Jadakiss closes with his signature raspy flow, shouting out project kids, street dealers, and personal associates like "T in Green" and his uncle in Arthur Kill (a correctional facility).
The song serves as a "shout-out" anthem, where "licking a shot" is a metaphorical salute to various figures in street culture.
"Lick Shots" is a core track from debut solo album, A Gangster and a Gentleman , released on July 9, 2002. The song features the full D-Block (and then-Ruff Ryders) roster, including his fellow LOX members Jadakiss and Sheek Louch , alongside J-Hood . Production & Background Styles-P Lick Shots Feat. Sheek Louch, Jadakiss and J-Hood
Focuses on "predicate felons," street hustlers on I-95, and the reality of the ghetto. He emphasizes the "D-Block" code of silence, rapping that "doin' their time is better than tellin'".
Sheek handles the chorus and a verse dedicated to friends in "the hole" (solitary confinement) and those hustling just to eat. Jadakiss closes with his signature raspy flow, shouting
It features an uncredited sample of "Simchat He'amel" by Effi Netzer .
Then a rising protege of The LOX, J-Hood delivers a verse honoring those who "didn't survive the storm" and real niggas "on the run". The song features the full D-Block (and then-Ruff
The track was produced by Swizz Beatz , whose high-energy, horn-heavy production was a signature of the Ruff Ryders era.