Their first album, "Straight Out the Jungle", was released on an independent label and featured a hip hop/house collaboration "I'll House You" produced by Todd Terry. In spite of the commercial failure of Straight Out the Jungle, Warner Brothers Records soon signed the group and released "Done By the Forces of Nature" in 1989. The album was a critical smash at the time, though it has since been largely ignored by hip hop critics, due to the similarly acclaimed fusion of jazz and rap "3 Feet High and Rising" by De La Soul being released the same year. Following a four year break, the Jungle Brothers returned in 1993 with "J Beez Wit the Remedy", another commercial disappointment. Their next album, "V.I.P." was produced by Alex Gifford of Propellerheads and, during production, they found time to add their vocal stylings to the Propellerheads tracks "Take California (And Party)" and "You Want It Back". In 2002 they released "All That We Do". In 2005, the Jungle Brothers released a "greatest hits" and "classic remixes & rarities" double-CD entitled "This Is…", which included remixes by The Wiseguys, Urban Takeover, Natural Born Chillers and Stereo MCs.
Acknowledge Your Own H istory
Jungle Brothers Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Look back into your past, brother
Look back into your past, sister
You don't know who you are
Look back into your past, sister
Look back into your past, brother
My forefather was a kingHe wore fat gold chains and fat ruby rings
Nobody believes this to be true
Maybe it's because my eyes ain't blue
You ain't gonna find it in your history book
Come here, young blood and take a look
You dig down deep inside this hard cover
Don't you know you was bought, brother?
All you read about is slavery
Never about the black man's bravery
You look at the pictures and all they show is
African people with bones in their noses
That ain't true, that's a lie
You didn't get that from my lemon pie
Yeah, I cut class, I got a D
'Cause history meant nothing to me
Except a definite nap that's why I always sat in the back
I'd talk to girls or write a rhyme 'cause I didn't know
All times are black man's times
When I was young my mama told me stories
Of black peoples' fight to bring us glory
I used to think these were stories to put me to sleep
But now I know mama's talk wasn't cheapNow I know Afrika's for Afrikaans
And history's the blood of every woman and man
Now I begin another search, the incredibly involved
The incredibly difficult and incredibly frustrating search
Now I begin another search, the incredibly involved
The incredibly difficult and incredibly frustrating search
Trying to pull together the history of the people
Page one, page two, page three
And still no signs of me
Yeah, so I looked into the table of contents
They wrote a little thing about us in the projects
The only history we make is if we kill somebody
Rape somebody but other than that we're nobody
Speaking like a brother living in the jungle
I know I was here first but I remain humble
Now it's time to rekindle the fire
A tribe of young brothers with the eye of the tiger
Acknowledge your own, we have a home
Put on this earth to live and roam
Christopher chose to explore
Discovered America, yeah, sure
He thought the planet was square
Traveled many places but we already had been there
We left tracks, backtrack back
First civilization, you know where that was found at
Looking for the true black days of glory
But you read in history, that's his story
The red's for the blood and the black's for the man
The green is the color that stands for the land
The red's for the blood and the black's for the man
The green is the color that stands for the land
The red's for the blood and the black's for the man
The green is the color that stands for the land
The red's for the blood and the black's for the man
The green is the color that stands for the land
The Jungle Brothers’s song Acknowledge Your Own History encourages listeners to look back into their past and acknowledge their history. The lyrics challenge the commonly accepted version of history, which is Euro-centric and ignores the contributions and achievements of marginalized communities. The song acknowledges the erasure of black and African history from history books and aims to fill that void.
The first few lines of the song implore individuals to understand their identity by looking back at their ancestors. The song then goes on to talk about the singer’s own lineage, and how it is often disregarded because of the color of their skin. The line “My forefather was a king / He wore fat gold chains and fat ruby rings / Nobody believes this to be true / Maybe it's because my eyes ain't blue” speaks to the pervasive belief that black people have no connection to royalty or wealth, despite centuries of evidence to the contrary.
The song highlights the significance of African history, culture and civilization with lines such as “We left tracks, backtrack back / First civilization, you know where that was found at / Looking for the true black days of glory / But you read in history, that's his story”. These lines bring attention to the fact that Africa is the birthplace of civilization, and to the importance of acknowledging this history. The red and green mentioned in the last line of the song represent the blood shed by those who fought for their rights and the land they belong to.
Overall, Acknowledge Your Own History is a call to action for individuals to uncover their own history and reject the white-washed version of history that has been taught in schools for centuries.
Line by Line Meaning
You don't know who you are
Reflect on your past to discover your true identity
Look back into your past, brother
Men should delve into their history
Look back into your past, sister
Women should delve into their history
My forefather was a king
My ancestor was royalty
He wore fat gold chains and fat ruby rings
He displayed his wealth through jewelry
Nobody believes this to be true
People are skeptical of my ancestor's status
Maybe it's because my eyes ain't blue
I don't fit the stereotypical image of royalty
You ain't gonna find it in your history book
Academic textbooks are not comprehensive
Come here, young blood and take a look
Take the initiative to explore your heritage
You dig down deep inside this hard cover
Find the hidden stories in the pages of history books
Don't you know you was bought, brother?
Remember that slavery played a role in our history
All you read about is slavery
Mainstream history is focused on one aspect of black history
Never about the black man's bravery
The courage of black men is neglected in history books
You look at the pictures and all they show is
Visual representations of Africans perpetuate inaccurate stereotypes
African people with bones in their noses
Images of Africans misrepresent cultural practices
That ain't true, that's a lie
Don't believe everything you see or read in history books
You didn't get that from my lemon pie
My culture is more than what non-black individuals perceive it to be
Yeah, I cut class, I got a D
I struggled with history in school
'Cause history meant nothing to me
The relevance of history was not emphasized in my education
Except a definite nap that's why I always sat in the back
The subject matter was mundane and unengaging
I'd talk to girls or write a rhyme 'cause I didn't know
I found more fulfillment outside of history class
All times are black man's times
Black individuals are an important aspect of history
When I was young my mama told me stories
My mother shared stories of black success and perseverance
Of black peoples' fight to bring us glory
My ancestors worked hard to achieve greatness
I used to think these were stories to put me to sleep
As a child, I did not fully comprehend the significance of these stories
But now I know mama's talk wasn't cheap
I understand and appreciate the lessons passed down from my mother
Now I know Afrika's for Afrikaans
Africans deserve self-determination and autonomy
And history's the blood of every woman and man
Everybody's history matters as it informs who they are
Now I begin another search, the incredibly involved
Embarking on a journey to trace our history is complex
The incredibly difficult and incredibly frustrating search
It requires significant effort and determination
Trying to pull together the history of the people
Attempting to create a comprehensive narrative of black history
Page one, page two, page three
Sorting through historical records is a meticulous process
And still no signs of me
My personal history is not always documented or celebrated
Yeah, so I looked into the table of contents
I examined the contents of history books for representation
They wrote a little thing about us in the projects
Our communities are often misrepresented
The only history we make is if we kill somebody
Negative actions often overshadow positive contributions
Rape somebody but other than that we're nobody
Black individuals are often disregarded and undervalued
Speaking like a brother living in the jungle
I am speaking from the perspective of a black man in a difficult place/situation
I know I was here first but I remain humble
Black individuals have a rich history and contribution to society
Now it's time to rekindle the fire
It's time to reignite our passion for learning about and celebrating our history
A tribe of young brothers with the eye of the tiger
A group of young, determined black individuals ready to make a difference
Acknowledge your own, we have a home
We must recognize and respect our heritage and community
Put on this earth to live and roam
We were placed on earth for a purpose and to explore our potential
Christopher chose to explore
Christopher Columbus is often celebrated while ignoring his controversial legacy
Discovered America, yeah, sure
Ignoring the fact that indigenous people were already living in America
He thought the planet was square
Columbus held beliefs that were outdated and inaccurate
Traveled many places but we already had been there
Black individuals had already made notable contributions to history
We left tracks, backtrack back
Black individuals have made an indelible impression on history
First civilization, you know where that was found at
Recognizing that black individuals have established successful civilizations throughout history
Looking for the true black days of glory
Searching for and celebrating the successes of black individuals throughout history
But you read in history, that's his story
Mainstream history is often biased and told from a non-black perspective
The red's for the blood and the black's for the man
The colors represent the sacrifices made by black individuals throughout history
The green is the color that stands for the land
The green represents the abundance and potential of the African continent
Writer(s): Jungle Brothers
Contributed by Gavin R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.