Foxxx released his first LP, Freddie Foxxx Is Here in (1989) through MCA Records. He soon parted ways with the label and became a member of Queen Latifah's Flavor Unit establishment. In 1993, Foxxx was preparing to release his sophomore LP, Crazy Like A Foxxx, through Epic Records when the label unexpectedly decided to shelve it. Leader of the badest motorcycle gang krupt mob.
Foxxx then began to be known more for his cameos on songs by Boogie Down Productions, Naughty By Nature, M.O.P., Missin Linx and, most notably, his appearance on Gang Starr's The Militia from their Moment Of Truth album (1998). The song was issued as a single, building a buzz for Foxxx and helping him to prep for his next full-length release.
This time around he applied the lessons he'd learnt from previous experiences with major record labels, and went the independent route. His album, Industry Shakedown would become the best-selling independently released album of 2000. The LP featured production from hip hop heavyweights DJ Premier, Pete Rock and The Alchemist. The members of M.O.P. provided the albums only cameo.
After the success of Industry Shakedown, Foxxx once again moved labels from Landspeed Records to BBE Records and released his third official album, Konexion (2003). A less commercially successful affair, the album was nevertheless faithful to its predecessor in terms of style and content and featured contributions from frequent collaborator DJ Premier, DJ Clark Kent and Foxxx himself under the alias of Hidden Agenda.
Foxxx was shouted out at the end of Tupac Shakur's classic diss song "Hit 'Em Up" (video version).
Foxxx made significant contributions to the WWE SmackDown! vs. RAW 2006 soundtrack. He contributed two songs, and made a guest appearance on another song. He also produced all of the hip hop songs under his alias.
In 2006, he released a mixtape called Street Triumph, in anticipation of his fifth album, Amerikkan Black Man.
Who knows Why
Bumpy Knuckles Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Turn it up
That's right
For my niggas
Here we go
[Verse 1]
Some real niggas have gone away... never to return
Outta sight, outta mind, never does it mean outta might, outta rhyme
So I return to make it hot for those who cannot
Smile down on me niggas, while I rock the spot
Is there heaven for a nice emcee
Crushin all these suckers dear God don't be mad with me
I don't mean to hurt nobody, I just wanna rock the party
And give you a taste of what's left, before I see death
Watch a nigga back, cuz I don't trust nobody
Left hand hold the mic, and right bust the shottie
Sendin angels to guide me through, in the white drop top
When they ride me through
When I hit the pearly gates, will they take my tats
Will they let me rock the mic, will the beats be phat
Will the rappers write they own rhymes up in that piece
Will the fakes get locked by the hip hop police
Or will I have to deal with A&R's who don't got no say
I hope it don't be that way, tell me
HOOK 2X:
Who Knows Why
The reasons we live and the reasons we die
You can't figure this one, so why try
God help my soul as I testify
And I wont lie
[Verse 2]
Now as I'm lookin in the mirror I see myself
Handsome with attitude, so momma gratitude
I put the pressure on emcees
I make it hard for ya, with total, disregard for ya
This rap shit is raw not to be touched
The ingredients if tampered with, could get you fucked up
No one knows this secret I hold like Moses
Given at birth, now what it's worth, it's more than a million six
Let me spit it to you niggas, while my rhyme exists
Listen, separate the real from the wishin
If you bust at me and miss, you gon end up missin
Cuz on these rap niggas styles I be shittin, pissin
Leave you niggas lookin dumb like two niggas kissin
I'm the true hardcore underground messiah
I'm the kinda nigga street thugs can admire
You never see me gettin robbed, jumped down and whipped out
Or cryin 'bout a deal with no money, flipped out
I get off my ass and make it happen
I'll stick up the world if I aint rappin
So why do I exist, tell me
HOOK
[Verse 3]
May Allah shine down on any emcee
That'll stand on stage and hold a mic with me
May he give you all the flow of the ocean water
And some nice hand skills to prevent slaughter
My lyrics painful like bullets from a rusty tech
Bumpy Knucks, nigga what, and you must respect
All the true shit that I reflect
Niggas know I exist only to wreck
Won't let the verse loosen til you sign the check
I won't be fussin at ya, but bustin at ya
I treat all my rhymes like they devines
Niggas spot me like a UFO
I turn my mic on and resurrect the livest flow
So if you askin me, why am I here
To clarify hip hop loud and clear
Real niggas, tell me
HOOK
In the first verse of Bumpy Knuckles's song "Who Knows Why," the rapper reflects on the impermanence of life and the legacy of those who have passed away, stating that some "real niggas have gone away...never to return." He asserts that even when these individuals are gone, they remain immortalized through their music and through the microphone, which "burn[s] outta sight, outta mind" but not "outta might, outta rhyme." Bumpy Knuckles then asks God for forgiveness and guidance as he uses his own microphone to "rock the party" and give listeners "a taste of what's left, before [he sees] death." He questions the unknowns of the afterlife and what it holds for him as a rapper, contemplating whether it will be a place for pure expression and creativity or if he will be subject to the bureaucratic A&R's of the recording industry.
In the second verse, Bumpy Knuckles adopts a confident and aggressive persona, proclaiming that he puts "pressure on emcees" and is the "true hardcore underground messiah." He acknowledges the raw power of rap music, noting that it should not be "tampered with" and that those who try to come after him will end up missing. In his lyrics, there is a sense of defiance and resistance to any form of injustice in the music industry or in society as a whole. He further highlights the importance of holding onto individuality and staying true to oneself, instead of conforming to societal norms or entering into deals with no financial stability. Bumpy Knuckles ends the song with a call to arms for other emcees to join him on stage and use the microphone to spread their own messages.
