Quote Originally Posted by YoshiM
The phrase is not unlike the popular expression "in like Flynn", which was made in regards to Errol Flynn's amorous activities off stage (and not the fact that he tends to enter situations by smashing through windows or by swinging in on a vine/rope/chain/whatever-which is what *I* thought it meant)

"It's on like Donkey Kong" probably mixes the popular use of the word "on" when used to describe something happening or going to happen at that moment like, for example, in a comfrontational/competitive manner ("Oh, sucker, it's ON now!" says the kick boxer after he get's mashed in the face with a two-by-four), or in a sexual matter ("Oh baby, let's get it ON"). Donkey Kong is probably used to describe how "on" is supposed to be interpreted. Donkey Kong can be seen as pulse pounding (for it's day) as you had to frantically get to the top while avoiding barrels or fireballs while jumping over holes or chasms. However I don't know how the lyric is actually used but I can only imagine that something is going to happen or they want something to happen at that moment that's frantic or equally exciting as playing Donkey Kong. And because NWA had it and it probably rhymed with something earlier or later in the song, that's probably why you hear it today.

Just my 2 zenny of speculation.

Yeah, you are probably right. Also, I know I heard it way before Ice Cube's Death Certificate CD. But yeah, when people say "It's ON, like Donkey Kong!", it's usually about being very excited about something.

It's like if you were at a party that had tons of great looking women, and that it was just the sweetest party that you've ever been to, and then somebody calls you on your cell phone and asks you how is that particular party and you say, "Dude, it's on. It's on like freaking Donkey KONG!".

I'm telling you I always hear this phrase, and often times I hear it from young kids that have probably never ever even played any of the "older" Donkey Kong games.

But I'm pretty sure this statement started in the late 80's, and it started in Rap music, and I'm almost positive it was on the "Straight outa Compton" album from NWA. But it seems that in the hip hop culture, tons of people use this phrase as a everyday expression about something being really, really good, or something that's about to happen being really really good.

Like if you show up at a house for Thanksgiving and they have this huge food spread all over the dinner table with every food item that you could ever want and everything looks really great, and you take one look at that table and you know you are about to get your grub on, you say, "Man, it's on, like Donkey Kong".

Which basically means that you are about to eat yourself into a state of comatose!

But basically it's a statement of excitement for what's about to happen.

But I'm curious as to the original meaning of the phrase, and why Ice Cube came up with it. It's possilble that it doesn't really have any special meaning, and that the only reason he said Donkey Kong, is because Kong ryhmes with On.

But it's also very possible that it's a very special meaning to Ice Cube. Like maybe when he was a little kid he always went to a certain 7-eleven in Compton that had a Donkey Kong machine and he played it all the time growing up as a little kid. And he loved that game and everytime he played it was like a really cool situation for him to be able to kick it and play Donkey Kong.

So when he said" It's On, Like Donkey Kong", he was basically making a reference back to his childhood thinking about how cool it was when he first played Donkey Kong and he's describing the current situation as being as cool as that.

That would be my guess, but nobody would really know unless they talked to Ice Cube and asked him about it.


Anyways, I know that this is a really, really stupid topic and why would I even care, but I heard this phrase in a rap song the other day on the radio and I though, Hmmm. I wonder where that phrase really came from.

This is just one of those weird curiosity throw away topics.

So leave it at that.