The LOX gained national exposure in 1997 with their powerful multi-platinum tribute to the Notorious BIG, "We'll Always love Big Poppa". The song which celebrated the life of the slain superstar, captured Biggie's essence and thrust the LOX into the media spotlight as a group to watch out for. The trio later appeared on a multitude of hits, including Puffy's Benjamins, which the LOX wrote, Mase's 24 Hours to Live, and Mariah Carey's Honey. The group's debut album Money Power & Respect went platinum and helped establish the LOX as an important voice in Hip-Hop music.
While lauded for the commercial success of their first album, Jadakiss, Sheek and Styles were not satisfied with the project's outcome. On underground mix tapes, the LOX had developed a reputation for spitting legendary freestyles of sex, murder and mayhem However, singles from MP&R like "If You Think I'm Jiggie", didn't fully utilize the group's talents. The Lox were not the pretty boys who were being shown in the videos, they were street soldiers who preferred rhyming about real life on the block, instead of fantasy worlds of Bentley Coupes and Grammy awards. As their new album suggest, the Lox are the streets, and having joined the Ruff Ryders' lethal squadron, they finally have the chance to just be themselves.
So who are the Real LOX? The Real Lox are authentic ghetto story-tellers, whose rhymes are derived from the pain, anger, lust and love which exist in the hearts of men. The Real LOX are the embodiment of Hip-Hop's origin as the voice of a disparate people. Their current singles Wild Out and Fuck you are certified street anthems and the impending release of their sophomore album has the hip-hop world holding their collective breathe in anticipation.
Swizz Beats has saved some of his best production for the LOX's sophomore project. The producer who blazed tracks for platinum artists DMX, Jay-Z and EVE blesses the LOX with cuts like Y'all fucked Up Now, and IF U Know, which features Drag-On and Eve, that pack pure street drama. The LOX devour his frenetic beats and spit complex rhymes over his moving rhythms creating an energy which is unmatched in any genre of music today. Styles, Jadakiss, and Sheek also flex their muscles as solo performers on the album as well, proving that they are more than just a talented group, but they also possess superior skills as individual performers. Producers Premiere, Timbaland and P. Killer also contribute cuts to We Are the Streets adding their own unique flavors to the diverse mix.
We are the Streets stands to be one of the most important albums of the millenium because it was born out of a movement. A call was put out to the streets, to help give the LOX back their voice and save Hip-Hop from its downward spiral of self indulgence. The streets responded ferociously and the LOX are finally free. This album is a testament to the power of the Hip-Hop fans who supported the group through their difficult times. They are the reason that the Real LOX have returned. Music will never be the same.
We Are The Streets
Lox Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You know we had to, ?dis right?
It just wouldn't be right
Yo, ayo
Yo I?ma be-boy standin' in my be-boy stance
Glock on my hip is big is the dick in my pants
You don't want nuttin' wit sheek you soft as fuck
Wit a horseshoe to let you know you pressin? ya luck
You don't want nuttin' wit kiss, nuttin' wit styles
You don't wanna end up food for the crocodiles
I?d take the gun off ya waist and smack ya
And turn around and point it at ya mink and give you one
I'm the reason why ya peeps not in I.C.U.
