# Quoth the Bard, "H to the Izzo, V to the Izzay"

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quoth-the-bard-h-to-the-izzo-v-to-the-izzay/82774>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [September 20, 2001, 12:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quoth-the-bard-h-to-the-izzo-v-to-the-izzay/82774 "2001-09-20T12:40:58Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 8\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Gazelle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Gazelle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gazelle)\
**Post date:** [September 20, 2001, 12:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quoth-the-bard-h-to-the-izzo-v-to-the-izzay/82774/1 "2001-09-20T12:40:58Z")

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What the heck is Jay-Z saying in IZZO (H.O.V.A)?

Someone with more rap experience, help me out!

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**Author:** ![Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/50afbb/32.png) [@Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duck_Duck_Goose)\
**Post date:** [September 20, 2001, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quoth-the-bard-h-to-the-izzo-v-to-the-izzay/82774/2 "2001-09-20T15:01:30Z")

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[http://lyricspoint.com/jazhtti.shtml](http://lyricspoint.com/jazhtti.shtml)

> [@](#):
>
> CHORUS:  
> H to the izz-O, V to the izz-A  
> Fo’ shizzle my nizzle used  
> To dribble down in VA  
> H to the izz-O, V to the izz-A  
> That’s the anthem  
> Get’cha damn hands up  
> H to the izz-O, V to the izz-A  
> Not guilty ya’ll got-ta feel me  
> H to the izz-O, V to the izz-A  
> That’s the anthem  
> Get’cha damn hands up

You tell me.

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**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\
**Post date:** [September 20, 2001, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quoth-the-bard-h-to-the-izzo-v-to-the-izzay/82774/3 "2001-09-20T15:22:16Z")

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Do you mean literally what is he saying (as above), or what does it mean?

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**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\
**Post date:** [September 20, 2001, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quoth-the-bard-h-to-the-izzo-v-to-the-izzay/82774/4 "2001-09-20T15:30:00Z")

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And here’s a related thread:  
[http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=85988](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=85988)

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**Author:** ![Citygirl852](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e8c25b/32.png) [@Citygirl852](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Citygirl852)\
**Post date:** [September 20, 2001, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quoth-the-bard-h-to-the-izzo-v-to-the-izzay/82774/5 "2001-09-20T15:55:43Z")

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H to the izzo-O, V to the izz-A  
**Hova (Jay-Z’s alias, he refers to himself as "JayHova"**  
Fo’ shizzle my nizzle used to dribble down in VA  
**For sure my n** _a, used to play ball in Virginia_\*  
H to the izz-O, V to the izz-A  
**See above**  
That’s the anthem, getcha damn hands up  
**Self Explanatory**  
H to the izz-O, V to the izz-A  
**See above**  
Not guilty, ya’ll got to feel me  
**Refers to his recent court trial for assault, he got  
off.**

The rest is self explanatory… hope this helps.

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**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\
**Post date:** [September 20, 2001, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quoth-the-bard-h-to-the-izzo-v-to-the-izzay/82774/6 "2001-09-20T16:15:52Z")

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So it’s a patriotic song lauding the efficiency of our judicial system?

Yikes almighty.

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**Author:** ![Gazelle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Gazelle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gazelle)\
**Post date:** [September 21, 2001, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quoth-the-bard-h-to-the-izzo-v-to-the-izzay/82774/7 "2001-09-21T01:12:32Z")

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**Citygirl852** , you got it goin’ on!

Thank you so much! I was all confizzled in my bizznain.

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**Author:** ![Mr\_Carpenter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/cc9497/32.png) [@Mr\_Carpenter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr_Carpenter)\
**Post date:** [September 21, 2001, 2:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quoth-the-bard-h-to-the-izzo-v-to-the-izzay/82774/8 "2001-09-21T02:57:11Z")

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Well shucks, and goooolly!! I never did understand that piglatin talk. 🙂