Raashan, who'd moved from Pasadena at the time to pursue his dreams of emceeing ran into the Berklee contingent at various open-mic and freestyle sessions aroung the city (Kat hails originally from Wichita, Kansas, Headnodic from Wisconsin, and Max is from Massachusetts). Everyone clicked, sharing an interest in organic hip-hop and live instrumentation, bonding musically as well as personally.
"We did some shows in Boston trying to get our name out," recounts Raashan. "And then we decided to move out to Cali to record an album."
And so, the group, then known as Mission: which at that time included Moe Pope (check Project Move), set out West. The trip to Cali proved to be an adventure in itself. An 18-wheeler totaled all of the group's instruments and the car they were driving. Once the group finally made it out west, they used the insurance money from the accident to put out a self-titled EP to get their name out.
Soon after came their first full-length, called One. The album quickly established the group as subterranean scene stalwarts in the Bay Area hip hop community, where they were now located. After that, the group, who in 2003 changed their name to Crown City Rockers after Mission UK, (a British goth dance rock band) asked them to switch monikers, hit the studio hard recording countless songs, eventually placing 19 on their 2004 debut, Earthtones.
The group are currently (mid-2008) working on their third album.
Fate
Crown City Rockers Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Fantasies of you vision life to come My one, introduction to a real life
Energized so live facing world strife
Been waiting for you and ain't even know your name
Came at the best time sun clearing my rain
And it was best; I wasn't ready for the manifest
Completion, perfection every time we caress
Nothing less, cinnamon, mango lips
I realize the whole time I stumbled along
Every breath that she breathes is my favorite song
Word is bond body is a temple of light
Eyes inspire these words I write
And on moonlit nights you shine like pyramids
Reflect God's beauty, ancestors' wisdom
Gotta be forbidden that I feel this great
Most High all praise for fate, true indeed
CHORUS
Let me count the ways she got em in a daze
Happiness haze joy for days
I'm saggin thinking of you Walking for blocks
Diggin you like archaeologists and fossil rocks
Hip Hop orange juice and croquesacks
Got bangin body love and mind to match
I'm attached see the stats of the words I flip
For the longest time I tried not to trip
But damn you got a brotha feelin hella good
I wanna enter you aura and collapse
Build foundations cover the maps
I put that on the hand I write my raps
Make love on the bank of the Nile to New Edition
Inspired me to look into our ancestor's wisdom
Gotta be forbidden that I feel this great
Most High all praise to fate
CHORUS Saxophone solo
In "Fate" by Crown City Rockers, the lyrics explore the concept of fate and how it brings two people together. The singer describes how he was waiting for this person, and even though he did not know their name, fate brought them together at the perfect moment. The person is described in a very positive light, with their mere presence making the singer feel energized and inspired. The verses are filled with vivid imagery, comparing the person's lips to cinnamon and mango and describing their body as a temple of light. The chorus adds a layer of complexity, with the singer declaring his attachment to the person and how they make him feel. Despite the intensity of his emotions, he acknowledges that it must be fate and gives praise to the Most High.
Line by Line Meaning
I seen sun in places that ain't never seen sun
I have experienced happiness and light in ways I never thought possible.
Fantasies of you vision life to come
I have imagined a future with you and it brings me great joy.
My one, introduction to a real life
You have introduced me to a life of true happiness and fulfillment.
Energized so live facing world strife
You give me energy and motivation to face the challenges in the world.
Been waiting for you and ain't even know your name
I have been waiting for someone like you even before I knew you existed.
Came at the best time sun clearing my rain
You came into my life at the perfect time and brought light to my darkness.
And it was best; I wasn't ready for the manifest
It was the best thing that happened to me even though I didn't expect it.
Completion, perfection every time we caress
We have a perfect connection every time we touch.
Nothing less, cinnamon, mango lips
Your lips are sweet and spicy like cinnamon and mango.
Her hips and mine fit and makes me trip
Our bodies fit perfectly together and it makes me lose control.
I realize the whole time I stumbled along
I now realize that I've been lost and stumbling until I met you.
Every breath that she breathes is my favorite song
Your every breath is music to my ears, my favorite song.
Word is bond body is a temple of light
Your body is a sacred temple of light and I respect it.
Eyes inspire these words I write
Your eyes inspire me to express my love through music and writing.
And on moonlit nights you shine like pyramids
On moonlit nights, you shine like a majestic pyramid and I admire you.
Reflect God's beauty, ancestors' wisdom
You reflect the beauty of God and the wisdom of our ancestors.
Gotta be forbidden that I feel this great
It feels almost too good to be true, like it's forbidden for me to feel this much happiness.
Most High all praise for fate, true indeed
I praise fate for bringing us together, it's truly a blessing.
Let me count the ways she got em in a daze
I am entranced by you and cannot count the ways in which you amaze me.
Happiness haze joy for days
I am surrounded by happiness and joy because of you.
I'm saggin thinking of you Walking for blocks
I am lost in thought thinking about you, walking for hours without realizing it.
Diggin you like archaeologists and fossil rocks
I am fascinated by every detail of you, like an archaeologist studying a fossil.
Hip Hop orange juice and croquesacks
We share a love for Hip Hop music, orange juice and croquesacks, a type of sandwich.
Got bangin body love and mind to match
You have a stunning body and a mind to match, I am attracted to both.
I'm attached see the stats of the words I flip
I am attached to you, as evidenced by the lyrics I write.
For the longest time I tried not to trip
For a long time I tried not to fall in love, but I couldn't resist you.
But damn you got a brotha feelin hella good
You make me feel amazing, damn good.
I wanna enter you aura and collapse
I want to be enveloped in your energy and lose myself in you.
Build foundations cover the maps
Together we can build a strong foundation that covers the whole world.
I put that on the hand I write my raps
I swear on my creativity, the hand that writes my raps.
Make love on the bank of the Nile to New Edition
I want to make love to you on the bank of the Nile river, inspired by New Edition's music.
Inspired me to look into our ancestor's wisdom
Our love has inspired me to explore the wisdom of our ancestors.
CHORUS
Repeated refrain of the song.
Saxophone solo
Instrumental section of the song.
Contributed by Riley C. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
HurricaneStarang
This was my anthem walking through the halls in highschool. A timeless feeling I'll never forget
Choro Atoa919
16 year old here who found this group by chance and I immediately fell in love with this album. They very well may be one of, if not the most underrated hip hop group of all time!
EseHombreEncantador
Damn, I love their sound.
xxLiLMinGxx
yaay 1000th viewer =D like the jazzy feeling from the crown city rockers =D
Tvybeuk
nice ness...
jelaninoel
Cant even find this on iTunes :(
Jeff
Its on bandcamp
KillerxSkittles
wat only 672 views ...dam shame