Shawty (), shorty, shauty or shortie is a slang term from

African American Vernacular English African-American Vernacular English (AAVE) is the variety of English natively spoken, particularly in urban communities, by most working- and middle-class African Americans and some Black Canadians. Having its own unique grammatical, voca ...

used generally as a nonspecific

term of endearment A term of endearment is a word or phrase used to address or describe a person, animal or inanimate object for which the speaker feels love or affection. Terms of endearment are used for a variety of reasons, such as parents addressing their ch ...

. ''Shawty'' is a Southern and

African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...

variant of ''shorty'', and can refer to someone of any gender who is shorter in stature compared to a taller person. It is also frequently used to amicably address newcomers, children, and good friends.Rappers Flirt with the Word 'Shawty'
. ''

USA Today ''USA Today'' (often stylized in all caps) is an American daily middle-market newspaper and news broadcasting company. Founded by Al Neuharth in 1980 and launched on September 14, 1982, the newspaper operates from Gannett's corporate headq ...

'', 6 August 2007. However, in specific settings, it can be interpreted as a

catcall Street harassment is a form of harassment, primarily sexual harassment that consists of unwanted sexualised comments, provocative gestures, honking, wolf whistles, indecent exposures, stalking, persistent sexual advances, and touching by stra ...

. Since the 1990s, the term has also been used to refer to young and attractive women, mostly in

hip hop Hip-hop or hip hop (originally disco rap) is a popular music genre that emerged in the early 1970s from the African-American community of New York City. The style is characterized by its synthesis of a wide range of musical techniques. Hip- ...

tracks from that decade and those from the early 2000s.

In hip hop music

Below is a list of songs which contain the term in the lyrics. * "

Method Man Clifford Smith, Jr. (born March 2, 1971), known professionally as Method Man, is an American rapper, record producer, and actor. He is a member of the East Coast hip hop collective Wu-Tang Clan, and is half of the hip hop duo Method Man & R ...

", a 1993 song by

Wu-Tang Clan Wu-Tang Clan is an American hip hop collective formed in Staten Island, New York City, in 1992. Its members include RZA, GZA, Method Man, Raekwon, Ghostface Killah, Inspectah Deck, U-God, Masta Killa, and, until his death in 2004, O ...

* " Gimme the Loot", a 1994 song by The Notorious B.I.G. * " C.R.E.A.M.", a 1993 song by

* " Shorty Wanna Be A Thug", a 1996 song by

Tupac Tupac Amaru Shakur (; born Lesane Parish Crooks; June 16, 1971 – September 13, 1996), also known by his stage names 2Pac and Makaveli, was an American rapper and actor, regarded as one of the greatest and most influential rappers of all tim ...

* " No Diggity", a 1996 song by Blackstreet * "

When the Last Time "When the Last Time" is the second official single from the Clipse's album ''Lord Willin. It reached #19 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 on the issue dated December 21, 2002—becoming the group's highest-charting single. The video features a fr ...

", a 2002 song by

Clipse Clipse, also known as the Clipse, is an American hip-hop, hip hop duo from Virginia Beach, Virginia. Formed in 1994, it consists of brothers No Malice, Gene "Malice" and Pusha T, Terrence "Pusha T" Thornton. Pusha T was known as Terrar during t ...

* " In da Club", a 2003 song by

50 Cent Curtis James Jackson III (born July 6, 1975), known professionally as 50 Cent, is an American rapper, actor, and television producer. Born in Queens, a borough of New York City, Jackson began pursuing a musical career in 1996. In 1999–2000, ...

* "

Yeah! (Usher song) "Yeah!" is a song by American singer Usher featuring American rappers Lil Jon and Ludacris. The song is written by the featured artists alongside Sean Garrett, Patrick "J. Que" Smith, Robert McDowell, and LRoc, and is produced by Lil Jon. Th ...

", 2004 * "

Shorty Wanna Ride "Shorty Wanna Ride" is the second single from Young Buck's first album, ''Straight Outta Cashville''. Background "Shorty Wanna Ride" was released in late 2004. The song debuted at number 68 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 and peaked at number 17 on ...

