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.
Where Hope Goes To Die
La Coka Nostra Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Perform a seance with a fucking shotty
I wear a ski mask so that nobody identify me
Grimey and grizzily, throw you to the pitbulls like a frisbee
Then feed the pieces of you that they bring me
Baby, your arm, leg, leg, arm, and your head
Even God turned his back on you, holmie, you're dead
Just a fragment of your former possibilities and aspirations
My generals pocket death to millions
The media spread lies and cash cheques for trillions
I organize crime, money and murder synchronize beyond time
I move mountain tops without trying
I move buildings like super villains
Throw penthouses of people and fist fuck porno movie bitches
Like Bang Brothers dot com, got money in my palm
No love, no smiles, ain't nothing funny, y'all
I come from where hope goes to die
Where dreams get crushed and the bullets fly
I come from where hope goes to die
La Coka Nostra till I die
Peckerwood b-boy in the white man's stance
Where I come from, son,
the wolves don't dance
They stand with their fists and talk shit like this
Y'all don't want drama, y'all don't want static
You fiend like crack addicts, comeback's automatic
Got a douce-douce in my boot holdin' five
Got a razor in the other one in case you survive
I rep the Gaza Strip, the hunger strike
Cousin, bite on your lip, do what you like
We ain't playin' no games, you ain't honky-honk
When the cats with the guns pop the trunks and dump
And the pistols thump and the bodies slump
Goin' for Jihad, can't wait to see God
A child of the city so my attitude's shitty
The livest type bomber out for pure drama
Period, comma, P.S. fuck your momma
I'm the white guy who gave the whole rap game a black eye
Fuck your bitch with a dick thicker than Shaq's thigh
You can't nod off, this is a crack high
Stab you in your fucking face with a jack knife
I love bitches who suck dick and half-dyke
I'm just sick, I'll beat your brain, doc, with a flashlight
A black mag lite, you other rappers fag fight
We don't battle, I have your family crawlin' up the bagpipes
And the preachers preach, pine box in the fucking facial features fixed
Whoops, I mean fixed, push don't mean shit
When a dope fiend lean on a custom green whip
Everlast, Ill Bill, Slaine, and D-Boy, Lethal, Left Cage
We b-boys who destroy on both coasts
Tote toasts and sold coke with gold ropes
Where Hope Goes to Die is a gritty and stark portrayal of the underworld of gang violence and organized crime. La Coka Nostra's lyrics bring to life the brutal reality of life on the streets, where dreams are shattered, and hope is lost. The lyrics describe the desensitized view of life and death among the criminal underbelly of society. The opening lines of the song are an explicit image of using a shotgun to perform a seance, indicating that life and death are intertwined, and the ultimate arbiters of human existence.
The rap reflects on how religion and morality don't hold value in the cruel world where they come from. The line "Even God turned his back on you" highlights the loss of faith that people experience in such an environment. The song's aggression is reflected in its lyrics, with references to violent acts and depicting gang activity, such as killing for control of territory, watching porn, and organized crime. The lyrics attest to the powerlessness that existed in the environment where the song was written. The aggressive and raw lyrics of the song underscore the brutal reality of the streets.
Line by Line Meaning
I shoot you out your body
I will shoot you in such a way that the bullet will exit your body, causing a serious injury or death.
Perform a seance with a fucking shotty
I will put you in touch with the spirit world with the help of a shotgun.
I wear a ski mask so that nobody identify me
I cover my face with a ski mask to avoid identification while committing a crime.
Grimey and grizzily, throw you to the pitbulls like a frisbee
I am harsh and ruthless, and I will throw you to pitbulls like a frisbee, letting them tear you apart.
Then feed the pieces of you that they bring me
I will consume the parts of you that the pitbulls bring back to me.
Baby, your arm, leg, leg, arm, and your head
I will dismember you into parts, including your arm, leg, leg, arm, and head.
Even God turned his back on you, holmie, you're dead
You are so bad that even God has rejected you, you are dead.
Just a fragment of your former possibilities and aspirations
You have lost all your potential and dreams.
A casualty in the civil war of a gangster nation
You are one of the many victims of the civil war fought by gangs.
My generals pocket death to millions
The leaders of my gang store death that will impact millions.
The media spread lies and cash cheques for trillions
The media spreads lies for money and profit, even if it is worth trillions.
I organize crime, money and murder synchronize beyond time
I lead organized crime, where crime, money, and murder operate synchronized over time.
I move mountain tops without trying
I can move mountains effortlessly.
I move buildings like super villains
I can move buildings like villains from a superhero movie.
Throw penthouses of people and fist fuck porno movie bitches
I throw people's penthouses around and violate pornographic actresses.
Like Bang Brothers dot com, got money in my palm
Like buying shows on Bang Brothers dot com, I have a lot of money at my disposal.
No love, no smiles, ain't nothing funny, y'all
I do not have any love, nor do I smile, and there is nothing amusing about this.
I come from where hope goes to die
I come from a place where hope vanishes, and there is no optimism.
Where dreams get crushed and the bullets fly
A place where your aspirations get shattered, and bullets are rampant.
Peckerwood b-boy in the white man's stance
I am a white male who has adopted elements of hip-hop culture.
Where I come from, son, the wolves don't dance
The place where I grew up is so rough that people don't dance there.
They stand with their fists and talk shit like this
People from where I come stand and swear at one another.
Y'all don't want drama, y'all don't want static
You do not want trouble with me.
You fiend like crack addicts, comeback's automatic
You are addicted to my presence, just like a crack addict, and I will always come back for more.
Got a douce-douce in my boot holdin' five
I have a shotgun in my boot that holds five shots.
Got a razor in the other one in case you survive
I have a razor in the other one in case you survive the shotgun.
I rep the Gaza Strip, the hunger strike
I represent the Gaza Strip and their hunger strike.
Cousin, bite on your lip, do what you like
Go ahead and do what you like, cousin, but I warn you.
We ain't playin' no games, you ain't honky-honk
We are not playing games with you, and you better not play any with us.
When the cats with the guns pop the trunks and dump
When we attack you with guns, we may also dump your body in a trunk.
And the pistols thump and the bodies slump
As our pistols go off, the bodies of people slump and fall.
Goin' for Jihad, can't wait to see God
We are going on a Jihad and cannot wait to see God.
A child of the city so my attitude's shitty
I grew up in the city, and as a result, I have a negative attitude.
The livest type bomber out for pure drama
I am the most explosive type of person seeking pure drama.
Period, comma, P.S. fuck your momma
No matter what, and just in case you forgot, screw your mother.
I'm the white guy who gave the whole rap game a black eye
I am the white guy who damaged the reputation of the entire rap game.
Fuck your bitch with a dick thicker than Shaq's thigh
I will have sex with your girlfriend using a penis thicker than Shaquille O'Neal's thigh.
You can't nod off, this is a crack high
The level of activity and chaos is similar to what happens when one uses crack cocaine.
Stab you in your fucking face with a jack knife
I am so violent that I would stab you in your face with a jack knife.
I love bitches who suck dick and half-dyke
I am sexually interested in women who are bisexual to some extent.
I'm just sick, I'll beat your brain, doc, with a flashlight
I am mentally ill, and I could beat your brain's doctor with a flashlight.
A black mag lite, you other rappers fag fight
I use a black maglite to assault other rappers who are in a homosexual relationship.
We don't battle, I have your family crawlin' up the bagpipes
We do not need to battle, as with my power, I can make your family members beg for mercy or mourn your loss.
And the preachers preach, pine box in the fucking facial features fixed
Even though the preachers preach, your facial features will still be fixed in a pine box after your death.
Whoops, I mean fixed, push don't mean shit
By fixed, I mean death, and no matter how hard you struggle, you cannot avoid it.
When a dope fiend lean on a custom green whip
A drug addict leans on a green car that is custom-made.
Everlast, Ill Bill, Slaine, and D-Boy, Lethal, Left Cage
These are the names of La Coka Nostra's members.
We b-boys who destroy on both coasts
We are b-boys who are robust and control both coasts.
Tote toasts and sold coke with gold ropes
We carry guns and sold cocaine, wearing gold chains in the process.
Contributed by Muhammad S. Suggest a correction in the comments below.