'Cause believe me when you ain't watchin' I see you
From the Hamptons to the place where you like to eat
I put somethin' in them yams you keep thinkin' is sweet
I'm in the bushes all night calm wit the Tommy
Waitin' for you to skinny dip wit that mommy
While she waitin' for the night, I'm waitin' for her flight
No we ain't, wit dem
No more 'cause we rough ridin'
Get it out ya head now
LOX is back now
Show a little love now
Pump it in the club now
No we ain't, wit dem
No more 'cause we rough ridin'
Get it out ya head now
LOX is back now
Show a little love now
Pump it in the club now
Yo if you should die tonight, it?s 'cause I said, "Peel his cap"
We all rough riders now, how real is that
It?s the kiss of death everybody know J-face
You's gettin' off similar to OJ?s case
Just better rhymes and better beats involved
Less politics more of the streets involved
Things always go smooth when the heat's involved
Sign today or get beat tomorrow
First one talkin' that family shit
And get a lotta dough and don't give the family shit
I don't care how many checks you wrote
I just wanna see how you gonna dance when your neck get broke
If why?all do fall down I?ma scoop the
No shiny suits, everybody boots and jeans
The industry is one thing being real is another
That means I?ll steal your
No we ain't, wit dem
No more 'cause we rough ridin'
Get it out ya head now
LOX is back now
Show a little love now
Pump it in the club now
No we ain't, wit dem
No more 'cause we rough ridin'
Get it out ya head now
LOX is back now
Show a little love now
Pump it in the club now
Yo if you left the peak ballin', I don't feel yo ass
I wish duke was still alive and they killed yo ass
You can keep an industry but don't you come to the hood
I got a thousand niggas like me and they feel like Suge
If you think I'm beefin' for nuttin' then rob me dog
I'm from the hood and I ain't been robbed before
Tell you screw all the paperwork, you can lie in dirt
Walk through the valley nigga tell me if the iron hurt
Rough ridin' now 'cause that's where the bombs at
And I tell niggas fuck that car jack
Take the roley out the air put the don back
Can't wear shiny suits on combat
Guess I got personal beef, you worse than a thief
Probably be your man that'll work you to sleep
We goin' put the guns down and we ain't bringin' a crew
You got friends that hate yo ass more than we do nigga
We don't give a fuck about ya
We don't give a fuck about ya
We don't give a fuck about ya
We gonna be alright with out ya
No we ain't, wit dem
No more 'cause we rough ridin'
Get it out ya head now
LOX is back now
Show a little love now
Pump it in the club now
No we ain't, wit dem
No more 'cause we rough ridin'
Get it out ya head now
LOX is back now
Show a little love now
Pump it in the club now
No we ain't, wit dem
No more 'cause we rough ridin'
Get it out ya head now
LOX is back now
Show a little love now
Pump it in the club now
...
In the lyrics to "We Are The Streets," The Lox assert their dominance in the rap game and warn against crossing them. The opening lines of the song say "you know we had to dis right," which suggests that the group had to call out their competition to maintain their reputation. They follow this up by boasting about their tough personas, with Sheek Louch rapping that he carries a Glock as big as the "dick in [his] pants" and Jadakiss threatening to beat someone with their own gun. They also reference their rough upbringing and street credibility by mentioning the "bushes all night calm wit the Tommy" and "thousand niggas like me and they feel like Suge." Overall, this song paints The Lox as a force to be reckoned with in the rap world.
One interesting fact about this song is that it was the title track of The Lox's second studio album, which was released in 2000. The album was a commercial success, peaking at number 5 on the Billboard 200 and featuring collaborations with DMX and Eve. Another interesting fact is that The Lox were part of the hip hop collective Ruff Ryders, which also included DMX, Eve, and Swizz Beatz. This affiliation helped raise the group's profile in the late 1990s and early 2000s. Additionally, this song samples "I'm Chief Kamanawanalea (We're The Royal Macadamia Nuts)" by The Turtles, which was a popular song in the 1960s.
Line by Line Meaning
You know we had to ?dis, right?
We had to speak negatively about someone, it's necessary.
You know we had to, ?dis right?
We had to speak negatively about someone, it's necessary.
It just wouldn't be right
It wouldn't be fair or just to not express this.
Yo, ayo
Hey, listen up.
Yo I?ma be-boy standin' in my be-boy stance
I resemble a hip-hop dancer.
Glock on my hip is big is the dick in my pants
The gun on my hip is big, as big as my genitals.
You don't want nuttin' wit sheek you soft as fuck
You don't want to mess with Sheek, you're just too weak.
I leave a single shotgun shell on top of your truck
I'll put a shotgun shell on your truck to intimidate you.
Wit a horseshoe to let you know you pressin? ya luck
I'll use a horseshoe to warn you that you're pushing your luck.
You don't want nuttin' wit kiss, nuttin' wit styles
You don't want to mess with Kiss or Styles.
You don't wanna end up food for the crocodiles
You don't want to be injured, or worse.
I?d take the gun off ya waist and smack ya
I'd disarm you and smack you.
And turn around and point it at ya mink and give you one
I'll point the gun at your fur coat and threaten you.
I'm the reason why ya peeps not in I.C.U.
I'm the reason why your family or friends are not in intensive care.
'Cause believe me when you ain't watchin' I see you
I can see, and am aware of what you're doing even when you think you're unseen.
From the Hamptons to the place where you like to eat
I know your entire itinerary.
I put somethin' in them yams you keep thinkin' is sweet
I put something in the dish you thought was sweet.
I'm in the bushes all night calm wit the Tommy
I stay calm all night with the Tommy gun.
Waitin' for you to skinny dip wit that mommy
I'm waiting for you to swim naked with your girlfriend.
While she waitin' for the night, I'm waitin' for her flight
While she waits to leave, I'm waiting for her transportation.
No we ain't, wit dem
We won't associate ourselves with them.
No more 'cause we rough ridin'
We are in the rap group Rough Riders now.
Get it out ya head now
Stop thinking about it.
LOX is back now
We're back now, referring to the rap group LOX.
Show a little love now
Show us some respect now.
Pump it in the club now
Play our music in the club now.
Yo if you should die tonight, it?s 'cause I said, "Peel his cap"
If you die tonight, it's because I ordered someone to pull the trigger.
We all rough riders now, how real is that
We are all part of the Rough Riders now, that's how serious we are.
It?s the kiss of death everybody know J-face
Kiss of death is a signature move that we're well known for.
You's gettin' off similar to OJ?s case
You'll get away with it like OJ Simpson did with his case.
Just better rhymes and better beats involved
Now we focus on the quality of the music.
Less politics more of the streets involved
We focus more on street experiences and less on politics.
Things always go smooth when the heat's involved
Things always go well when weapons are involved.
First one talkin' that family shit
The first one talking about family matters.
And get a lotta dough and don't give the family shit
Pretending to care for the family while refusing to in reality.
I don't care how many checks you wrote
I'm not impressed by how much money you make.
I just wanna see how you gonna dance when your neck get broke
I want to see how you'll react when you're under pressure.
If why?all do fall down I?ma scoop the
If all of you fall, I'll be the victor.
No shiny suits, everybody boots and jeans
We don't wear fancy suits, just jeans and boots.
The industry is one thing being real is another
The music industry is different from being true to oneself.
That means I?ll steal your
I'll steal your identity or your music.
Yo if you left the peak ballin', I don't feel yo ass
If you left with your pockets full, I have no sympathy for you.
I wish duke was still alive and they killed yo ass
I would've liked it if someone killed you.
You can keep an industry but don't you come to the hood
I don't want to see someone involved with the music industry in my neighborhood.
I got a thousand niggas like me and they feel like Suge
I have a lot of friends like me, and they are as strong as Suge Knight.
If you think I'm beefin' for nuttin' then rob me dog
If you think I'm causing trouble without reason, then try robbing me.
I'm from the hood and I ain't been robbed before
I'm from a poor neighborhood and I haven't been robbed.
Tell you screw all the paperwork, you can lie in dirt
I don't care about the legal paperwork, you can be buried in the dirt.
Walk through the valley nigga tell me if the iron hurt
Walk through the dangerous area and let me know if you feel the danger.
Rough ridin' now 'cause that's where the bombs at
We act like we're in the Rough Riders because that's where the danger and excitement is.
And I tell niggas fuck that car jack
I tell people to forget about car theft.
Take the roley out the air put the don back
Take the expensive watch off and return to our gangster ways.
Can't wear shiny suits on combat
You can't wear fancy clothes in a violent situation.
Guess I got personal beef, you worse than a thief
I have a personal grudge against you, you're worse than a common criminal.
Probably be your man that'll work you to sleep
It will probably be one of your associates who'll hurt you severely.
We goin' put the guns down and we ain't bringin' a crew
We'll stop bringing weapons and our friends.
You got friends that hate yo ass more than we do nigga
You have associates who dislike you more than we do.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: DARRIN DEAN, KASSEEM DEAN, SEAN D JACOBS, JASON T PHILLIPS, DAVID STYLES
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind