La Di Da Di

"La Di Da Di"
Single by Doug E. Fresh and MC Ricky D
A-side	"The Show"
Released	August 13, 1985
Format	Maxi single
Recorded	1984
Genre	New school hip hop, beatboxing
Length	4:31
Label	Reality Records
Writer(s)	Douglas Davis Richard Walters[1]
Producer(s)	Dennis Bell & Ollie Cotton for City Slicker Productions

"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 has been sampled or referenced in numerous other hip hop songs since its release.

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 Chuck Brown and also by Korn.

Snoop Doggy Dogg version charts

Samples and references by later artists

"La Di Da Di" has gained a reputation for consistently being sampled and referenced by many artists. The following is a list of other songs that referenced "La Di Da Di":

• 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". ^[4]
• 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”.^[4]
• 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". ^[4]
• 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 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 sample 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.
• 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...".^[4]
• 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."^[4]
• 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"
• N.W.A sample the intro part that says 'let it go a little something like this/Hit it!' in their song "Gangsta Gangsta".^[4]
• 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.^[5] 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"
• 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 the his 2013 single "Let's Get Ridiculous": "I'm fresh, I'm slick, I'm la di da di.."^[6]
• Fun Lovin' Criminals references 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".

References