Overall, "Who Knows Why" can be interpreted as a meditation on the profound impact that music can have on people's lives and how it often outlasts the lives of those who created it. Bumpy Knuckles captures both the uncertainty and the raw power that comes with being an artist, and encourages listeners to use the microphone as a tool for self-expression and resistance.
Line by Line Meaning
Some real niggas have gone away... never to return
Some authentic rappers are no longer with us, and we can only hear their music on records.
Outta sight, outta mind, never does it mean outta might, outta rhyme
Just because someone is not in the public eye does not mean they have lost their skills or creativity.
Is there heaven for a nice emcee
Will skilled rappers be recognized and rewarded in the afterlife?
Watch a nigga back, cuz I don't trust nobody
I am cautious because I do not have faith in anyone.
Sendin angels to guide me through, in the white drop top
I pray for protection while I drive my fancy car.
Will the rappers write they own rhymes up in that piece
In the afterlife, will fake rappers be exposed for not writing their own lyrics?
This rap shit is raw not to be touched
Hip hop is a powerful and important form of music.
No one knows this secret I hold like Moses
There are aspects of myself and my career that only I understand, like Moses and his knowledge of God.
I make it hard for ya, with total, disregard for ya
I do not care about making things easy for other rappers, and will intentionally make it tough for them.
I'm the true hardcore underground messiah
I am a leader in the authentic, underground hip hop scene.
So why do I exist, tell me
What is my purpose, and why do I matter? These are the questions I am asking.
May Allah shine down on any emcee
I hope God blesses any rapper who performs with me on stage.
My lyrics painful like bullets from a rusty tech
My rhymes are sharp and hurtful, like a rusty gun firing bullets.
So if you askin me, why am I here
If you want to know my purpose, I will tell you.
Won't let the verse loosen til you sign the check
I will not stop rapping until I am paid what I am owed.
Contributed by London L. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Mimi
Yeah
Turn it up
That's right
For my niggas
Here we go
[Verse 1]
Some real niggas have gone away... never to return
Stay forever on wax cuz the mics they burn
Outta sight, outta mind, never does it mean outta mic, outta rhyme
So I return to make it hot for those who cannot
Smile down on me niggas, while I rock the spot
Is there heaven for a nice emcee
Crushin all these suckers dear God don't be mad with me
I don't mean to hurt nobody, I just wanna rock the party
And give you a taste of what's left, before I see death
Watch a nigga back, cuz I don't trust nobody
Left hand hold the mic, and right bust the shottie
Sendin angels to guide me through, in the white drop top
When they ride me through
When I hit the pearly gates, will they take my tats
Will they let me rock the mic, will the beats be phat
Will the rappers write they own rhymes up in that piece
Will the fakes get locked by the cop police
Or will I have to deal with A&R's who don't got no say
I hope it don't be that way, tell me
HOOK 2X:
Who Knows Why
The reasons we live and the reasons we die
You can't figure this one, so why try
God help my soul as I testify
And I won't lie
[Verse 2]
Now as I'm lookin in the mirror I see myself
Handsome with attitude, to momma gratitude
I put the pressure on emcees
I make it hard for ya, with total, disregard for ya
This rap shit is raw not to be touched
The ingredients if tampered with, could get you fucked up
No one knows this secret I hold like Moses
Given at birth, now what it's worth, it's more than a million six
Let me spit it to you niggas, while my rhyme exists
Listen, separate the real from the wishin
If you bust at me and miss, you gon end up missin
Cuz on these rap niggas styles I be shittin, pissin
Leave you niggas lookin dumb like two niggas kissin
I'm the true hardcore underground messiah
I'm the kinda nigga street thugs can admire
You never see me gettin robbed, jumped down and whipped out
Or cryin 'bout a deal with no money, flipped out
I get off my ass and make it happen
I'll stick up the world if I ain't rappin
So why do I exist, tell me
HOOK
[Verse 3]
May Allah shine down on any emcee
That'll stand on stage and hold a mic with me
May he give you all the flow of the ocean water
And some nice hand skills to prevent slaughter
My lyrics painful like bullets from a rusty tech
Bumpy Knucks, nigga what, and you must respect
All the true shit that I reflect
Niggas know I exist only to wreck
Won't let the verse loosen til you sign the check
I won't be fussin at ya, but bustin at ya
I treat all my rhymes like they devines
Niggas spot me like a UFO
I turn my mic on and resurrect the livest flow
So if you askin me, why am I here
To clarify hip hop loud and clear
Real niggas, tell me
HOOK
Juan Mondragon
Pete Rock is on another level. One of the best to ever do it.
Rapper LuGhz
Solid classic production by Pete Rock and Bumpy's flows are bonkers
George Thompson
Very thought provoking lyrics and Outstanding Beat!! Bumpy Knucks & PR Laid this down RIGHT!!!!!
NT
Its been 10 years and this is still a classic... Pete Rock did this joint well and Bumpy`s flow is on point
Jimmy Hubert
It's been almost 23 years but yea
sirLiridon.
fucking love this song! what a fuckin beat! can't stop nodding my head, I just can feel it!!!
CrunchyManSopa
One of Bumpy's finest cuts. the Truth.
Trent Yates
Till this day im still waiting for that bumpy and pete collabo album. They are monsters together.
andrey germanov
To all the people who are nodding their heads to the beat of this sentimental symphony, just look who was mentioned in the features! PURE HOT SAUCE !
LakseR
This whole album is amazingly good