In 1989, the group signed with Eazy-E's Ruthless Records. While there, the group became an additional influence in pioneering with N.W.A. Their first album on Ruthless, 1990's Livin' Like Hustlers, featured a guest appearance from N.W.A and production from Dr. Dre. Above the Law member Cold 187um worked closely with Dre on production, and the two greatly influenced each other. The songs "Murder Rap" and "Untouchable" became minor hits from the album. "Murder Rap" appeared in the 2008 film Pineapple Express. The song "Freedom of Speech" was featured in the 1990 movie Pump Up the Volume and its soundtrack album. In September 1990, members of Above the Law clashed with Ice Cube and his posse, Da Lench Mob, during the annual New Music Seminar conference.
The group's first full-length album, Livin' Like Hustlers, was released in 1990. This album, which came out before Dr. Dre's The Chronic, featured a similar G-Funk sound. Cold 187um has claimed that he was the first to pioneer the G-Funk style and that Dr. Dre's new sound was largely inspired by his work on that album. In 1994, the group released Uncle Sam's Curse, their last album on Ruthless Records. It included the minor hit "Black Superman".
Shortly after Eazy-E's death, the group signed with Tommy Boy Records in 1996. There, they released Time Will Reveal in 1996 and Legends in 1999. In the same year, the group signed with Suge Knight's Death Row Records, but they left the label in 2002. Above the Law was also part of the West Coast Rap All-Stars, contributing to "We're All in the Same Gang," a 1990 collaboration of West Coast hip-hop artists promoting an anti-violence message.
On the morning of July 7, 2012, multiple sources confirmed that emcee KMG the Illustrator had died. Longtime Above the Law affiliate Kokane announced the rapper's death on his Twitter account the same day. While the cause of death remains officially unknown, Big Hutch stated that he died of a heart attack while taking a shower. He was 43 years old.
Four of the group's most popular music videos, "Black Superman," "Call It What U Want" featuring 2Pac, "V.S.O.P.," and the long-form music video "V.S.O.P. REMIX" were written and directed by Marty Thomas, Eazy-E's longtime Ruthless Records film director. Thomas also wrote and directed the controversial and ultimately banned Uncle Sam's Curse album television commercials. These commercials featured disturbing imagery, including the KKK chasing Above the Law past a church with burning torches and a white "Uncle Sam" pulling a newborn African-American baby from its mother's arms. The commercial won several prestigious international awards.
According to Kokane, a new Above the Law album was recorded before KMG's death. Cold 187um has stated that over 30 unreleased tracks were recorded while KMG was still alive, with the rumored title Victims of Global Politics. However, no release date has been announced.
Above the Law claims to have invented the "G-funk" sound, which was later popularized by Dr. Dre's The Chronic.
Studio albums
Livin' Like Hustlers (1990)
Black Mafia Life (1993)
Uncle Sam's Curse (1994)
Time Will Reveal (1996)
Legends (1998)
Forever: Rich Thugs, Book One (1999)
Sex, Money & Music (2009)
Pomona Love (2024)
Who Ryde
Above the Law Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Here it is y'all, right here
Lyrics let the nigga join that demon shit
So I guess... I just have to join that game
Damn I've admired every touch of that shit
Come on with me
(Km.G:) Tack me baby, get me up, H-Nigga in the front
Me trade and me packed and me stay strapped
Bail and hangin, doin' a little gang with my niggaz
While we flirt with some skirts, you know, some herpes
But we stay with it, yeah, we flip it
We find us, a motherfuckin' Chevy then we dip it
Then they asked me: why you're in the game?
Rollin' S-class, helpin' Kokane
(Kokane:)
Yeah, see you're lookin' at my hoochie it's about that time
That me rollin' with my clique
Pimp Clinic hittin' Dolo sticks
Cause bitches be sayin: Aiy, Mr. Gold Wire player
Won't come out to be my whore layer
Nah bitch, I be sittin' at the Dr. Coffee
Hatin' for the snow to roll in or split in
It's Kokane A.K.A. the black hopper
Surrounded by the black gangsters with triple beamers
Cause sometimes it gets so hard to slang your style
What you said Km.G?
(Km.G:) Chocolate Nuts
(Kokane:) What you got Km.G?
(Km.G:) Big brown Chocolate Nuts
(Kokane:) What we got Km.G?
(Km.G:)
Chocolate Nuts
And I'm lookin' for them hookers with them big Chocolate butts
Take up get naked while we laugh about my jail record
Diggin' the drawers girl, so check it
As I flow watch my bottom drop
And I be fillin' my tap, hittin' you up on your block
(Chorus x2: Kokane Chanting)
Hard hard hard, hard hard hard, hard hard hard
Everyday there's a change
(Cold 187Um:)
They wanna stop Gangster Rap but they're kind of late
Cause I've been kickin' Gangster shit for seven years straight
And best believe makin' the end
Ugh, puttin' in work for my niggaz in the Pen'
Cause see, once upon a time I had a cabin sack
I start flossin' and flossin' and never got tracked
Smokin' weed everyday
And make the funky beats for my niggaz around the way
Yeah, now I think I'm worked millions
And your white folks mad cause I'm sellin' to your childrens
By the house and by the key
They don't wanna be like Mike, they wanna be like me
What's happenin' in the ghetto ain't happenin' anywhere
And upon California not any where
So boo yaa, boo yaa, boo yaa, what's happenin' partner?
