3rd Bass was one of a sti… Read Full Bio ↴For the French trance act, see Third Bass.
3rd Bass was one of a still-small number of white hip hop artists to achieve wide acceptance in the larger community. Along with the Beastie Boys, 3rd Bass proved that white hip hop wasn't necessarily going to become a watered-down, commercially exploitative rip-off of the genuine article, as so many white interpretations of black musical forms had been in the past. Instead, they were possessed of a well-developed lyrical technique and were respectfully well-versed in hip hop culture and tradition. They helped set the tone for the way white rappers could credibly and intelligently approach the music, and despite staying together for only two albums, they managed to create a highly positive lasting impact.
3rd Bass was formed by Queens-born MC Serch (born Michael Berrin) and Brooklyn-native Prime Minister Pete Nice (born Pete Nash), along with African-American DJ Richie Rich (born Richard Lawson). Nice had been an English major at Columbia University and hosted a short-lived hip hop show on radio station WKCR. Serch, meanwhile, had honed his skills battle-rapping at clubs and block parties and had previously released a solo single called "Hey Boy" on the small independent Idlers label. Both Serch and Nice were working as solo acts until producer Sam Sever convinced the two 20 year olds to join forces in 1987. Along with Prince Paul and the Bomb Squad, Sever produced their 1989 Def Jam debut, The Cactus Album (aka Cee/D), which was greeted with enthusiastic reviews in most quarters. Clever, good-humored singles like "The Gas Face" featured Zev Love X (later known as the great MF Doom) from KMD first appearance, "Steppin' to the A.M.," and "Brooklyn-Queens" helped make 3rd Bass's name in the hip hop underground. They followed it in 1991 with Derelicts of Dialect, which featured one of the first recorded appearances by Nas and contained a viciously funny jab at Vanilla Ice called "Pop Goes the Weasel." Accompanied by an equally humorous video, "Pop Goes the Weasel" became 3rd Bass's biggest chart single and performed some much-needed damage control in the hip hop community: not only did it prevent 3rd Bass from getting lumped in with Ice, but by extension, it also distanced at least some of the Caucasian race from the whole phenomenon, opening doors for greater inclusiveness later on.
Despite their success, 3rd Bass disbanded in 1992 when MC Serch went solo. He issued Return of the Product later that year, and the remainder of the group, billed as Prime Minister Pete Nice & Daddy Rich, teamed up for Dust to Dust in 1993. Neither was as successful or high-profile as the two gold-selling 3rd Bass albums. Serch, interested in discovering new talent, became the head of A&R at the respected, now-defunct Wild Pitch label, and later founded his own label, Serchlight Productions. Nice, meanwhile, dropped out of the music business and opened a store in Cooperstown, NY, that sold baseball memorabilia. In 2000, 3rd Bass reunited for several concerts.
Product Of The Environment
3rd Bass Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
This time from the boys down at Anna's Pizza Paradise
A new arrangement of a great oldie in rhythm and blues
Verse One: Pete Nice (Prime Minister)
In the heart of the city you was born and bred
You grew up smart or you wound up dead
And your savior was a rhyme and a beat and a rap group
A modern day production of the city street
You said I didn't have it that I couldn't compete
So the sleeper did sleep but the sleeper shoulda woke up
Now you're in my sight, the buddha sess you smoke up
That's the element you carry your rhymes on
That style of rhyme won't let you live long
Cause a strong song to you is what I sent
Cause I'm a product, of the environment
Chorus:
There it is, black and white (2X)
Verse Two: MC Serch
On the streets of far Rockaway Queens
Seagram Boulevard, be -17
Redfern houses where no MC would ever go
Is where I did my very first show
Had the crowd had the rhymes going, I never fess
(His reward, was almost a bullet in his chest)
And on that stage, is where I first learned
Stick out my chest to be a kid and get burned
You're so foolish, but I think you knew this
That on the the microphone punk I can do this
And doing this, is what life meant
Cause I'm a product, of the environment
Chorus
Verse Three: MC Serch, Pete Nice
Back in the days when kids were mack daddies
Striped Lee jeans, playboys and Caddies
Long Beach, the M.O.K. center
He almost caught a bad one when he tried to enter
our way
Bang!
Bum rush the back door
Then scatter, onto the dance floor
Me and my boys, skeezin the cuties
Never had static, 'cause everybody knew me
Local DJ's, tearin up the wax
And out the corner, some kid gets taxed
After the party, crack open a forty
Vicked it from the store yo the man never caught me
Went up to the arcade, cranked the bass
And then the five-oh chased us from the place
Hop on the railroad, play the conductor
Everywhere I went, I always tucked a
marker in my jacket to tag where I went
Cause we were just products, of the environment
Chorus
Verse Four: MC Serch, Pete Nice
I want to tell you something that gets me kind of mad
...it's about my dear old dad
He's tired, and worn, and works a nine to five
Clockin thirty G's a year to survive
But I know kids who in a month or so
Make that money sellin ya-yo
Pushin a drug, I can't understand
Destroyin a life with a buck in the hand
Play rotten slum chain, local street hero
But if you ask Serch, you're just a bunch of zeroes
Too bad cause when you're older, you won't have a cent
Cause you're a product, of the environment
Chorus
Verse Five: Pete Nice
You hear it in the strength of my voice and in my rhythm
Now you know, how I was livin
It happened to me, like it happened to Serch
Prime Minister Pete Nice'll kick the verse
in Bed-Stuy with my boy, Kiwai Height
The K to A Kingston, Wednesday night
To the Empire, show slammin
Open for Dana, crew flammin
Mouth open wide, or listening
Dumb dope with a forty in my system
Unprotected but respected for my own self
Cause of talent, no shade, or nothin else
A time of tension, racially fenced in
I came off (and all the brothers blessed him)
I left more than a mark, I left a dent
Cause I'm a product, of the environment
Outro: K.M.D. and Serch
Aiyyo Serch, skin is just a color of the mind and the soul
And a brother ain't a brother if his heart is cold, youknwhatI'msayin fellas?
Word
And I think we need a positive Kause in a Much Damaged society
Word up man nubians killin nubians, brothers just don't understand
Word maybe it's some of that crime that's stoppin the growin
the drug pollution and all needs to calm down
Word man, cause that's what we need, we need Griff Productions
We need a K.M.D. man to uplift the race and bring Kause in the beginning
And a Posse called Get Yours
There it is, to all y'all bigots who want us to bend
We're just products of the environment, peace!!
Hopefully...
(There it is, black and white)
The song "Product of the Environment" by 3rd Bass is a tribute to the places that the rappers grew up in and the different experiences they faced as a result. Both MC Serch and Prime Minister Pete Nice rap about their struggles and triumphs in the environment that shaped them. The lyrics address issues of violence, drugs, and racism as well as the importance of music as an escape and a means of expressing oneself.
In the first verse, Pete Nice highlights the role that music played in his life. He talks about how he grew up in the city and found inspiration in rap music. The second verse, which is performed by MC Serch, tells the story of his first performance in Redfern Houses where he was almost shot. The third verse is a collaboration between both rappers, in which they talk about the parties and the music scene they were part of. The fourth verse is performed by Pete Nice and discusses the drug culture in his neighborhood, which he contrasts with the hard-working life of his father. The last verse is a final reflection on the experiences and the environments that created the rappers.
