Is anyone here upset by "Booyakasha"?

[Candy Kappa]

Originally Posted by ScratchTheHotSpot

I haven't posted anything on this site in a couple years now, but I had to write something about this...

I'm shocked, appalled, and deeply upset to hear this phrase, "Booyakasha".

The word means, in rough translation from Jamaican, "Death to the white man"

Jamaican's hold two fingers up in the air, to signify a gun, and shout "BOOYAH", to simulate the sound of a gun shot. This phrase is just a carry-on from that.


I'm from the UK, where Ali G was first shown on tv, and this phrase became instantly popular with everybody at my school. I would say this quite often, until I actually heard, from my mixed-raced friend's mother, who was from Jamaica, what this actually meant.

The word fits perfectly to the Ali G character, because he is a typical idiot, that is captivated by hip-hop / jamaican culture. The key word here, is IGNORANCE. That is what the whole Ali G character / joke was about, someone that has no idea what he was saying, or how they are acting, or the meaning behind it.

The fact that the writers have included this catchphrase into the show, is deeply disturbing for me, and shows complete ignorance, and lack of research on their part. Anyone that uses this word, are as ignorant as Ali G themselves.

Now, I know that you can say, "Oh the meanings of words change over the years", but the only reason, that this has become a popular saying, from my knowledge, is that Ali G made it so.

To put this in lamens terms, it is almost the same, as if Ali G said the "N-Word". In essence, it is basically the same thing. A white person, using a word that they shoudn't be using, which makes them look an idiot for doing so.

Another popular phrase from Ali G was, "It is because I is black?". Ali G is clearly not black, and its another example of how ignorance can be used in comedy.


I'd suggest all you fans, to email, or try to contact the writers of the show, as I will be doing, and urge them to take a second look at what this word means, and hopefully they will realise what a huge mistake it would be to include this into the show. Also, pm your friends, and get them to read this post, because clearly, no-one on this site knows what the word actually means...

TMNT should not be a tool for racial-ignorance-comedy, and I'm sure this is not their intention. For the love of god, PLEASE fix this Nickelodeon!!!

So, is it Booyah that is the actual offensive slur (to Jamaicans) or with the added Kasha?

[Mr.Turtle]

Originally Posted by ScratchTheHotSpot

I haven't posted anything on this site in a couple years now, but I had to write something about this...

I'm shocked, appalled, and deeply upset to hear this phrase, "Booyakasha".

The word means, in rough translation from Jamaican, "Death to the white man"

Jamaican's hold two fingers up in the air, to signify a gun, and shout "BOOYAH", to simulate the sound of a gun shot. This phrase is just a carry-on from that.


I'm from the UK, where Ali G was first shown on tv, and this phrase became instantly popular with everybody at my school. I would say this quite often, until I actually heard, from my mixed-raced friend's mother, who was from Jamaica, what this actually meant.

The word fits perfectly to the Ali G character, because he is a typical idiot, that is captivated by hip-hop / jamaican culture. The key word here, is IGNORANCE. That is what the whole Ali G character / joke was about, someone that has no idea what he was saying, or how they are acting, or the meaning behind it.

The fact that the writers have included this catchphrase into the show, is deeply disturbing for me, and shows complete ignorance, and lack of research on their part. Anyone that uses this word, are as ignorant as Ali G themselves.

Now, I know that you can say, "Oh the meanings of words change over the years", but the only reason, that this has become a popular saying, from my knowledge, is that Ali G made it so.

To put this in lamens terms, it is almost the same, as if Ali G said the "N-Word". In essence, it is basically the same thing. A white person, using a word that they shoudn't be using, which makes them look an idiot for doing so.

Another popular phrase from Ali G was, "It is because I is black?". Ali G is clearly not black, and its another example of how ignorance can be used in comedy.


I'd suggest all you fans, to email, or try to contact the writers of the show, as I will be doing, and urge them to take a second look at what this word means, and hopefully they will realise what a huge mistake it would be to include this into the show. Also, pm your friends, and get them to read this post, because clearly, no-one on this site knows what the word actually means...

