Released on March 18, 1989, “Funky Cold Medina” is the second single from Tone Lōc‘s debut album, Lōc-ed After Dark. Written by Young MC (Marvin Young), Matt Dike, and Michael Ross, the track was produced by Dike and Ross at Delicious Vinyl Studios. It became the second rap single (after “Wild Thing”) to achieve Platinum certification, selling over one million copies.
The song features a narrative about a fictional aphrodisiac drink, inspired by The Clovers’ “Love Potion No. 9.” Musically, it blends hip-hop with rock samples, including Foreigner‘s “Hot Blooded,” KISS‘s “Christine Sixteen,” and Funkadelic‘s “(Not Just) Knee Deep.” It peaked at No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100 and earned Tone Lōc a Grammy nomination for Best Rap Performance in 1990.
The track played a pivotal role in bringing West Coast hip-hop to mainstream pop audiences, bridging the gap between urban radio and MTV. Despite its commercial success, the song’s themes of using a “love potion” have faced modern scrutiny regarding consent, leading Tone Lōc to perform abbreviated versions in recent years. The phrase “Funky Cold Medina” entered pop culture as slang for a potent party enhancer and inspired real-world cocktail recipes.
[Intro]
Alright, dig it
[Verse 1]
Cold coolin’ at a bar
And I’m lookin for some action
But like Mick Jagger said
I can’t get no satisfaction
The girls are all around
But none of them wanna get with me
My threads are fresh and I’m lookin’ def
Yo, what’s up with L-O-C?
The girls is all jockin’
At the other end of the bar
Havin drinks with some no-name chump
When they know that I’m the star
So I got up and strolled over
To the other side of the cantina
I asked the guy, “Why you so fly?”
He said, “Funky Cold Medina”
Funky Cold Medina
[Verse 2]
This brother told me a secret
On how to get more chicks
Put a little Medina in your glass
And the girls’ll come real quick
It’s better than any alcohol
Or aphrodisiac
A couple of sips of this love potion
And she’ll be on your lap
So I gave some to my dog
When he began to beg
Then he licked his bowl and he looked at me
And did the wild thing on my leg
He used to scratch and bite me
Before he was much, much meaner
But now all the poodles run to my house
For the Funky Cold Medina
You know what I’m sayin’?
I got every dog in my neighborhood breakin’ down my door
I got Spuds MacKenzie
Alex from Stroh’s
They won’t leave my dog alone with that Medina, pal
[Verse 3]
I went up to this girl
She said, “Hi, my name is Sheena”
I thought she’d be good to go
With a little Funky Cold Medina
She said, “I’d like a drink,”
I said, “Ehm, I’ll go get it”
And then a couple sips she cold licked her lips
And I knew that she was with it
So I took her to my crib
And everything went well as planned
But when she got undressed, it was a big old mess
Sheena was a man
So I threw him out, I don’t fool around
With no Oscar Mayer wiener
You must be sure that your girl is pure
For the Funky Cold Medina
You know?
Ain’t no plans with a man
This is the 80s, and you know I’m down with the ladies
No joke
Break it down
[Verse 4]
Back in the saddle
Lookin’ for a little affection
I took a shot as a contestant on
“The Love Connection”
The audience voted
And you know they picked a winner
I took my date to the Hilton
For Medina and some dinner
We had a few drinks
I’m thinkin’ soon what I’ll be gettin’
Instead she started talkin’ ’bout
Plans for our wedding
Said “Wait. Slow down love, not so fast
Baby, I’ll be seein’ ya”
That’s why I found you don’t play around
With the Funky Cold Medina
You know what I’m sayin’?
That Medina’s a monster
Funky Cold Medina
