Lockjaw

Album: MC4 (2016)
Charted: 73
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • Lockjaw, also called Trismus, is a medical condition in which the mouth is held shut by sustained spasm of the jaw muscle. It is known to interfere with eating, speaking, and maintaining proper oral hygiene. Lockjaw is a common side effect of protracted ecstasy and cocaine usage.
  • This song is a collaboration with Pompano Beach based rapper Kodak Black. The pair boast on the track about the cash they are spending and their heavy drug use. In fact the pair are dropping so much ecstasy and cocaine, their jaws keep locking.
  • Ben Billions supplied the beat. Other credits on the producer's resume include Yo Gotti's, "Down in The DM," The Weeknd's "Often" and Beyoncé's "6 Inch."
  • Billions' instrumentation has the feel of an old hip-hop record. "The kids want to turn up," he told Billboard magazine, "but I'm always trying to sneak an element of something I would've liked from back in the day, whether it's a live instrument or a cool sample."

    "Kodak sounds extra Southern, gives it that fresh young appeal, but we would have jammed to that beat in '96," Billions added.
  • Budding Moroccan producer Assil Youssef, who works under the stage name Yo Asel, filed a federal copyright lawsuit against French Montana claiming he stole his beat for "Lockjaw". In his suit, Youssef alleged he sent his song "Sleep85" to the Bronx rapper via e-mail in 2015 and Montana responded with the request to "Send more."

    Nothing materialized, but a year later Youseff was, according to the Manhattan federal copyright lawsuit, "shocked to learn that the instrumental track he had sent to French Montana months earlier was modified slightly and used – without (his) consent – as the beat for 'Lockjaw.'"

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Hawksley Workman

Hawksley WorkmanSongwriter Interviews

One of Canada's most popular and eclectic performers, Hawksley tells stories about his oldest songs, his plentiful side projects, and the ways that he keeps his songwriting fresh.

U2 Lyrics

U2 LyricsMusic Quiz

How well do you know the lyrics of U2?

Experience Nirvana with Sub Pop Founder Bruce Pavitt

Experience Nirvana with Sub Pop Founder Bruce PavittSong Writing

The man who ran Nirvana's first label gets beyond the sensationalism (drugs, Courtney) to discuss their musical and cultural triumphs in the years before Nevermind.

The Girl in That Song

The Girl in That SongFact or Fiction

Billie Jean, Delilah, Sara, Laura and Sharona - do you know who the girls in the songs really are?

The Untold Story Of Fiona Apple's Extraordinary Machine

The Untold Story Of Fiona Apple's Extraordinary MachineSong Writing

Fiona's highly-anticipated third album almost didn't make it. Here's how it finally came together after two years and a leak.

Petula Clark

Petula ClarkSongwriter Interviews

Petula talks about her hits "Downtown" and "Don't Sleep In The Subway," and explains her Michael Jackson connection.