", a 2004 song by

Young Buck David Darnell Brown (born March 15, 1981), better known by his stage name Young Buck, is an American rapper. He signed with Birdman's Cash Money Records in 1997, formed the hip hop collective UTP with Juvenile and Soulja Slim in 2000, and j ...

* " Touch It", a 2005 song by

Busta Rhymes Trevor George Smith Jr. (born May 20, 1972), known professionally as Busta Rhymes, is an American rapper, singer and actor. Chuck D of Public Enemy gave him the moniker Busta Rhymes, after National Football League, NFL and Canadian Football Lea ...

* " Diamonds from Sierra Leone", a 2005 song by

Kanye West Ye ( ; born Kanye Omari West ; June 8, 1977) is an American rapper, singer and record producer. One of the most prominent figures in hip-hop, he is known for his varying musical style and polarizing cultural and political commentary. After ...

* " Shortie Like Mine", a 2006 song by Bow Wow * "

Bartender A bartender (also known as a barkeep or barman or barmaid or a mixologist) is a person who formulates and serves alcoholic or soft drink beverages behind the Bar (establishment), bar, usually in a licensed bar (establishment), establishment as ...

", a 2007 song by

T-Pain Faheem Rashad Najm (born September 30, 1984), known professionally as T-Pain, is an American singer and rapper. He is known for popularizing creative use of Auto-Tune pitch correction, often used with extreme parameter settings to create electro ...

feat.

Akon Aliaune Damala Bouga Time Puru Nacka Lu Lu Lu Badara Akon Thiam (born April 16, 1973), known mononymously as Akon (), is a Senegalese-United States, American singer, songwriter, rapper, record producer, businessman, and philanthropist. An influ ...

* "

Cyclone In meteorology, a cyclone () is a large air mass that rotates around a strong center of low atmospheric pressure, counterclockwise in the Northern Hemisphere and clockwise in the Southern Hemisphere as viewed from above (opposite to an ant ...

", a 2007 song by

Baby Bash Ronald Ray Bryant (born October 18, 1969), better known by his stage name Baby Bash (formerly Baby Beesh), is an American rapper. His first two albums, '' Savage Dreams'' (2001) and '' On Tha Cool'' (2002), were released by the independent Housto ...

feat.

* " Shawty", a 2007 single by Plies * "

Low Low or LOW or lows, may refer to: People * Low (surname), listing people surnamed Low Places * Low, Quebec, Canada * Low, Utah, United States * Lo Wu station (MTR code LOW), Hong Kong; a rail station * Salzburg Airport (ICAO airport code: LO ...

", 2007 song by

Flo Rida Tramar Lacel Dillard (born September 16, 1979), known professionally as Flo Rida ( ), is an American rapper and singer. His 2007 debut and breakout single "Low (Flo Rida song), Low" was number one for 10 weeks in the United States and broke the ...

and

* " Take You There", a 2007 song by

Sean Kingston Kisean Paul Anderson (born February 3, 1990), known professionally as Sean Kingston, is an American former singer and rapper. Born in Miami, Florida, and raised in Jamaica, he signed with J. R. Rotem's record label Beluga Heights Records ...

* " Get It Shawty", a 2007 song by Lloyd * "

Shawty Is a 10 Shawty may refer to: *Shawty (slang), term of endearment, or catcall *Shawty (Plies song), "Shawty" (Plies song), a 2007 single by Plies *Shawty (Luciano song), "Shawty" (Luciano song), 2020 song by Luciano People * Shawty Lo (1976–2016), Ameri ...

", a 2007 song by

The-Dream Terius Adamu Ya Gesteelde-Diamant ('' né'' Youngdell Nash; born September 20, 1977), known professionally as The-Dream, is an American singer, songwriter, and record producer. He is known for having written or co-produced songs for artists in ...

* " Killa", a 2007 song by Cherish * " Sexy Can I", a 2008 song by

Ray J William Ray Norwood Jr. (born January 17, 1981), known professionally as Ray J, is an American R&B singer, songwriter, television presenter, and actor. Born in McComb, Mississippi and raised in Carson, California, he is the younger brother o ...

feat.

Yung Berg Christian J. Ward (born September 9, 1985), known professionally as Hitmaka, is an American record producer and former rapper. Ward began rapping under the stage name Iceberg in 2001, at the age of 14. His career was cut short, due to his time ...

* " Shawty Get Loose", a 2008 single by Lil Mama * " Thug Story", a 2008 single by

Taylor Swift Taylor Alison Swift (born December 13, 1989) is an American singer-songwriter. Known for her autobiographical songwriting, artistic versatility, and Cultural impact of Taylor Swift, cultural impact, Swift is one of the Best selling artists, w ...

and

* " Shawty Say", a 2008 song by David Banner * " Replay", a 2009 song by

Iyaz Keidran Kenmore Jones (born 15 April 1987), better known by his stage name Iyaz (pronounced ), is a British Virgin Islands singer and songwriter, formerly signed with the record label Warner Music Group. He is known for his singles " Replay", " ...

* "

Right Round "Right Round" is a single performed by American rapper Flo Rida featuring guest vocals from American singer Kesha. It was released as the lead Single (music), single from his second studio album, ''R.O.O.T.S.'' (2009). It was released to radio ...

", a 2009 song by

feat. Ke$ha * "

Sugar Sugar is the generic name for sweet-tasting, soluble carbohydrates, many of which are used in food. Simple sugars, also called monosaccharides, include glucose Glucose is a sugar with the Chemical formula#Molecular formula, molecul ...

", a 2009 song by

feat. Wynter * "

Hotel Room Service "Hotel Room Service" is a song by American rapper Pitbull released as the third single from his fourth album, '' Pitbull Starring in Rebelution''. It was released to both iTunes and mainstream radio on June 16, 2009. The song peaked at number e ...

", a 2009 song by Pitbull * " Sorry, Sorry", a 2009 song by

Super Junior Super Junior (; stylized in all caps), also known as SJ or SuJu, is a South Korean boy band. The group is composed of Leeteuk, Heechul, Yesung, Shindong, Sungmin, Eunhyuk, Siwon, Donghae, Ryeowook, and Kyuhyun. Han Geng, Kibum, and ...

* " Fire Burning", a 2009 song by

* " Shawty Wus Up", a 2010 song by Dondria * “ You’re My Only Shorty”, a 2010 song by

Demi Lovato Demetria Devonne "Demi" Lovato ( ; born August 20, 1992) is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. After appearing on the children's television series ''Barney & Friends'' (2002–2004), she starred in the Disney Channel short series ...

feat.

* " Just A Dream", a 2010 song by

Nelly Cornell Iral Haynes Jr. (born November 2, 1974), better known by his stage name Nelly, is an American rapper, singer, and actor. He grew up in St. Louis, Missouri, and embarked on his musical career in 1993 as a member of the Midwest hip hop g ...

* "

Wop ''Wop'' is a pejorative term for Italians or people of Italian descent. Etymology The Merriam-Webster dictionary states wop's first known use was in the United States in 1908, and that it originates from the Southern Italian dialectal term '' g ...

", a 2011 song by J. Dash feat.

* "

Whistle A whistle is a musical instrument which produces sound from a stream of gas, most commonly air. It is a type of Fipple, fipple flute, and may be mouth-operated, or powered by air pressure, steam, or other means. Whistles vary in size from a s ...

", a 2012 song by

* " No Mediocre", a 2014 song by

T.I. Clifford Joseph Harris Jr. (born September 25, 1980), known professionally as T.I. or Tip, is an American rapper and singer raised in Atlanta, Georgia. Harris is credited as a pioneer of the hip hop subgenre trap music, along with fellow Georgi ...

feat.

Iggy Azalea Amethyst Amelia Kelly (born 7 June 1990), known professionally as Iggy Azalea ( ), is an Australian rapper. Born in Sydney, Azalea moved to the United States at the age of 16 in order to pursue a career in music. She earned public recognition ...

* " Hot N*gga", a 2014 song by

Bobby Shmurda Ackquille Jean Pollard (born August 4, 1994), known professionally as Bobby Shmurda, is an American rapper. Along with Rowdy Rebel, Shmurda is considered a pioneer of Brooklyn drill music. He rose to international fame in 2014 when his single, ...

