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.
Family
Lo-Key Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
That don't mean that I don't really love ya
And even though I married your father
That's not the only reason I'm here for ya
I think you're beautiful
I think you're perfect
I know how hard it gets
That's what you do, what you do, what you do
What you do for love
'Cause there ain't nothing, there ain't nothing
There ain't nothing I won't do for us
It may not be easy
This blended family, but baby
That's what you do, what you do, what you do
What you do for love
I know it started with a little drama
I hate you had to read it in the paper
But everything's alright with me and ya Mama
Baby everybody here you know adores ya
I think it's beautiful
I think it's perfect
I know how hard it gets
But I swear it's worth it, worth it
That's what you do, what you do, what you do
What you do for love
'Cause there ain't nothing, there ain't nothing
There ain't nothing I won't do for us
It may not be easy
This blended family, but baby
That's what you do, what you do, what you do
What you do for love, love
For love, for love
I think it's, my real my true love
'Cause you're my baby, rejoice daily
I believe love could bring us closer than blood
I remember having four step-moms at nine
Loved Christmas time and birthday was fly
Hit my sisters just for dinner 'cause the cookin' was bomb
Her mothers supper made me love her like she took me to prom (uh)
And shoutout to my sisters on welfare
Flacko care, nobody else care
And shoutout to the step-sisters and step-brothers
And god-sisters, who eventually slept with us
Real love, but you doin' it right, alright
I'm here for you
Everything's alright, alright
That's what you do, what you do, what you do
What you do for love (That's just what you do)
There ain't nothing, there ain't nothing
There ain't nothing I won't do for us (For you baby)
It may not be easy
This blended family but baby
That's what you do, what you do, what you do
What you do for love, love
That's just what you do (for love)
For love of the babies (for love)
We're a blended family (for love)
And it's alright (for love)
Said it's alright!
I'll be here forever
The song "Family" by Lo-Key is a tribute to blended families, specifically stepmothers and stepmothers. The lyrics are about a stepmother who accepts and loves her stepchild as her own. The song starts with the admission that the singer might not be the child's biological mother, but that does not change the love she has for him. She married his father not only because she loves him but also to be a part of the child's life. The lyrics go on to state that the stepmother thinks her stepchild is beautiful and perfect, and despite the challenges that come with a blended family, she is willing to go through them all to make it work.
The song addresses the child directly and stresses that everyone in the family adores and supports him. The singer remembers some of the hardships she faced as a stepchild but also highlights the happy moments with her stepsisters and stepbrothers. Despite any difficulties, the stepmother promises to be there for her stepchild forever. The song's message is clear: love knows no blood; family is more than just biology.
Overall, Lo-Key's "Family" is a heartfelt tribute to blended families and the love and dedication required to make them work. It encourages us to embrace and appreciate everyone in our family, no matter how they came into our lives.
Line by Line Meaning
Hey I might not really be your mother
I may not have given birth to you
That don't mean that I don't really love ya
But that doesn't stop me from loving you
And even though I married your father
Plus, even though I married your dad
That's not the only reason I'm here for ya
My love for you extends beyond that
I think you're beautiful
I find you to be stunning
I think you're perfect
I think you're flawless
I know how hard it gets
I'm aware of how tough things can be
But I swear it's worth it, worth it
But I promise, it's all worth it
That's what you do, what you do, what you do
This is what love motivates one to do
What you do for love
The lengths we go for affection
'Cause there ain't nothing, there ain't nothing
As there is nothing more important
There ain't nothing I won't do for us
Than to ensure our happiness
It may not be easy
It might be far from straightforward
This blended family, but baby
This family made up of various relatives
That's what you do, what you do, what you do
This is what love inspires one to do
I know it started with a little drama
I'm aware it began with some turbulence
I hate you had to read it in the paper
I wish you didn't have to read about it in the news
But everything's alright with me and ya Mama
But everything's fine between your mother and me
Baby everybody here you know adores ya
Everyone in this family loves you
For love, for love
All for the sake of love
I think it's, my real my true love
I believe that this is my one true love
'Cause you're my baby, rejoice daily
As you are my child, and I celebrate you every day
I believe love could bring us closer than blood
I think love can bind us stronger than blood ties
I remember having four step-moms at nine
I experienced having four stepmothers when I was only nine
Loved Christmas time and birthday was fly
I enjoyed the celebrations, especially Christmas and birthdays
Hit my sisters just for dinner 'cause the cookin' was bomb
I eagerly visited my sisters for meals as their cooking was amazing
Her mothers supper made me love her like she took me to prom (uh)
Her mother's cooking won me over and made me feel loved
And shoutout to my sisters on welfare
A shoutout to my sisters who are on welfare
Flacko care, nobody else care
I care about them, even if nobody else does
And shoutout to the step-sisters and step-brothers
Also, a shoutout to my stepsisters and stepbrothers
And god-sisters, who eventually slept with us
And also, our god-sisters, who later became intimate with us
Real love, but you doin' it right, alright
Genuine love, but you're doing everything correctly, alright
I'm here for you
I will always be here for you
That's just what you do, what you do, what you do
That's just what one does, what one does, when it comes to love
There ain't nothing, there ain't nothing
As there is nothing more significant
There ain't nothing I won't do for us
Than to ensure our happiness
It may not be easy
It won't be straightforward
This blended family but baby
This family made up of various relatives
That's what you do, what you do, what you do
That's what one does, what one does, when it comes to love
For love, love
For the sake of love
That's just what you do (for love)
This is just what one does for love
For love of the babies (for love)
For the love of the children
We're a blended family (for love)
We may come from different families, but we are a family now
And it's alright (for love)
And that's perfectly okay. All for love
Said it's alright!
Everything will be alright
I'll be here forever
I will never leave, I'll be with you always
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Kenneth Neil Withrow, Brandon Aly, Edie Arlisa Brickell, John Bush, Latisha Tawana Hyman, Alicia Augello Cook, Rakim Mayers, David Ryan Kuncio, John Houser
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind