La Di Da Di

"La Di Da Di"
Song
A-side	"The Show"
B-side	"La Di Da Di"

"La Di Da Di" is a hit rap song performed by Doug E. Fresh the beatboxer, and MC Ricky D (later known as Slick Rick) as the rapper. 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 has been sampled or referenced in numerous other hip hop songs since its release (see below).

The Story

The song describes an eventful day in the life of Slick Rick. Waking up around 10 o'clock, he washes up and prepares to go out, describing his cologne and fancy dress. He returns, realizing he has forgotten his Kangol hat. In an alley, he runs into a former girlfriend, Sally (from "the valley"). She tearfully informs him that she still loves him. Soon, however, Rick sees Sally's mother approaching. She greets Slick, but then assaults Sally, slamming her on the pavement. Rick attempts to break up the fight, asking, "What is going on?" She replies that if she can't have him, then Sally can't either. Rick flees from her advances, but she catches him, saying she loves him, because his words hypnotize her. Rick tries to calm her with a kiss, telling her that he is too young for her, as she is older than his own mother. Sally's mom claims she is not too old, but Rick tells her he is only 19, to which she replies "Stop lyin'!" Rick suggests she can check his age with his own mother. Given the aging state of her vagina, she cannot be his lover.

The song ends with a now oft-quoted line, a variation on a riff which recurs in the classic Rapper's Delight:

To the Tick tock, an' you don’t stop

To the Tick tick, an' you don’t quit... Hit it!”

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 refrains in the middle of the song, most likely because of copyright issues:

It's all because of you, I'm feeling sad and blue.

You went away, and now my life is filled with rainy days.

I love you so, how much you'll never know,

Cause you took your love away from me

Cover versions

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 Korn.

Samples and references by later artists

DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince samples the line "I'm feeling sad and blue" in the chorus to Ain't No Place Like Home.

Bow Wow and Jermaine Dupri sample the words "rock the mic" in the hook of their song "Rock Tha Mic" off of the album New Jack City II.

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".

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" revolves around Slick Rick's lyrics: "Ricky Ricky Ricky, can't you see? Somehow your words just hypnotize me And I just love your jazzy ways".

The hook to the DJ Honda track "On The Mic" is centered on a sample of the phrase "We're just some men that's on the mic/And when we rock upon the mic we rock the mic right".

The hook of Shyne's song "SHYNE" revolves around Slick Rick's lyrics: "For all of y'all, keep y'all in health, Just to see you smile and enjoy yourself".

The song is sampled by 6 Tre G in his song "Fresh".

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”. So did the Beastie Boys in 1986 on their Licensed to Ill album with the song Hold It Now, Hit It.

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".

The feat. of Ludacris on the song "pocketbook" (Jennifer Hudson 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 Willenium 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 samples the phrase "can't be my lover" in several tracks on their album De La Soul Is Dead and the phrase "slammed the child on the hard concrete" in the song "My Brother Is A Basehead" on their album De La Soul Is Dead. They quote the verse "cause this kind of shit happens everyday" on the title "Ego Trip pt. 2" on their 1993 album Buhloone Mindstate.

Pusha T also quote this verse, making it the first verse of his song titled Blocka that is the fourth track of his 2013 mixtape titled Wrath of Caine.

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...".

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 samples 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."

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 Roots use the line "La Di Da Di/Who likes to party?/Like Slick Rick" in their song Mellow My Man.

N.W.A sample the intro part that says 'let it go a little something like this/Hit it!' in their song Gangsta Gangsta.

Sublime's song April 29, 1992 (Miami) contains a sample of the line originally from the "Sukiyaki" song which Slick Rick sings: 'I'm feeling sad and blue..'

Apathy samples the phrase "cause you took your love away from me" on the track "True Love" featuring Phonte from the album Wanna Snuggle?

