Honestly, if you grew up in the 90s, you didn't just hear the I Got 5 on It song—you lived it. It was the ultimate "broke but still trying to have a good time" anthem. You're sitting in a beat-up sedan with four friends, nobody has more than a handful of crumpled singles, and someone suggests pooling whatever's left for a "dime bag." It was social etiquette set to a haunting G-funk beat.
But then something weird happened.
In 2019, Jordan Peele took that nostalgic Oakland banger and turned it into a soundtrack for a literal nightmare in his movie Us. Suddenly, that "boop boop" synth intro wasn't just about weed anymore. It became the sound of your own doppelgänger coming to murder you.
What Does "I Got 5 on It" Actually Mean?
Let’s be real for a second. While your parents might have bobbed their heads to the catchy melody back in '95, the lyrics aren't exactly about saving up for a college fund. The phrase basically means you’re chipping in five dollars toward a ten-dollar bag of marijuana.
It’s about the "half-and-half" rule.
Yukmouth and Numskull, the two rappers who make up the duo Luniz, wrote the track as a comedic take on the struggles of the block. They were tired of "scavengers" and "perpetrators" who wanted to smoke for free. If you want a hit, you better have a five-dollar bill ready. Simple as that.
The Strange Beef Over That Iconic Beat
You might think the song is just a straightforward sample of Club Nouveau’s 1987 hit "Why You Treat Me So Bad." Most people do. But if you talk to the guys who were actually in the room, like producer Tone Capone or singer Michael Marshall, the story is way more tangled.
- The Origin: The melody actually traces back even further to a 1986 track called "Thinkin' About Ya" by Timex Social Club.
- The Drama: When Timex Social Club split up, some members formed Club Nouveau and took the melody with them.
- The Twist: Michael Marshall, who sang the original hook for Timex, is the same guy you hear "howling" (as he puts it) on the I Got 5 on It song.
Marshall has been vocal about the fact that he didn't get the publishing credit or the royalties he deserved for years, despite basically creating the "vibe" that made the song a global smash. He actually edited the hook because the original version Luniz brought to him was too wordy and "jumbled." He stripped it down to that iconic, sparse refrain we all know.
Why It Became a Horror Icon
When Jordan Peele chose this track for Us, he wasn't just picking a random 90s hit. He grew up in the Bay Area. To him, the song had a "cryptic energy."
Think about those opening notes. They're minor key. They're lonely. They sound like a warning.
The "Tethered Mix" used in the film's climax—officially known as the Pas de Deux—took the original beat and slowed it down, adding stabbing violins that sound like something out of Psycho. It leaned into the paranoia that was always hiding under the surface of the original track. After all, the lyrics are full of talk about "creeping in" and being "broke this evening."
It’s a song about having only half of what you need. In a movie about doppelgängers who are literally the "other half" of humans, the metaphor is almost too perfect.
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The Numbers Don't Lie
This wasn't just some underground regional hit. It was a monster.
- It reached number 8 on the Billboard Hot 100.
- It hit number 3 in the UK.
- It knocked Michael Jackson’s HIStory off the top of the R&B charts in 1995.
Even 30 years later, the song is a cash cow. After Us hit theaters, streams of the track spiked by over 120%. Tone Capone recently mentioned that his royalty checks jumped by nearly 400% because of the movie.
The Legacy of the "5 on It" Phrase
The song was so big it changed how people talk. You don't just "got 5 on it" for weed anymore. People use it for gas money, a pizza order, or a 12-pack of beer. It’s the universal language of the "broke but down to hang" crowd.
Interestingly, the duo almost didn't make it. Yukmouth was actually in a youth camp (juvenile hall) when he started writing the lyrics. He was tired of the "crack game" and wanted to get into the "music shit." He used to call Numskull from jail to plot their takeover.
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They weren't trying to make a horror masterpiece. They were just two kids from Oakland trying to get a song played on the local radio so they could buy diapers and pay rent.
How to Appreciate the Song Today
If you want to really "get" the track, you have to listen to more than just the radio edit.
Check out the Bay Ballas Remix. It features a "who's who" of 90s West Coast legends like E-40, Richie Rich, and Shock G. It turns the song from a paranoid solo mission into a massive block party.
Actionable Insights:
- Listen for the "Hidden" Samples: Beyond Club Nouveau, the song also samples "Jungle Boogie" by Kool & The Gang and "Top Billin'" by Audio Two. See if you can spot the drum breaks.
- Watch the "Us" Soundtrack Breakdown: Look up Michael Abels (the film's composer) explaining how he deconstructed the beat. It will change how you hear those first four notes forever.
- Support the Originals: If you're a fan of the vocals, look up Michael Marshall’s solo work. He's the "unsung" voice of the Bay Area who deserves the flowers he didn't get in 1995.
The I Got 5 on It song is proof that a great beat never truly dies—it just waits for the right person to come along and make it scary again.