City High is an American R&B/hip hop trio consisting of rappers/singers Rya… Read Full Bio ↴City High is an American R&B/hip hop trio consisting of rappers/singers Ryan Toby, Robbie Pardlo and Claudette Ortiz. Originally signed to Wyclef Jean's Booga Basement imprint as a duo, the group became a trio when Jean realized that they resembled another group on his roster, The Product G&B, too much. Ortiz was then added to the group after contributing her vocals to the group's first big hit, What Would You Do from the Life soundtrack in 1999. City High drew comparisons to their mentor's supergroup, The Fugees for two main reasons: the first being that the make-up of the band was two male members and a superstar female member, and also the fact that the members both sang and rapped. Unlike The Fugees, however, City High had more of an R&B slant.

In 2001, "What Would You Do?" was released as part of the band's eponymous debut to radio with a new mix that interpolated Dr. Dre's The Next Episode into the bridge. The song, a story seen from different perspectives about a young woman who becomes a stripper to feed her child, became a U.S. Pop #8 and R&B #13 hit. The band's follow-up single, Caramel, found Ortiz singing lead and Pardlo on the bridge. In the original version, there is also a section where Ortiz sings in Spanish. For radio release, the song was remixed to include the rapper Eve. "Caramel" was a U.S. Pop #18 and R&B #9 hit. The remix was done by Trackmasters. The final single from the group's debut was City High Anthem, which failed to make a big impact on urban and top 40 markets. Once again, however, a remix was released, featuring rapper Styles P.

In early 2002, City High shot several mini music video commercials for MTV based on their own songs promoting the 11th season of The Real World set in Chicago.

Their debut self-titled album sold millions and was nominated for a Grammy Award in 2003. City High members Ryan Toby and Claudette Ortiz got married on October 14, 2004.

City High disbanded in 2003.

Cats And Dogs
City High Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

What's up my nigga?

Chillin? yo

What's up man?
Ya ready to go?

Na yo,

Just go ahead

What's wrong with you?
Wifey got you buggin again?

Just don't understand yo

Understand what man ha

She ain't talking to me son
(Word)

Yo I need you to do me a favor yo

You gotta call her homie
(What'chu want me to call her for)
You gotta tell her for me
(Tell her what man)
That I love her so strongly
(Why don't you just tell her yourself)
Cause she won't listen to me now
(Damn)

Without love in my heart
I might as well be dead
(Hold up, hold up, you ain't gonna be killin' yourself nigga)
So can you help me out?
(I'm callin i'm callin)
You're the only one who cares

Yo shorty
I just got off the phone with Robbie
He told me to come talk to you
(Yeah, bout what?)
He said y'all having problems
And you left him, now he's all confused
(Man, so what?)
Now girl why you buggin?
You know you was made for him
And him for you
I ain't trying to butt in
I just wanna be a friend
And he asked me to call you

You gotta call her homie
And tell her for me
That I love her strongly
She won't listen to me
Without love in my heart
I might as well be dead
Please help me now
You're the only one who cares

You gotta call her homie
And tell her for me
That I'm really sorry
She won't listen to me
Without love in my heart
I might as well be dead
Please help me now
You're the only one who cares

Hmm, girl this thing has gone on, long enough
Can't you see
He don't know the true reason that you left him
Baby is cause of me, whoa
He would be real surprised
To find that I'm the new apple of your eye
What kind of friend am I?
To take advantage of - my best friend's trust

If you wanna know
Why I did - what I did
(Tell me why did you do it)
I got tired of being alone
While you was out trickin'
(Who told you I was trickin?)
I guess female dogs can't learn tricks too

You see I'm not the bitch, baby payback is
And what you did came back to you, oh

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to City High's song "Cats and Dogs" depict a conversation between two male friends, one of whom is having relationship troubles. The singer asks his friend to call his girlfriend and tell her that he loves her but she won't listen to him. The friend obliges but begins to reveal a deeper issue- the reason the girlfriend left the singer was because she was interested in the friend. The friend then confesses to having a relationship with the singer's girlfriend, citing his own loneliness and the girlfriend's unfaithfulness as reasons for his actions. The song ends on a note of betrayal and hurt feelings, highlighting the theme of love gone wrong.

The lyrics to "Cats and Dogs" provide an interesting commentary on the nature of friendship and love. The singer is initially seeking help and support from his friend, but ultimately discovers that his friend has betrayed him by sleeping with his girlfriend. This betrayal upends the hierarchical relationship between the two men, leaving the singer feeling confused and upset. The song also explores the issue of fidelity in relationships- the girlfriend cheated on the singer, leading him to spiral into sadness and doubt. Overall, "Cats and Dogs" is a poignant depiction of love and heartbreak, and how these experiences can play out in unexpected ways.

Line by Line Meaning

What's up my nigga?
A greeting between friends.

Chillin'? Yo
Asking if the friend is relaxing.

What's up man? Ya ready to go?
Asking if the friend is ready to leave.

Na yo, Just go ahead
Declining to go with the friend.

What's wrong with you? Wifey got you buggin again?
Asking why the friend seems upset.

Just don't understand yo
Expressing confusion over the friend's situation.

Understand what man ha
Requesting clarification of the friend's issue.

She ain't talking to me son (Word)
Explaining that the friend's partner is not communicating with them.

Yo I need you to do me a favor yo You gotta call her homie (What'chu want me to call her for) You gotta tell her for me (Tell her what man) That I love her so strongly (Why don't you just tell her yourself) Cause she won't listen to me now (Damn)
Asking the friend to tell the partner that they love them, as the partner is not listening to them.

Without love in my heart I might as well be dead (Hold up, hold up, you ain't gonna be killin' yourself nigga) So can you help me out? (I'm callin i'm callin) You're the only one who cares
Stressing the importance of love and asking for the friend's help in the matter.

Yo shorty I just got off the phone with Robbie He told me to come talk to you (Yeah, bout what?) He said y'all having problems And you left him, now he's all confused (Man, so what?) Now girl why you buggin? You know you was made for him And him for you I ain't trying to butt in I just wanna be a friend And he asked me to call you
Explaining that Robbie asked the friend to reach out and talk to their partner about their problems.

Hmm, girl this thing has gone on, long enough Can't you see He don't know the true reason that you left him Baby is cause of me, whoa He would be real surprised To find that I'm the new apple of your eye What kind of friend am I? To take advantage of - my best friend's trust
Admitting to the partner that they are the reason for their breakup, and feeling guilty for betraying their friend's trust.

If you wanna know Why I did - what I did (Tell me why did you do it) I got tired of being alone While you was out trickin' (Who told you I was trickin?) I guess female dogs can't learn tricks too You see I'm not the bitch, baby payback is And what you did came back to you, oh
Justifying their actions by accusing the partner of infidelity and explaining that they sought revenge for being left alone.

You gotta call her homie And tell her for me That I love her strongly She won't listen to me Without love in my heart I might as well be dead Please help me now You're the only one who cares
Repeating the request for the friend to tell the partner that they love them, as they are not being heard.

You gotta call her homie And tell her for me That I'm really sorry She won't listen to me Without love in my heart I might as well be dead Please help me now You're the only one who cares
Asking the friend to apologize on their behalf, as their partner is not accepting their apologies.

Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: GERARD AVANT, ROBBY PARDLO, RYAN TOBY, WALTER GILMORE

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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