Line by Line Meaning
Alright coming up now another request (this one)
Introducing another request, implying that the song being played was requested by someone
This time from the boys down at Anna's Pizza Paradise
The request was made by a group of people from Anna's Pizza Paradise
In the heart of the city you was born and bred
Being born and raised in the city
You grew up smart or you wound up dead
Living in a tough and fast-paced environment where people had to be smart to survive
Things moved fast, but you knew the scoop
Living in an environment where things moved quickly, but being well-informed and knowledgeable about it
And your savior was a rhyme and a beat and a rap group
Finding salvation in music, specifically hip-hop
A modern day production of the city street
Hip-hop as a representation of the city and its culture
You said I didn't have it that I couldn't compete
Others doubting the artist's capabilities and potential success
So the sleeper did sleep but the sleeper shoulda woke up
Someone who was underestimated and not seen as a threat, who should have taken action and proven themselves
Now you're in my sight, the buddha sess you smoke up
Addressing someone who is now in the artist's focus, and referencing the use of marijuana
That's the element you carry your rhymes on
Marijuana being an element that is incorporated into the singer's rhymes
That style of rhyme won't let you live long
The rhyming style being referenced is not sustainable and could lead to negative consequences
Cause a strong song to you is what I sent
The singer is sending a message through their music
Cause I'm a product, of the environment
Acknowledging that one's environment shapes them and influences their actions and behaviors
On the streets of far Rockaway Queens
A specific location in Queens being referenced
Seagram Boulevard, be-17
Another specific location being referenced in Queens
Redfern houses where no MC would ever go
A housing project that was known for being dangerous and avoided by many
Is where I did my very first show
A significant and memorable moment for the singer
Stick out my chest to be a kid and get burned
Being overly confident and experiencing negative consequences as a result
That's what life meant
Using experiences and lessons learned in life to grow and improve
Back in the days when kids were mack daddies
Referencing a specific time period where young people were trying to be stylish and fashionable
Striped Lee jeans, playboys and Caddies
Specific fashion choices from that time period
Long Beach, the M.O.K. center
Another specific location being referenced
Local DJ's, tearin up the wax
Local DJs playing popular music and getting people on the dance floor
And out the corner, some kid gets taxed
Someone getting robbed in the midst of the party
I want to tell you something that gets me kind of mad
Expressing frustration and anger about a topic
He's tired, and worn, and works a nine to five
Describing a person who works a regular job to make ends meet
But I know kids who in a month or so
Referencing people who make a lot of money in illegal ways, like drug dealing
Make that money sellin ya-yo
Drug dealing as a way of making a quick profit
Play rotten slum chain, local street hero
People who are glorified for their criminal behavior and illegal activity
But if you ask Serch, you're just a bunch of zeroes
The singer doesn't view those who engage in illegal activity as successful or valuable
Too bad cause when you're older, you won't have a cent
Those who engage in illegal activity will likely not have a successful future
You hear it in the strength of my voice and in my rhythm
The artist is passionate and expressive in their music
Now you know, how I was livin
Sharing personal experiences and perspectives through music
We need a K.M.D. man to uplift the race and bring Kause in the beginning
Expressing the need for positive role models and art that can bring about positive change
There it is, to all y'all bigots who want us to bend
A message to those who are intolerant and want the artist to conform
We're just products of the environment, peace!!
Reiterating that one's environment has a significant influence on who they are and how they live, and ending on a message of peace
(There it is, black and white)
Repeating the chorus line as a refrain
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: MICHAEL BERRIN, PETER J. NASH, SAM CITRIN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Brian Hudson
This is one of the dopest beats in hip-hop!!!!!
Doug Nitti
JVC Force-Big Trax
paul gabbard
Like all rap like all old school rap like all hip-hop like all 90s like all 3rd bass💯
Celinda Duran
Nothing comes close...
IgotSoMuchTroubleonMyMind
That so dam tuff was hard, too.
Alex Sanchez
Word 40 to that
user314ful
This is like, a zillion times better than the vast majority of so-called hip hop that's out there these days.
Steph Hernandez
That's a hip-hop blasphemy 101 to compare those two LOL #GenX
Elijah
Wanted to give a like, but I saw its at 111 and ill not destroy this magical number ;) yes, what's music nowadays? Poor : ( nice to listen to these tracks!
Roseclan24
Loved the remix. This was when the rap game was nYce. I'm from Detroit & could care less where rappers came from as long as it was good shit. Thumbs up if you agree. RIP real rap music 1987-1998.