For those of you who are planning a visit to West Oakland anytime soon, i thought i might provide a little vocabulary primer to acquaint you with some of the terms you might encounter along the way. For example, a 9-year old approaches you and says, "yo my stunners are baller!" he means:

A) he is good at basketball
B) he is learning about stingrays in school
C) his sunglasses are cool

give up? The answer is 'C'. 'Stunners' or 'Stunner Shades' are all the rage in hip-hop fashion. Popularized in hip hop songs and flouted by popular performers, these seemingly retro, wraparound sunglasses have made a 'stunning' comeback in pop-culture. 'Baller', meanwhile, is a term to express approval. Originally this word was used to describe an invidual who possessed exceptional skills in basketball. Eventually, the word became an adjective to describe anything exceptional. If i were to complement another's sunglasses, for example, i could simply say, "Baller Stunners, Son." The usage of the word 'son' has also become common, used between peers as a sort of tongue-in-cheek statement on status between two parties. Frequently on the street ball court, if one individual should excel over another considerably, he takes the liberty of heartily exclaiming, "That's right Son!" in the face of his erstwhile opponent.

Another important fashion detail is the 'Air Force' sneaker. 'Air Force' is a sneaker manufactured by Nike and worn by hip-hop professionals the world over. An individual who owns both Stunner shades and Air Forces automatically qualifies as 'Baller'.

One's automobile is an outstanding status symbol in this area, and a surefire mark of a high-roller is the presence of 'spinners' on his hubcaps. Spinners are a rotating addition to the caps which spin rapidly, long after the car has come to a stop. Normally these embellishments are fashioned of highly reflective stainless steel or some such material and go to great lengths to be as 'bling-bling' as possible.

'Bling-bling' is a term used to denote wealth, especially material wealth including gold, diamonds and other expensive jewelry. This term can also refer to cars, houses, watches and other luxuries. This term comes from the onomatopoeia 'bling', a sound made by the reflective shine of an object. Bling-bling can also refer to an individual's 'grill', or decorative tooth-capping often done with diamonds and gold. Also promoted by hip-hop culture, the 'grill' has taken a dental approach to the 'bling-bling' effort.

Particular to the Bay Area is 'hyphy', a term which wikipedia describes as "...dictated by more uptempo beats. An individual is said to "get hyphy" when they act or dance in an overstated and ridiculous manner," is a word which can be used to described anything of a similarly overstated manner. It also carries with it a certain sense of Bay Area pride. The local ice cream truck is called, "Hyphy Icy" and it blasts hip-hop beats with lyrics about ice cream.

If you have made it this far congratulations, because you have just completed the introductory language course for your visit to West Oakland. With these terms in mind, you will be able to communicate your basic needs and prove that you are 'baller' with minimal effort.
So put your stunner shades on, flash your grill and prepare to get hyphy.