Formed in 1997, the band released their first album, 1999s Composition No. 1 on independent record label Eartube Empire. They then recorded an album entitled Call It What You Want for Squint Entertainment, containing tracks produced by the band and by Mario C, will.i.am and Prince Paul. Squint never released the album, but they did release a promotional EP titled Big Broke L.A. that contained tracks from Call It What You Want.
LA Symphony independently released the Baloney EP in 2002. Originally, 1000 limited edition copies were pressed, hand-numbered and shipped in resealable sandwich bags. Baloney was later re-pressed.
Following the Baloney EP, LA Symphony was signed to Gotee Records. They then released The End Is Now in 2003, Less Than Zero in 2005 and Disappear Here in 2005.
The Emcees
L.A. Symphony Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Handsome graphic novels we rebel and revel action
Axe to smash the place up, bring the demolition
Still cage, rage, engage the competition
Press pause. And accept your loss
I studied all your flaws and you gets no applause
If you flinching then you ??? now you see why I'm ??????
Scattering emcees like broken glass after a riot
Your lyrics are fat while mine in shape and on a diet
Get it straight, I'm lifting weights and sifting crates for beats and breaks
We create what you would take and imitate. You aggravate.
I got a nasty approach, you get a hasty retreat
You get smashed like a roach when you crawling at my feet
Take a seat, learn your lesson, ask the Pope for a blessing,
Tell the priest your confessing, now with UNO ?????????????
Get on the bus, c'mon and ride with us
Or else we're leaving you and we will supply the dust
This ain't a game to us
Approach the mic and bust
And we will move the crowd
C'mon and put your trust in the emcees (what?)
The emcees (c'mon)
The emcees (yeah)
The emcees (what?)
The emcees (uhh)
The emcees (come on)
The emcees (yeah)
The emcees (wooo)
In "The Emcees," L.A. Symphony showcases their skills as rappers and challenges anyone who wants to compete with them. The lyrics are filled with imagery of destruction, rebellion, and competition. The opening lines set the tone with the declaration that they are "champions" who are "enhancing this anthem" and "upping the ante." They are proud of their graphic novel-inspired rebellion and their ability to "scatter emcees like broken glass after a riot."
Throughout the rest of the song, L.A. Symphony continues to take shots at their potential competitors, mocking their lyrics as "fat" while theirs are "in shape and on a diet." They also reference their dedication to their craft, with lines like "I'm lifting weights and sifting crates for beats and breaks" and "we create what you would take and imitate." The chorus urges listeners to hop on the bus with the emcees or get left in the dust, emphasizing the idea that L.A. Symphony is not messing around when it comes to their skills as rappers.
Overall, "The Emcees" is a bold and confident track that showcases L.A. Symphony's skills and sets them apart as serious contenders in the world of hip-hop.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm a champion, enhancing this anthem, up the ante some
I am a skilled rapper who is improving this song and increasing the stakes
Handsome graphic novels we rebel and revel action
Our rap group tells stories through our music that challenge authority and celebrate action
Axe to smash the place up, bring the demolition
We are here to disrupt and destroy the mainstream, and bring a fresh perspective to the music industry
Still cage, rage, engage the competition
We are prepared to battle and defeat any other rappers who try to challenge our dominance
Press pause. And accept your loss
Stop trying to compete with me, because you are going to lose
I studied all your flaws and you gets no applause
I have analyzed your weak points and I am not impressed with your performance
Best believe in Santa Clause. Beat me? That's wishful thinking
You might as well believe in something impossible like Santa Claus, because defeating me is a far-fetched dream
If you flinching then you ???? now you see why I'm ??????
If you are intimidated by me, then you finally understand why I am so good at rapping
Scattering emcees like broken glass after a riot
I am tearing apart my competition like broken glass after a chaotic event
Your lyrics are fat while mine in shape and on a diet
Your raps are bloated and unimpressive, while mine are lean and powerful
Get it straight, I'm lifting weights and sifting crates for beats and breaks
I am working hard to improve my skills and find the best beats and samples for my raps
We create what you would take and imitate. You aggravate.
We are innovators who create original music, while you copy and annoy us
I got a nasty approach, you get a hasty retreat
My aggressive style of rapping causes my opponents to quickly back down
You get smashed like a roach when you crawling at my feet
You are so weak that I can crush you like a bug without even trying
Take a seat, learn your lesson, ask the Pope for a blessing, Tell the priest your confessing, now with UNO ?????????????
You need to sit down and listen, reflect on your mistakes, and ask for forgiveness from a higher power
Get on the bus, c'mon and ride with us
Join our rap group and become part of our movement
Or else we're leaving you and we will supply the dust
If you don't join us, we will leave you behind and forget about you
This ain't a game to us
We take our craft seriously and don't treat it like a game
Approach the mic and bust
Step up to the microphone and showcase your rapping skills
And we will move the crowd
Our music has the power to energize and excite our audience
C'mon and put your trust in the emcees (what?)
Believe in us and trust that we will deliver great music (really?)
The emcees (c'mon)
The emcees (yeah)
The emcees (what?)
The emcees (uhh)
The emcees (come on)
The emcees (yeah)
The emcees (wooo)
Repeat chorus - they want listeners to believe in them and support their music
Contributed by Chloe B. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@holyhiphopper
Sooo good!! Such awesome memories associated with this song!!Miss LAS! 🙌🏻🙌🏻🙌🏻
@wilberforce95
I seriously can't handle the amount of swag in this video.
@holyhiphopper
This is one of LAS' best CDs, every track is a hit on its own. I never had the chance to see the full LAS crew perform any of the CIWYW songs, so this is a real treat! Thanks for posting it! My boys and I listened to this CD so much during their growing up years, they jokingly still call Belgium waffles, "waffos" whenever my hubby makes em at home! In fact, many lil parts of their songs have found their way into their vocabulary and pop up every now and then and it just cracks me up! LAS has truly influenced this SoOC fam! ;-)
@GentleJamie
I'm back again. STILL dope.
@BrandonakaLTwice
Yah, I found the dvd on amazon two weeks ago for 40 bucks i think. And sure I'll upload the rest of the videos.
@GentleJamie
I'm back for more. Still dope. :)
@THEiDC
thanks for posting this! CIWYW was supposed to be a huge album...
@NebuzaTrackz
Btwice sounds like he was a member of log cabin and funny thing is Cookbook is or was in Log Cabin ...food for thought...
@patricksargent5718
i first found about LAS in 1999.... i was 15 then i'm 30 now, i first started drawing in 1999 still at it google me PSWIF ONE... i used to go to basement hip hop shop on vespar in 2000-2001 with the owner roc, i loved hip hop espically real holy hip hop back then.. this new holy hip hop i'm not feelin it...
@braddye4983
Yeah, I got into this band back in 2003 and I was 13 years old. I remember the only type of music people showed me to that point was country or rock. Then in my youth group they played this dvd that had L.A.Symphony's "Gonna Be Alright" video on it and I would always look forward to that video coming on. From that I grew a love for real holy hip-hop that has carried with me till today. Excited for the new LAS album in December.