Throughout their whole career M.O.P. deliver the most hard, vicious and violent music hip hop could ever offer. They struck out in 1994. with To The Death, a dark, slow and raging LP that was fully produced by DR Period and featured one of the biggest hardcore rap anthems of the nineties, How About Some Hardcore, that's put by any hardcore rap fan in the same category with Onyx's Slam, Jeru The Damaja's Come Clean and Wu-Tang Clan's Shame On A Nigga.
In 1996 MOP released their second effort, the totally-sophomore-slump-free Firing Squad. Despite totally changing their production sources (the album was mostly produced by Gang Starr's DJ Premier and Fizzy Womack himself), M.O.P. continued torturing fans' ears with extremely hard, rhinocerously slow beats and ecstatic, rampant delivery. Subject matter is either battling with heavy use of criminal associations or serious talk about life in the ghetto.
Two years later M.O.P. hit the fans with a starter - an EP called Handle Ur Bizness and later that year released First Family 4 Life, working on the same formula as ever, again with heavy percentage of DJ Preemo's production, more gems produced by group member Lil Fame and proving that M.O.P.'s trademark is not only the hardest hardcore you can get but also consistency.
Most of M.O.P.'s work was considered underground until 2000, when they released Warriorz, their best work yet. Mainstream got the first hint with "Ante Up", a track produced by DR Period for first time in 6 years. But with self-produced Cold As Ice, a track that featured a rock-song sample (Cold As Ice by Foreigner), M.O.P. achieved major mainstream success, though the song's lyrics were explicit and raging as usual (the radio version edits out much lyrical content to comply with FCC regulations).
In a strange turn, M.O.P. featured on the title track of sugary-sweet boy band LFO's 2001 album Life is Good. Aside from the lack of profanity, M.O.P.'s short verse was rapped in their trademark loud, intense style. It is unclear how this unusual team-up was organized, but it is unlikely that this brief guest spot led to much crossover fan appeal for either group.
"Ante Up" was later remixed with added verse by Flipmodian Busta Rhymes and Terror Squad queen Remy Ma, and was released on the greatest hits record 10 Yearz And Gunnin'. Believe it or not, it is the last hip hop record from M.O.P. In the beginning of the century they switched labels from Loud to Roc-A-Fella in order to have more income and more creative control, but the long-awaited release is still on the shelves. M.O.P. also made a rock-rap album titled simply Mash Out Posse, but it received bad reviews from rap fans who wanted M.O.P. to just rap.
In June 2005, M.O.P. officially announced their signing with 50 Cent's G-Unit, at the same time as Queens rap duo Mobb Deep.
Handle Ur Bizness
M.O.P. Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Ah
Handle your business
Can't get your grip
Can I get a witness?!
Ghetto people your dreams have now been fulfilled
Grip your steel
Handle your business
Can't get your grip
Can I get a witness?!
Ghetto people your dreams have now been fulfilled
Back out your steel
What the rawdog feelin?
An author like, Terry McMillan
The cat that, maniac
My fam dark as death in less than a minute
(The world stop spinnin')
The rapid firing squad
Keep on mix fire and (hard to kill)
Loud wires and bombs, firing arms
Look, we all for it
Its the dutch burning herbalice
Gallon drinkin' alcoholics
Walk through your toughest pack of goons with my chain out
Kept it real ever since the first jam came out
First family turned this whole rap game out
Sheisty individuals, tryin' to wipe my name out
But they don't fuck around cause they know I back that thing out
And try to mark em off when the gun shots ring out
And in the myst of black, kid I'ma try to wipe they name out
And keep on dubbin till I break a fucking spring out
Ah
Handle your business
Can't get your grip
Can I get a witness?!
Ghetto people your dreams have now been fulfilled
Grip your steel
Ah
Handle your business
Can't get your grip
Can I get a witness?!
Ghetto people your dreams have now been fulfilled
Back out your steel
You motherfuckas better raise up (they already did)
Who that? The '87 stick up kids (we're back!)
I'm hopin that your focused on the side
'Cause frontin' on me and my, mad niggaz die
Is this hiphop? Hell no, this is war
I've been trying to tell you that since ? rocked some hardcore
You don't listen. See, gee
I'm on a mission. Look, be
They gonna find your ass missing
Ever since me and Fame came, we maintained
A strange, but a strong game
(That can't change!)
The real ghetto bad shit for blastin, subtractin
Those that ain't matchin my fashion I'm mashin
(Retality's real) Fatality's ill
When your stash in my path then your stash is a raw deal
(Clap, clap) Get your gat
(Buckabuckabubububububububuckabucka) blow, blow, get the fuck back
Ah
Handle your business
Can't get your grip
Can I get a witness?!
Ghetto people your dreams have now been fulfilled
Grip your steel
Ah
Handle your business
Can't get your grip
Can I get a witness?
Ghetto people your dreams have now been fulfilled
Back out your steel
Face mine 'cause I'm here
Dog its' all clear
Rap jewels put it on my baseline from a snare
Then the want to doubt The Kid
Who analyze this whole fucking shit?
Trying to make somethin' out of it
Explode quicker than landmines
M.O.P. tapes make earthquakes and cause landslides
Bump this in your Lex coupe
Or your Lex hoop
Danze, finish em, twenty-one gun salute
(The Crew)
How many niggas runnin with me? (this few)
A hundred niggaz gunnin with me (to shoot)
Firing Squad, draw blood on the enemy
At point-blank range, deliverin the penalty
Ain't nothin' but the thugs
Slangin out hollow slugs
(Nigga), anti-love keepin it real (Thug, let em slide today)
I'm known best for leavin em stretchin like Doc Holliday
Salute!
