After a short spell working as a model, 5'10" Kelis began appearing on songs by Neptunes produced rappers such as 'Got Your Money' by the late rapper Ol' Dirty Bastard. Soon afterwards, she released her debut album, Kaleidoscope in 1999 of which the first single was 'Caught Out There,' a song based on the time she caught her boyfriend cheating on her, and she beat him. The video feautures Kelis leading a pack of angry women down the street screaming 'I hate you so much right now!'. The album was released in USA, Europe and Asia, but did not find much audience in the USA. Not a great success, it only sold 249,000 copies to date.
After finding her largest audience in Europe, Kelis released her second album titled Wanderland (2001) in Europe only, which like her first album did not fare well. It only sold 80,000 copies and was entirely produced by The Neptunes (Pharrell Williams and Chad Hugo) again, similarly to her debut. Only one single was released 'Young Fresh N New'.
In 2003 Kelis finally found fame in her country with the single 'Milkshake,' which was a massive success in Europe, Asia and USA, and she began dating rapper Nas (born Nasir bin Olu Dara Jones). The single was from the album 'Tasty' which did not feature the Neptunes as heavily as her previous albums. Singles included the popular Dallas Austin produced 'Trick Me' and 'Millionaire', a collaboration with OutKast's Andre 3000. 'In Public's duet with Nas was the fourth single from the album, becoming a top twenty hit in the U.K. without a video.
In 2006, Kelis presented a new album to her fans, entitled Kelis Was Here, which was originally to be called 'The Puppeteer' which was released on 22 August but was due Fall 2005. No Neptunes tracks appeared on this album, but Kelis used other producers such as Max Martin, Will.I.Am (Black Eyed Peas) and Raphael Saadiq. Singles are the huge 'Bossy', 'Blindfold Me', and 'Lil Star'. Kelis wrote more of the material on this album than she did for Tasty, and carries off the sci-fi, electronica sounds so often considered Neptunes material without them. This is most evident on the brilliant 'Trilogy'. Kelis has said she wants to make her mark with this album, as it will be the last 'album like this' she will make.
In October 2007, Kelis was dumped by Jive Records, for poor sales of Kelis Was Here but a new album is in the pipeline. The Hits - a greatest hits collection - was released in March 2008, including tracks where she was a featured artist, eg, Got Your Money by Ol' Dirty Bastard , N.E.R.D's Truth or Dare, and Richard X's Finest Dreams.
Kelis then signed to Interscope Records, and released her fifth studio album entitled Flesh Tone in May 2010. The David Guetta-produced Acapella preceded the LP in February of that year. Other singles released from the album include '4th of July (Fireworks)', 'Scream' and 'Brave'. The following year, Kelis appeared on Calvin Harris' 'Bounce'.
In the beginning of 2010, Kelis received a letter by animal rights organization PETA, in which she was informed about the cruelty that comes along with the production of fur coats. She pointed out that the organization seems to have little concern about the treatment of people of color and that she will continue wearing fur and eating meat.
Songfacts reported that 'Distance', the planned first single from Kelis’ sixth studio album received its first play during the June 30, 2012 show of The Beatnik Mix on London's Reprezent 107.3FM. At the time, the album was set to be house/dance-inspired, but sessions with TV on The Radio's Dave Sitek led to it taking a soul-like direction.
Kelis completed her sixth album in April 2013, and her new label Ninja Tune confirmed details regarding the album in January the following year, 'Jerk Ribs' served as the lead single for the album; the track had however been previously released as a free download the previous year.
Food was released in April 2014 to critical acclaim. Kelis also appeared for the first time at the annual South by Southwest festival, both performing and serving meals to attendees from her food truck.
Rolling Through The Hood
KELIS Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And I seen somethin'
And it hurt me
Yesterday, I rolled throught the hood
And I seen somethin'
And it hurt me
You were talkin' to that woman
And I didn't know what to do
You pulled out your pen and paper
And I know it your number you gave her
I never thought this bad dream would come true
[Chorus]
Baby I want you to know
The suburbs to the ghetto
Joy is joy and pain is pain... pain
One day sooner than you know
We'll be livin' tomorrow
And we'll be laughin' about today... today
Yesterday, I rolled through the hood
And I seen somethin'
And it hurt me
Yesterday, I rolled throught the hood
And I seen somethin'
And it hurt me
You were talkin' to your boys
And though y'all didn't make noise
You tapped him and you pointed at this woman
Then she turned around
As if she'd been found
And all I know my heart started jumpin'
[Chorus]
Baby I want you to know
The suburbs to the ghetto
Joy is joy and pain is pain... pain
One day sooner than you know
We'll be livin' tomorrow
And we'll be laughin' about today... today
[Repeat: x2]
Maybe tomorrow... Maybe tomorrow
Maybe tomorrow... Maybe tomorrow
Beautiful baby don't you know you mean the world to me
The moon would lose the sky if you don't stay
Did I ever tell you that you were my sunshine?
