The group was formed in 1997, just as other groups like S.E.S. were starting out. Their first single ("Haircut") hit #47 on the Korean charts, and the success of the first album was dismal. This was attributed to the different, edgier style that Baby V.O.X had, considering that their rivals Fin.K.L and S.E.S. had adopted cute looks to great success. DR Music (their record company) then replaced three members (with 간미연 (Kan Miyoun), 이가이 (Lee Gai), and 심은진 (Shim Eunjin)) and had them train for the next year in order to succeed. Their second album, titled 'Baby VOX II', was a much bigger success, hitting #7 on the Korean pop charts. However, there was more internal turmoil when it was revealed that 이가이 (Lee Gai) was much older than the rest of the girls and had actually lied to the management company about her age. Considering that she was also viewed as not fitting in with the rest of the members, she was cut from the group and replaced by 윤은혜 (Yoon Eun Hye), who was significantly younger and appeared to have more mass appeal. Their third album, released in 1999, showed off the new Baby V.O.X, and it was their first major success, topping the Korean music charts and having three strong singles: "Get Up", "Killer", and "Missing You".
Their third album's success can be partially attributed to changing music tastes in Korea. Baby V.O.X, like many K-pop groups, has gone through several image makeovers through the years. However, although they focused on a cuter image for their second album (apparent in their music video and performances for the second album's lead single "야야야" (Ya Ya Ya)), the group was always seen as the more mature and sexier Korean girl group. As older, sexier images were more widely received by the Korean public, Baby V.O.X's success continued.
In 2002, Baby V.O.X released a greatest hits album as their "5.5"th, featuring two CDs of dance music and one of ballads, with a VCD of their music videos included. One of the new songs on the album, "우연" (Uyeon), was a great success, and Baby V.O.X managed to perform it on the network music shows for almost the whole summer. The single's success was sustained by the Latin remix of the single, which fit in with popular tastes at the time. It was also during this time that the group found fame outside of Korea; they were successful in China and Thailand with this album and single.
In spring of 2003, Baby V.O.X released their 6th album, a feat achieved by very few Korean pop groups. They even released a photo album that was purported to have semi-nude images of the girls (with 윤은혜 (Yoon Eun Hye) unable to participate due to her being underage), causing some controversy, but it faded as the image content was found to be hyped up by the media. However, this was also when Baby V.O.X's luck started to change. Although their singles "나 어떡해" (Na Eotteokhae) and "바램" (Baraem) were popular, album sales were lower than usual. In addition, performances appeared to be lackluster, especially with the latter single, as it was not promoted for a long time; this may be attributed to the fact that members have stated that they did not like this album's concept.
Their seventh and last album 'Ride West', released in April 2004, featured songs in English, Chinese, Japanese, and Korean, as well as appearances by well-known American hip hop artists, such as 2Pac and Jennifer Lopez, although 2Pac's "appearance" is a freestyle rap that he recorded while in prison. This album was proclaimed to be what catapulted Baby V.O.X into the international spotlight, hence the English single. In fact, the music video for the album's feature song, "Xcstasy", was done in English, featuring expensive luxury vehicles and well-dressed, highly preened divas, apparently in emulation of the "Bling bling" style of hip-hop videos popular in the United States during the late 1990s and early 2000s. They performed in this style as well, with sexy dance moves and provocative clothing, seen as a bit extreme in conservative Korea. However, this release was accompanied by much controversy. There was first the issue as to whether their managing group, DR Music, could legally use 2Pac's material in the recording, with 2Pac's repesentatives claiming that DR did not have authorization. Eventually, the group stopped performing the single. A second single, "Play", featuring Jennifer Lopez, was promoted for a short while, but sales were lower than previous albums.
