In 1996 DJ Muggs was producing for a Call O Da Wild's LP to be released on Sony. After hearing the album, Sony wanted something more Commerical since they were having so much success with Cypress Hill, Fugees and Kris Kross. While going back to re-record the album, Call O Da Wild, broke up. Leaving the project in limbo until now. Now Soul Assassins Dot Com has the pleasure to bring you two tracks from that album, Andrews Ave is the first of those tracks, Urban Wilderness is the second of those tracks.
New York Undercover
Call O' Da Wild Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
NYC it's hell of a place to be
Come inside
Wanna know? Let's go
The Big Rotten Apple surrounded by runaways connected by bridges
And uplift the sky high vertical positions
Keeps criminals in vicious cycles
Cats be untameable and ghettos too
You might see nightly drug busts on corners and in corridors
Outside of tenement walls
Number holes in back store fronts where senior citizens press their
Luck
To win a quick bucks while blood guts
Litter sidewalks where cops use chalk to outline
Ya physical design, now peep the headlines
"Madman kidnaps four or more
Torch a nig' apartment store
On 25th and Douglas", parallel in pages "The Mob hits"
In Central Park, rapists with shake faces
It's all thorough, one city, five boroughs
Associated with interlockin sub tunnels
New York's undercover, haa
You niggas wanna know why the skies are grey like cold steel
Air still, quality stand to see the Mob tell
Too much confusion, car pollution, drug abusin
Distribution and gun shootin
Teenagers sportin vibrator pagers, fornicators
While immigrants work the garment district for low wages
Nigga's Pop's crazy alcoholic wit swollen lips
My moms be on some ol' fat cat shit
It's economic, supply and demand, increase ya profit
Wit mad product, they can't sign us like domestic violence
It's goin down on my island or Manhatten
The Bronx, Brooklyn, Queens or Staten where shit happens
It's all thorough, one city, five boroughs
Associated with interlockin sub tunnels
New York's undercover brothers
For all you motherfuckers and baby mothers
Believe that
We're under siege, envy's NY period
See New York City we get deep
We's rolls threes three and creep
New York's undercover you'll discover
You're under siege, envy's the NY period
See, huh
Execution type murders
Cops puttin niggas in the dope yoke hold
Stranglin their life source
The song "New York Undercover" by Call O' Da Wild is a raw and gritty portrayal of life in New York City as seen through the eyes of the rappers. The lyrics describe the tough environment, the poverty, and the violence that the residents of the city have to endure on a daily basis. The song starts with the line "NYC it's hell of a place to be", immediately setting the tone for the rest of the lyrics.
The rappers describe the city as the "Big Rotten Apple surrounded by runaways connected by bridges". They go on to talk about the high-rise buildings and the vertical positions that criminals use to their advantage. The ghettos of the city are described as untameable, with nightly drug busts and constant criminal activity on the streets. The lyrics also talk about the senior citizens who try their luck to earn money by lottery and gambling, and how the streets are often littered with the results of violent crimes.
The chorus "We're under siege, envy's NY period" reflects the general sentiment of the song, which is that life in New York City is difficult and challenging, with danger lurking around every corner. The song ends with the lines "New York's undercover you'll discover, you're under siege, envy's the NY period", showing that the rappers are proud of their city despite its problems.
Line by Line Meaning
NYC
New York City
NYC it's hell of a place to be
Living in NYC is really tough
Come inside
Come and experience what NYC is really like
Wanna know? Let's go
Do you want to know what life in NYC is like? Come with me
The Big Rotten Apple surrounded by runaways connected by bridges
NYC is a big city filled with people constantly on the move
And uplift the sky high vertical positions
Tall skyscrapers dominate the NYC skyline
Keeps criminals in vicious cycles
The criminal justice system in NYC is not effective at rehabilitation
Unrestrainable
The crime rate cannot be controlled
Cats be untameable and ghettos too
People and neighborhoods are uncontrollable and hard to manage
You might see nightly drug busts on corners and in corridors
Drug busts are a common sight in NYC
Outside of tenement walls
The poorer areas of the city have many rundown, overcrowded buildings
Number holes in back store fronts where senior citizens press their Luck
Older people often take risks with illegal activities to try and make money
To win a quick bucks while blood guts
Taking risks to make money can be dangerous
Litter sidewalks where cops use chalk to outline
Crime scenes are common, and the police use chalk outlines to mark them
Ya physical design, now peep the headlines
Your physical appearance might make you a target of crime, and it's often in the news
"Madman kidnaps four or more
News headlines can be very frightening
Torch a nig' apartment store
People commit terrible crimes like arson
On 25th and Douglas", parallel in pages "The Mob hits"
Various types of crime happen all over the city, often at the same time
In Central Park, rapists with shake faces
Even in public spaces like Central Park, people are at risk of being attacked
It's all thorough, one city, five boroughs
NYC is one big city divided into five boroughs
Associated with interlockin sub tunnels
The city has a complex network of interconnected subway tunnels
New York's undercover, haa
The city is full of hidden secrets
You niggas wanna know why the skies are grey like cold steel
The city can be grim and dreary
Air still, quality stand to see the Mob tell
The city has a lot of smog and bad air quality
Too much confusion, car pollution, drug abusin
NYC is a place of chaos and bad habits
Distribution and gun shootin
Guns are often present in the city
Teenagers sportin vibrator pagers, fornicators
Young people often engage in risky behavior
While immigrants work the garment district for low wages
Immigrants often work in difficult conditions for little pay
Nigga's Pop's crazy alcoholic wit swollen lips
Families in the city can face many problems, like alcoholism and abuse
My moms be on some ol' fat cat shit
Some people are incredibly greedy and entitled
It's economic, supply and demand, increase ya profit
The city is all about money and maximizing profit
Wit mad product, they can't sign us like domestic violence
The abundance of drugs causes many problems
It's goin down on my island or Manhatten
Violence can happen anywhere in the city
The Bronx, Brooklyn, Queens or Staten where shit happens
Bad things can happen in any of the five boroughs
New York's undercover brothers
People in the city keep secrets and hide things
For all you motherfuckers and baby mothers
This message is for everyone in the city
Believe that
Take this message to heart
We're under siege, envy's NY period
The city is always under attack and everyone wants a piece of it
See New York City we get deep
NYC has many layers and is very complex
We's rolls threes three and creep
We travel around in groups
New York's undercover you'll discover
There is a lot hidden beneath the surface in the city
Execution type murders
Murders can be very brutal
Cops puttin niggas in the dope yoke hold
The police are tough on drug users and dealers
Stranglin their life source
The police enforce strict laws and punishments, sometimes too harshly
Contributed by Scarlett P. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@disgustika
The whole song is the embodiment of New York rap. Hard rhyming, no hook, nyc slang, dark ass sample. Fucking disgustingly good.
@alexreilly5186
+disgustika disgustingly well put
@chipdouglas2099
disgustika awwe man I hear ya
@jasongold708
West coast dude producing a fire NY track.
@chaunt100
Muggs is from.the Q
@TheAnunnaki-NYC
NYC for ever here. Never gonna leave these slums no matter how much bread I get and got.
@Greeneyedghost2020
This was the only artist I never heard of on this album but they stole the show
@opus4rv
One of the best hip hop albums ever!!!
@Άληστος
some years later, still waiting for that snare
@disgustika
+Άληστος We'll never know where it went