I Got 5 On It

Album: Operation Stackola (1995)
Charted: 3 8
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • Luniz is a duo from Oakland, California, comprising the rappers Yukmouth and Numskull. Released as the lead single from their debut album, Operation Stackola, "I Got 5 On It" became an internationally successful hit and was further boosted by the remix featuring Bay Area rap stars Dru Down, Shock G, Richie Rich, E-40, and Spice 1.
  • The "5" is five dollars, and is a reference to going 50/50 on a $10 dime bag of weed with another person.

    I got five on it,
    Partna let's go half on a sack


    Rather than rapping about being drug kingpins, Luniz talk about being broke and trying to get hold of some cheap weed. Five dollars is a small enough number to be relatable for anyone who's shared some marijuana with a friend.
  • The song features guest vocals by Michael Marshall of the Timex Social Club, who croons the hook.
  • The track samples Kool and the Gang's 1973 single "Jungle Boogie" and two 1987 tracks, Club Nouveau's "Why You Treat Me So Bad" and Audio Two's "Top Billin'."
  • The song's hypnotic instrumentation has been sampled by countless artists, including Puff Daddy for his 1999 hit "Satisfy You," Nas for his 2002 single "I'm Gonna Be Alright" and Meek Mill for his 2013 track "Heaven or Hell." Also the rapper Lecrae recorded in 2014 an updated version of the song titled "Nuthin'."
  • A creepy remix of the song was featured in the 2019 horror thriller movie Us. The remix is listed on the film's official soundtrack as the "Tethered Mix."

Comments: 1

  • Lexicon Revival Master from AnonKeep the Pond clean yall. Not through lead and brass. But getting back to that tribal vernacular that was the glue from the Harbour to flatlands. Has grid lingo fell off? The irony is gangsta rap pioneer Dre and his lab killed an age old sociolect of which they were Pioneers. Chuck in Snoop with his corporate boulevard patter…,lexiconic dilution. Luniz keeping life on the grid real dawgs.
see more comments

Editor's Picks

Who Did It First?

Who Did It First?Music Quiz

Do you know who recorded the original versions of these ten hit songs?

Sending Out An SOS - Distress Signals In Songs

Sending Out An SOS - Distress Signals In SongsSong Writing

Songs where something goes horribly wrong (literally or metaphorically), and help is needed right away.

Macabre Mother Goose: The Dark Side of Children's Songs

Macabre Mother Goose: The Dark Side of Children's SongsSong Writing

"London Bridge," "Ring Around the Rosie" and "It's Raining, It's Pouring" are just a few examples of shockingly morbid children's songs.

Brian Kehew: The Man Behind The Remasters

Brian Kehew: The Man Behind The RemastersSong Writing

Brian has unearthed outtakes by Fleetwood Mac, Aretha Franklin, Elvis Costello and hundreds of other artists for reissues. Here's how he does it.

Dexys (Kevin Rowland and Jim Paterson)

Dexys (Kevin Rowland and Jim Paterson)Songwriter Interviews

"Come On Eileen" was a colossal '80s hit, but the band - far more appreciated in their native UK than stateside - released just three albums before their split. Now, Dexys is back.

70s Music Quiz 1

70s Music Quiz 1Music Quiz

The '70s gave us Muppets, disco and Van Halen, all which show up in this groovy quiz.