Affectionately known as the "B-team," Lance & Tony went on to pen songs for Alexander O'Neal, New Edition, and other artists that came to Flyte Tyme looking for songs. After solidifying their place in the studio as up & coming producers and songwriters, the ambitious pair put together the Lo-Key project. The first album "Where Dey At?" was named after a dig at a Jamaican studio owner who signed Lance to a 'slave' contract before his Flyte Tyme deal and owed him money and kept his Masters. Although amongst music circles the group was lauded, Lo-Key never reached Platinum or Gold status, due to corporate restructuring and political maneuvering at A&M records. Performances were kept at a minimum, due to the grooming of Lance & Tony as producers. After the sale of the Perspective imprint, Tony became A&R for a while at the new Flyte Tyme Records, and Lance went on to form his own label, "Baby Honey Records", with music promoter B-Rich, which is based out of Atlanta, as well as the Baby Honey Recording studio. The only group signed to Baby Honey Records was V.I.P., a trio vocal group from Minneapolis. The rest of Lo-Key disbanded.
Lance Alexander discovered the R&B group 'Next' while working as a staff writer at Flyte Tyme Productions. Initially, the pair brought the group, who was known at the time as 'Straight 4ward,' into the Flyte Tyme studios to cut demos and after pitching the group to Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis, the Producers passed on the project. After performing at an annual black music seminar in Minneapolis, Naughty by Nature's DJ Kay Gee discovered the group and signed them to a recording contract. Lance wrote the B-side "Butta Love" to the million selling single "Too Close". The group was renamed Next. Lo-Key was influenced heavily by Con Funk shun, and also by old school R&B acts.
26¢
Lo-Key Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Hey, It's gonna be okay, It's gonna be okay
We're living in the safety zone
Where everybody's staying home
There's nowhere left to go
We're blind 'til we've been shown
Deaf sometimes to every tone
I want You to know that You're not alone
We're all in this together after all
The poor and the Rich
The Big and the Small
United we stand, Divided we fall
We gotta build a bridge and tear down a wall
We're different on the silver screen
But we're just the same behind the scene
Now there's nowhere else to be
We see what we believe
And hear mostly what's short and sweet
But when we feel something that's real
We move our feet to the same beat
We're all in this together after all
The poor and the Rich
The Big and the Small
United we stand, Divided we fall
We gotta build a bridge and tear down a wall
You can't Solve all Your Puzzles with War
You'll never find the missing Peace
You gotta put that double-edged sword back in its sheath, cuz
We're all in this together after all
The poor and the Rich
The Big and the Small
United we stand, Divided we fall
We gotta build a bridge and tear down a wall
Lo-Key's song "26¢" speaks to a shared experience that we've all faced in 2020 and 2021 - living in a pandemic world. The opening lines, "We're living in the safety zone/Where everybody's staying home/There's nowhere left to go" clearly point to the restrictions on our movement that have been put in place globally to combat the spread of COVID-19. Despite our enforced isolation, the song reminds us that we are not alone, and that we are all in this together. The message of the chorus is clear - regardless of our social or economic backgrounds, we have a shared responsibility to look out for each other: "The poor and the Rich/The Big and the Small/United we stand, Divided we fall".
In these times of uncertainty, it can be hard to know what to believe or who to trust. The lyrics suggest that we are blind to the truth until it is revealed to us, and that we can be deaf to the suffering of others: "Deaf sometimes to every tone/But as much as we're out of touch/I want You to know that You're not alone". The song presents a positive message of hope, that despite all the challenges we face, there is a way forward together: "We gotta build a bridge and tear down a wall". The line "You can't Solve all Your Puzzles with War/You'll never find the missing Peace/You gotta put that double-edged sword back in its sheath, cuz" suggests that the way forward must be through cooperation and understanding, rather than conflict.
Line by Line Meaning
Hey, Hey, Homebody
Greetings, you who prefer to stay at home
Hey, It's gonna be okay, It's gonna be okay
Don't worry, everything will be alright
We're living in the safety zone
We are currently in a secure and protected environment
Where everybody's staying home
Everyone is currently observing the stay at home order
There's nowhere left to go
There are currently no available places to visit or explore
We're blind 'til we've been shown
We cannot see unless we are given a visual clue
Deaf sometimes to every tone
Sometimes we ignore or overlook what we hear
But as much as we're out of touch
Despite our current disconnection from each other
I want You to know that You're not alone
I want you to feel supported and not isolated
We're all in this together after all
We are all experiencing this situation as a united community
The poor and the Rich
Regardless of financial status
The Big and the Small
Regardless of physical size or strength
United we stand, Divided we fall
We can only overcome this challenge by working together
We gotta build a bridge and tear down a wall
We need to create lasting connections by breaking down barriers
We're different on the silver screen
Our public personas and images can be vastly different
But we're just the same behind the scene
Our basic humanity and emotions are universal
Now there's nowhere else to be
Our current situation leaves us with no other options
We see what we believe
Our beliefs can influence our perception of reality
And hear mostly what's short and sweet
We tend to listen to information that is simple and easy to digest
But when we feel something that's real
When we experience a genuine emotion
We move our feet to the same beat
We can come together in unity and shared experience
You can't Solve all Your Puzzles with War
Violence and aggression are not always the answer to our problems
You'll never find the missing Peace
You will never discover harmony by perpetuating conflict
You gotta put that double-edged sword back in its sheath, cuz
You need to stop wielding your weapon to achieve peace
We gotta build a bridge and tear down a wall
We need to create lasting connections by breaking down barriers
Lyrics © DistroKid
Written by: Steven Scott
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind