In high school in the late 1970s, he met Special K and DJ Easy Lee. They formed the influential old school hip hop group The Treacherous Three. It is with The Treacherous Three that Kool Moe Dee performed his freestyle, on stage roast of old school party rapper Busy Bee Starski, a performance frequently cited as a pivotal moment in the development of the battle rap. In 1986, Kool Moe Dee went solo, releasing a self-titled album.
He is also well-known for his long-running feud with LL Cool J; he claims that LL Cool J stole his rapping style. The cover of Kool Moe Dee's 1987 album How Ya Like Me Now features a red Kangol hat (LL Cool J's trademark) being crushed under the wheel of a Jeep.
His song I Go To Work from the album Knowledge Is King is considered by some the pinnacle of his work, with high speed, high energy and intricate lyrics masterfully mixed in to the stacatto sounds of a marching band.
Kool Moe Dee also appeared on Will Smith's #1 pop hit "Wild Wild West" from Smith's 1999 motion picture, on which he re-performs the chorus to his 1987 single of the same name.
In 2003 he authored a book called "There's a God on the Mic" (ISBN 1560255331). The book breaks down his 50 favorite MCs in terms of originality, concepts, versatility, vocabulary, substance, flow, flavor, freestyle, vocal presence, live performance, poetic value, body of work, industry impact, social impact, longevity, lyrics and battle skills.
Wild Wild West
Kool Moe Dee Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The wild wild west
The wild wild west
The wild wild west
The wild wild west
The wild wild west
The wild wild west
The wild wild west
The wild wild west
The wild wild west
The wild wild west
I used to live downtown, 129th Street
Convent, everything's upbeat
Parties, ball in the park
Nothing, but girls after dark
We chill, nobody gets ill
In the place we call the hill
But if you try 'em
That's when they will
Get wild, but they don't fight, they kill
At the the wild wild west
The wild wild west
The wild wild west
The wild wild west
I remember parties out in the park
With the girlies, rubbing up in the dark
I was smooth, until someone pulled a gun
It was over, they spoiled my fun
I was flying, just like a track star
Dying, nah, I ran through the back yard
Trying to get into my building
Saying, "Why in the heck won't somebody kill them?"
One day the fellas got together
They vowed that no one would ever
Come on our block, and terrorize us
The gangs that used to do it, now they idolize us
Guns, we don't like to use them
Unless, our enemies choose them
We prefer to fight you on like a man
And beat you down with our hands and body slam you at the
The wild wild west
The wild wild west
The wild wild west
The wild wild west
We don't start trouble, but boy do we end it
Our time, we like to spend it
Snapping, boy do we heat up
But we'll take time out to beat up
A sucker, if he wants static
Beat-down, yeah we got it
Good, and we'll accommodate you
Thanks to us, a lot of brothers hate to
Come back, to this very day
Cause losing's one thing we don't play
If you're ever in a fight and you're beating one of us
Break out, before you get bum-rushed
At the the wild wild west
The wild wild west
The wild wild west
The wild wild west
The wild wild west
The wild wild west
The wild wild west
The wild wild west
The wild wild west
The wild wild west
The wild wild west
The wild wild west
The wild wild west
The wild wild west
The wild wild west
The wild wild west
The wild wild west
The wild wild west
The wild wild west
The wild wild west
I'm talking about Nazareth, B.O., Tony and Milton
Mike Mike Sluggo and Mike Chillion
D.O.B., Reggie B, and Sidney
Dana B, Derrick B, Sean B, and don't forget Big Hank,
Don Ice and Sire Rock
God bless Peter Wax, Chuck Chuck, and Po' Chop
El Dorado George way back in the day
Had all the brothers on the hill talking this way
They said, "God, have mercy L.A.
Sunshine," and my DJ
Easy Lee, are from around the way
Jock Jock, Philly Phil, Don D always
But they're chillin', Keith Keith, KV
Steve O, Ross Ross and A Fi
Beroni, Toss Toss and Hung Hunk
We fight with our hands and nobody's a punk!
At the the wild wild west
The wild wild west
The wild wild west
The wild wild west
The wild wild west
The wild wild west
The wild wild west
The wild wild west
The wild wild west
The wild wild west
The wild wild west
The wild wild west
Kool Moe Dee's song "Wild Wild West" is an ode to life in Harlem during the late 70s and early 80s, a time when gangs were a significant problem across the boroughs of New York City. The song reminisces about the carefree days of hanging out with friends and dating girls in the neighborhood, but it also acknowledges the reality of gang violence and the need to stand up against it.