* "

Moonlight (XXXTentacion song) "Moonlight" is a song by American rapper XXXTentacion from his second studio album '' ?'' (2018). Produced by John Cunningham, it was originally released as the third track of the album on March 16, 2018, before being posthumously sent to rhythmi ...

", a 2018 song by

XXXTENTACION Jahseh Dwayne Ricardo Onfroy (January 23, 1998 – June 18, 2018), known professionally as XXXTentacion, was an American rapper and singer-songwriter. Though a controversial figure due to his widely publicized legal troubles, XXXTentacion gai ...

* " My Oh My", a 2020 song by

Camila Cabello Karla Camila Cabello Estrabao (; ; born March 3, 1997) is an American singer and songwriter. She rose to prominence as a member of the Pop music, pop girl group Fifth Harmony, one of the List of best-selling girl groups, best-selling girl gro ...

feat.

DaBaby Jonathan Lyndale Kirk (born December 22, 1991), known professionally as DaBaby (formerly Baby Jesus), is an American rapper. After releasing several mixtapes between 2014 and 2018, he signed with Interscope Records in January 2019 in a joint ...

* " Mood", a 2020 song by

24kGoldn Golden Landis Von Jones (born November 13, 2000), known professionally as 24kGoldn, is an American rapper and singer-songwriter. He initially saw recognition for his 2019 single " Valentino", which marked his first entry on the ''Billboard'' Ho ...

feat.

Iann Dior Michael Ian Olmo (born March 25, 1999), known professionally as Iann Dior (stylized in all lowercase), is an American rapper, singer, and songwriter. He is best known for his guest appearance on 24kGoldn's 2020 single " Mood", which peaked atop ...

* "

Mood Swings A mood swing is an extreme or sudden change of mood. Such changes can play a positive or a disruptive part in promoting problem solving and in producing flexible forward planning. When mood swings are severe, they may be categorized as part ...

", a 2020 song by

Pop Smoke Bashar Barakah Jackson (July 20, 1999 – February 19, 2020), known professionally as Pop Smoke, was an American rapper. Born and raised in Brooklyn, New York City, he rose to fame with the release of his 2019 singles "Welcome to the Party (P ...

feat.

Lil Tjay Tione Jayden Merritt (International Phonetic Alphabet, IPA: ) (born April 30, 2001), known professionally as Lil Tjay ( ), is an American rapper and singer-songwriter. He rose to prominence with his 2017 single "Resume", and signed with Columbi ...

* " Shawty", a 2020 song by Luciana * " SHAWTY", a 2021 song by

Rondodasosa Mattia Barbieri (born 29 April 2002), known professionally as Rondodasosa, is an Italian rapper, singer, and songwriter. Born in San Siro, Milan, he began his musical career in 2020, releasing his debut EP ''Giovane Rondo'' the same year. Early ...

feat. Sacky * " BIRKIN", a 2022 song by

* " cocaine shawty", a 2021 song by

Lil Peep Gustav Elijah Åhr (; November 1, 1996 – November 15, 2017), known professionally as Lil Peep, was an American rapper and singer-songwriter. He was a member of the hip-hop collective GothBoiClique, and is credited as being a leading figure of ...

feat. Yunggoth * " Calm Down", a 2022 song by Rema &

Selena Gomez Selena Marie Gomez ( ; born July 22, 1992) is an American actress, singer, songwriter, producer, and businesswoman. Gomez began her career as a child actress, appearing on the children's television series ''Barney & Friends'' (2002–2004), a ...

* " Get Into It (Yuh)", a 2022 song by

Doja Cat Amala Ratna Zandile Dlamini (born October 21, 1995), known professionally as Doja Cat (), is an American rapper, singer, songwriter and record producer. Born and raised in Los Angeles, California, she began making and releasing music on SoundCl ...

* " DREAM-GIRLS" a 2024 song by

* "Lloret de Mar" a 2024 song by Mata * " U DA BEST" a 2023 song by Basboi feat. Feel Koplo * " Baby Pink" a 2024 song by

feat. Eem Triplin

Other genres

* "

Wild, Wild West ''Wild Wild West'' is a 1999 American steampunk Western film directed by Barry Sonnenfeld and written by S. S. Wilson and Brent Maddock alongside Jeffrey Price and Peter S. Seaman, based on a story conceived by Jim Thomas (screenwriter), Jim an ...

", a 1988 song by The Escape Club * " Shorty", a 1996 song by

The Get Up Kids The Get Up Kids are an American emo band from Kansas City. Formed in 1995, the band was a major act in the mid-1990s Midwest emo scene, otherwise known as the " second wave" of emo music. Their second album '' Something to Write Home About'' r ...

* "

No Scrubs "No Scrubs" is a song recorded by American girl group TLC as the lead single from their third studio album, '' FanMail'', released on February 2, 1999, by LaFace Records and Arista Records. The song was written by producer Kevin "She'kspere" B ...

", a 1999 song by

TLC TLC may refer to: Arts and entertainment Television * ''TLC'' (TV series), a 2002 British situational comedy television series that aired on BBC2 * TLC (TV network), formerly the Learning Channel, an American cable TV network ** TLC (Asia), an A ...

* "

Angel An angel is a spiritual (without a physical body), heavenly, or supernatural being, usually humanoid with bird-like wings, often depicted as a messenger or intermediary between God (the transcendent) and humanity (the profane) in variou ...

", a 2001 song by Shaggy feat.

Rayvon Bruce Alexander Michael Brewster (born January 18, 1968),Gage, Simon (2002), ''The Independent'', 4 August 2002. better known by his stage name Rayvon, is a Barbadian singer and songwriter, known for his work with Shaggy. Born in Barbados, he w ...

* " Just Dance", a 2008 song by Lady Gaga * " Replay", a 2009 single by

* " One Time", a 2009 song by

Justin Bieber Justin Drew Bieber ( ; born March 1, 1994) is a Canadian singer. Regarded as a pop icon, he is recognized for his multi-genre musical performances. He was discovered by record executive Scooter Braun in 2008 and subsequently brought to the U ...

* " One Less Lonely Girl", a 2009 song by Justin Bieber * " Eenie Meenie", a 2010 song by

and Justin Bieber * "She's a Dream", a 2009 song by

Backstreet Boys Backstreet Boys (often abbreviated as BSB) are an American vocal group consisting of Nick Carter, Howie Dorough, AJ McLean, and cousins Brian Littrell and Kevin Richardson (musician), Kevin Richardson. The band formed in 1993 in Orlando, Flori ...

* "You're My Only Shorty", a 2011 song by

feat.

* "

Mistletoe Mistletoe is the common name for obligate parasite, obligate parasitic plant, hemiparasitic plants in the Order (biology), order Santalales. They are attached to their host tree or shrub by a structure called the haustorium, through which they ...

", a 2011 song by Justin Bieber * " Controlla", a 2016 song by

Drake Drake may refer to: Animals and creatures * A male duck * Drake (mythology), a term related to and often synonymous with dragon People and fictional characters * Drake (surname), a list of people and fictional characters with the family ...

* " Emiliana", a 2021 song by

CKay Chukwuka Chukwuma Ekweani (born 16 July 1995), better known by his stage name Ckay (stylized as CKay), is a Nigerian singer, songwriter and record producer signed to Boyfriend Music, Warner Music Africa (formerly known as; Warner Music South Afr ...

* " Calm Down", a 2022 song by Rema * "Time Heals All", a 2023 song by

Don Toliver Caleb Zackery "Don" Toliver ( ; born June 12, 1994) is an American rapper and singer. He emerged to fame in 2018 with the release of his debut mixtape, ''Donny Womack'', and his feature on the song "Can't Say" by fellow Houston rapper Travis Sco ...

* " Silk and Cologne" a 2023 song by EI8HT and Offset *"Shawty" a 2023 song by La Fève * "Don't Blame Shorty For That", a 1950 song by

Tampa Red Hudson Whittaker (born Hudson Woodbridge; January 8, 1903March 19, 1981), known as Tampa Red, was an American Chicago blues musician. His distinctive single-string slide guitar style, songwriting and bottleneck technique influenced other Chicago ...

References

Hip-hop phrases {{vocab-stub