The Raunchy Meaning Behind Dr. Dre’s “Keep Their Heads Ringin’”

Starring Ice Cube and Chris Tucker, 1995 comedy film Friday was one of the most beloved movies of the 1990s. Written by Cube, and including star appearances from Nia Long, Regina King, and Bernie Mac, Friday would leave a lasting legacy thanks to its timeless jokes and ability to stay culturally relevant with memes like “Bye, Felicia.”

On top of this, the movie’s soundtrack featured many of the R&B, hip-hop, and pop industry’s brightest stars. Whether it was Ice Cube (obviously), The Isley Brothers, 2 Live Crew, Rick James, Cypress Hill, or Scarface, the Friday soundtrack felt like a walk down the Hollywood Walk of Fame. And to kick it off with its lead single, Dr. Dre delivered one of the most adored solo releases of his career, titled “Keep Their Heads Ringin’.”

Including additional vocals from Nancy Fletcher, “Keep Their Heads Ringin’” would peak at No. 10 on the Billboard Hot 100, due to its infectious sampling of The Sequence’s 1979 hit “Funk You Up” and Dre’s Keep their heads ringin’ / (Ring ding dong Ring-a-ding ding ding (uh, yeah) dong) hook. However, while Dre was responsible for the song’s ultimate execution, he did employ a friend of his to craft the lyrics for the eventual hit.

[RELATED: Then & Now: Dr. Dre’s Path to Ubiquity]

A member of Dre and Suge Knight’s Death Row Records in the early-to-mid ’90s, J-Flexx consistently aided Dre with songwriting duties. Along with earning credits on songs like Tupac and Dre’s “California Love” and Dre and Cube’s “Natural Born Killaz,” J-Flexx also helped write “Keep Their Heads Ringin’,” which he spoke about in a 2021 interview with The Art of Dialogue.

In this conversation, J-Flexx revealed that “keep their heads ringin’” was actually a metaphor Dre used for oral sex, something he felt flew over many listeners’ heads.

“He just called me and was like, ‘I need a lyric.’ I’m like, ‘Alright cool,’” he said. “Dre was really good about concepts. So he was like ‘Keep their heads ringin’,’ like he’s getting some top. You know what I mean? So that’s why he says I know you’re bobbin’ your head, Cause I could see ya, You can’t see me. He’s talkin’ about getting top. He was trying to think of a subtle way to say it.”

Additionally, J-Flexx also explained the songwriting process he had with Dre where he would record a reference track and Dre would memorize it.

“I would go in, spit the joint, and then he would make a tape of it, listen to it, and learn it,” he said. “Just like you’d be riding to the radio listening to something. And then he would go spit it over the top of [my vocals] and then take mine out.”

Two months after the release of “Keep Their Heads Ringin’,” the song would be certified gold by RIAA.

Photo by Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame