Verified archive entry

4,3,2,1

4,3,2,1 is a track by LL Cool J with a diss section by LL Cool J targeting Canibus. The recording also credits Method Man, Redman, DMX and Canibus. The LL Cool J–Canibus feud began after Canibus referenced LL's microphone tattoo on “4,3,2,1”; altered verses and response records escalated the dispute.

Released1997
Annotated1
ExplicitYes
Addressable transcript

Lyrics & breakdown

Demo lines only. Select a line number to copy a stable deep link.

  1. 01

    [Intro: LL Cool J & Redman]

    02

    Ay carumba

    03

    I'm gonna Bankhead bounce

    04

    No doubt

    05

    Watch your mouth

  2. 06

    [Chorus: LL Cool J & Redman]

    07

    Ayo, one, two, three, four, five, six, seven

    08

    Blaze the hot trizack that sound like Heaven

    09

    Seven, six, five, four to three, two, one

    10

    Mo'mon, Meth-Tical, come and get some

  3. 11

    [Verse 1: Method Man]

    12

    Playing my position, hot Nick, son

    13

    This one, for all the sick ones, infliction

    14

    Poisonous darts sickenin', best believe

    15

    Finger itchin' with two broke legs, now I'm trippin'

  4. 16

    On MC's cliche, shot that ricochets

    17

    Start trouble, bust bubbles, hip to wicked ways

    18

    Gotta love me, G-O-D, no one above me

    19

    Look good but fuck ugly

  5. 20

    Tap your jaw from my Punch Buggy sonning you

    21

    Got you shittin' in your last Huggie, running who?

    22

    Fuckin' punk, get a speed bump coming through

    23

    A single shot make yo' meat lump, respect Wu

  6. 24

    [Verse 2: Redman & Method Man]

    25

    Yo, ayo, I put it on a nigga, shitted on a nigga

    26

    Turn a Christian to a certified sinner

    27

    The bomb I release, time pent up (Explode)

    28

    When you got sent up I was hitting your ex ho

  7. 29

    Shit, I kept low, petro' your metro

    30

    Politic, keep the chickenheads gobblin'

    31

    Shit I'm driving in come with fog halogen

    32

    Terrorize your city from the spliff committee

  8. 33

    Kick ass 'til both Timberlands turn shitty

    34

    Gritty, smack the driver's head in the gypsy

    35

    When I approach, rappers be taking notes

    36

    I drop like I shoulda invented the raincoat

  9. 37

    Absolute, I love to burn to the roots

    38

    I keep cummin' 'til your pour sperm from your boots

    39

    Vigilante hardcore to the penis

    40

    Tell you, "Fuck you", my attitude is anaemic

  10. 41

    [Verse 3: Canibus]

    42

    I'm the illest nigga alive, watch me prove it

    43

    I snatch your crown with ya head still attached to it

    44

    Canibus is the type who'll fight for mics

    45

    Beating niggas to death and beating dead niggas to life

  11. 46

    When you look at me long enough, I'll start to read your thoughts

    47

    If the signal was strong enough, and then I'll call your bluff

    48

    Like, "Yo, how many rhymes you got?"

    49

    I could go on for more Millenniums than Mazda's got on the car lot

  12. 50

    And there's nowhere to run to, when I confront ya

    51

    Nigga, I call your bluff like it had a phone number

    52

    Who wanna see Canibus get wild?

    53

    Who wanna act fly and get shot down with a surface-to-air missile?

  13. 54

    I take 'em on in all shapes, sizes and forms and spit on

    55

    Anybody who ain't close enough to shit on

    56

    Zero to sixty? I'm already doin' a hundred when I'm blunted

    57

    And I give it to any nigga that want it

  14. 58

    [Verse 4: DMX]

    59

    Stay out the dark, 'cause if I catch you when the sun is down

    60

    Run it clown, come up off that, or I'm gon' gun it down

    61

    Run it now, however it's gon' go, it's gon' be that

    62

    See that, that shit'll finish you, dog, believe that

  15. 63

    Where we at? Do you value your life as much as your possessions?

    64

    Don't be a stupid nigga, learn a lesson

    65

    I'm gon' get you either way, and it's better to live

    66

    Let me get what's between your sock 'cause it's better to give

  16. 67

    Than receive, believe what I say when I tell you

    68

    Don't make me put you somewhere where nobody'll smell you

    69

    And when the lights is out, they don't come back on

    70

    This ain't a flick, you ain't gon' come back on, you ain't that strong

  17. 71

    You knew it was wrong, but you asked for it, baby

    72

    You's a big nigga, ski mask for it, baby

    73

    So I can hit you up on Front Street, you think I'm sweet

    74

    Want heat, one deep, leave him behind, front seat

  18. 75

    [Chorus 2: Redman & Method Man]

    76

    Ayo, one, two, three, four, five, six, seven

    77

    Blaze the hot trizack, shine like Heaven

    78

    Seven, six, five, four, three, two, one

    79

    Come on, Mr. Smith, come get some (Some, some, some)

  19. 80

    [Verse 5: LL Cool J]

    81

    When young sons fantasize of borrowing flows

    82

    Tell little shorty with the big mouth the bank is closed (Ha, word up)

    83

    The symbol on my arm is off limits to challengers

    84

    You hold the rusty swords, I swing the Excalibur

  20. 85

    How dare you step up in my dimension (Uh-huh)

    Multi-line diss block
    86

    Your little ass should be somewhere crying on detention

    87

    Watch your mouth, better yet, hold your tongue (Uh)

    88

    I'ma do this shit for free this time, this one's for fun

    Block noteCalls the target's toughness an act

    TargetCanibus

    MeaningWhat it means: In “Your little ass should be somewhere crying on detention,” LL Cool J portrays Canibus as frightened or unwilling to stand behind the aggression shown in public. Why it was said: The LL Cool J–Canibus feud began after Canibus referenced LL's microphone tattoo on “4,3,2,1”; altered verses and response records escalated the dispute. A diss threat depends on the audience believing the speaker will confront the opponent; calling Canibus afraid is designed to empty that threat of force.

    ContextThe LL Cool J–Canibus feud began after Canibus referenced LL's microphone tattoo on “4,3,2,1”; altered verses and response records escalated the dispute.

  21. 89

    Blow you to pieces, leave you covered in feces

    90

    With one thesis (LL Cool J is hard)

    91

    Every little boy wanna pick up the mic

    92

    And try to run with the big boys and live up to the real hype

  22. 93

    But that's like picking up a ball, playing with Mike (Uh-huh)

    94

    Swingin' at Ken Griffey or challenging Roy to a fight (Uh)

    95

    Snapping, you amateur MC's

    96

    Don't you know I'm like the Dream Team touring overseas?

  23. 97

    For rappers in my circle, I'm a deadly disease

    98

    Ringmaster, bringing a tiger cub to his knees (Uh)

    99

    In the history of rap, they've never seen such prominence

    100

    Your naive confidence gets crushed by my dominance (Word up)

  24. 101

    Now let's get back to this mic on my arm

    102

    If it ever left my side, it'd transform into a time bomb

    103

    You don't wanna borrow that, you wanna idolize

    104

    And you don't wanna make me mad, nigga, you wanna socialize

  25. 105

    And I'm daring every MC in the game

    106

    To play yourself out position, and mention my name (LL)

    107

    I make a rhyme for every syllable in your name

    108

    Go platinum for every time your grimy ass was on the train

  26. 109

    Watch your mouth, don't ever step out of line

    110

    LL Cool J, nigga, greatest of all time