IGBO – Bilingual Lyrics French/English

• By: Didi B

Lyrics & Translation

Dive into the vibrant world of Ivorian culture through 'IGBO'. This song is a perfect gateway to learning 'Nouchi'—the unique street slang of Abidjan—while experiencing the rhythmic energy of modern West African rap.

[English]

Activate society

Don't let anybody stress me

When I'm not even smoking my weed

(I swear)

Now money is the only reason

Allah, yeah, leave me alone (Allah, yeah, leave me alone)

Feeling like a messiah, king of the country, Gboro

Church (mm-hm)

Everybody's demanding those diamonds

Now maybe it's that King Kong weed (from it)

Weed, weed, weed, lo-lo, weed

Weed, weed, weed

That's where I'm gonna blow (church)

Weed, weed, lo-lo, weed

Weed, weed, weed (chuck, chuck)

The way I'm gonna blow (church)

Weed, weed, lo-lo, weed

Weed, weed, weed

That's where I'm gonna blow (church)

Weed, weed, lo-lo, weed

Weed, weed, weed

The way I'm gonna blow

When I light up the joint, kpa, kpa, kpa

I don't want my old man to "kpa, kpa, kpa" me, yeah

My girl is very "kpa-tata"

I've got the single, when they pay, they curse Falacha, yeah

If you're jealous, kid, go over there (mm-hm)

I never want you to kill my vibe (ah, yeah)

Just street slang since Gbagbagba

You're wondering how we got into the movement, yeah (oh, oh)

Shall I hear you?

If you've got problems (shall I hear you?)

It's the 13 gang (guys, I hear you, Bobby)

This is the real life, I want to live it up, oh, yeah (chu, chu, chu)

Weed, weed, weed, lo-lo, weed

Weed, weed, weed (na-na, na-na-na)

That's where I'm gonna blow

Weed, weed, io-lo, weed

Weed, weed, weed

The way I'm gonna blow (darling, my love)

Weed, weed, lo-lo, weed (kben-ben, boom)

Weed, weed, weed

That's where I'm gonna blow (darling, love)

Weed, weed, lo-lo, weed (kben-ben, boom)

Weed, weed, weed (ah, yeah)

The way I'm gonna blow (bye)

Street slang

Always saying bye to my girl and to my street brothers

This is the life we all have to face

Eh-eh, bye, oh ('chi)

Bye, oh, I swear, ah

Ah, ah, ah-ah

[French]

Acivate society

Make nobody stress me

When I don't even smoke my igbo

(Wallah)

Now only money are the reason

Allah, yeah, leave me alone (Allah, yeah, leave me alone)

Feeling like messiah, king goddy in the country Gboro

Church (mm-hm)

All demand them diamond

Now maybe the King Kong igbo (from it)

Igbo, igbo, igbo, lo-lo, igbo

Igbo, igbo, igbo

C'est là je mettre Gbo (church)

Igbo, Igbo, lo-lo, Igbo

Igbo, igbo, igbo (chuck, chuck)

Façon je vais mettre Gbo (church)

Igbo, igbo, lo-lo, igbo

Igbo, igbo, igbo

C'est là je mettre Gbo (church)

Igbo, igbo, lo-lo, igbo

Igbo, igbo, igbo

Façon je vais mettre Gbo

Quand j'allume le magnon, kpa, kpa, kpa

Je n'ai pas envie que mon daron me "kpa, kpa, kpa" yeah

Mon mousso est très "kpa-tata"

J'ai le singel, when they pay, they maudits Falacha, yeah

Si t'es jaloux, petit va là-bas (mm-hm)

Je veux jamais que tu casses ma vibe (ah, ouais)

Que des nouchis depuis Gbagbagba

Tu te demandes comment on est dans le mouvement, yeah (oh, oh)

Shall I hear you?

Si t'as des problèmes (shall I hear you?)

C'est les 13 gang (gars, I hear you, Bobby)

C'est la vraie life, je veux gbaé, oh, yeah (chu, chu, chu)

Igbo, igbo, igbo, lo-lo, igbo

Igbo, igbo, igbo (na-na, na-na-na)

C'est là je mettre Gbo

Igbo, igbo, io-lo, igbo

Igbo, igbo, igbo

Façon je vais mettre Gbo (chérie, my love)

Igbo, igbo, lo-lo, igbo (kben-ben, boom)

Igbo, igbo, igbo

C'est là je mettre Gbo (chérie, love)

Igbo, igbo, lo-lo, igbo (kben-ben, boom)

Igbo, igbo, igbo (ah, yeah)

Façon je vais mettre Gbo (bye)

Nouchi

Chérie toujours bye et pour mes nouchis

Ici, la vie qu'on va tous affronter

Eh-eh, bye, oh ('chi)

Bye, oh, wallah, ah

Ah, ah, ah-ah

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
stress stress A2	verb - to feel worried or anxious
raison ʁɛzɔ̃ A1	noun - cause, motive, or justification
messie mɛsi C1	noun - a leader or savior
allumer alyme A2	verb - to light something
envie ɑ̃vi A2	noun - desire or wish
daron daʁɔ̃ C2	noun - father (slang)
jaloux ʒalu A2	adjective - envious
mouvement muvmɑ̃ A2	noun - action, trend, or ongoing situation
affronter afʁɔ̃te B1	verb - to face or confront
chérie ʃeʁi A1	noun - darling or sweetheart
problèmes pʁɔblɛm A1	noun - difficulties or challenges
maudits modi B2	adjective - cursed
vibe vaɪb B2	noun - atmosphere or mood
casser kase A1	verb - to break
nouchi nuʃi C2	noun - Ivorian street slang for youth/hustler

Key Grammar Structures

• Make nobody stress me

  ➔ Imperative structure with the causative verb 'make'.

  ➔ In African American Vernacular English/Pidgin influence, 'Make nobody...' is used as an imperative to mean 'Don't let anyone...'

• When I don't even smoke my igbo

  ➔ Subordinate clause of time with 'when' + present simple.

  ➔ The 'when' here introduces a circumstantial clause describing a state, using the 'do' auxiliary for negation.

• Now only money are the reason

  ➔ Subject-verb agreement in a copular sentence.

  ➔ While 'money' is uncountable, the plural 'are' is common in street slang/colloquial speech here to emphasize the various factors.

• Je n'ai pas envie que mon daron me 'kpa'

  ➔ Subjunctive mood after expressions of desire/will.

  ➔ The structure 'avoir envie que' requires the verb following it to be in the subjunctive mood (e.g., 'me kpa').

• Si t'es jaloux, petit va là-bas

  ➔ First conditional structure (si + présent, impératif).

  ➔ The 'si' clause establishes a condition in the present, followed by an imperative command as the consequence.

• Je veux jamais que tu casses ma vibe

  ➔ Negation with 'jamais' in a subordinate clause.

  ➔ 'Jamais' is used to express 'never', and in spoken French, the 'ne' is frequently dropped for flow.

• Tu te demandes comment on est dans le mouvement

  ➔ Interrogative clause used as a complement (indirect question).

  ➔ The structure 'comment on est...' functions as the object of 'tu te demandes'.

• La vie qu'on va tous affronter

  ➔ Relative clause with the relative pronoun 'que'.

  ➔ The pronoun 'que' is the direct object of the verb 'affronter' within the relative clause.