And speaking of "that phrase which shall remain nameless", has anybody else noticed the frequency of what I call [for lack of a better term] "echo" words and phrases and nicknames from Black cultures?

No?

Well, what about these words:

gris gris: {most often used as a referent for a voodoo charm, but I'm sure it's real meaning is heavier than that}

couscous: a spicy dish that originated in North Africa; consists of pasta steamed with a meat and vegetable stew
or a North Africa pasta made of crushed and steamed semolina


su su {Caribbean slang for 'gossip'

And what about these very common contemporary African American {and other ethnic groupS? nicknames:

Day Day: {male for Dashon and a multitude of other male names beginning with the Day sound}

Nay Nay: usually a nickname for the female name Renae {RAH nay]

Shay Shay: for female name that have a shay sound, such as Shayla, and LaShay and many more

Bebe: {pronounced "bee bee" as in Bebe Winan {African American male gospel singer-short for Benjamin -I think- and Bebe Moore Cambell, African American female writer-short for ??} and then there's Robin Harris' comedy routine which was turned into a 1992 movie Bebe's Kids
"Bebe" here is pronounced "baybay".

Mimi: {for all kinds of female names that have a "me" sound like my niece's name Yamisha {yah ME-shah}

Dee Dee: {my twin sister's nickname; it used to be only for "Delores" but it's also used for female names that have a "dee" sound like another niece of mine name "Sadika" {sah DEE kah}

Man Man: {a nickname for a boy [surprise surprise!]. This nickname may be shortened to Man when the boy gets older,though "Man" may be also used as a nickname for young boys.

And there are many more examples where those come from.

I'm guessing that rhythm has alot to do with the reason why these names resonate with people of African descent.

And we're not the only ones who use these echo nicknames.I'm betting that "John John" was used more often in African American communities because it was the nickname President Kennedy gave to his son.

And if you think this discussion has strayed from words that are odd, unusual, and unfamiliar in songs, well, you're absolutely right.

But maybe not.