Founded in late 1994 with no intention to record an album, La Coka Nostra was more a loose collective of artists connected through Danny Boy than a group. Having taken time off from rap after the break-up of House of Pain, Danny Boy took to working in video production and fashion as well as mentoring other artists. He met Slaine in Boston and, impressed with his writing, brought him to L.A. to record some tracks. Eventually it turned into more of a group effort including the former members of House of Pain and Ill Bill, as well as associates from Psycho Realm, Special Teamz and others. It was not until early 2006 that an actual line up solidified. Plans to release an album were first voiced later the same year.
In late 2008, the group signed to Suburban Noize Records and released the long delayed debut album A Brand You Can Trust on July 14, 2009. The album took so long to complete due to Danny Boy's refusal to have the members collaborate via e-mail; instead, he would gather everyone at the studio. This took time due to the recording of Ill Bill and Everlast's solo albums as well as various tours and other commitments. A Brand You Can Trust features fifteen tracks and guest appearances from Snoop Dogg, Bun B, Sick Jacken, B-Real, Sen Dog, Immortal Technique, Big Left and Q-Unique. Though similar stylistically to the group's prior online releases, it features songs grounded more in reality. Subjects touched upon include politics, death, drug addiction, raising a child and terrorism.
On March 2, 2012, it was announced that Everlast would be leaving La Coka Nostra due to his daughter's medical issues.
That's Coke
La Coka Nostra Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Yo, I've been rhyming since my daddy's dick first got wet
Kicked a hole in the womb of my mother then I jet
Back to the scene of the crime
A true mastermind
I'll never do time
(Slaine)
Nah, but I do watch my watch till the second hand stops
Piss drunk in the parking lot speaking dumb
Gun all sticky from the Puerto Rican rum
(Ill Bill)
I keep it real like the 80's when we flooded the block
Stick up kids went from baseheads to suckin' the cock
The hottest bitch in my projects discovered the rock
A year later had the monster climbing out of her twat
(Slaine)
This is a stick up
I told you you could reach for the sky
Fuck a chip off the brick or the piece of the pie
The worst thing they did to the kid was leave him alive
Now I'm ruthless moving with a reason to die
(Everlast)
The trees got me so high kid sniff your next line
My culture's refined
I'm heavy on the grind
I'm hard in the paint
My uzi weighs a kilo
I'll smack you in the face and crack your head like Cee Lo
(Ill Bill)
It's a fact homey eagles don't roam in flocks
But the eagles that I got will put a hole in your top
So predictable I'm already knowin' your plot
It happens so fast you won't even know that you're shot
(Slaine)
Till the concrete is painted with pain
Cause you bein' dead is the only way they'll ever say you were slain
Black scully, black bandana, and black coat
with the co-leader in the House of Pain (that's coke)
(Danny Boy)
You already know what it is
It's the pimp, the sniff and the aw shit
That ain't dandruff homeboy
Hell naw that ain't dandruff
All in together now - That's coke (x5)
(Ill Bill)
That's coke in freezer bags hidden in the ferarri
More raw than Big Daddy Kane spittin' with Marley
More white than them three bitches sniffin' with Charley
That's coke like a boston george new year's party
(Everlast)
The motherfuckin' svengali
Mob boss got body in the XL Denali
With the mossberg shotty
Got a full box of shells and a ransom note
That ain't gun powder out on my dash (that's coke)
(Slaine)
I'm raw as sushi
Belushi's spirit probably is with me
I'm Rick James bitch, ask Bobby and Whitney
In the hood where the maniacs will rob you to get me
Gettin' blown by Paris, Nicole, Lindsey, and Brittney
You shittin' me?
All in together now - That's coke (x12)
The song “That’s Coke” by La Coka Nostra is about the drug culture of the streets in the 1980s. The lyrics are a chronicle of the various aspects of the drug trade including drug lords, addicts, and the violence associated with the world of drugs. The chorus “All in together now - That's coke” suggests that everybody who is involved in the cocaine trade is in it together, regardless of their roles in the industry.
The first verse of the song is by Everlast, and he raps about his beginnings as a rapper. He even makes a reference to his birth by saying “I've been rhyming since my daddy's dick first got wet.” Slaine then takes over the second verse, in which he describes his night out drinking, getting drunk in the parking lot, and eventually getting into a fight. Ill Bill is up next, and he winds the clock back to the 80s when the crack epidemic hit the streets of New York City. In his verse, he references the stick-up kids who went from robbing drug dealers to trading sexual favors for drugs. Slaine takes center stage again with the fourth verse, in which he asserts his dominance in the game and describes his ruthlessness. Everlast continues with another verse about his drug use, while Ill Bill wraps things up with references to guns and violence.
Overall, “That’s Coke” is a raw and uncut portrayal of the drug culture. The lyrics are a reflection of the grim reality of life in the streets, where violence and drug use are everyday occurrences. The chorus emphasizes the fact that everyone involved in the drug trade is equally responsible for the outcome.
Line by Line Meaning
Yo, I've been rhyming since my daddy's dick first got wet
I have been a rapper since my father engaged in sexual intercourse with my mother
Kicked a hole in the womb of my mother then I jet
I broke through my mother's uterus before being born and moved forward with life
Back to the scene of the crime
I have returned to the location where an unpleasant event took place
A true mastermind
I am an intelligent and confident person
I'll never do time
I will never be incarcerated
Nah, but I do watch my watch till the second hand stops
I am always aware of time, and I keep observing the seconds pass by
And the bars close down and the records get dropped
When the nightclubs close, and the DJs finish playing music, I go home
Piss drunk in the parking lot speaking dumb
Intoxicated with alcohol in the parking lot, making foolish remarks
Gun all sticky from the Puerto Rican rum
My gun has a sticky surface due to the presence of Puerto Rican Rum
I keep it real like the 80's when we flooded the block
I am genuine, truthful, and honest like in the 1980s when drugs oversaturated the streets
Stick up kids went from baseheads to suckin' the cock
Criminals who robbed others have stooped so low to perform sexual activities for drugs
The hottest bitch in my projects discovered the rock
A girl from my neighborhood started using crack cocaine and became popular
A year later had the monster climbing out of her twat
A year afterward, she exhibited significant physical changes due to the severe effects of drug addiction
This is a stick up
I am robbing you at gunpoint
I told you you could reach for the sky
I allowed you to raise your hands high above your head
Fuck a chip off the brick or the piece of the pie
I am not interested in earning a small portion of the profits
The worst thing they did to the kid was leave him alive
My victim is unlucky that I didn't kill them, and that is the most terrible thing I could do to them
Now I'm ruthless moving with a reason to die
I am brutal and ruthless in my actions and have a reason to die for what I'm doing
The trees got me so high kid sniff your next line
The drugs have affected my perception, and I suggest taking another line of cocaine
My culture's refined
I consider my illicit activity to be of high quality
I'm heavy on the grind
I am working hard to make money through dealing drugs
I'm hard in the paint
I am fully committed to pursuing my objectives, despite the difficulties involved
My uzi weighs a kilo
My firearm is of value equivalent to that of a kilogram of illegal drugs
I'll smack you in the face and crack your head like Cee Lo
I will hit you so violently that your skull will break, like the famous singer Cee Lo's name
It's a fact homey eagles don't roam in flocks
People should know that eagles fly individually and not in groups
But the eagles that I got will put a hole in your top
The firearms I have can cause a fatal injury to you
So predictable I'm already knowin' your plot
I can quickly anticipate and predict your moves
It happens so fast you won't even know that you're shot
I am so efficient in my actions that you will not perceive being shot
Till the concrete is painted with pain
Until bodily injuries are so severe that blood is all over the concrete floor
Cause you being dead is the only way they'll ever say you were slain
Your death is the only way anyone will say that you were killed
Black scully, black bandana, and black coat
I am dressed entirely in black, including my hat and face covering
with the co-leader in the House of Pain (that's coke)
The proprietor of the 'House of Pain' establishment is in association with me in doing drug business
You already know what it is
You are aware of the activity that is going on
It's the pimp, the sniff and the aw shit
There is the pimping of physical services, snorting of drugs and difficult situations
That ain't dandruff homeboy
The white powdery substance that you see is not just flakes of skin
Hell naw that ain't dandruff
Absolutely not, it is not dandruff
All in together now - That's coke (x5)
A unifying chant that cocaine is the common denominator of their collaboration
That's coke in freezer bags hidden in the ferarri
There are plastic bags with cocaine in the freezer of my luxurious Ferrari car
More raw than Big Daddy Kane spittin' with Marley
The cocaine is purer than the musical style of Big Daddy Kane collaborating with Bob Marley
More white than them three bitches sniffin' with Charley
The cocaine is whiter and of higher quality than what three women are snorting with another person named Charley
That's coke like a boston george new year's party
The cocaine is of excellent quality and comparable to the infamous Boston George new year's eve party
The motherfuckin' svengali
I am a powerful and manipulative person
Mob boss got body in the XL Denali
A mafia leader has a dead body in the trunk of an extra-large GMC Denali SUV
With the mossberg shotty
I have a shotgun from Mossberg Firearms with me
Got a full box of shells and a ransom note
I have complete ammunition and a note demanding money in exchange for a hostage's release
That ain't gun powder out on my dash (that's coke)
There is cocaine instead of gunpowder on my car dashboard
I'm raw as sushi
I am honest and real, like raw fish enjoyed in sushi dishes
Belushi's spirit probably is with me
I have a feeling and a sense of John Belushi's presence being with me
I'm Rick James bitch, ask Bobby and Whitney
I am a wild and eccentric person, resembling the music artist Rick James, and others, such as Bobby Brown and Whitney Huston, acknowledge this
In the hood where the maniacs will rob you to get me
I conduct business from my neighborhood, where criminals are willing to rob to access my drugs
Gettin' blown by Paris, Nicole, Lindsey, and Brittney
I am in the presence of Paris Hilton, Nicole Richie, Lindsey Lohan, and Brittney Spears, and having a sexual experience with them
You shittin' me?
Are you joking or kidding me?
All in together now - That's coke (x12)
The unifying chant that cocaine is the common denominator of their collaboration and overall life.
Contributed by Thomas G. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
FTGUP NYC
I LOVE THIS TRACK SO MUCH. "That aint gunpowder out on my dash, thats coke!" IT DOESNT GET ANY BETTER.
Jenkins Bushae
Well if you deal with powder it typically comes black or white
DANIEL ARELLANO
Que nostalgia este tema me lo paso un amigo de la secundaria por el 2012, el tiempo se va muy rápido, solo queda recordar y disfrutar estos grandes éxitos ⚡
JessicaJayneNC
Forever a classic !!!!!!! Instantly hype when I hear it !
RedTiger
God i love this song, it is never getting boring !
DecSav
RedTiger boring now
greg neate
i agree this is my running jam
Meghan Kathleen
Never get tired of this song.
ferarthi
Cabuloso! curto muito ill bill ,, fico muito foda x)
Danilo Crosara
Mano, tô ligado que faz mó cota, mas só de mandar um salve pro Ill Bill ja é máximo respeito!!