Rap has always been about pushing buttons, but some songs just hit differently. If you were around in the late 90s, you probably remember the chaos. Akinyele's "Put It In Your Mouth" wasn't just a song; it was a cultural flashpoint that felt like it was playing everywhere, from basement parties to car stereos, despite being wildly NSFW. It’s raunchy. It’s unapologetic. It’s basically the definition of a "guilty pleasure" that most people wouldn't admit to loving in polite company, yet everyone seemed to know the words.
The put in ya mouth lyrics are a masterclass in 90s provocative underground hip-hop. Honestly, when you look at the track now, it feels like a precursor to the "WAP" era, but with a grittier, raw New York production style. It’s interesting how a song with such graphic sexual content managed to achieve such staying power without the help of social media or streaming algorithms. It was pure word-of-mouth.
The Story Behind the Scrawl
Akinyele wasn't exactly a newcomer when this dropped. He was already respected for his lyrical ability, specifically his work with Large Professor. But this track? It changed his trajectory forever.
People often forget that the song features Kia Jeffries. Her hook is the soul of the track. Without that melodic, almost sweet delivery of such explicit lines, the song probably would have stayed in the crates. The contrast between her smooth vocals and the aggressive, blunt nature of the verses creates this weirdly catchy tension. It’s the kind of song that makes you double-check your volume knob at a red light.
Technically, the song was released in 1996 on the Put It in Your Mouth EP. At the time, the hip-hop scene was dominated by the East Coast-West Coast rivalry, but Akinyele carved out a niche that was less about beef and more about shock value and humor. He leaned into the "nasty rapper" persona, which was a risky move. It could have easily ended his career by making him a one-hit-wonder joke, but his technical skill—his flow and cadence—kept him in the conversation among heads who actually cared about the art of rapping.
Analyzing the Put In Ya Mouth Lyrics
Let’s get into the actual meat of the writing. The lyrics don't hide behind metaphors. There’s no "poetry" here in the traditional sense. It’s a literal, step-by-step narrative of a sexual encounter.
What's fascinating is the rhyme scheme. Akinyele uses a lot of internal rhymes and multisyllabic patterns that you’d usually find in a high-concept Wu-Tang verse, but he applies them to... well, oral sex. It’s this juxtaposition of high-level craft and "low-brow" subject matter that makes the put in ya mouth lyrics so resilient. You can hate the content, but it’s hard to deny the rhythmic pocket he finds.
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The song starts with a skit-like intro, setting a scene that feels like a low-budget 90s comedy. This was a staple of the era. These intros served to ground the song in a specific reality, making it feel less like a polished studio product and more like a story being told in a New York apartment.
Why the Song Survived the 2000s
Most "novelty" rap songs die within six months. They get played out, the joke gets old, and we all move on to the next dance craze or shock-rap moment. But this track has a baseline that just bangs. The production—handled by Chris "The Glove" Taylor and others—is minimalist but heavy.
When you strip away the lyrics, you’re left with a beat that would fit perfectly in a dark club. This is why DJs still spin it. They know they can drop the beat, and even if they censor the words, the crowd will fill in the blanks. It’s a shared cultural memory.
- The song reached number 9 on the Billboard Hot Rap Singles.
- It became a staple in strip clubs and late-night radio sets.
- It’s been sampled and referenced by dozens of artists, from Ludacris to modern-day drill rappers.
The Controversy and the Feminist Critique
It would be dishonest to talk about these lyrics without mentioning the pushback. Even in the 90s, which was a bit of a "Wild West" for lyrical content, Akinyele faced heat. Critics argued the song was hyper-misogynistic. They weren't necessarily wrong from a certain perspective. The lyrics treat the female subject primarily as a vessel for male pleasure.
However, over the years, a different perspective has emerged among some cultural critics. Some argue that Kia Jeffries’ role in the song—and her unapologetic delivery—actually reclaimed some of that power. She isn't sounding like a victim; she sounds like a participant who is fully aware of the song's absurdity.
Regardless of where you stand, the song forced a conversation about sex-positivity versus exploitation in hip-hop. It’s a conversation that hasn't stopped; it just shifted targets to artists like Megan Thee Stallion or Cardi B. In a weird way, Akinyele paved the road that "WAP" eventually drove a tank over.
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Technical Breakdown: Flow and Production
Akinyele’s flow on the track is remarkably consistent. He uses a staccato delivery in the verses that mirrors the "back and forth" nature of the beat. It’s not a lazy performance. He’s "on the grid," as producers would say today.
The use of the "Humpty Dance" sample or similar funky elements gives it a groove that masks the "filth." If the beat had been dark and menacing, the song would have felt predatory. Because the beat is bouncy and almost lighthearted, it stays in the realm of a "party record." This distinction is the only reason it ever got any radio play at all.
Many people don't realize that Akinyele actually had to defend the song's "musicality" in interviews. He would point out the specific ways he structured the bars to prove he wasn't just talking dirty for the sake of it. He was trying to prove he was a "rapper's rapper" who just happened to be obsessed with a specific topic.
The Legacy of the "Nasty" Rap Record
Where do we go from here? The put in ya mouth lyrics exist in a time capsule. You couldn't release this song for the first time in 2026 and expect the same reaction. Today, it would be swallowed by the sheer volume of explicit content on TikTok and OnlyFans. In 1996, it was a bomb dropped in the middle of a semi-conservative media landscape.
It reminds us that hip-hop has always been a space for the "unfiltered." Whether it’s political rage or sexual explicitness, the genre refuses to be polite. Akinyele’s contribution was taking the subculture of "dirty rap" (pioneered by folks like 2 Live Crew) and giving it a New York lyrical polish.
Actionable Takeaways for Music Fans
If you're looking to understand the evolution of explicit lyrics in music, don't just look at the lyrics in a vacuum. You have to look at the context of the mid-90s indie rap scene.
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First, listen to the instrumental. Notice how the bassline carries the entire track. This is a lesson in "less is more" production. You don't need fifty layers of synths if your foundation is solid.
Second, compare Akinyele’s verses to his earlier, more "conscious" work. You’ll see the same artist, just applying his tools to a different job. It shows that versatility doesn't always mean changing your style; sometimes it means changing your subject.
Finally, recognize the influence. When you hear a modern artist being "too much" for the radio, know that there's a lineage. Akinyele took the hits so that future artists could have more room to breathe, for better or worse.
The song remains a staple of 90s nostalgia. It’s played at throwback parties where people who are now suburban parents suddenly remember every single word to the chorus. That’s the power of a "sticky" lyric. It doesn't matter if it's high art or locker-room humor; if it’s catchy and it captures a moment, it stays forever.
To really appreciate the era, look into Large Professor's production discography. Seeing who Akinyele ran with gives you a better sense of his technical "street cred." You can also research the history of the Loud Records era, which was pivotal in bringing this kind of raw, unfiltered New York sound to the mainstream. Understanding the business of how these "street records" were marketed will give you a much clearer picture of why this song became the juggernaut it did.
Next Steps for Deepening Your Knowledge:
Study the transition of the "Dirty Rap" subgenre from the Miami Bass scene of the late 80s to the New York lyrical scene of the mid-90s. Look specifically at how 2 Live Crew’s legal battles over the First Amendment created the legal framework that allowed artists like Akinyele to release explicit content without facing the same level of prosecution. Check out the "Parental Advisory" sticker history to see how it ironically helped sell more records like this one by acting as a badge of authenticity for youth culture.