His first tracks were produced by The Unknown DJ who also produced Ice T's earliest gangsta rap tracks. He has collaborated with artists such as Dr. Dre, Ice Cube, Rappin' 4-Tay, B-Legit, Ice-T, and Masta Ace. He also worked with other producers such as DJ Pooh, Marley Marl, Ant Banks, E-Swift of Tha Alkaholiks and Madlib.
Although he helped launch the career of Tha Alkaholiks, who became popular in their own right, Tee's own career didn't fare quite so well. His highest charting album, Tha Triflin' Album, peaked at #95 on the Billboard 200 while his other albums scraped the bottom of the chart.
Dr. Dre tried to help revitalize Tee's career by signing him to Aftermath Records. He appeared on Dre's albums, Dr. Dre Presents...The Aftermath and 2001, and recorded his own album. But Tee was eventually dropped from the label. Nevertheless, the album he recorded for Aftermath, Thy Kingdom Come was released in 2002 on a German independent label. It featured guest appearances by Dre, Ice T, Too $hort, MC Ren, DJ Quik, Kool G Rap, Shaquille O'neal, Kid Frost, El DeBarge, and others.
Those that have followed gangster rap since its roots will credit King Tee with being one of the leading founders helping gangster rap build credibility and eventually helping to open doors for some of today's biggest names in hip-hop. He is also cited as being one of the biggest inspirations for popular East Coast rapper The Notorious B.I.G., whose early style bore a striking resemblance to that of King T.
Monay
King Tee Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I never wanted to work for muthafuckas
That told me what to do, so I did my own thing
Sometimes shit got thick, but I made it through
Now I'm stackin chips everytime the phone ring
I'm in a world of liars and carnivores
Caught between fires, dope dealin suppliers
But I must maintain, think on a level much higher
People always askin me how I made it in this trade
Papparazzi got my biz front page
Well, all I gotta say is it's a good livin'
Beside cars and women this shit gets the bills paid
[ CHORUS ]
(People of the world, what we're livin for?)
That money (money) fast money (money) yeah
(People of the world, what we're dyin for?)
That money (money) fast money (money) yeah
(Everybody's goin crazy for)
That money (money) fast money (money) yeah
(Fuckin with your head, I can get some of yo)
Money (money) cash money (money) yeah
[ Dr. Dre ]
How many niggas can say they got they own
Got they shit together, got a a nice stash to do whatever
Ah, you're sittin at home, hatin on the next man
That's makin cheddar, tryin to get his shit together
I dreamed of hittin licks when I first got in the mix
Way back when DJ's was heavy in the crates for breaks
And ain't a damn thing changed
But me movin out the firin range to a plushed out estate
Small technicalities y'all heard for years
Niggas with the problems always out to battle me
But I gets my swerve on, don't give a fuck
It's just a nigga talkin shit about his bullshit salary
[ CHORUS ]
[ King T ]
Since talk is extra it's cut short like Webster's
Show me the money or invest this
I'm street smart, fuck a lecture
Messin with mine'll get you put on a stretcher
Lock your jaw like a pitbull apply the pressure
Straight bout it, buildin ideas with self-made millionaires
To get the dancefloors crowded
Hah, how's that black, limousine pull up on the scene
Ladies clean, deja-vu's of a wet dream
I got enough cream to cater women
For any chick that can fade me more than Henny
Plus the remedy to make that hard shit
At the end of each quarter I'm reapin the largeset harvest
If I ain't in L.A. sippin Alizé
Plottin how to make a meal ticket in a day
All I gotta say it's a good livin
Besides cars and women this shit gets the bills paid
[ CHORUS 2X ]
The root of all evil
And I got a gang of that shit
Whaaaat!
(Money makes the world go round
Money makes the world go round)
In King Tee’s song “Monay” featuring Dr. Dre, the lyrics are focused explicitly on the powerful influence of money in the modern world. The chorus repeats that the people of the world are living, dying, and going crazy for money. King Tee and Dr. Dre go on to describe their personal experiences as artists and entrepreneurs, detailing how they made it to the top through hard work, street smarts, and a relentless drive to acquire wealth. Throughout the song, both artists express their desire to maintain control over their own lives and success, rather than taking orders from others. They are proud of their accomplishments and are unapologetic about the fact that money is the root of their success.
King Tee’s opening verse speaks to his desire for independence and his refusal to work for anyone else. He acknowledges that the world is full of “liars and carnivores” who are trying to take advantage of him, but he has managed to “make it through” and is now “stackin chips everytime the phone ring.” He talks about people asking him how he made it in the music industry, and he responds that it’s “beside cars and women” the way he pays his bills. Dr. Dre’s verse echoes this sentiment, emphasizing his own hard work and focus on building his own wealth rather than hating on others who are more successful.
Overall, “Monay” is a celebration of the power of money and the success that can come from hard work and smart decision making. Both King Tee and Dr. Dre are proud of what they have achieved and are unapologetic about their desire for financial gain.
Line by Line Meaning
I never wanted to work for muthafuckas
I didn't want to work for people who wanted to tell me how to live my life.
That told me what to do, so I did my own thing
So I did my own thing because I refused to be told what to do.
Sometimes shit got thick, but I made it through
Sometimes things got tough, but I was able to persevere through it.
Now I'm stackin chips everytime the phone ring
Now when the phone rings, I know money is coming my way.
I'm in a world of liars and carnivores
I am surrounded by people who are untruthful and only care about themselves.
Caught between fires, dope dealin suppliers
Caught in the middle between drug dealers and the danger that comes with it.
But I must maintain, think on a level much higher
Despite all of this, I must remain strong and think about what's best for me.
This shit ain't worth a 25 to lifer
This lifestyle is not worth the risk of spending 25 years or more in prison.
People always askin me how I made it in this trade
People are always asking me how I've been able to succeed in this business.
Papparazzi got my biz front page
The media has put my business on the front page of newspapers and magazines.
Well, all I gotta say is it's a good livin'
All I have to say is that it is a good way to make a living.
Beside cars and women this shit gets the bills paid
Aside from spending money on cars and women, this business is profitable and pays the bills.
(People of the world, what we're livin for?)
What is the purpose of our lives?
That money (money) fast money (money) yeah
Money, especially fast money, seems to be the answer for many people.
(People of the world, what we're dyin for?)
What are people willing to die for?
That money (money) fast money (money) yeah
Many people are willing to die for money, especially fast money.
(Everybody's goin crazy for)
Everyone seems to be going crazy for something.
That money (money) fast money (money) yeah
That something is money, especially fast money.
(Fuckin with your head, I can get some of yo)
I can mess with your mind and take some of your money.
Money (money) cash money (money) yeah
Money, especially cash money, is what I am after.
How many niggas can say they got they own
How many people can say that they are their own boss?
Got they shit together, got a a nice stash to do whatever
They have their life together and have saved up a good amount of money to spend on whatever they want.
Ah, you're sittin at home, hatin on the next man
You are just sitting at home, hating on the success of others.
That's makin cheddar, tryin to get his shit together
These people are making a lot of money and trying to improve their situation.
I dreamed of hittin licks when I first got in the mix
I used to dream of making big money when I first got into this business.
Way back when DJ's was heavy in the crates for breaks
This was back when DJs were the most important people in the music business and would look for the best vinyl records to sample from.
And ain't a damn thing changed
Things are still the same now as they were back then.
But me movin out the firin range to a plushed out estate
Nowadays, I live in a nice house instead of being in the middle of danger.
Small technicalities y'all heard for years
There are small details that people have been talking about for many years.
Niggas with the problems always out to battle me
People with issues always seem to want to confront me and start a fight.
But I gets my swerve on, don't give a fuck
But I continue to do what I want and not worry about the opinions of others.
It's just a nigga talkin shit about his bullshit salary
Someone is just talking nonsense about how much money I make.
Since talk is extra it's cut short like Webster's
Since people talk too much, I am cutting their speech short like the dictionary, Webster's.
Show me the money or invest this
Instead of just talking, show me the money or invest in my business.
I'm street smart, fuck a lecture
I have the intelligence to succeed on the streets and don't need someone to lecture me.
Messin with mine'll get you put on a stretcher
If you mess with my business, you will end up in a hospital on a stretcher.
Lock your jaw like a pitbull apply the pressure
I will bite down like a pitbull and put the pressure on to get what I want.
Straight bout it, buildin ideas with self-made millionaires
I am honest about what I'm doing and working with other self-made millionaires to build our businesses together.
To get the dancefloors crowded
To make sure that the dancefloors are always full with people enjoying our music.
Hah, how's that black, limousine pull up on the scene
Just imagine how cool it looks and feels when a black limousine pulls up in style.
Ladies clean, deja-vu's of a wet dream
The ladies are attractive and remind me of a wet dream I once had.
I got enough cream to cater women
I have enough money to spend on women and cater to their every need.
For any chick that can fade me more than Henny
I am willing to spend more money on any woman who can handle me more than a bottle of Henny, Hennessy cognac.
Plus the remedy to make that hard shit
I also have the ability to make some tough and hard things happen.
At the end of each quarter I'm reapin the largeset harvest
At the end of each quarter, I am able to collect the biggest profits.
If I ain't in L.A. sippin Alizé
If I'm not in Los Angeles, sipping on Alizé (a type of liquor).
Plottin how to make a meal ticket in a day
I am always figuring out how to make a lot of money in a short amount of time.
All I gotta say it's a good livin
All I have to say is that this is a good way to make a living.
The root of all evil
Money is often considered to be the root of all evil.
And I got a gang of that shit
And I have a lot of it.
Whaaaat!
An expression of excitement or agreement.
(Money makes the world go round
Money seems to be the driving force that makes the world go around.
Money makes the world go round)
Without money, things would not be able to function or progress as they do now.
Contributed by Gianna N. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@merijnvankeulen2973
King T started this westcoast shit for real he was super important when rap became popular. Respect that man!
@boookoo3
king t + dr.dre beat = real gangsta shit
@joojoobaw
Battlecat > dre 🥴
@user-fr1oz3ft5g
Nothing like 90's Rap
@deejay2299
This was done in the two thousands
@QiLow105
this album was released in 1998 not the 2000's
@alexmason6191
@@deejay2299 nah, 1997-1998 sessions, supposed to be dropped in 1998 summer.
@gangstamack8397
@@alexmason6191 Yep
@stormrazor3768
this song is so underrated i cannot believe it..
@teezyapps7700
Believe it :)