So here in Picksburgh PA, I have started listening to the local radio station B-94, which plays all sorts of music, inclding a healthy dose of rap and hip-hop,

I've just noticed that almost all of the rap/hiphop songs include references to "shorty" (or "shawty").  So I Googled it and apparently this is urban slang for one's girlfriend or an attractive woman.

Does anybody know the origin of "shorty"?  How did this term suddenly come about?  Or has LyricBoy simply been living in a cave and only just now discovered this phrase? ???

Wikipedia says it comes from southern urban culture which would explain it since all that horrible southern rap is what dominates hip-hop now.

It seems like this phrase has been around for awhile too. I'm not sure when it started, but I can remember hearing it in rap songs even back in 1997 or 1998.

I think its pronounced "Shawty" and Shorty. R&B Singer "Lloyd" had a hit called "Get It Shawty" in early to mid 2007. Hip-Hop/R&B artist and producer "The Dream" also had a hit called "Shawty is a 10" in 2007. There has been a rapper that is on the charts recently that is named "Shawty Lo"

I think its pronounced "Shawty" and Shorty. R&B Singer "Lloyd" had a hit called "Get It Shawty" in early to mid 2007. Hip-Hop/R&B artist and producer "The Dream" also had a hit called "Shawty is a 10" in 2007. There has been a rapper that is on the charts recently that is named "Shawty Lo"


God that dude is HORRIBLE.  ::)

  Shorty!  That's kinda funny... 

The first time I heard the term was:

"Go shorty, it's your birthday"

Wikipedia says it comes from southern urban culture which would explain it since all that horrible southern rap is what dominates hip-hop now.



They gave us horrible rebel rock, continuing to avenge for the war

lol, it took me awhile to figure out that too...I think it refers to women in general, but I haven't checked up on that. Maybe the most obvious explanation, because they're generally shorter? ROFL

It's slang,  by the time we figure it out it will be out of use.

Off the top of my head, the first time I can recall hearing it was in the song "Angel" by Shaggy from 2001.

The stations here in Picksburgh are incessantly playing some song whose catch line is "Shorty I will take you dere..."

I've known the term for some time but it seems it has become more widely used as of late.

Sorry, not from the 2000s at all. I've heard it way back when in the 80s.

Remember, any slang used now is already old. It's never new.

Sorry, not from the 2000s at all. I've heard it way back when in the 80s.

Remember, any slang used now is already old. It's never new.


  Yeah, I'm getting alot of that with the submissions on inthe80s.  Also, I don't like to add slang terms first popularized in film/TV ("Heathers") to the site's database, but sometimes it's hard to tell...

  Just me and my shorty.  I love my shorty...