So basically if you leave, there is no day
Yesterday, I rolled through the hood
And I seen somethin'
And it hurt me
Yesterday, I rolled through the hood
And I seen somethin'
And it hurt me
Instead of scorin' high in college
We're scorin' high in gargabe
And not rememberin' who we are
And not to mention...forgettin' who God is
Don't know that you're special
And God will never forget you
The world is used, watch what you do with it
[Chorus]
Baby I want you to know
The suburbs to the ghetto
Joy is joy and pain is pain...pain
One day sooner than you know
We'll be livin' tomorrow
And we'll be laughin' about today...today
[Repeat: x2]
Maybe tomorrow... Maybe tomorrow
Maybe tomorrow... Maybe tomorrow
Kelis's song "Rolling Through The Hood" is a heartfelt commentary on the impacts of poverty on inner-city communities. Kelis describes the pain she experiences as she sees individuals engaging in self-destructive behaviors and betraying their personal values in order to survive in their surroundings. The song paints a vivid picture of the moral and spiritual decay that can exist within communities that have been left behind by society.
Throughout the song, Kelis describes a series of encounters that she experiences as she drives through the neighborhood. At one point, she sees her significant other flirting with another woman, an interaction that shakes her to the core. In another moment, she sees groups of young men scheming and pointing at a woman, which further emphasizes the harsh realities of inner-city life. However, despite the bleak picture that the song paints, Kelis ends on a hopeful note, asserting that even in the face of despair and destruction, there is always the possibility for change.
Overall, "Rolling Through The Hood" is a powerful song that highlights the complexities and difficulties of life in urban communities, while still holding onto the hope that positive change is possible.
Line by Line Meaning
Yesterday, I rolled through the hood
Yesterday, I went through the poor neighborhood
And I seen somethin'
And I saw something that caught my attention
And it hurt me
And it made me feel sad
You were talkin' to that woman
You were having a conversation with that lady
Like you could show her somethin'
As if you were trying to impress her
And I didn't know what to do
And I felt confused and lost
You pulled out your pen and paper
Then you took out a pen and paper
And I know it your number you gave her
And I knew you were giving her your phone number
I never thought this bad dream would come true
I never imagined this nightmare scenario could be real
[Chorus] Baby I want you to know
The singer is addressing the person she is talking to
The suburbs to the ghetto
Whether poor or rich, happiness or pain affects us all equally
Joy is joy and pain is pain... pain
It doesn't matter where you come from, emotions are universal
One day sooner than you know
Time moves quickly and life is short
We'll be livin' tomorrow
We will experience tomorrow
And we'll be laughin' about today... today
We will look back and find humor in today's troubles
You were talkin' to your boys
You were chatting with your male friends
And though y'all didn't make noise
Even though you didn't speak loudly
You tapped him and you pointed at this woman
You motioned to your friend and showed him the lady you were talking to
Then she turned around
Then the lady you were talking to turned her body around
As if she'd been found
As if she had been discovered or exposed
And all I know my heart started jumpin'
And all I know is that my heart started beating faster
Beautiful baby don't you know you mean the world to me
I want you to know that you are very important to me
The moon would lose the sky if you don't stay
You are a crucial part of my world, without you it would be incomplete
Did I ever tell you that you were my sunshine?
Have I ever told you that you brighten up my life?
So basically if you leave, there is no day
If you leave, my life will be empty as the sun is to the night
Instead of scorin' high in college
Instead of doing well academically
We're scorin' high in gargabe
We are doing well at producing trash and waste
And not rememberin' who we are
And forgetting our true selves
And not to mention...forgettin' who God is
And even forgetting who or what we believe in
Don't know that you're special
We fail to recognize how unique and valuable we are
And God will never forget you
But, in contrast, the singer suggests that a higher power always remembers us
The world is used, watch what you do with it
The world is already full of scars, so let's be mindful of our actions and strive to make things better
[Chorus] Baby I want you to know
The singer repeats and restates her message to the listener
The suburbs to the ghetto
Regardless of social status or personal background
Joy is joy and pain is pain...pain
Happiness and suffering are felt equally by everyone
One day sooner than you know
The future is always closer than we realize
We'll be livin' tomorrow
We will soon be experiencing a new day
And we'll be laughin' about today...today
We will find humor in the present's difficulties
[Repeat: x2] Maybe tomorrow... Maybe tomorrow
The song concludes by repeating the lyric that tomorrow may bring change or resolution to present troubles
Maybe tomorrow... Maybe tomorrow
Same as above
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: CHAD HUGO, PHARRELL WILLIAMS, PHARRELL L WILLIAMS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind