Green’s Dictionary of Slang

as used on (pirate) radio stations, esp. 1990s stations playing ‘jungle’ music, a greeting, an acknowledgement to a named listener or group of listeners.

1993		Cody High School Times in Detroit Free Press (MI) 11 May 49/6: Class of 1993 gives Shout Out. I would like to send shout-outs to [...] Alexis and sexy tyrone and the whole class of ’93. Be easy!
1994		Detroit Free Press (MI) 8 Feb. 3E-1/3: Shouts go to Bookie, Adrian [etc] .
1997–2000		Da Bomb 🌐 25: Shout out: To call; or to say hello. Give a shout out to Mike for me.
1998		Source Nov. 31: Underground venue hosts Kalodge Projects greeted a packed audience with shout-outs.
1999		Observer Rev. 7 Nov. 1: It’s just embarrassing, sending out ‘shouts’ to people in prison, and talking about everybody being involved in the same struggle.
2000		G. Pelecanos Shame the Devil 119: Callers to the station were giving their shout-outs to friends, family, and lovers.
2000		W. Shaw Westsiders 105: His name is included on a list, the ‘Special R.I.P. Shout’, that he had printed on the CD’s sleeve.
2004		Eble Campus Sl. Apr.
2010		A. Steinberg Running the Books 161: Even some officers and other staff got shout-outs.
2014		Guardian 9 Sept. 27/1: Her shout for the venerable Alabama sessions man.
2014		Stormzy ‘Shut Up’ 🎵 Shoutout Deepee, shoutout Flipper.
2015		P. Beatty Sellout (2016) 12: Sinological shout-outs to dea loved ones that they think means ‘Rest in peace, Grandma Beverly’.
2015		N. Cummins Tales of the Honey Badger [ebook] I want to give a quick shout-out to Bill Pulver and Michael Cheika.