Green’s Dictionary of Slang

(US black) to taunt, to tease.

1941		C.S. Johnson Growing Up in the Black Belt 297: ‘I’ve had white children meddle me. They call me ’little black nigger’ and ’chocolate drop’ and things like that’.
1974		H.L. Foster Playin’ the Dozens 183: The term ribbin’ [...] is used in Buffalo to describe the verbal game of taunting, denigrating, or making fun of someone [...] In Oklahoma it is called medlin’.