In Las Vegas, sisters LeMisha and Irish Grinstead, and their friend Kameelah Williams, were students at the Las Vegas Academy of Performing Arts. Irish, her twin sister Orish, and LeMisha occasionally sang in the lobby of Caesars Palace where they were discovered by actor/comedian Sinbad. He visited their home in order to convince their parents to send the trio to Atlanta for a convention and music competition. Though the girls missed the deadline for entry, Sinbad used his name to get them in.[1] "Sweeta than Suga," as they were then called (Sinbad suggested the name), came in second in the competition. As the convention was nearing a close, they met Michael Bivins (of New Edition and Bell Biv DeVoe) who agreed to work with the sisters. They were briefly joined by their cousin Amelia Childs. After they made their recorded debut on Subway's hit single "This Lil' Game We Play", Amelia dropped out of the group[1] and was replaced by Kameelah Williams. After recording a few demos as a quartet including "Steelo", and "Get It Together", Orish decided to leave the group (even though her vocals appear on the first album). Bivins continued to work with different producers and songwriters to get the right feel for their first album. The reconfigured group was christened "702," which is Las Vegas' area code, a name which bivens suggested. [1]
702 was discovered by Michael Bivins of New Edition and made their recorded debut on Subway's hit single "This Lil' Game We Play". Missy Elliott wrote and co-produced four songs from their first album, No Doubt, including "Steelo". The remix of "Steelo" was the first major solo production credit for Elliott's main collaborator Timbaland. "Steelo" was later used, with altered lyrics, as the theme song to the Nickelodeon television show Cousin Skeeter.
Elliott crafted two more songs for 702, their second album, the top 5 hit "Where My Girls At" and "You Don't Know". No Doubt won a Lady Of Soul Soul Train Award for "Best R&B/Soul or Rap Album Of The Year by A Group Band Or Duo". The group split after the poor sales of their album 'Star' and lack of promotion from Motown.
Kameelah now sings backup for the likes of Faith Evans and Macy Gray. She has been working on her solo project for a while, releasing a number of singles including the duet with Musiq Soulchild “Give It to You” and her recent release “Think About Me”. Irish was the only group member to act, as she co-starred in The Brewster Project in early 2004.
Orish, twin sister of Irish, died of kidney failure on Sunday April 20, 2008 at age 27. She was part of the original lineup (pre-No Doubt) and filled in for Misha during her pregnancy.
Certified
702 Lyrics
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I'm about to listen to another niggas lie
Everytime you call, you want good advice
And everytime you ask I tell you everythings all right
First you let it go, then gave him one more chance
This time number makes number three, it's a different circumstance
Women on the side, babies mamas too
This time I can't hold back I think he's running game on you.
If you don't know where your man is
And he left you home with both of your kids
Girl yo mans a ho, a playa, certified ho
If he can't call home to explain
And all a sudden everything has change
Girl your mans ho, a playa, certified ho
You say your man gets off from work at nine
So why he turn his cell phone off til one clock at night
I'm trying to tell you like a friend, that if you think smell fish
You do girl friend, he's been cheating on you
Don't take a blind man to see
That your just holding on for what you wish that this could be
But see, every mans got his own set of rules
Lines that he won't cross if he's being true to you
If you don't know where your man is
And he left you home with both of your kids
Girl yo mans a ho, a playa, certified ho
If he can't call home to explain
And all a sudden everything has change
Girl your mans ho, a playa, certified ho
I don't want to come across
Like I'm coming down on all of my playas
But if you got a family waiting at home
You should be there, you should there
This goes out to all of my ladies and the fellas
Waiting for someone they love to come home
If their not there and they should be there
Then it's certified, he's a certified ho
If you don't know where your man is
And he left you home with both of your kids
Girl yo mans a ho, a playa, certified ho
If he can't call home to explain
And all a sudden everything has change
Girl your mans ho, a playa, certified ho
The song "Certified" by 702 is about a friend who is constantly seeking advice about her cheating partner. The lyrics suggest that the listener's friend is in a toxic relationship where the man is repeatedly unfaithful and dishonest. The chorus of the song, "If you don't know where your man is and he left you home with both of your kids, girl yo mans a ho, a playa, certified ho" speaks to the idea that if a man cannot be trusted, then he is not worth your time.
The verse "I'm trying to tell you like a friend, that if you think smell fish, you do girl friend, he's been cheating on you" highlights the need for women to trust their instincts and acknowledge when their partner is not treating them with respect. The song encourages women to value themselves and their time by not tolerating infidelity.
The line "This goes out to all of my ladies and the fellas waiting for someone they love to come home" suggests that the song is not solely directed towards women, but rather to anyone who is in a relationship where their partner is not fulfilling their responsibilities.
Overall, "Certified" is a song that emphasizes the importance of trust and honesty in a relationship, and encourages listeners to recognize when they are in a toxic situation and to remove themselves from it.
Line by Line Meaning
Here we go again, you're about to cry
The song begins with the artist acknowledging a recurring pattern of behavior from the person he is talking to - they are upset because of their partner's infidelity and likely had a similar experience multiple times earlier.
I'm about to listen to another niggas lie
He knows that he is going to be told a falsehood by a man who is cheating on his partner.
Everytime you call, you want good advice
The person he is speaking to is calling not to vent, but to seek good advice from him.
And everytime you ask I tell you everythings all right
He has likely reassured them several times before that things are okay, despite their partner's infidelities.
First you let it go, then gave him one more chance
The person he is talking to has previously caught their partner cheating on them, forgave them, and gave them another chance to redeem themselves.
This time number makes number three, it's a different circumstance
The current time the person has discovered their partner cheating on them is the third time, but this time things are different.
Women on the side, babies mamas too
The person's partner is not only sleeping with other women but also has children with them outside of their relationship.
This time I can't hold back I think he's running game on you.
In this situation, he feels like he can't refrain from speaking his mind anymore and thinks that the partner is no longer being honest with the person he is speaking to.
If you don't know where your man is
This begins the second half of the song where the artist is directly addressing those whose partner has left them hanging.
And he left you home with both of your kids
In particular, he is speaking to those who have children with their partner.
Girl yo mans a ho, a playa, certified ho
The artist is unequivocal in his opinion that a partner who leaves their family without any explanation is a certified cheater.
If he can't call home to explain
The artist believes that all one needs to do is pick up the phone and offer some explanation if required
And all a sudden everything has change
However, if you do not know where your man is and suddenly everything seems different, this is evidence that he is cheating.
I don't want to come across
He emphasizes that he is not trying to humiliate or shame anyone, but he thinks it is essential to call out cheaters for who they are.
Like I'm coming down on all of my playas
He is particularly addressing men who might feel like he is coming after them.
But if you got a family waiting at home
This verse emphasizes that infidelity carries more significant repercussions than just your own.
You should be there, you should there
Particularly if you have a family waiting at home for your return.
This goes out to all of my ladies and the fellas
The artist wants to make it clear that he is speaking to everyone regardless of gender.
Waiting for someone they love to come home
This is a particularly powerful way to deliver this line, as it evokes an empathetic response from listeners.
Then it's certified, he's a certified ho
If someone leaves their family without any explanation and suddenly everything is different, they are a certified cheater.
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