The slow implosion of Baby V.O.X continued in 2005. As their contract was up by the end of 2004, fans wondered whether Baby V.O.X would stay together. 심은진 (Shim Eunjin) decided that she would not, because she did not agree with the group's image and direction, and was the first to leave the group (in order to pursue a solo career). She was followed by 윤은혜 (Yoon Eun Hye), who initially renewed her contract but left it in order to pursue an acting career, which so far has been quite successful (as evidenced by her hit drama Goong). Baby V.O.X continued for a while as a threesome, doing some promotional activities outside of Korea, with their record company promising that Baby V.O.X would continue. However, as the months passed on, so did the members. 김이지 (Kim Eiji, also known as Kim E-Z) left sometime in early 2006 (to pursue acting), with 간미연 (Kan Miyoun) also leaving (and signing a solo deal on another label). 이희진 (Lee Heejin) was the only remaining Baby V.O.X member, and she also left DR Music to pursue a career in acting. However, DR Music eventually created a spinoff group called Baby V.O.X Re.v. This group made its debut in January, visiting various countries; the group's first single is "Shee".
Top of the World
Baby V.O.X Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The wait is over homie
Yes it is
A town connect
Know the city gon' feel this
Damn right
Say Toob I know you see me
Say Chris
I know both our pops
Lookin' at us
I used to dream (I used to dream) oh whoa
About the money and the cars and girls (and the girls)
But now I see (now I see) oh whoa
Because I'm sitting on top of the world (the whole world)
And now I see (hey) see (hey) see (hey) see
Cause I'm sitting on top of the world
And now I see (hey) see (hey) see (hey) see
Sitting on top of the world
Man I remember before I say that wait let me issue this statement
No way should reflection be mistaking for glorification
Now I remember so vivid me and my niggas was living
Sub-standard condition still handling business
Still laughing and tripping still having the bitches
I'm rapping now reminiscing and goddamn it we made it
From trapping standing and pitching with rich we stand in the kitchen
Splitting it eight ways flip it in eight days
Thought that while in a room it was just the way to behave
Kept the weight and the yey for most the paper we made in all dimes
I ain't lying the pleasure was all mine
Have big work to move but we served the small time
I always out shined the niggas with small minds
Who would of thought we would be arguably the greatest of all time
'Round here we developed such a sound down here
But duplicate it off the steel it can only be found here
Only listen to gs that other shit I don't hear
Shit they so far in the rear how would I even care
I'm too busy being a player staring at niggas careers
Been talk about it for years and now we finally here
I used to dream (I used to dream) oh whoa
About the money and the cars and girls (and the girls)
But now I see (now I see) oh whoa
Because I'm sitting on top of the world (the whole world)
And now I see (hey) see (hey) see (hey) see
Cause I'm sitting on top of the world
And now I see (hey) see (hey) see (hey) see
Sitting on top of the world
They say what goes up must come down
But I ain't reached my cruisee altitude
Take a look at what I did but can you imagine what I'm about to do
The places I'm bout to go and the money I'm bout to see
Gave Bill Gates some binoculars and said look out for me
And see these expectations even at def jam
Cause I married the streets and Atlanta has been my best man
My momma quit her job and now she works with six figures
Cause I'm a self-made nappy-headed rich nigga
Private planes help me travel in peace
To four cities in one day and four countries in one week
Cause I work for myself and no one else cause I'm too smart too
Put one of my partners right through culinary art school
Now he my personal chef so that bread he get it
Put them all in houses cleaned up all of my friends credit
And now they witness all the glitz and the glamor
Catch us eating at straits Atlanta with women with table manners
Order in seeapore and lobster
Celebrating coming from nothing to winning Grammy's and rappers winning Oscars
And they say rappers shouldn't act nah suckers
We see Samuel Jackson like whats up motherfucker!
