The Fear Nuttin Band sound is as diverse as the cultures the band members represent. The hot West Indian sun incubated the talents of frontmen Roosta (vocals), Prowla (vocals) and Jay Chung (guitar), while instrumentalists Matt Penza (drums), Chris Regan (guitar), Brian Daigle (bass) represent New England’s finest. The union of these six individuals was in the stars: with Chris, Jay, Penza and Brian lending their musical talents to heavy bands all over the Pioneer Valley, the four always found themselves in and out of bands together. It was the same day that Matt, Chris and Brian found themselves without a frontman that Roosta and Prowla called up and asked them to jam. These final Fear Nuttin Band members have been together since.
Much can be said about their home of Springfield, Massachusetts , and its reputation for breeding original artists and ideas. Put on the map for growing groundbreaking entertainers from the powerful reggae dynasty that is the Morgan Heritage, to the mixed melodies of one of the country’s biggest new rock acts Staind, the metal onslaught of Shadows Fall, and All That Remains, Springfield has become a musical hotbed. Fear Nuttin Band took the area by storm with their infamous live shows, and became hometown heroes when they were awarded wins in the Valley Advocate Grand Band Slam four years in a row, taking home the honors for best new band, best new reggae/ska band, and best party band.
Most recently, Fear Nuttin Band triumphantly competed in the nationwide Bodog Music Battle of the Bands, making them Boston’s champions and landing them a recording contract with Bodog Music. Fans watched as Fear Nuttin Band trekked the nation on the Bodog Battle reality TV series, winning the hearts and respect of their competitors and fans, and becoming a favorite among esteemed judges Johnny Rotten, Bif Naked and Billy Duffy. Fear Nuttin Band victoriously returned for the explosive Bodog Battle finale as the Alternative Press Magazine’s popular vote-back winner. Kevin Lyman, founder of the Warped Tour, told the band once, “All you need is one man to believe in this band and the rest is history.” Bodog Music’s founder Calvin Ayre is that man. Calvin was so excited about the public’s response to Fear Nuttin Band that even though they had been previously voted out of the competition, he made them a part of the Bodog Music roster alongside the Bodog Battle winners.
With their musical credo “Unify the Music, Unify the People,” the band has embarked on a musical mission. They have developed a worldwide following due in part to their unique sound, but also because of their diehard work ethic. Live, Fear Nuttin Band are an unforgettable force that draws audiences into the stage swagger of two of today’s most charismatic frontmen, Roosta and Prowla. Because of the band’s unique charisma and energy, they’ve played over 500 sold-out shows and toured the nation with the likes of Toots and the Maytals, Blink 182, Buju Banton, Green Day, Morgan Heritage, Fishbone, and graced several stages on the Vans Warped Tour. All this, plus the band has released several independent EPs, and developed their own merchandise line.
In 2007 Fear Nuttin Band linked up with famed producer Terry Date (The Deftones, Pantera, White Zombie, Korn) to take the reins on their Bodog Music debut record titled Yardcore. The album captures their infectious, energetic live performance while highlighting the vocalists’ phonetic banter and melodic verses. A mix of reggae, dance hall, and hard, heavy rock, the album is a progressive body of work. Peppered with political statements, the singers bare their souls through every track and speak of their personal values and beliefs. Yardcore is a crossbreed, a non-conformist body of work put together purely to give the listener something to think about. What it’s not is “Rockstaffari” bullshit — it’s an angsty, ballsy blend of hardcore instrumentals and vocals that scat and swoon with Jamaican nobility. Chris Regan and Jay Chung provide the wailing guitars and pocket riddem harmonies while Brian Daigle’s bass acts as the pulse of the rhythm section and Matt Penza’s drumming pyrotechnics pop and burst throughout the disc.
Fear Nuttin Band’s Yardcore is a real offering of love driven with intensity, and it might be the first album in history to cause a mosh pit that ends in hugs and high fives. Yardcore is set to be released in March 2008 on the Bodog Music label with simultaneous releases in America, Canada, Europe and the U.K.
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Fear Nuttin Band Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Shouda know sey dat we are di boss deejay
Yo me say say we give it to dem endlessly, hear what the man say, yeah
Absolutely positively so mi live day to day
And a from mi culture seh mi no mi nah go stray
Never try to offend another man no way
Mi live life with simplicity
And a try fi put mi under cause them want mi fi decay,
But true mi know say, who mi nah go do's it fi them way
Them nah go come and take mi energy
And mi nah gonna do it your way — and this is what I say
No — no me nah go sit dung inna confusion, and this is what I say
No — me nah go mek dem tell misay mi neva have ambition
No — no mi nah go stray from being who I am
No — mi naaah
So mi gusso mek mi expose the one dem wheh
A do the wrong dem a mek the land condemn
Mi couldn't fool fi go fallo satan dem
If you agree then make mi see you hands dem
So physically, mentally nah go tolerate no folly
Spiritually nah go be nobody dolly,
Basically, who be true and who be folly
Man a ralley right thru the valley optimistically
Burnin them up under mi collie (yeah)
Mi not gonna do it your way now, and this is what I say
No — no me nah go sit dung inna confusion
No — me nah go mek dem tell misay mi neva have ambition
No — no mi nah go stray from being who I am
No — mi naaah
A so mi live life day to day,
And a from mi culture man you know mi na stray
Cause we not gonna live this way
And this is what I say
A could a Roosta you a try come deal with like roach,
And the 'Owla 'Owla with you side way approach,
True you know so how we nah gonna do it,
Nah do it your way, this is what I say
No
No — no me nah go sit dung inna confusion
No — me nah go mek dem tell misay mi neva have ambition
No — no mi nah go stray from being who I am
No — mi naaah
Mi nah do it your way — and this is what I say
The Fear Nuttin Band's song "No" is a powerful anthem about standing up for oneself and refusing to conform to societal pressures. The lyrics are delivered with a strident confidence that exudes empowerment, as the singer proclaims that they will not be swayed from their true path. The first verse sets the tone, with the singer declaring that they are in control and will not be silenced: "Words from mi mout mi say hear what mi say, Shouda know sey dat we are di boss deejay".
