Artists vs TMNT/Rap Meanings

Leonardo da Vinci:
Cowabunga, dudes, so let's get it on.

(The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles often say "Cowabunga!" to express fun, or even to greet someone. Leonardo is saluting them the way they would do, but starting the battle.)

Reptiles against the fathers of the Renaissance.

(Turtles are reptiles, so Da Vinci says that mere reptiles are battling great figures of Renaissance art.)

We got the classical technique to keep these

Three-toed freaks back under the street.

(The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles are shown to have 3 fingers and toes. They also live in the sewers of New York City, so Da Vinci is saying they will keep them under the streets.)

I take a turtle in a tournament of mincemeat.

You don't really wanna step to da Vinci.

(Da Vinci states that they don't want to face off against him.)

All of the ladies, they like to keep it mellow,

So let me pass the mic to my man, Donatello.

(Da Vinci is telling them that it is now Donatello's time to rap.)

Donatello di Niccolò:
Hard shell, but you're gross in the middle,

(Donatello compares them to a turtle chocolate, which is usually hard on the outside, but has a chewy inside. Here, however, he replaces chewy with gross. Turtle meat is often eaten in certain countries.)

Wouldn't wanna touch you with a six-foot chisel.

(David is a famous chisel that is 6 foot tall or 158 cm tall. Donatello says because that chisel is valuable and one of his master creations he wouldn't want to touch the Turtles with it because of the previous line. He also states that he doesn't want to get near them regardless, stemming from the previous line, because of how disgusting they are.)

Born in goop, raised in poop,

(The TMNT were raised in a sewer)

'''I slice through a group of ninjas like fruit. Oops.'''

(Fruit Ninja is a famous iOs/Android/Xbox 360 game where fruit is launched in the screen and you can slice it with your fingers. Donatello is saying he slices like the fruit in the game.)

Raphael Sanzio da Urbino:
Yo, Raphael, and I came to flow,

(Raphael says he came to rap against the turtles)

Deemed dope by the Pope and I boned til I croaked.

(Raphael painted portraits of Pope Julius II and Pope Leo X which are considered the finest painting of him. Also, he died because of amisdiagnosis of the fever he got from having excessive sex with his wife, Luti.)

I'm an emcee Shredder but I get the feeling,

(Shredder is the main antangonist in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.)

I should pass it up to my man on the ceiling!

(Michelangelo painted Genesis on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel.)

Michelangelo Buonarroti:
Ohh, Michelangelo, and I'm giant!

I made David, but I'll slay you like Goliath!

("David" is Michelangelo's most famous sculpture, depicting the biblical hero who fought the giant, Goliath. Michelangelo continues his previous line and illustrates what he'll do as a giant: slay the turtles.)

I'm a Rap God, and you can't quite touch me!

("The Creation of Adam" is a famous fresco by Michelangelo, depicting God and Adam nearly touching hands. "Rap God" is a song by Eminem, used by Michelangelo to compare himself with God in this fresco. "U can't touch this" is a song by MC Hammer. Michelangelo uses this song to compare the Turtles to Adam, who are nearly touching, or "can't quite touch", (the Rap) God. Michelangelo is saying the Turtles simply can't compare to Michelangelo in rapping.)

This battle's your Last Judgement, trust me!

("The Last Judgement" was Michelangelo's most famous painting. The term "Last Judgement" is also the term used by Atheists to describe what Christians call "Hell". Michelangelo is saying that this battle will basically be Hell for the turtles.)

Donatello di Niccolò:
We drop science!

(A lot of important scientists come from the Renaissance such as Tycho Brahe, Nicholas Copernicus, Galileo Galilei, Johan Kepler, etc...)

Raphael Sanzio da Urbino:
We got the mathematics!

Both:
The architects of rebirth are rap addicts!

You beat the Foot, but it won't go well,

(The Foot clan is the Turtles' most known enemy, whose leader is named the Shredder. The turtles always manage to defeat Shredder and the Foot clan, but it won't be the same with the Artists.) 

When you catch an Italian boot to the half shell!

(Continuing their previous lines, the Italian artists say the turtles will be greatly harmed as they shove their foot up the turtles' half shells, in other words, as they kick their butts, making a connexion between their feet and the "Foot clan" the Turtles fought. This line is also delivered in the tone of the chorus of the famous TMNT cartoon opening of 1983, "Heroes in a half shell". Also, it's a reference of the video game character, Mario, an Italian plumber who stomp on a turtle variant, Koopa, in the game Super Mario Bros in order to kill them.)

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles:
The wisdom of our master (Splinter!),

(Splinter is an old mutated rat who taught the Turtles the way of the ninja. He is depicted as a stereotypical ninja teacher, who always speaks wisely.)

Taught us not to rush to violence (Splinter!),

But our master (Master Splinter!),

(There is, however, something that changes with Splinter's teachings...)

Leonardo (Turtle)
'''He ain't here, dudes! (Hee-yah!)!'''

(Splinter may have taught the Turtles not to rush to battle, he isn't here, only the turtles are present. This negates the effect of his teachings and the turtles will be ruthless.)

I don't think you wanna mess with my katana blade!

(Leonardo's weapon of choice is the Katana, a typical hollywoodian ninja sword, which is rather bad-ass and effective. He thinks the Artists are intelligent enough to know that a pissed off Leonardo is really effective with his blades.)

Get back in your floppy helicopter, fly away!

(Leonardo Da Vinci conceived the first prototype of an Helicopter, which was of course rudimentary. The turtle advises the Artists to leave this battle in the Helicopter before something bad happens.)

Michelangelo (Turtle):
I can Bebop and steadyrock a mic, sucka!

(Bebop and Rocksteady are among the Shredder's most famous henchmen. Bebop is also an old-fashioned dance. Michelangelo is saying he can dance and carefully rock a microphone (show impressive talent), and speculates the Artists can't.)

I'm a pristine Sistine nunchucka!

(TMNT are teenagers, a teen average age is 16 years old. The Sistine chapel is however named after the Pope Sixtus IV. But Michelangelo uses a game of words between sixteen and Sistine, saying he is a pure sixteen years old rapper. Also Michelangelo's favorite weapon are the nunchucks. This is also a pun on "mothafucka'.)

Raphael (Turtle)
Oh hi, I'm a cool rude guy

(In The Opening of the 1980s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, The Song Goes "Raphael is Cool but Rude", Raphael is saying he is a cool and rude guy.")

Put you back in school with the tip of my sais

(The Sais are Raphael's weapons of choice)

Donatello (Turtle):
Uh, Donnatell me who you are again dude,

(They're saying they don't know who Donnatello is, also a clever pun on Donnatello and tell.)

Cause I don't Gattamelata  clue what you do.

(Continues that they have no idea who Donatello is. Donatello made a statue of Gattamelata riding a horse, and the line is a pun on "got a lot a".)

Donatello di Niccolò:
That's because you mutants are too immature

(The Turtles are mutants, so Donatello is telling them that is what they are. Also adults often tell teenagers they are immature but in this case because of their ignorance of not knowing what has Donatello done, he says they are immature because they are too young to know.)

Leonardo da Vinci:
You wouldn't know genius if it pissed in your sewer.

We got the talent and the talent and the minds and the rhymes so sweet

We're like your NES game, because we can't be beat!

(The 1989 NES game Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles was very hard and is considered impossible to beat.)

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles:
Go ahead and hate cause we'll just skate on by

You guys draw more dicks than New York Pride

(Many famous art pieces from the Renaissance era decipted nude figures, including male.)

We're the TMNT, drop kicking elite

(The Turtles are saying that they will beat any elite team. The artist are known as geniuses, therefore they will be counted as "elite". The turtles are saying they will beat the artist.)

Knocking down your tower of pizza, save a slice for me!

(One of Italy's most famous structures is the Tower of Pisa known worlwide for its unintended tilt to the left, built in 1172. It can be sometimes mistaken my "Pizza" instead of "Pisa". TMNT love pizza, so Michelangelo is saying that before they tumble Tower of Pisa down, they save a slice of pizza for him.)