I used to dream (I used to dream) oh whoa
About the money and the cars and girls (and the girls)
But now I see (now I see) oh whoa
Because I'm sitting on top of the world (the whole world)
And now I see (hey) see (hey) see (hey) see
Cause I'm sitting on top of the world
And now I see (hey) see (hey) see (hey) see
Sitting on top of the world
I know them haters don't stop plotting and wish you would fall
Cause I'm standing on top looking down at it all
I see you down there to y'all this ain't like I got it all
Homie I ain't get enough I'm still trying to triple up
So all we got is street cred and a cool building up
Say I'm doing too much shit I say I ain't did enough
Remember saying damn if I could just get to a million plus
And now I'm like shit what the fuck is a million bucks
Triple that on my bun thanks to bigs and run
But never mind what I've been through just look at what I become
All the shit I've avoided what I done for my sons
And daughters and momma just call her
I sold dope and dropped out of school seems its all they can see
They don't notice none of my family did that since me
I broke that cycle now my family live a life of
Mandatory minimals but not when the judge sentence them
Cousins in college where you think they get tuition from (answer that)
Jeffrey standing around wishing huh
And while you standing around looking dumb
I make it happen taking action over time goddamn good at it
I used to dream (I used to dream) oh whoa
About the money and the cars and girls (and the girls)
But now I see (now I see) oh whoa
Because I'm sitting on top of the world (the whole world)
And now I see (hey) see (hey) see (hey) see
Cause I'm sitting on top of the world
And now I see (hey) see (hey) see (hey) see
Sitting on top of the world
The lyrics to the song "Top of the World" by Baby V.O.X demonstrate the triumphs and accomplishments of a successful music artist. The singer reflects on the days when they used to dream of money, cars and women, but now that they are at the pinnacle of their career, they can see that their dreams have come true. The artist talks about the hustle and hard work that went into their journey to the top, from trapping and pitching with their colleagues to owning a private plane and travelling across the world for shows. Despite the adversity and obstacles the singer faced, they have successfully avoided falling into the same cycle as their family members and now live a life of luxury as a result of their success.
The lyrics showcase the artist's ability to create hits and generate income. They acknowledge their haters who plot for their downfall, but the artist remains at the top, looking down at it all. The artist has become a self-made millionaire who has not only sustained their livelihood but have also helped out their friends and family. They taught their partner culinary arts, which saw them become a chef, put their friends in houses and cleaned up their credit. The song expresses that these achievements were not possible without hard work, determination, and the focus to succeed.
Overall, the lyrics reveal the artist's success story, how their dreams became a reality, and how they've been able to change the cycle of poverty for their family using their success as leverage.
Line by Line Meaning
Rich by popular demand
We are wealthy and in high demand.
The wait is over homie
We have successfully achieved our goals.
Yes it is
This is absolutely true.
A town connect
We have strong connections in the city.
Know the city gon' feel this
The city will take notice of our success.
Damn right
We are confident in our abilities.
Say Toob I know you see me
Acknowledging someone who knows us.
Say Chris
Acknowledging someone who knows us.
What up boy
Friendly greeting to someone we know.
I know both our pops
We share a common connection through our fathers.
Lookin' at us
Our fathers are watching us from above.
I used to dream (I used to dream) oh whoa
We had dreams and aspirations in the past.
About the money and the cars and girls (and the girls)
We dreamed of wealth, cars, and women.
But now I see (now I see) oh whoa
We have fulfilled our dreams and are successful.
Because I'm sitting on top of the world (the whole world)
We have achieved a great level of success.
And now I see (hey) see (hey) see (hey) see
Repeating our realization of success.
Cause I'm sitting on top of the world
Our current position of success.
Man I remember before I say that wait let me issue this statement
Reflecting on our past before we continue speaking.
No way should reflection be mistaking for glorification
Reflecting on our past is not glorifying it.
Now I remember so vivid me and my niggas was living
A vivid recollection of our past with friends.
Sub-standard condition still handling business
Our past situation was not ideal, but we persevered.
Still laughing and tripping still having the bitches
We still had fun despite our struggles.
I'm rapping now reminiscing and goddamn it we made it
Reflecting on our current success from our past struggles.
From trapping standing and pitching with rich we stand in the kitchen
We used to sell drugs, but now we are successful in the music industry.
Splitting it eight ways flip it in eight days
We split our earnings and profit quickly.
Thought that while in a room it was just the way to behave
We believed our actions were acceptable at the time.
Kept the weight and the yey for most the paper we made in all dimes
We kept most of the drugs we sold and made money.
I ain't lying the pleasure was all mine
We enjoyed our success in the moment.
Have big work to move but we served the small time
We started small in the drug industry.
I always out shined the niggas with small minds
We were more successful than those who didn't think big.
