"La Di Da Di" is a 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, having been referenced in other hip hop songs.

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

The Story [link]

This song tells an eventful day in the life of Slick Rick. It begins by him waking up in the morning, around 10 o'clock, washing up and preparing to go out on a date at night by putting on cologne and dressing fancily. Once ready he leaves but shortly after leaving he realizes he that he forgot his Kangol hat. Due to this he returns to look for it and then rushes out again. While he ran through an alley he met with a friends of his, a girl he knew since a long time ago named Sally. He noticed she seemed upset and asked her what was wrong. She then proceeded to tell Rick that she still loves him after the separation. while consoling her, Rick sees Sally's mother approaching with two children. She greets Slick and begins to assault Sally causing the children to leave. Rick jumps in attempting to break the fight up and asks Sally's mom why she was beating her daughter. She replies that if she can't have him then Sally can't either, now knowing Sally and Rick had already broken up. Having learned of the reason Rick attempted to run away but was caught up by Sally's mom. She stops him and points her finger to him. She confesses her undying love for him and suggests going for a ride on the jaguar before returning to the apartment to fornicate. She also tells him that she is sometimes hypnotized by his words and ability to rap. Rick calms her down by giving her a kiss and tells her he is too young for her, having said before he considered her to be older than his mother. Sally's mom then says she is not and Rick reveals to be 19. She does not believe him and Rick offers the possibility of checking this with her mother claiming that she is too old for him and, for that reason can not be her lover. The song end with the words “To the heart tick tock you don’t stop To the heart tick tock you don’t quit, hit it!”^[1]

Other songs that reference this song [link]

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".

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”.

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.

Ice Cube samples the phrase "Stepped out my house stopped short" in the hook of "Look Who's Burnin", on his album Death Certificate.

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".

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

De La Soul samples the phrase "can't be a lover" in the song "Talkin' Bout Hey Love" on their album De La Soul Is Dead

De La Soul samples 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

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

Black Sheep 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."

Snoop Dogg performs a variation of this song with "Lodi Dodi" from his debut album Doggystyle

Ice Cube paraphrases the song in his track Stop Snitchin', singing "Nigga nigga nigga/Can't you see/Somehow your words incarcerate me".

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".

Eminem 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 samples the song on her "Party" collaboration with André 3000 of her album "4".^[2] 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 Beyonce'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 that wrinkled... 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"

Cover versions [link]

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

References [link]

^[3]