“It’s Goin’ Down” by Yung Joc

Ah, the rappers of yesteryear. Like any other genre hip-hop has its transient stars, those who at one point appear like they’ll be around forever yet slowly but surely descend into musical obscurity. However, as implied, such individuals usually drop at least one solid, multi-platinum hit. And in the case of Yung Joc, a rapper from the ATL, that signature song would be It’s Goin’ Down.

You can view the lyrics, alternate interprations and sheet music for Yung Joc's It's Goin' Down at Lyrics.org.

Lyrics of “It’s Goin’ Down”

The lyrics of this tune actually commence with the track’s producer, Nitti, using the intro to applicably introduce the audience to Yung Joc. Such was necessary at the time since this was the rapper’s debut single. 

And there are two main ideas introduced concerning the artist, on top of the fact that he’s one of Nitti’s homeys. First is that “resides in College Park”, which as noted earlier would be a part of Atlanta, Georgia. And secondly, Nitti and Joc are teaming up in the name of ‘giving us a hit’.

Verse 1

As the first verse jumps off, Yung Joc once again lets it be known that he’s a College Park resident. He proceeds to describe the ‘hood as one “where they chop cars”, a term that can be interpreted in a couple of different ways. 

However, based on the line that follows, the presumption would be that said notation is meant to point to the well-paid hustlers in the ‘hood, like himself, who are able to drive expensive whips. Indeed shortly thereafter the rapper alludes to owning a classic, pimped out car – complete with a booming music system which he purchased in the name of impressing “freaks”, i.e. fast women. 

And also, life in the ‘hood being what it is for a rich playa, he rides around with a gat at hand.  But such is not to imply that Yung is hated or even has opps per se. To the contrary, ‘everybody loves him’ due to his “fly” style. And before closing out the verse the vocalist also expresses appreciation for women who are “nice” both physically and mentally.

Chorus

Now as far as the chorus goes, “it’s goin’ down” is a very ubiquitous, multi-usage phrase in the world of hip-hop. But most simply put, it’s synonymous with saying ‘it happening’. And the “it” would be something notable, not just a common occurrence.

Using a completely unrelated but hopefully easy-to-understand example, let’s say there’s two people arguing. But then once they start physically fighting, someone may say something like ‘it’s going down’. 

So with that in mind, what Yung Joc is basically saying is that no matter what venue he’s in, “it’s goin’ down”. Or put otherwise, his presence alone makes the scene more excitable, whether it be in “the mall”, “the club” or even “the trap”, i.e. the place where he and his homeys do whatever it is they do to generate wealth. 

Thematic Message of “It’s Goin’ Down”

So the thematic message of this song is that wherever you may meet Young Joc, something is “guaranteed to go down” therein. So crossing paths with him is like never a run-of-the-mill experience.

And such reality is largely attributable to his sizeable income. For instance, the second verse reveals that concerning the mall, the effect he has on the setting is that when he walks through blingin’, “hoes” – another moniker for loose women – “pause” in their tracks. 

Verily, Young Joc is so paid that he refers to himself as the “black Donald Trump”. And you may be asking yourself, how exactly is he able to generate all of this income as a newbie musician? Well, that’s because it may not all be coming from music. Rather, Yung touts himself as possessing what he refers to as “dope boy magic”, i.e. the ability to thrive and survive as a drug dealer. 

However, afterwards, he implies that he’s a successful musician also. Perhaps what he is saying is that his experiences as a drug dealer have also given him the “magic” to succeed as a musician. So conclusively on the matter, we can say something like he’s making money both ways. 

Additionally, we can postulate that to some degree these types of lyrics represent a fantasy, being indicative of his vision for success as opposed to current reality. 

Lyrics designed to advertise Yoc’s Wealth

Indeed by the time the third verse rolls around, it becomes quite obvious what this song is mainly about is Young Joc’s wealth, whether it be real or imaginary we can’t say. And related to that idea is the assertion that he’s a hot item wherever he goes.

Also interesting and throwing our analysis of the second verse sorta out of whack is when Joc puts forth in the final verse that he “never touch dope”. So whereas he may live like a drug dealer – complete with nice cars, fast women, bling and burners – and more of less alluded to being some sort of a pusher earlier, apparently such is not his profession. 

And what he is rather talking about is something like being an exceptional musician, shall we say not so much off of substance as opposed to style. Joc is like a dude that naturally draws attention, on top of being visibly rich. And sometimes he may do wild things like blowing weed smoke into the faces of the audience members or “making it rain”, i.e. freely sharing his wealth.

The Conclusion of “It’s Goin’ Down”

The song ultimately closes out with Joc giving a shoutout to Nitti and So So Def, though it’s not clear how he is associated with the latter considering that they are not one of the companies behind it. But back in those days, So So Def was Atlanta’s most-popular record label. So that is perhaps why he is compelled to do so.

So again, this track can be interpreted as an introduction to Young Joc. Based on the lyrics, we know the type of life he’s living and how he perceives himself.  And in both regards, he comes off as quite an exceptional individual.

Lyrics to "It's Goin' Down" by Yung Joc

“It’s Goin’ Down” Facts

Primary Artist(s): Yung Joc
Writing: Chadron Moore and Jasiel Robinson
Production: Nitti (Chadron Moore)
Album/EP: “New Joc City” 

Genre(s):

  • Snap
  • Southern hip hop

Was “It’s Goin’ Down” a single release?

Yes. “It’s Goin’ Down” is a debut single from Joc’s debut album, “New Joc City”

Chart Performance

In the United States, Joc’s “It’s Going Down”, was a big success. It gave him his first to-10 hit there when it reached a peak position of 3 on the famous Hot 100 charts.

Sampling

By virtue of its success, this song has been sampled widely. Some of the songs that have sampled it include the following:

  • T-Pain feat. Yung Joc – “Buy U a Drank (Shawty Snappin’)” (2007)
  • Migos and Rich the Kid – “Going Down” (2015)
  • Girl Talk – “Still Here” (2008)
  • David Banner feat. Chris Brown and Yung Joc – “Get Like Me” (2008)
  • C4bal – “É O Cabal” (2008)

Awards/Honors

“It’s Goin’ Down” won “Hip-Hop Track of the Year” at the BET Awards in 2006. Later on in the Grammys of 2007 it won in , “Best Rap Song”.

It's Goin' Down

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