New Jersey often gets a bad rap—pun intended. To some it’s the sixth borough of New York City, but to others, the Garden State is the home of the Jersey Shore and we all watched how well that unfolded on MTV. Contrary to polarizing opinions, New Jersey is much more than the sum of its parts, especially when it comes to hip-hop.

Here are a few songs where good ol’ Jerz is shouted out properly. Now keep in mind, these aren’t NJ anthems. We’ll save that list for another day. So go sit in a diner, order some pork roll and read up on the top Jersey shout outs in rap.


“You have to respect Jersey, ‘cause I’m superfly when I’m super high on the Fu-Gee-Le” – The Fugees, “Fu-Gee-La”
L-Boogie annihilated her verse on the Fugees’ breakout single “Fu-Gee-La,” and then she sealed it with a reminder of where she’s from. New Jersey. Cough up a lung.


“Once upon a time in Jersey, yo/I damn near had to wreck a ho.” – Redman, “Jersey Yo!”
Redman hails from Newark, NJ aka Brick City, the fodder for his Jersey-fied anthem “Dis Iz Brick City.” However, here he makes reference to the whole State and how he had to “wreck a ho” while he’s there. Nice.


“It’s Delaware, Connecticut. It’s New Jersey got hella bricks.” – Nicki Minaj f. 2 Chainz “Beez In the Trap”
The Nickster took some time out of her busy bee trappin’ schedule to shout out New Jersey for its bricks. She could either mean project bricks or kilos of coke, though. The ambiguity runs deep in those bars.


“And that ain’t Jersey Shore, homie, that’s the news/And these the same people supposedly telling us the truth.” – Lupe Fiasco f. Skylar Grey, “Words I Never Said”
Lupe makes it known that despite the backlash of shows like the Jersey Shore that show all sorts of immorality happening in New Jerz, the news is far worse. New Jersey: 1 The News: 0.


“Jersey’s on the map for car jacks and gat smacks/I’m on the map for bringing the bitch out of n*ggas on wax.” – M.O.P. f. Treach “Brooklyn/Jersey Get Wild”
On M.O.P.’s cut with Naughty By Nature’s frontman, it’s a BK and NJ connection. Treach reminds everyone though that at one time New Jersey was known as the car jacking capital of the country. It’s good to be recognized for something, right?


“I’m ballin’ hard, I need a jersey on/So much bread on me, I can buy a Jersey home.” –Jeezy Featuring Lil Wayne, “Ballin”
Jeezy acknowledges the overpriced housing in New Jersey. So now he’s so rich he can afford a home there.


“Hi ho silver, call that motherfucker Tonto/Leave a smoke trail back in Jersey in my condo.” – Lil Wayne Featuring Pharrell, “Yes”
Isn’t there enough air pollution in New Jersey, Pharrell? Why did you have to use your cameo to send more smoke thatta way? It’s okay, though. At least you own a condo there.


“You heard me, don’t fuck with New Jersey / Fuck around and cause a demolition derby.” Young Zee, “Don’t Fuck With New Jersey”
Young Zee hails from one of New Jersey’s most notorious crews, The Outsidaz. He’ll tell anyone who will listen about his stomping grounds, so pay attention.


“Let me just make this statement loud and clear/Jersey’s here.” – Joe Budden Featuring Busta Rhymes, “Fire”
Joe Budden couldn’t even get past the intro on this track before he was repping New Jersey. There are a million other examples of songs by Joe Budden, though, where he shouts out the Dirty Jerz.


“I be out in Jersey, puffin’ Hershey/Brothers ain’t worthy to rock my derby.” – Diddy Featuring Ma$e, “Can’t Nobody Hold Me Down”
Oh you thought Cali had that good weed? Well Pastor Mason Betha is here to tell you that New Jersey has that good good too. It’s even legal there. Sort of.


“Condo out in Jersey, I ain’t even furnished it/That’s a sub lease that lease ain’t even permanent.” – A$AP Rocky, “Grippin’ Woodgrain”
A$AP Rocky may represent Harlem, but many people don’t know that the leader of the A$AP Mob also spent some time in New Jersey. According to this verse he’s got a condo there that he hasn’t even furnished. He should check out Ikea.


“O.G.C. rush the scene, permission for backup/Baseball bats attack like Jersey fools that act up.” – Heltah Skeltah f. O.G.C., “Leflaur Leflah Eshkoshka”
Sure this is a 10% diss to New Jersey, but hey in the midst of speaking Eshkoshkan, NJ gets its own line. Plus, it’s kind of suggesting that New Jersey heads are unruly, which is a good thing. Sometimes.


“I got hoes in New Jersey, taste like strawberry Hershey / We went to the Mets game, I wore my Strawberry jersey.” – Dom Kennedy Featuring Tyga & Juicy J, “My Type Of Party Remix”
Somewhere a New York Yankees fan is pissed off by Dom Kennedy’s New York Mets remark. That’s fine. We’re not focusing on your favorite team right now. This is about Jersey, remember?


“Remember New Jersey Drivers like an East Coast Menace/And Belly was like the sequel without O-Dog in it.” – Game Featuring Bilal, “Cali Sunshine”
See? Game knows what’s up. Actually, this line is just part of one long pun about hip-hop cult classic films, and New Jersey Drive is definitely up there. NJ drivers are East Coast menaces though if we’re keeping it all the way 100.


“The Abstract intuition is very very worthy/I can feel ya out from Russia to Jersey.” – A Tribe Called Quest, “Clap Your Hands”
This is probably the first and the last time you’ll ever hear “Russia” and “Jersey” in the same bars of a rap song. Cherish it.

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