Throughout the song, the singer maintains a defiant attitude, rejecting the notion that they must conform to society's expectations in order to succeed. They declare "No" to confusion, to the belief that they lack ambition, and to the pressure to change who they are. The song is a reminder that we have the power to shape our own futures and should not be afraid to assert ourselves in pursuit of our goals.
Overall, "No" is an inspiring call to action, urging listeners to be true to themselves and resist the pressures of the world around them. It is a reminder that we are in control of our own lives, and by embracing our inner strength and standing up for what we believe in, we can achieve greatness.
Line by Line Meaning
Words from mi mout mi say hear what mi say,
I am speaking and you better listen to what I say.
Shouda know sey dat we are di boss deejay
It should be known that we are the top DJs.
Yo me say say we give it to dem endlessly, hear what the man say, yeah
I'm telling you that we give non-stop performances.
Absolutely positively so mi live day to day
Without a doubt, I live each day positively.
And a from mi culture seh mi no mi nah go stray
Because of my culture, I know I won't go astray.
Never try to offend another man no way
I never try to offend anyone purposely.
Mi live life with simplicity
I live my life simply.
And all thru that, so them a scheme everyday,
Despite that, they're always plotting against me.
And a try fi put mi under cause them want mi fi decay,
They're trying to bring me down because they want me to fail.
But true mi know say, who mi nah go do's it fi them way
But I know that I won't do what they want me to do.
Them nah go come and take mi energy
They won't be able to drain my energy.
And mi nah gonna do it your way — and this is what I say
And I'm not going to do things your way. This is what I'm saying.
No — no me nah go sit dung inna confusion, and this is what I say
No, I won't sit in confusion. This is what I'm saying.
No — me nah go mek dem tell misay mi neva have ambition
No, I won't let them tell me I lack ambition.
No — no mi nah go stray from being who I am
No, I won't deviate from being myself.
No — mi naaah
No, I won't do it.
So mi gusso mek mi expose the one dem wheh
Let me expose those who are doing wrong.
A do the wrong dem a mek the land condemn
They're doing wrong and causing the land to be condemned.
Mi couldn't fool fi go fallo satan dem
I couldn't be foolish enough to follow them.
If you agree then make mi see you hands dem
If you agree with me, show me your hands.
So physically, mentally nah go tolerate no folly
Physically and mentally, I won't tolerate any foolishness.
Spiritually nah go be nobody dolly,
Spiritually, I won't be anyone's puppet.
Basically, who be true and who be folly
Basically, it's about who is truthful and who is foolish.
Man a ralley right thru the valley optimistically
We're rallying through the valley with a positive outlook.
Burnin them up under mi collie (yeah)
We're burning them up with our music.
Mi not gonna do it your way now, and this is what I say
I'm not going to do things your way anymore. This is what I'm saying.
A could a Roosta you a try come deal with like roach,
You could be a big shot trying to act tough,
And the 'Owla 'Owla with you side way approach,
Or a snake in the grass with your sneaky approach,
True you know so how we nah gonna do it,
But you know we won't do it that way,
Nah do it your way, this is what I say
We won't do things your way. This is what we're saying.
No — no me nah go sit dung inna confusion
No, I won't sit in confusion.
No — me nah go mek dem tell misay mi neva have ambition
No, I won't let them tell me I lack ambition.
No — no mi nah go stray from being who I am
No, I won't deviate from being myself.
No — mi naaah
No, I won't do it.
A so mi live life day to day,
So, I live my life one day at a time.
And a from mi culture man you know mi na stray
And because of my culture, you know I won't stray.
Cause we not gonna live this way
Because we won't live life the way they want us to.
And this is what I say
And this is what I'm saying.
A could a Roosta you a try come deal with like roach,
You could be a big shot trying to act tough,
And the 'Owla 'Owla with you side way approach,
Or a snake in the grass with your sneaky approach,
True you know so how we nah gonna do it,
But you know we won't do it that way,
Nah do it your way, this is what I say
We won't do things your way. This is what we're saying.
No — no me nah go sit dung inna confusion
No, I won't sit in confusion.
No — me nah go mek dem tell misay mi neva have ambition
No, I won't let them tell me I lack ambition.
No — no mi nah go stray from being who I am
No, I won't deviate from being myself.
No — mi naaah
No, I won't do it.
Mi nah do it your way — and this is what I say
I won't do things your way. This is what I'm saying.
Contributed by Declan O. Suggest a correction in the comments below.