"da bomb"

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> From: Richard Masoner <richardm@cd.com>
> To: Higher Fire <higher-fire@prairienet.org>
> Subject: "da bomb"
> Date: Wednesday, March 19, 1997 11:41 AM
> 
> 
> The youth group at our church is wanting to putting "da bomb" on their
> t-shirts.  For those that aren't hip to current teen slang :-), this
> basically means "cool" or "excellent."
> 
> Does anyone know the origin of this slang term?  Like many slang terms,
> it seems to come from Black American English, and this term in
> particular seems to have been used a lot in the hip-hop and rap scene,
> but does anyone know specifically where it came from?
> 
> Has it been around for quite a while in the African-American subculture,
> or is "da bomb" a recent innovation?
> 
> Thanks U all.
> 
> Richard "it ain't in the OED" Masoner
> richardm@cd.com

Bro Richard,
I am very keen on this slang. I used to be a rapper. I still recite some of
my more
"Godly" raps once in a while to myself, mostly. I was into the hardcore
hip-hop scene
when I was in the world, though. "Da Bomb" in layman's terms is basically
cool,
hip, what's "going on" or "hittin'". It's origin is from hip-hop/street
slang. It's been 
around for at least 5 or six years to my knowledge, probably even more in
some
parts of the country. Some examples to shed light on it a little more
hopefully
and it's use would be-"That Ferrari is Da Bomb!" or, as some of your youth
males
might say, "That girl is Da Bomb!" It replaces older terms from the new
wave and
skater/valley girl terms of the early and mid '80's such as RAD or AWESOME
for
today's youth, particularly the one's with a love for hip-hop music,
styles, etc.
"I'm Da Bomb!", which I used to say quite a bit about 5 years ago is
basically a 
form of self-exaltaion, complimenting one's self, usually due to something
one has 
just accomplished such as making a basket, scoring a touchdown or getting a
phone number from one of the opposite sex. It is definitely a term of the
world
which I myself am not too far removed from, seeing I was baptized just 3.25
years
ago and received the Holy Ghost 3.5 years ago(yes those numbers are
accurate-
got the H.G. before immersion like Cornelius' house, Praise God!). And I
was deep
into the hip-hop styles/music, etc., even had a recording contract with an 
independent record label in San Francisco, so you have a good source for
this slang
in me.

Hope this was helpful.


Mercy unto you, and peace, and love,
be multiplied.-Jude 1:2

Bro. Daniel M. Westbrook Sr.