Verified archive entry

Ride Or Die

Ride Or Die is a diss track by Jay-Z targeting Ma$e. The record uses competitive and subliminal attacks associated with Jay-Z's disputes over status and New York rap leadership.

Released1998
Annotated3
ExplicitYes
Addressable transcript

Lyrics & breakdown

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

  1. 01

    [Intro: Stevie J] [*only on the clean version]

    02

    Yeah, I'm rollin' with Roc-A-Fella, man

    03

    'Cause they got money, man... heh

    04

    *Yo... Jay got a question for all y'all, man*

  2. 05

    [Break: Jay-Z]

    06

    Uh-huh, uh-huh, uh, uh

    07

    Uh-huh... Hova, uh-huh

    08

    Yeah, Stevie J, nigga (Ride or die, nigga)

    09

    Y'all ready? Yo, yo...

  3. 10

    [Chorus: Jay-Z]

    11

    How many y'all wanna ride tonight? (Ride tonight)

    12

    How many y'all down to die tonight? (Die tonight)

    13

    How many y'all wanna ride tonight?

    14

    Nigga, ride or die, or ride or die

  4. 15

    Uh – how many y'all wanna ride tonight? (Ride tonight)

    16

    How many y'all down to die tonight? (Die tonight)

    17

    How many y'all wanna ride tonight?

    18

    Nigga, ride or die, or ride or die

  5. 19

    Nigga – how many y'all wanna ride tonight? (Ride tonight)

    20

    How many y'all down to die tonight? (Die tonight)

    21

    How many y'all wanna ride tonight?

    22

    Ride or die, or ride or die

  6. 23

    [Verse 1: Jay-Z]

    24

    Yeah... ayo – fuck y'all

    25

    Niggas, I crush y'all, rush y'all

    26

    With the fours drawn and I touch y'all,

    27

    Plus y'all

  7. 28

    Little motherfuckers ain't ready for war

    Multi-line diss block
    29

    I seen your team in a crisis before

    30

    Thought I forgot?!

    31

    The same rules apply, don't try to switch up your style

    Block noteUses broken loyalty against the target

    TargetMa$e

    MeaningWhat it means: In “The same rules apply, don't try to switch up your style,” Jay-Z presents Ma$e as disloyal, abandoned, or unable to keep the support of people who were once close. Why it was said: The record uses competitive and subliminal attacks associated with Jay-Z's disputes over status and New York rap leadership. The loyalty charge gives the feud a moral frame, portraying conflict with Ma$e as the consequence of betrayal while suggesting the target lacks a dependable circle.

    ContextThe record uses competitive and subliminal attacks associated with Jay-Z's disputes over status and New York rap leadership.

  8. 32

    Y'all niggas is pumpkin pie, and that's plain as I

    33

    Much better than you, cat, shocked when I got the news that

    34

    This nigga ready for war? Well, where that fool at??

    35

    I bruise wack rap niggas, severely punish them

  9. 36

    Especially those that get fucked for they publishing – hah

    37

    Always gotta be the weakest nigga out the crew

    38

    I probably make more money off yo' album than you

    39

    You see the respect I get every time I come through

  10. 40

    Check your own videos, you'll always be number 2

    41

    Niggas talking real greasy on them R&B records

    42

    Well, I'm Platinum a million times, nigga, check the credits

    43

    S. Carter – ghostwriter

  11. 44

    And for the right price, I can even make yo' shit tighter

    45

    I roast niggas like ya, smoke niggas like ya

    46

    Take your little jewels and put the toast to niggas like ya

    47

    You know what the fuck we do and why we done it

  12. 48

    How I bring it to niggas who, probably want it

    49

    Keep playing, you gon' find me in your lobby, blunted

    50

    And I don't even smoke, nigga

    51

    Ain't no joke – niggas cat-fighting with Jigga, kickin' sneaky shit

  13. 52

    Makin' little tapes, but keepin' it secret

    Multi-line diss block
    53

    'Cause I kick that deep shit

    54

    That divide-your-peeps shit

    55

    That "I don't know if you fuckin' with Jigga spittin' that weak shit, dog..."

    Block noteAttacks the target's ability to rap

    TargetMa$e

    MeaningWhat it means: In “That "I don't know if you fuckin' with Jigga spittin' that weak shit, dog...",” Jay-Z challenges Ma$e on writing, delivery, flow, or command of the microphone rather than relying only on a personal insult. Why it was said: The record uses competitive and subliminal attacks associated with Jay-Z's disputes over status and New York rap leadership. This goes to the qualification that gives Ma$e standing in a rap battle; if the craft is weak, the reply loses authority before its other claims are considered.