The first verse describes the good times in the neighborhood, where parties in the park would go on until the early hours of the morning, and everyone would have a great time without any sign of violence or trouble. However, the second verse reveals how one incident of gang violence changed Kool Moe Dee's view of the world forever. A gun pulled during a party ruined the fun, and Kool Moe Dee ran for his life. He then explains how the residents of his block banded together to fight against gang violence, choosing to use their fists instead of guns, underlining the message that they would stand up for what was right without resorting to violence.
Overall, "Wild Wild West" is a song that draws attention to the dangers of gang life and how it can ruin the sense of community in a once-thriving neighborhood. It celebrates the importance of standing together and fighting for what is right while invoking the memories of happier times.
Line by Line Meaning
The wild wild west
The rough and tough neighborhood where Kool Moe Dee grew up.
I used to live downtown, 129th Street
Convent, everything's upbeat
Parties, ball in the park
Nothing, but girls after dark
The joyous and bustling atmosphere of Kool Moe Dee's neighborhood, where he enjoyed hanging out with his friends and the ladies.
We chill, nobody gets ill
In the place we call the hill
But if you try 'em
That's when they will
Get wild, but they don't fight, they kill
People in his neighborhood generally took it easy and did not cause trouble. But, if someone tried to start something, things would get ugly and violence could ensue.
I remember parties out in the park
With the girlies, rubbing up in the dark
I was smooth, until someone pulled a gun
It was over, they spoiled my fun
More memories of the fun times Kool Moe Dee and his friends had in their neighborhood. However, sometimes things would turn dangerous and the fun would be ruined by the presence of firearms.
Guns, we don't like to use them
Unless, our enemies choose them
We prefer to fight you on like a man
And beat you down with our hands and body slam you at the
Kool Moe Dee's neighborhood believed in settling disputes with physical fighting rather than resorting to guns. They saw it as more honorable to fight like a man without weapons.
We don't start trouble, but boy do we end it
Our time, we like to spend it
Snapping, boy do we heat up
But we'll take time out to beat up
A sucker, if he wants static
Beat-down, yeah we got it
Good, and we'll accommodate you
Thanks to us, a lot of brothers hate to
Come back, to this very day
Cause losing's one thing we don't play
If you're ever in a fight and you're beating one of us
Break out, before you get bum-rushed
His neighborhood was peaceful and laid back, but if someone attacked them, they would defend themselves with everything they had. They took pride in their ability to beat up anyone who tried to mess with them.
I'm talking about Nazareth, B.O., Tony and Milton
Mike Mike Sluggo and Mike Chillion
D.O.B., Reggie B, and Sidney
Dana B, Derrick B, Sean B, and don't forget Big Hank,
Don Ice and Sire Rock
God bless Peter Wax, Chuck Chuck, and Po' Chop
El Dorado George way back in the day
Had all the brothers on the hill talking this way
They said, "God, have mercy L.A.
Sunshine," and my DJ
Easy Lee, are from around the way
Jock Jock, Philly Phil, Don D always
But they're chillin', Keith Keith, KV
Steve O, Ross Ross and A Fi
Beroni, Toss Toss and Hung Hunk
We fight with our hands and nobody's a punk!
A shoutout to Kool Moe Dee's friends and fellow neighborhood residents, who had each other's backs and shared the same values of fighting fair and not backing down from a challenge.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Peermusic Publishing, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Willard C. Smith, Mohandas Dewese, Gregory E. Jacobs, Stevie Wonder, Rob Fusari, Walter Morrison, George Clinton Jr., William Earl Collins
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@tcmarshall1978
My dad just passed yesterday. This was his all time favorite song. Played it too often. Rest in heaven DADDY. I love you!!!
@chuckiebrownbfly
RIP
@EdgeO419
RIP to tha god
@112ikhlaas
Awww my dad’s too
@brucehalstead9115
Sorry for your lost i miss old school awareness rap uplifting the people
@govindsharma5207
Rest in peace to the person who had such an amazing taste in music.
@eddielewis2350
Within the hip hop community Moe Dee is a legend, but I don't think he gets the respect or recognition he deserves in the grand scheme of things.
@ralpheyboyboxing
a living a legend forever
@cherylisgreat48
YYYEEESSSS he is unrecognized and deserves all the awards....❤❤❤
@TypOPositiv
He didn’t put swearing in his lyrics. Clearly an artist can rap w/o sounding angry.