B2K was an American R&B music group from Los Angeles, California with Omari… Read Full Bio ↴B2K was an American R&B music group from Los Angeles, California with Omarion, Lil' Fizz, Raz-B and J-Boog as its members. Founded and managed by music producer Chris Stokes, they were active from 2001 until 2004 and released two albums, 2001's B2K and 2002's Pandemonium!. They also featured in the film You Got Served as a breakdancing crew, and several songs by the group were featured on the film's soundtrack album. In 2008 there were talks of a reunion, and a new song titled 'Body Up' leaked onto the internet featuring all the members except Omarion, but these rumours have never been confirmed.

Even though they were newcomers to the industry, their first LP, 2002's B2K, became an instant hit. Their second (and final) regular studio album, Pandemonium!, was released in December of the same year, and garned the US #1 hit single "Bump, Bump, Bump" and "Girlfriend". The group was featured regularly on the covers of teen magazines such as Right On! and Word Up, and released a Christmas album in-between their regular two albums entitled Santa Hooked Me Up.

In addition to that, they were featured on the soundtrack album for MGM's film Barbershop and headlined The Scream Tour, their third, in 2003. Marques Houston, Jhene, Mario and Nick Cannon were also performers on The Scream Tour.

Those who were against the california-based boy band often claimed that their music is too mainstream, thus resulting in the boy band garnering nicknames such as, "B2Gay" and "B2Fugly."

In January 2004, Chris Stokes announced that the group had broken up. Three of the members claimed financial mishandling by Stokes' management company, TUG (The Ultimate Group); the fourth member, Omarion, claimed the allegations were untrue.

In the midst of the breakup, Screen Gems's You Got Served, a film starring the members of the group and Omarion's half-brother Marques Houston as breakdancers, went into general release on January 30, 2004, and hitting number one at the box office, earned more money than any other film that opened during a Super Bowl weekend. A number of the group's songs were featured on the film's soundtrack album.

Streets Is Callin'
B2K Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

[Omarion:]
uh, yea, once again
[chorus:]
I've been goin' through somethings (ohhh),
I been strugglin' with my inner and (yea,yea), I hustle, I'll do what I
can to get this money,(uh,yea,listen)I know I promised you somethings (somethings),
There's gotta be a better way,
It's not easy to make that change,

The streets keep callin' me

[verse1:]
Last night tryin' to make it home (make it home),
I get this call on my phone (on my cell),
Stop yellin' Slow down, I can't understand a word you sayin',
Did ya say my nigga got killed? (is he dead),
Did ya say he didn't make it? (is he dead),
Please tell me you know who did this, I'm on my way and somebody's gonna get it
Mash the pettle on the highway-seen him,
Heard my baby in the back ground - pleanin,
Come home and leave it alone -
It's out of the question girl it's on
What about his new boy child,
Did ya know that he was born?
I don't want to hear this shit right now, when they just stretched my nigga out

[chorus]
[verse2:]
Call my name sayin' how you gonna get paid,
No education 'cause of minimum wage,
Minimum wage equals minimum pay,
And you know real niggas want to play,
Won't you come on and move this way,
School don't garuntee a higher pay,
That's the shit that'll get me locked away,
Man they tryin' to give a nigga all day
Now I'm out here everynight comin' in late,
If you slip then I'm comin' for the take,
It's goin' fast and I need to hit the breaks,
The greater the risk the more you make,
All my thoughts are in the house, what about just shuttin' down,
But girl I really can't quit right now,
Notice on the floor they tryin' to through us out

[chorus]
[hook:]
Although (although),
I was raised right (ooooo),
Still these streets ain't nothin' nice they can't change the coast of life,
And you know that i know (i know),
That I must grow (must grow),
See my kids grow,
But still the streets are all I know

[chorus 2x's]

Overall Meaning

In B2K's "Streets Is Callin'," Omarion raps about his struggles with the streets and the gravity of life as an African American male in the inner city. Throughout the song, Omarion acknowledges the difficulties of trying to make a living and provide for family within a system that is designed to keep them down. The chorus highlights Omarion's conflict with the streets, stating that he's struggling with his inner-self, but he's willing to do what he can to make sure he's not only surviving but thriving. The lyrics detail Omarion's frustration with the violence and death that inevitably come from the streets, yet he feels like he has no other option but to stay.

In the first verse, Omarion receives a call that his friend has been killed in a shooting. He's devastated and blindly seeks revenge. He talks about driving recklessly to the crime scene, not caring about his safety. As he drives, he hears his child in the backseat, pleading with him to come home. Omarion is balancing his need for revenge with his sense of responsibility for his family. He doesn't want to leave them behind, but he also doesn't want to lose face in the streets. In the second verse, Omarion raps about not being able to make ends meet through traditional means. Without proper education, his potential for higher-paying jobs becomes limited, and the lure of the streets becomes greater. He recognizes the risks involved but also acknowledges the potential reward that's at stake. Omarion's motto seems to be "the greater the risk, the more you make."

Line by Line Meaning

[Omarion:] uh, yea, once again
Omarion starts the song with an emerging sense of fear and uncertainty

[chorus:] I've been goin' through somethings (ohhh), I been strugglin' with my inner and (yea,yea), I hustle, I'll do what I can to get this money,(uh,yea,listen)I know I promised you somethings (somethings), There's gotta be a better way, It's not easy to make that change, The streets keep callin' me
The chorus suggests that Omarion is caught between his inner self and the need to make money, and he knows he has to find a way out of this situation.

[verse1:] Last night tryin' to make it home (make it home), I get this call on my phone (on my cell), Stop yellin' Slow down, I can't understand a word you sayin', Did ya say my nigga got killed? (is he dead), Did ya say he didn't make it? (is he dead), Please tell me you know who did this, I'm on my way and somebody's gonna get it Mash the pettle on the highway-seen him, Heard my baby in the back ground - pleanin, Come home and leave it alone - It's out of the question girl it's on What about his new boy child, Did ya know that he was born? I don't want to hear this shit right now, when they just stretched my nigga out
Omarion is still mourning the loss of his friend who was killed. He feels like he needs to take matters into his own hands and seek revenge, but he has to also balance that with his family life.

[verse2:] Call my name sayin' how you gonna get paid, No education 'cause of minimum wage, Minimum wage equals minimum pay, And you know real niggas want to play, Won't you come on and move this way, School don't garuntee a higher pay, That's the shit that'll get me locked away, Man they tryin' to give a nigga all day Now I'm out here everynight comin' in late, If you slip then I'm comin' for the take, It's goin' fast and I need to hit the breaks, The greater the risk the more you make, All my thoughts are in the house, what about just shuttin' down, But girl I really can't quit right now, Notice on the floor they tryin' to through us out
In this verse, Omarion is reflecting on the reality of life on the streets. He feels like the only way to make money is by taking risks, but at the same time, he knows that it's not sustainable or good for him in the long run. He's trying to balance the risks and rewards of street life.

[hook:] Although (although), I was raised right (ooooo), Still these streets ain't nothin' nice they can't change the coast of life, And you know that i know (i know), That I must grow (must grow), See my kids grow, But still the streets are all I know
The hook reflects on the fact that despite Omarion's upbringing, the streets have still taken over his life. He knows he needs to grow and see his kids grow up, but he's caught in a cycle that seems impossible to break.

[chorus 2x's]
The chorus is repeated to emphasize Omarion's struggle between his inner self and the need to make money. It's a repeating cycle that he can't seem to break free from.

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, ANTHEM ENTERTAINMENT LP, OLE MEDIA MANAGEMENT LP
Written by: FEEMSTER, JEFFERIES, SHEKI

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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