In hip-hop, fans and critics often marvel at and put a premium on the supreme soloists or groups who can craft classic songs and bodies of work while remaining the central figure. However, the most electric moments in the culture occur when multiple emcees collaborate on a track, with the sole purpose of asserting themselves as the most lyrically gifted by delivering an epic rhyme spill that outclasses the others. Throughout the years, the songs—generally referred to as “posse cuts”—have become some of the most memorable in the genre’s history, with rap’s most legendary stars teaming up on wax and bringing the most rabid of rap fans’ fantasies to reality.
In celebration of these historic songs and what they mean to the culture, REVOLT TV presents ‘Tale of the Tape,’ a series that breaks down the greatest posse cuts of all time, and rank the verses from least impressive to most beloved.
In the latest installment of the series, we’ll be revisiting “Make ‘Em Say Uhh!,” the second single released from rap legend Master P’s breakout album Ghetto D, and the song that helped put No Limit Records on the national radar. Produced by KLC, the track was comprised of an all-star line-up that included many of the more popular spitters on No Limit, with Fiend, Silkk the Shocker, Mia X and Mystikal all contributing guest verses. Peaking at No. 16 on the Billboard Hot 100, “Make ‘Em Say Uhh!” was the first No Limit single to achieve platinum status and became the unofficial rallying cry for the label and its legions of fans, making it one of the most important in breaking down barriers for the South in the realm of mainstream hip hop.
Without further adieu, check out our ranking of the verses on “Make ‘Em Say Uhh!”
5 | Silkk the Shocker
As the youngest brother of No Limit mastermind Master P, Silkk the Shocker was positioned as one of the label’s flagship artists during its formative years, with his inclusion in the group T.R.U. and appearances on albums from labelmates Mia X and Mystikal making him a fairly known commodity. However, 1998 would be the year that Silkk would emerge as No Limit’s second biggest star, as the emerging heartthrob made his presence known on a string of hit singles—the first of them being “Make ‘Em Say Uhh!” Sandwiched in between Master P and Fiend’s, and then Mia X and Mystikal’s verses, Silkk’s performance includes a few standout moments, but ultimately pales in comparison to those spat by his fellow members of the No Limit platoon.
Standout Lyrics: “P gon’ make ya say ‘uhh,’ I’mma make you say ‘oww’ / I’m not Eric B., but guaranteed to move this motherfuckin crowd / I stay on like light switches, money, ’cause I like riches / Hittin nothin but tight bitches, call me, I might hit ya / Nigga make em say ‘nah-nah-nah,’ don’t trip / After I bust yo’ shit, then after that say ‘na-nah-nah-nah’ / I hang with niggas, I do my thang with niggas (uhh) / They wanna know if I gangbang, cause I hang with a whole gang of niggas.”
4 | Fiend
Releasing his debut album I Won’t Be Denied on Big Boy Records in 1995, Fiend made the transition to No Limit Records just two years later as the label was just staking its claim as the hottest new movement in the rap game. Making his introduction as a member of the No Limit family with guest spots on albums like Ghetto D and Mia X’s Unlady Like, Fiend got the chance to showcase his talents on the national stage in the “Make ‘Em Say Uhh!” music video the following year. Rhyming second on the track, Fiend’s gruff voice and aggressive delivery caught on with fans—creating anticipation for his No Limit debut, There’s One in Every Family, which was released in May 1998—but falters when placed alongside those of his more tenured soldiers of the tank.
Standout Lyrics: “Fiend exercisin his right of exorcism, bustin out the Expedition / Bullets choppin haters business to about the size of prisms / Our mission, they heard we scary, No Limit mercenary / No tellin how bad it get, because the worst’ll vary / I heard you make em worry, that this for the loot / They intimidated by the rounds that the tank shoot.”
3 | Master P
Coming into 1997, Master P may have been known as an indie rap tycoon and budding star after having inked a historic distribution deal for his No Limit label with Priority Records, but by the end of the year, he was considered one of the biggest names in all of music with Ghetto D topping the charts with 266,000 copies sold in its first week. Far from a wordsmith, Master P’s reliance on style over depth or substance proved to be as entertaining, if not more, than his lyrical miracle counterparts, as was the case on “Make ‘Em Say Uhh!” Tapping himself to open the song, Master P drops a verse that may be light on dexterity, but is full of swagger and energy, and commands the listener’s full attention from the opening bar. While newly-signed No Limit recruit Fiend’s performance may be more impressive bar-for-bar, it lacks the panache that Master P’s possesses, giving Percy the slight edge over his co-star.
Standout Lyrics: “Nigga, I’m the colonel of the motherfuckin tank /Y’all after big thangs, we after big bank / 3rd Ward hustlas, soldiers in combat / Convicts and dealers, and killers with TRU tats / Never gave a fuck bout no hoes on our riches / And niggas come short, I’m diggin ditches / M.P. pullin stripes, commander-in-chief / And fools run up wrong, nigga I’m knockin out some teeth.”
2 | Mia X
Making her No Limit debut in 1995 with her debut album Good Girl Gone Bad, Mia X was tapped by Master P and company as the First Lady of the tank, a position she solidified in 1997 with her sophomore album, Unlady Like, one of the label’s biggest successes to date. Achieving gold status despite lacking any bonafide hit singles, the LP made it evident that Mia X was a among the hottest female rappers out of the South, a potential superstar and a force to be reckoned with, all of which would be proven true with her feature on “Make ‘Em Say Uhh.” Batting clean-up on the track, Mia X obliterates her collaborators with a vicious stanza that showcases her lyrical aptitude and ferocious delivery, but ultimately earns her first runner-up honors in what ultimately proves to be a photo finish between her and one particular member of the No Limit family.
Standout Lyrics: “Want some mo? Then let’s go, stretch you out like elastic / Zip that ass up in plastic, have ya folks pickin caskets / We drastic, our tactics is homegrown in the ghetto / So feel the wrath of this sista, it’s like you fightin 10 niggas / Forget the baby boys, it’s the biggest mamma Mia / The ‘Unlady Like’ diva, lyrical man eater, believe her.”
1 | Mystikal
After releasing his debut album Mind of Mystikal in 1995 on Jive Records, Mystikal joined up with No Limit Records in 1996, instantly becoming the label’s first big-time acquisition. Known for his rapid fire delivery, Mystikal saw his popularity reach an uptick in 1997 with the release of Unpredictable, his debut album as a No Limit artist. Peaking at No. 3 on the Billboard 200, Unpredictable‘s sales would be bolstered in large part due to Mystikal’s appearance on a string of No Limit albums in early 1998, among them being “Make ‘Em Say Uhh!” As the last No Limit artist to drop a verse on the track, Mystikal is faced with a tall task having to follow-up his stable of labelmates, but rises to the occasion with an explosive string of couplets that flexes his machine gun-like flow and boisterous energy. Coining the classic No Limit rallying cry “We TRU soldiers, we don’t die,” Mystikal shuts down the bank with his showing on the track, providing an awe-worthy ending to one of the signature posse cuts the South has ever produced.
Standout Lyrics: “I won’t stop now, bitch, I can’t stop / You can’t stop me, so bitch don’t try we / We TRU soldiers, we don’t die / We keep rollin, na-nah-nah-nah-nah / All aboard, bitch could get barely inside / The Riverboat Hallelujah / Niggas goin to war, got to fightin and shootin inside Rumors.”
Revisit “Make ‘Em Say Uhh!” below.
More by Preezy Brown: