what is it?, phr. — Green’s Dictionary of Slang

what is it? phr.

also what is?

[the usual response is ‘What it was’]

(US black/campus) a greeting.

1980		E. Folb Runnin’ Down Some Lines 2: Hey, baby, what is it?
1983		Eble Campus Sl. Mar. 6: what is – a greeting.
1988		W.D. Myers Scorpions 40: ‘Hey, Jamal, what it is?’ Jamal looked up.
1994		N. McCall Makes Me Wanna Holler (1995) 260: I automatically shifted back to my vernacular: ‘What is it?’.