TMNT should not be a tool for racial-ignorance-comedy, and I'm sure this is not their intention. For the love of god, PLEASE fix this Nickelodeon!!!

that's impossible... the shows not a japanese show. plus there's no reason for the turtles to use japanese catch phrase just because they r ninja. its true that ninja r frm japan but the turtles grow up in US.

[ScratchTheHotSpot]

I'm sorry, but some of the replies so far to my post, have been quite shocking say the least...

Mr. Turtle wrote:
"that's impossible... the shows not a japanese show. plus there's no reason for the turtles to use japanese catch phrase just because they r ninja. its true that ninja r frm japan but the turtles grow up in US."

I don't know what post you were reading, but I am talking about a Jamaican phrase, NOT Japanese... The filter from what I wrote, to what you understood, was unbelievable...



Candy Kappa wrote:
"So, is it Booyah that is the actual offensive slur (to Jamaicans) or with the added Kasha?"

The slur is not offensive TO Jamaicans, it is a slur USED BY Jamaicans, towards white people.



I have done a little more digging around the internet to find out a little more about the phrase, and most "Urban Dictionaries", have described the term to mean, "Something you say in celebration". This shows the clear level of ignorance / naivety to the origins of this phrase. Also, on these sites, people have posted similar explanations to mine, for the meaning of this word.

Most people, like myself, first heard this uttered by Ali G, which he used in celebration, as I, and most others originally thought it meant, when they first heard it.

Someone has also posted a Youtube video, of an interview with Ali G, explaining what Booyakasha means. His reply, was to say a load of garbage, on what he thought the word meant. Ali G is not a real person, but a character created by comedian Sacha Baron Cohen. So the reply given in this interview, is one of ignorance, and in charcter, which as I said before, is whole joke behind Ali G.


To carry on, and respond to what Candy Kappa wrote... I have heard the phrase, "Boo ya kah, Boo ya kah" at some point in my life, so the part that must translate to "white-person" must be the "Sha" part. Even so, the "boo-ya kah" part, still relates to guns, and gun violence, something that is hugely inappropriate for the turtles, let alone, a kids show.

The earliest usage of the word I have found so far, comes from a KRS-One song, called "Mad Crew" from the 1993 album, Return of the Boom Bap. The word features at the very start of this song. The lyrics go "Buck Buck Buck Buck Boo-ya-kah-SHAN". I'm a hip hop fan myself, and I know for certain, that "buck" is also associated with guns. For example, "Buck shots", would mean to shoot your gun off at someone.

Part of hip hop in the early 90s, had a very "pro-black", and "anti-white" feeling in some artist's songs. Groups such as Public Enemy, X-Clan, to name a few. These artists were heavily influenced by a black-rights activist called Malcom-X. Someone who, unlike Martin Luther King, thought that African Americans should show violence towards white people, rather than a peaceful protest. Which is why you probably won't learn about this guy in school, but you WILL learn about Martin Luther King, and rightfully so.


To reiterate my whole point... The usage of this word in pop culture these days most likely comes from Ali G, and what this charcter THOUGHT the word meant. I say it again, the key word with the character, was IGNORANCE. He said things like this, without knowing what it really meant.

The very sad thing, is that people use the word like Ali G used it, not knowing that they are appearing to others, that DO know what it means, as ignorant and naive people.

I would like to use this analogy... Did you ever hear a word when you were younger at school being used by your friends, and when you came home, and used it infront of your parents, you were immediately told-off for using a naughty word, which you originally thought was ok? I'm afraid that this is one of those situations, but on a unbelieveable scale.

I had no idea that this word was still popular in main stream culture until I heard it on the new TMNT trailer. Quite frankly, I'm pretty shocked.

[Mr.Turtle]

^ but thats not possible either, why d they use a catch phrase to insult themselves?

[Leonardo87]

No I'm not upset; just annoyed that people are complaining over this new catchphrase.

[Mr.Turtle]

Originally Posted by Leonardo87

No I'm not upset; just annoyed that people are complaining over this new catchphrase.

lmao......