Eminem samples the song in the beginning of his underground dis towards Everlast, Quitter, using the phrase "to all my fans keeping ya'll in health". He uses the line, "to rock the mic RIGHT", in a freestyle entitled "The Conspiracy"

Ras Kass based the song "Conceited Bastard" from the album Rasassination around various lyrics from this song.

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 Knowles samples the song on her "Party" collaboration with André 3000 of her album 4. 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.

Biz Markie's Young Girl Bluez on 1993's All Samples Cleared! samples the lines "Now what was I to do / She was crying over me and she was feeling blue."

Insane Clown Posse uses the words "La Di Da Di" in a slower, darker tone, in the intro and chorus of their song "12" off their Riddle Box album.

Trina samples the song's "mirror, mirror, on the wall" line in her collaboration with Rick Ross, "Hot Commodity," from her album Still da Baddest.

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)"

Redman in his song "I'll bee dat".

Jermaine Dupri in 2001's Ballin' out of control

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".

Shwayze uses the line "Oil of Olay" also describing facial jewelry in his song Californ-i-a.

Hi-C (rapper) samples the line "And with your wrinkled pussy, I can't be your lover" in Im Not Your Puppet.

50 Cent in his song I'm On It "La Di Da Di, we like to party"

Slug of Atmosphere makes a few references to this song. On the tracks "The Wind" and "Hungry Fuck".

Jamaican reggae singer Tanya Stephens referenced the song on her track Who Is Tanya from her album Rebelution. On the track, she sings "And when mi step up to de mic, mi rock de mic, right!"

Korean Pop K-pop artist 2NE1 referenced the song in "Can't Nobody" from their 1st album To Anyone. The lyrics in Korean: "눈빛은 찌릿찌릿, 심장을 beat it beat it, 콧노래 ladi dadi, 춤추는 body body," which translates to: "Your gaze is tingly tingly, Makes my heart beat it beat it, Humming ladi dadi, Dancing body body"

K-pop Rapper PSY famous for Gangnam Style referenced the song in a track on his "6th Best Album" called "77 101." The lyrics in Korean: "Naega tiktak hamyeon get on stop, Naega raridari hamyeon we like to party," which translates to: "But when I say tick tock, get on stop, When I say ladi dadi, we like to party"

E-40 sampled the song in "40 & Hiero" featuring rap group Hieroglyphics

Tech N9ne referenced the song in the first verse of his Sickology 101 track, Dysfunctional, with the lines, "La di da di/I'm at the party/ on a drunk night/..."

Die Fantastischen Vier, a german hip hop band, reference the song in a track called "Der Picknicker". The lyrics in German: "La di da di wie slick rick mag ich die Party doch ich nenn sie Picknick", which translates to: "La di da di like slick rick, I like the party but call it a picnic"

Chip, another English rapper, signed to T.I.'s record label Grand Hustle, referenced the song in a track called "Slick Rick" (a dedication to Slick Rick) where he says "La Di Da Di, We Like To Party I bet the way I talk might attract somebody, 6 foot tall you could be my shawty, I swear down we don't want to hurt nobody, Oh sh*t I think I'm Slick Rick" on his mixtape London Boy.

R.A. the Rugged Man samples "La Di Da Di, we like to party. We don't cause trouble. We don't bother nobody" in his song "Laugh, Clown, Laugh" on Legends Never Die

Run-D.M.C. samples the word "MC" that is used by Slick Rick at the beginning of the song (when he introduces himself as Ricky D. MC) in "They call us Run DMC" in their 1988 Tougher Than Leather album. Their "ragtime" title from the same album seems also inspired by this song (same flow, same kind of lyrics).

Original Flavor use the words "who is the top choice of them all" (that are used by Slick Rick when he speaks with his mirror watching himself before going out) on the scratch sequence at the end of the title "All that" from their 1994 "Beyond Flavor" album.

Miley Cyrus references the song in the chorus of her 2013 single "We Can't Stop": "La di da di, we like to party..."

Redfoo references the song in the his 2013 single "Let's Get Ridiculous": "I'm fresh, I'm slick, I'm la di da di.."