Jawn is a slang term local to Philadelphia and, by extension, the Delaware Valley that may refer to a thing, place, person, or event, substituting for a specific name. Jawn is a context-dependent substitute noun; a noun that substitutes for other nouns.[1] Jawn can be singular or plural. Examples include: "These jawns are expensive!",[2] "pass me that jawn", "that new jawn", "this jawn is packed".[3]
Jawn is believed to be derived from the word "joint".[4][5] Historically, the city's black population migrated to the northern part of the city from Alabama, Georgia, and the Carolinas, bringing with them a Southern dialect that carried words such as 'joint'.[6]
"Da Jawn" (1996) is a song on Kollage, the debut album of Philadelphian rapper Bahamadia; it features fellow Philadelphian band The Roots.
In the song "It's All For You" (1997), Mr. Eon of the Philadelphia rap duo The High & Mighty says: "Somewhere in Philly, they call me 'the jawn'".
In the film Men in Black II (2002), while Agent J is explaining to Agent K that they replaced the car from the first movie, he refers to the car as "that old jawn."[citation needed]
In the song “November Has Come” (2005), a collaboration between MF DOOM and Gorillaz, the line: “That said, nah, fo'real-a, the Villain on a Gorilla jawn?” appears, where the word “jawn” is used in the place of “song” or “album.”
In a scene in the 2015 Philadelphia-based feature film Creed, the character Bianca explains to Adonis Creed the meaning of jawn.[7]
In the song "Routine" by Wale, Akintimehin states, "Philly women really chillin' with me / Now I really can't stop sayin' jawn." which references his time spent in Philadelphia.[10]