion to the line "Slam the child on the hard concrete" from "La Di Da Di".
  • Future referenced the title of the song twice in "King's Dead", which also features Jay Rock, Kendrick Lamar, and James Blake: "La di da di da, slob on me knob...La di da di da, motherfuck the law." His verse also references the track "Slob On My Knob", by Tear Da Club Up Thugs, a side-project of Three 6 Mafia.
  • BTS references the song in their song "Mic Drop": "La di da di, 아 너무 바빠."
  • Will Smith's beatboxing scene in the film Men in Black II (his beatboxing answer of Booo's answer) samples the beatboxing outro of this song

References
  1. "Doug E. Fresh & The Get Fresh Crew* - The Show & La Di Da Di (Vinyl)". Discogs.com. Retrieved 2016-02-11.
  2. Michael Driscoll (May 22, 2019). "How 'La Di Da Di,' a B-Side From 1985, Became One of Music's Most-Sampled Songs". The Wall Street Journal.
  3. “La Di Da Di/ The Show — A Brief History," Missing Link Music (Aug. 2, 2014).
  4. "Snoop Dogg Album & Song Chart History". Billboard Hot 100 Airplay for Snoop Dogg.
  5. "Snoop Dogg Chart History (Rhythmic)". Billboard.
  6. "La-di-da-di, we like to party: Online Orgy," WHRB (MAY 4, 2020).
  7. "WhoSampled: La Di Da Di". WhoSampled.com.
  8. "Beyoncé Samples Slick Rick and Doug E. Fresh on André 3000 Collaboration". Rap-Up. Retrieved 2016-02-11.
  9. "Let's Get Ridiculous". SoundCloud. Archived from the original on July 16, 2014. Retrieved September 10, 2013.
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