    ContextThe record uses competitive and subliminal attacks associated with Jay-Z's disputes over status and New York rap leadership.

  14. 56

    [Chorus: Jay-Z, (Stevie J)]

    57

    How many y'all wanna ride tonight? (Ride tonight)

    58

    How many y'all down to die tonight? (Die tonight)

    59

    How many y'all wanna ride tonight?

    60

    Nigga, ride or die, or ride or die

  15. 61

    How many y'all wanna ride tonight? (Ride tonight)

    62

    How many y'all down to die tonight? (Die tonight)

    63

    How many y'all wanna ride tonight?

    64

    Ride or die, or ride or die

  16. 65

    [Verse 2: Jay-Z]

    66

    Yeah, yeah... niggas don't want it with Jig

    67

    'Cause somethin's got to give

    68

    I got homes where you hide, I hustle where you live

    69

    Jigga's the Don

  17. 70

    Bitches scream, "Jigga, damn, your dick is the bomb

    Multi-line diss block
    71

    'Bout as thick as a arm"

    72

    Mr. Exxon, gas 'em with the wit and the charm

    73

    Bitch, I'm trying to tell you, like Nicholas Barnes

    Block noteUses gendered or sexual humiliation

    TargetMa$e

    MeaningWhat it means: In “Bitches scream, "Jigga, damn, your dick is the bomb,” Jay-Z uses gendered or sexual language to question Ma$e's masculinity or humiliate the target in front of the audience. Why it was said: The record uses competitive and subliminal attacks associated with Jay-Z's disputes over status and New York rap leadership. The tactic tries to trigger an emotional reply and damage Ma$e's public image, even though the framing itself can reproduce homophobic or sexist stereotypes.

    ContextThe record uses competitive and subliminal attacks associated with Jay-Z's disputes over status and New York rap leadership.

  18. 74

    I'm a big cat

    75

    Listen, mami – can you dig that?

    76

    Cars, jewelry, homes – I did that

    77

    O's, shoot-outs, ki's – I live that

  19. 78

    Actresses, models, chickenheads – hit that

    79

    I get stacks, and, still, I kick back

    80

    And run up on niggas with the Mid-d'ac – where the shit at?

  20. 81

    [Chorus: Jay-Z, (Stevie J)]

    82

    How many y'all wanna ride tonight? (Ride tonight)

    83

    How many y'all down to die tonight? (Die tonight)

    84

    How many y'all wanna ride tonight?

    85

    Ride or die, or ride or die

  21. 86

    How many y'all wanna ride tonight? (Ride tonight)

    87

    How many y'all down to die tonight? (Die tonight)

    88

    How many y'all wanna ride tonight?

    89

    Nigga, ride or die, or ride or die

  22. 90

    [Verse 3: Jay-Z]

    91

    Time to separate the platinum from the white gold, right from the door

    92

    The real from the fake, ready rock from the raw

    93

    The boss from the runners

    94

    Cats who ride dick, from the cats with the numbers

  23. 95

    The five from the six

    96

    I got 'cop and crash' money, 'pop the dash' money

    97

    'Press the button, all of the sudden, Glock in the stash' money

    98

    Beef with Jigga – watch yo' ass, money

  24. 99

    It's 'El Presidente, top brass' money

    100

    Now, I don't flash the steel, I blast for real

    101

    My motto – 'You only good as the last nigga you killed'

    102

    I'm here to snatch these mil's, nigga, that's for real

  25. 103

    If you rolling with me, grab the wheel – let's ride, huh?

  26. 104

    [Chorus: Jay-Z, (Stevie J)]

    105

    How many y'all wanna ride tonight? (Ride tonight)

    106

    How many y'all down to die tonight? (Die tonight)

    107

    How many y'all wanna ride tonight?

    108

    Nigga, ride or die, or ride or die

  27. 109

    How many y'all wanna ride tonight? (Ride tonight)

    110

    How many y'all down to die tonight? (Die tonight)

    111

    How many y'all wanna ride tonight?

    112

    Ride or die, or ride or die

  28. 113

    How many y'all wanna ride tonight? (Ride tonight)

    114

    How many y'all down to die tonight? (Die tonight)

    115

    How many y'all wanna ride tonight?

    116

    Nigga, ride or die, or ride or die