[ScratchTheHotSpot]

Originally Posted by Mr.Turtle

^ but thats not possible either, why d they use a catch phrase to insult themselves?

Mr. Turtle Im not sure you are quite grasping what I'm trying to say...

By "insult themselves" are you talking about Ali G using this word? Because he is white himself, and saying "Booyakasha", (Death to the white man) would not make sense?

Well you are quite right. Ali G uses this word because he is an idiot. That is where the whole comedy and joke is behind this character.

You laugh at Ali G because he is saying things that black people normally say when referring to being oppressed by white people. As I said before, one of his other popular catch phrases was, "Is it because I is black?". This is a ridiculous thing to say as a white-man, and was the whole basis of the comedy. You laugh at Ali G, because he is an idiot.

What is it that you find so hard to understand? I'm not sure how I could explain it any clearer than I already have.

[Mr.Turtle]

was that u said :"Booyakasha". The word means, in rough translation from Jamaican, "Death to the white man"?

[ScratchTheHotSpot]

Originally Posted by Mr.Turtle

was that u said :"Booyakasha". The word means, in rough translation from Jamaican, "Death to the white man"?

You do know that the Jamaican people that use this word, are Black, and of African origin, you know that right?

I'm sorry if I'm wrong about you, but it seems like you being deliberately stupid here.

[Candy Kappa]

That's Mr. Turtle for ya

[Mr.Turtle]

Originally Posted by ScratchTheHotSpot

You do know that the Jamaican people that use this word, are Black, and of African origin, you know that right?

I'm sorry if I'm wrong about you, but it seems like you being deliberately stupid here.

r u stupid or me? where's ur logic? i cant believe u...

[Lethal Lullaby]

Originally Posted by Mr.Turtle

r u stupid or me? where's ur logic? i cant believe u...

You don't need logic, silly. YOU are stupid. That is all.

[ScratchTheHotSpot]

Thanks guys, I was starting to go a little crazy whilst reading Mr. Turtle's comments.


Just to follow on from my previous comments about the origin of the word, and when it was used in the KRS-One song that I referred to. KRS-One had a notorious feud with another rapper called MC Shan. Which may be why he added the letter 'N' to the end of "Sha", which would mean, "Shoot / Kill MC Shan", but he is saying it in a more discrete way. The feud wasn't completely between these rappers, but more their entire crews which started in around 1986. I'm just trying to give as much information as possible on this subject.

I still maintain that the "Booyaka", comes from Jamaican origins meaing to kill, or to shoot, and "Booyakasha" would be directed towards white people. As I said before, this was told to me many years ago from my friends mother, after hearing the Ali G phrase, when she first heard us using it. You may think this is all "hear-say", but I don't think it's a subject that should be taken lightly, and should be researched alot further by the TMNT writers, than just looking at "Urban Dictionaries". I don't think that slang related to gun violence is a good reflection of what TMNT is all about.

[Mr.Turtle]

^ right, ur logic is the animation made by white men use a catch phrase to insult themselves? that sounds crazy to me.

[ScratchTheHotSpot]

This is because, like I once was, and many others still are, the writers think that it's just a meaningless word that can be thrown about to mean anything they want. Just like Ali G used it.

This is what I'm trying to explain here. It's a crazy situation that needs to be addressed.

Sacha Baron Cohen used it with the Ali G character, to show that he was completely ignorant to what the word meant. The irony is, that not many others knew what it truely meant either.

That is the sad thing, Ali G has made it so popular, that it's almost unbelieveable now, to hear that it means something else...

[Cowabunga Carl]

Scratch you'd have more luck trying to have a conversation with a rock.

[Mr.Turtle]

but is this word really meaningless?????

Originally Posted by Old Hob

Scratch you'd have more luck trying to have a conversation with a rock.

and wut r u? a glass?

[Cowabunga Carl]

Originally Posted by Mr.Turtle

and wut r u? a glass?

That makes no sense at all you know right?

[Mr.Turtle]

^ do u mean no sense at all?

[Jester]

I swear you only play dumb....