Ugh, I'm all in this track and I'm a break you off somethin' proper
Cause I'm the C-O-L-D, original 187 in the place to be
So when you see me, you better give me my props
Or get popped by the .44 and land out in Shot sippin'
And for me, see that's a promise, I ain't trippin'
Boy, I'm just honost, ugh
(Chorus x2: Kokane Chanting)
Hard hard hard, hard hard hard, hard hard hard
Everyday there's a change
(Tone Loc:)
I kick back, relax, cause I'm fat and all that
When I attack, it's like a swing of the Baseball bat
Known to force me, cause I live my life coastly
If I had a ringer I'll be around rosily
Lived my early years straight like a Hoodlum
No time for women cause I've never understood that
They wanted to hold me, stretch me in Coupe De
Rather have my forties than just prove at my Hoopty
Comin' down your block, your street, comin' down your avenue
Check that gratitude, check my attitude
You wanna run up, you got your gun up
Fool, what's up? - Shit, your bet not even hick up
Cause if you do, I'm break your jaw
Loc, Kokane and Above the Law
Puttin' in work like some more Vietnam vets
What we set, gettin' more more respects
But residentials as individuals sad as pitiful
That you can get a hook
Of Tone Loc kickin' that raw shit for your life
West Side Swap Meet, and Black Mafia Life
(Chorus x2: Kokane Chanting)
Hard hard hard, hard hard hard, hard hard hard
Everyday there's a change
(Jheymson)
The song "Who Ryde in 2-3" by Above the Law features a group of talented rappers who have joined the "demon shit" game in order to chase their dreams of fame, money, and power. The song features a characteristic West Coast sound with a funky beat and a barrage of lyrics that are difficult to discern at times. However, the overall theme is clear: the performers are down with the gangster lifestyle, and they aren't afraid to flaunt it.
The first verse, delivered by Km.G, features lines like "Tack me baby, get me up, H-Nigga in the front" and "Rollin' S-class, helpin' Kokane." The subject matter is clearly about being part of the gang life and enjoying the trappings that come with it. The second verse, delivered by Kokane, has a slightly more introspective tone as he reflects on his life as a pimp and a drug dealer. However, he too celebrates the gangster lifestyle as he raps about "surrounded by the black gangsters with triple beamers."
The third verse, delivered by Cold 187Um, is more confrontational, boasting about his "Gangster Rap" credentials and mocking those who would try to stop it. He also makes reference to making music for his "niggaz in the Pen," emphasizing the idea that being part of the gang life is a way to show solidarity with those who have been incarcerated.
Line by Line Meaning
Here it is y'all, right here
The lyrics of this song glorify gang lifestyle and are about to begin.
Lyrics let the nigga join that demon shit
The lyrics of the song invite people to join the gang lifestyle that is being glorified.
So I guess... I just have to join that game
The singer feels compelled to join the gang lifestyle because of the glorification in the lyrics.
Damn I've admired every touch of that shit
The artist has been fascinated by the gang lifestyle and everything that comes along with it.
Bail and hangin, doin' a little gang with my niggaz
The artist is involved with his gang and they engage in illegal activities together.
While we flirt with some skirts, you know, some herpes
The singer and his gang hang out with women who may have sexually transmitted diseases.
But we stay with it, yeah, we flip it
Despite the risks and dangers involved with gang lifestyle, the singer and his gang continue with it and are successful at it.
We find us, a motherfuckin' Chevy then we dip it
The artist and his gang steal cars and escape in them.
Then they asked me: why you're in the game?
People question why the artist is involved in gang lifestyle.
Rollin' S-class, helpin' Kokane
The artist's involvement in gang lifestyle allows him to drive luxury cars and help his friend Kokane.
Cause bitches be sayin: Aiy, Mr. Gold Wire player
Women are attracted to the singer's wealth and luxury lifestyle.
Won't come out to be my whore layer
Despite the artist's wealth, he does not engage in prostitution and does not allow women to use him for money.
It's Kokane A.K.A. the black hopper
Kokane, the singer's friend, is known by this nickname and is surrounded by other gangsters with expensive cars.
Cause sometimes it gets so hard to slang your style
At times, it can be difficult to engage in illegal activities and make money in the gang lifestyle.
They wanna stop Gangster Rap but they're kind of late
Many people are trying to stop gangster rap music, but the movement has been around for years and has gained a following.
Cause I've been kickin' Gangster shit for seven years straight
The artist has been making gangster rap music for seven years and is experienced in the lifestyle it glorifies.
And best believe makin' the end
The artist is successful in making money from his gangster rap music.
Ugh, puttin' in work for my niggaz in the Pen'
The singer is working to support his friends who are in prison.
They don't wanna be like Mike, they wanna be like me
Rather than being like famous basketball player Michael Jordan, people want to live like the singer and emulate his gang lifestyle.
What's happenin' in the ghetto ain't happenin' anywhere
Ghetto life and gang violence are unique to certain areas and cannot be found elsewhere.
I kick back, relax, cause I'm fat and all that
The artist is relaxed and comfortable with his gang lifestyle.
Known to force me, cause I live my life coastly
The artist's lifestyle is expensive and shows that he is wealthy.
If I had a ringer I'll be around rosily
The singer wishes to have a beautiful female companion to be around him.
Check that gratitude, check my attitude
The artist wants people to look at his positive attitude and be grateful for his presence.
You wanna run up, you got your gun up
If someone wants to fight the singer, they should have their gun ready.
Fool, what's up? - Shit, your bet not even hick up
The singer's opponent should be prepared for a dangerous fight and should not make any mistakes.
Contributed by Caden T. Suggest a correction in the comments below.