In "Handle Ur Bizness," M.O.P. presents a no-nonsense approach to life in the ghetto. The hook encourages the listener to handle their own business, or else they won't be able to keep up in the harsh realities of life. The use of the word "steel" adds a violent edge to the lyrics, suggesting that the only way to stay safe is to have a weapon on hand. The verses are filled with references to violence and crime, with lines like "I'm mashin' / (Retality's real) Fatality's ill / When your stash in my path then your stash is a raw deal" suggesting that there's no room for weakness in the world they inhabit.
The overall tone of the song is one of aggression and defiance, with M.O.P. asserting their dominance over other rappers and anyone who might threaten them. The line "Ever since me and Fame came, we maintained / A strange, but a strong game / (That can't change!)" shows that they have been in the game for a long time and are not going anywhere anytime soon. This sense of resilience and loyalty to their roots is a common theme throughout their music.
Line by Line Meaning
Check check check
Let's do a sound check before we begin
Ah Handle your business
Take care of your responsibilities
Can't get your grip
Struggling to stay in control or hold onto something
Can I get a witness?!
Asking for confirmation or agreement from someone else
Ghetto people your dreams have now been fulfilled
The dreams of people from disadvantaged communities have now come true
Grip your steel
Hold onto your weapon
Back out your steel
Take out your weapon from its holster
What the rawdog feelin?
How are you feeling today?
An author like, Terry McMillan
A well-known writer
The cat that, maniac
A person who acts in a wild, unpredictable manner
My fam dark as death in less than a minute
My family is so dangerous that they can kill someone quickly
(The world stop spinnin')
The world would end if we stopped making music
The rapid firing squad
Our group of people who shoot quickly and accurately
Keep on mix fire and (hard to kill)
We continue to shoot and are difficult to kill
Loud wires and bombs, firing arms
We have powerful weapons and explosives
Look, we all for it
We're in this together
Its the dutch burning herbalice
We're smoking weed
Gallon drinkin' alcoholics
We're heavy drinkers
Walk through your toughest pack of goons with my chain out
We're not afraid to show off our expensive jewelry in dangerous areas
Kept it real ever since the first jam came out
We've always been honest and authentic in our music
First family turned this whole rap game out
Our group has revolutionized the rap genre
Sheisty individuals, tryin' to wipe my name out
People are trying to bring us down dishonestly and discredit us
But they don't fuck around cause they know I back that thing out
People are hesitant to mess with us because they know we are armed
And try to mark em off when the gun shots ring out
We shoot at those who try to hurt us
And in the myst of black, kid I'ma try to wipe they name out
We'll try to eliminate our enemies even in the dark
And keep on dubbin till I break a fucking spring out
We'll keep making music until we reach our limit
You motherfuckas better raise up (they already did)
We're warning our enemies to brace themselves
Who that? The '87 stick up kids (we're back!)
We're the group who robbed people in 1987 and now we're back
I'm hopin that your focused on the side
I hope you're paying attention to the situation
'Cause frontin' on me and my, mad niggaz die
If you mess with us, you'll suffer the consequences
Is this hiphop? Hell no, this is war
Our music is violent and aggressive like a warzone
I've been trying to tell you that since ? rocked some hardcore
We've always tried to convey this message of violence in our music
You don't listen. See, gee
You ignore us
I'm on a mission. Look, be
I have a goal and I'm determined to reach it
They gonna find your ass missing
If you mess with us, we'll make you disappear
Ever since me and Fame came, we maintained
Since our arrival, we've stayed consistent
A strange, but a strong game (That can't change!)
Our style is unique, but it will always remain the same
The real ghetto bad shit for blastin, subtractin
We're from the ghetto and our music is aggressive and violent
Those that ain't matchin my fashion I'm mashin
If you don't fit our style, we'll eliminate you
(Retality's real) Fatality's ill
The reality is that people die in our world
When your stash in my path then your stash is a raw deal
If your stash (of drugs or money) is in our way, we'll take it
(Clap, clap) Get your gat (Buckabuckabubububububububuckabucka) blow, blow, get the fuck back
We're shooting and telling our enemies to get back
Face mine 'cause I'm here
Pay attention to me because I'm present and ready to fight
Dog its' all clear
The situation is safe now
Rap jewels put it on my baseline from a snare
My music is my wealth and I'm proud of it
Then the want to doubt The Kid
People doubt me and my abilities
Who analyze this whole fucking shit?
Who understands the rap world like I do?
Trying to make somethin' out of it
I'm trying to make something out of my music career
Explode quicker than landmines
My music is explosive and dangerous
M.O.P. tapes make earthquakes and cause landslides
Our music is powerful and can affect the environment
Bump this in your Lex coupe Or your Lex hoop
Listen to our music in your luxury car
Danze, finish em, twenty-one gun salute (The Crew)
Danze, eliminate our enemies and we'll show respect with a 21-gun salute
How many niggas runnin with me? (this few)
Only a few people are willing to fight with me
A hundred niggaz gunnin with me (to shoot)
We have a lot of guns and many people willing to use them with us
Firing Squad, draw blood on the enemy
Our group of people will shoot to injure our enemies
At point-blank range, deliverin the penalty
We'll shoot our enemies from up close and with force
Ain't nothin' but the thugs
We're just a group of dangerous people
Slangin out hollow slugs
We shoot hollow bullets
(Nigga), anti-love keepin it real (Thug, let em slide today)
We're anti-love and always truthful (letting things slide means ignoring them for now)
I'm known best for leavin em stretchin like Doc Holliday
I'm known for shooting people and leaving them dead like Doc Holliday did
Salute!
Respect our violent and aggressive lifestyle
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: E Murry, Jamal Grinnage
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind