Chris Gehringer and Will Quinnell have to keep up with the latest hip-hop slang, but you won't find them sipping Cristal with Nelly. They're mastering engineers at Sterling Sound in Chelsea, where, among other things, they clean up rappers' language. "If your record doesn't sell at Wal-Mart and Kmart, you're done," Gehringer points out; those stores sell only "superclean" albums. So engineers must splice out all references to guns, drugs, and sex. How many ways can one say pot? Here are a few lyrics they've "jacked" recently.

"Got a chrome nina ross shined up for you baby Bling-blow"
-- Lil' Wayne, "Look At Me"
nina ross: 9-mm. pistol

"Since ya hair got wet, let's smoke some 'dro"
-- Big Tymers, "Pimpin"
dro: pot, as in hydroponic

"I probably push less weight than the trees I smoke"
-- Chink Santana, "Hold On"
push weight: deal drugs
trees: pot

"Gettin so much brains I'm startin to feel smart"
-- Noreaga, "Grimey"
brain: oral sex

"I drop a dove on the inside"
-- Big Tymers, "Slick Talkin' "
dove: sack of marijuana (sometimes hidden inside car rims)

"Knowin dudes that's neglectin they seeds / Instead of takin care of 'em they spendin money on trees"
-- Nas, "What Goes Around"
seeds: children (not cut)

Related:

• Archive: “Gotham: Life in the New City”
• Articles by Evan Lerner
• Table of Contents: August 19, 2002 issue of New York | Subscribe!