Skillibeng’s ‘Crocodile Teeth’ Lyrics Meaning Explained
Dancehall artist Skillibeng’s clout, as well as Crocodile Teeth‘s shelf life, have been bolstered thanks to an official remix with the queen of the Barbz, Nicki Minaj. Brooklyn drill boss Bobby Shmurda is now set for another Caribbean link up, and with more violent patois rhymes on the horizon, it seems a breakdown of the meaning of Crocodile Teeth‘s lyrics is due.
From Burna Boy and Jay Critch to Bobby Shmurda, Skillibeng has the world wilding out to the sinister sounds of Crocodile Teeth. Released in September 2020, his grimy anthem saw a surge in streams and interest after a shoutout from Drake while it played on OVO Radio. Since then, the deejay has been swamped with support from the rap community, which peaked when he dropped the track’s first remix with Minaj on May 14.
The dynamic duo held the top spot on Youtube Trending For Music for several days, eventually debuting on Billboard’s Hot 100 Singles chart at No. 100. Predictably, fan reactions have ranged from those stoked for the queen’s return to dancehall features — “I’m sorry but Nicki was skaaaaaaating on this. She needed a ending verse and the song would be perfect” — to those reduced to head nods on Skillibeng’s bars. “The American fans must asking if skillibeng speak English 😂” one user said, while another wrote, “I don’t know what he’s saying but I like it 👍”.
The deejay’s nod to the deadly predator translates to gore and gunplay on the Johnny Wonder & Adde Instrumental cut. According to Genius, Skillibeng refers to “high-capacity magazines, which can store 50 to 100 rounds, and feature rifle rounds that closely resemble a crocodile’s teeth.”
It might seem excessive to listeners unfamiliar with Dancehall’s grimey terrain (or those only tuned in for the track’s plaintive piano beat) but even Skilli’s infamous “BRRRP” rifle catchphrase is telling of Dancehall’s dedication to lyrical warfare.
Jamaicans are notorious for their gangster personas, and Dancehall artists over the years have tapped the imagery in their narratives, cleverly twisting even biblical references as means to their grimy ends.
On Bounty Killer’s 1993 hit Coppershot, he rhymes, “From we pop out we gun blood ago run/ Like a river Jordan a come down”, whereas years later, his protégé and GAZA leader Vybz Kartel upped the ante, dropping lethal double-time threats on Gun Session: “Yuh roll wid Jesus Christ? Me have 24 disciple:/ Tech, Ruger, Luger, Brico, Beretta, Calico, Smith & Wesson, Heckler & Koch, Ingram, 14, M16, plus mi Lawson/ Run go inna di church mek mi shoot you and di parson.”
On Skillibeng’s original 2020 release, the self-professed GAZA fan spends less than three minutes spelling out dismal consequences for dissing his East Syde crew. “Yuh nuh see di .45 clean?/ Shot open yuh door like key/ Don’t try diss if yuh doh like bleed/ Shot inna yuh clothes like seam”, he spits flatly.
There’s no shortage of firearms either, and Mr. Universe flexes with the variety: “16 bun up bwoy skin, Head top buss up and split”, “Fulla AK, Clear way when e Draco ah sing”, “Who diss wi today, nah live/ Mi mek e rifle do bare coughing”, the Bin Laden deejay spits.
The mellow piano backdrop carries chaos to the forefront, and collaborator Nicki Minaj stepped up to the plate with her own lyrical shots. “First thing I’ma do when I pop out/ Is tell my n—a, “Yo, make sure you got the Glock out”, she begins, reminding us later that her “shooter don’t miss, he like Mike.”
Recently freed American rapper Bobby Shmurda, whose father is Jamaican and whose platinum debut single Hot N—a also received several remixes within the rap community, is confirmed for yet another version of Crocodile Teeth.
He wasted no time sharing a snippet on social media, and based on the clip, it promises to be another ballistic affair. “Unnu nuh fi shiesty/ First ting unnu nuh hard like me/ me nuh call no man, mi ah god, from I peep/ everything get shot when I squeeze,” he raps.
As fans await a release date for the pending yaad man antics, or news of possible visuals with Nicki Minaj, it’s highly unlikely we’ve heard the last of the features on this haunting instrumental.