Who would of thought we would be arguably the greatest of all time
We achieved success beyond our wildest dreams.
'Round here we developed such a sound down here
Our hometown influenced our unique sound.
But duplicate it off the steel it can only be found here
Our sound cannot be replicated elsewhere.
Only listen to gs that other shit I don't hear
We only listen to certain types of music.
Shit they so far in the rear how would I even care
We are unconcerned with irrelevant music.
I'm too busy being a player staring at niggas careers
We are more focused on our own career.
Been talk about it for years and now we finally here
We have been planning and dreaming of success for years.
They say what goes up must come down
People believe that success is temporary.
But I ain't reached my cruisee altitude
We haven't reached our full potential yet.
Take a look at what I did but can you imagine what I'm about to do
Our future plans are even more impressive than our past achievements.
The places I'm bout to go and the money I'm bout to see
We will travel and make more money in the future.
Gave Bill Gates some binoculars and said look out for me
We believe we will surpass even Bill Gates' success.
And see these expectations even at def jam
Our record label has high expectations for us.
Cause I married the streets and Atlanta has been my best man
We have strong ties to the streets and our city.
My momma quit her job and now she works with six figures
Our success has benefited our family.
Cause I'm a self-made nappy-headed rich nigga
We achieved our success on our own, despite our appearance.
Private planes help me travel in peace
We travel comfortably in private planes.
To four cities in one day and four countries in one week
We travel frequently to multiple locations.
Cause I work for myself and no one else cause I'm too smart too
We are self-employed because we are intelligent.
Put one of my partners right through culinary art school
We invested in our friend's education.
Now he my personal chef so that bread he get it
Our investment paid off, and now we have a personal chef.
Put them all in houses cleaned up all of my friends credit
Our success has helped our friends achieve financial stability.
And now they witness all the glitz and the glamor
Our friends see our success firsthand.
Catch us eating at straits Atlanta with women with table manners
We enjoy fine dining with polite women.
Order in seeapore and lobster
We order expensive food in Singapore.
Celebrating coming from nothing to winning Grammy's and rappers winning Oscars
We celebrate our achievements and those of our peers.
And they say rappers shouldn't act nah suckers
Critics believe rappers should not act in movies.
We see Samuel Jackson like whats up motherfucker!
We meet famous actors like Samuel L. Jackson.
I know them haters don't stop plotting and wish you would fall
Our detractors wish us ill and hope for our failure.
Cause I'm standing on top looking down at it all
Our current success allows us to look down on our detractors.
I see you down there to y'all this ain't like I got it all
We see others who have not yet achieved success.
Homie I ain't get enough I'm still trying to triple up
We are not satisfied with our current level of success and aim to triple our earnings.
So all we got is street cred and a cool building up
Our reputation and impressive record label are our only possessions.
Say I'm doing too much shit I say I ain't did enough
We are not satisfied with our current level of success.
Remember saying damn if I could just get to a million plus
We used to dream of having a million dollars.
And now I'm like shit what the fuck is a million bucks
We now have more than a million dollars.
Triple that on my bun thanks to bigs and run
Our earnings have tripled, thanks to our brand and investments.
But never mind what I've been through just look at what I become
Our past struggles are not important compared to our current success.
All the shit I've avoided what I done for my sons
We have avoided trouble and provided for our children.
And daughters and momma just call her
Our family is our top priority.
I sold dope and dropped out of school seems its all they can see
Our past actions follow us even though we have achieved success.
They don't notice none of my family did that since me
Our success has broken a cycle for our family.
Cousins in college where you think they get tuition from (answer that)
Our family is now able to send our cousins to college.
Jeffrey standing around wishing huh
Our detractors are jealous of our success.
And while you standing around looking dumb
Our detractors are wasting their time while we continue to succeed.
I make it happen taking action over time goddamn good at it
Our success is due to our hard work and persistence.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, THE ADMINISTRATION MP INC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: CLIFFORD HARRIS, JAMES BERNARD JR ROSSER, BRANDON RACKLEY, CHRISTOPHER BRIDGES, BOBBY D. SIMMONS, STEPHEN HILLS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind