After becoming the first hardcore rap group to gain mainstream success, with Efil4zaggin reaching the number one spot on Billboard in 1991, financial conflict between Dr. Dre and Ruthless Records led to the group disbanding. Dr. Dre left to form Death Row Records. MC Ren released his debut EP with the help of Eazy-E in 1992, entitled Kizz My Black Azz. Surprisingly enough, with little commercial promotion, the album went gold. His next album, Life Sentence, was scrapped while converting to the Nation of Islam with guidance from his DJ, DJ Train. Shock of the Hour (1993) was put out the next year containing a few singles, none left any lasting impression.
MC Ren soon found hard times when DJ Train died in a house fire before the release of the ill-fated Villain in Black (1996). Before leaving Ruthless Records, Ren put out Ruthless For Life (1998) which proved a worthy comeback from his last album. He appeared on the posse cut "Some L.A. Niggaz" from Dre's 2001, but only spoke the intro, not rapping on the track. As of 2002, Ren was working on another album; his lyrical abilities have been displayed with many guest appearances with artists from Ice Cube, Kurupt, Snoop Dogg, Paris, Cypress Hill and many more.
Ruthless For Life
MC Ren Lyrics
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The saga continues right before your eyes
The saga continues cause its do or die
The saga continues right before your eyes
You know why? (why?)
Cause I'm ruthless for life
Nigga ten years passed and we still up in that ass
Look at all the shit you in
Eazy does it like happy like the shit we used to do
5 niggaz comin' out the see-P-T so fuck you
Time changed for the good
Niggaz in the hood be comin' up feel it
Can you set it off, for again, you know you should
Yo let's that this shit back
To 1989
Where this nigga shoot and bust and niggaz know they couldn't find
Dream Team lovers
Egyptian fan base
Feelin' on the scene, all the fools got erased
Threw a mothafuckin' monkey wrench up in the rap game
Since I hooked up with E, shit ain't ever been the same
Opened up doors for the niggaz that be thinkin
that your flows be on tizight
Bitin' what I wrizite
Jokin' when I recite
Feelin' manuscripts
When I MC, if it ain't rough it ain't me
Chorus X2
Yo mothafuckin' G'z, nigga like Eric Wright
You can floss for your bitch, but you know this shit is tight
Cause when y'all niggaz started rappin', who'd you try and be?
I'ma slap you cause you lying, if you don't be sayin' me
Or the other 3, that the FBI be phone tappin'
Shoot the government before you niggaz started rappin'
Now its ? city, I gotta bomb it like Iraq
Use my alias, spend my nights at the shack
Ruthless attack all the way to two thou
Try to block it out, but you never knew how
And when I walk through the crowd
I'm seeing mothafucka's bread
I hear their bitches sayin' ask MC Ren
Makin' fools sway when I roll to King Tet's
Because I started cussin' all you fools gettin' checks
Ruthless for life, see that be my state of mind
y'all can kiss my black ass one more time
Chorus X2
I run a hundred miles just so I can MC
villain want that bomb so I get with L.T.
Ain't nothin' changed
We find 'em, fuck 'em, then flee
While you hatin', pillow talkin', with that bitch, she want me
Niggaz weed crazy, Dre and Snoop turned you out
Now y'all cristal sippin', y'all niggaz be trippin'
Make the West look like ass, all full of shit
Invest in drug money, shit, still gettin' in
What it take for y'all quit
Ruthless got it on lock
y'all shootin' videos tryin' to look like Pac
Here we come, here we come, blowin' up your spot
My little brother Jubee and the big homie Rock
Full circle, all this shit gon' repeat
When this shit drop, niggaz clownin' in the streets
The saga continues right before your eyes
Who really gives a fuck?
Cause this is ruthless for life
Chorus till end
In "Ruthless for Life," MC Ren speaks of his ten years in the rap game and reiterates his reputation for being "ruthless." He acknowledges how the times have changed, but he remains dedicated to keeping it real. He reminisces about the days when Eazy-E, Dre, and Snoop were just getting their music career started and how they paved the way for rappers like him. MC Ren accuses other rappers of biting his style and jokes about how they can't replicate it. He sings about his alias, spending nights at the shack, and being "ruthless for life" as his attitude toward his music and life in general.
The chorus repeats the phrase "The saga continues right before your eyes/ The saga continues cause it's do or die/ The saga continues right before your eyes/ You know why? (why?)/ Cause I'm ruthless for life," which indicates that MC Ren is aware of his place in the rap game and how he is going to continue living his life.
Line by Line Meaning
The saga continues right before your eyes
The story of our music and legacy continues to unfold in front of you
The saga continues cause its do or die
We are determined to keep going, no matter what obstacles we face
You know why? (why?)
It's because we are ruthless for life
Nigga ten years passed and we still up in that ass
We have been making music for a decade and still have not lost our edge
Will I make it or continue and
I am wondering if I will be successful in the future or if I will just keep going for the love of the music
Look at all the shit you in
I see all the trouble you are causing and the problems you are facing
Eazy does it like happy like the shit we used to do
Eazy-E used to make it look easy and fun, just like we used to back in the day
5 niggaz comin' out the see-P-T so fuck you
The five of us are coming out of Compton, so haters can go screw themselves
Time changed for the good
Things have improved positively over time
Niggaz in the hood be comin' up feel it
People in our community are making progress and feeling good about it
Can you set it off, for again, you know you should
Can you start the party again, like we used to do, you know you want to
Yo let's that this shit back
Let's take this back to the old days
To 1989
The year our music really started to take off
Where this nigga shoot and bust and niggaz know they couldn't find
Eazy-E would shoot and never get caught, causing fear in the gang world
Dream Team lovers
Our fans loved us like the Dream Team, the Olympic basketball team from the same year
Egyptian fan base
Our music had a strong following in the African American community
Feelin' on the scene, all the fools got erased
Our music was so good, it erased all other lesser acts from the scene
Threw a mothafuckin' monkey wrench up in the rap game
Our music completely changed the rap game
Since I hooked up with E, shit ain't ever been the same
Things have been different since I started working with Eazy-E
Opened up doors for the niggaz that be thinkin
We paved the way for other artists to follow in our footsteps
that your flows be on tizight
To make sure that your rap skills are on point
Bitin' what I wrizite
Copying my style and lyrics
Jokin' when I recite
Trying to make jokes during my performances
Feelin' manuscripts
I was inspired by other artists' lyrics and music
When I MC, if it ain't rough it ain't me
My music has always been hardcore, and that's what sets me apart
Yo mothafuckin' G'z, nigga like Eric Wright
I'm talking to my gangster friends, people like Eazy-E
You can floss for your bitch, but you know this shit is tight
You can show off for your woman, but you know that our music is the real deal
Cause when y'all niggaz started rappin', who'd you try and be?
When you started rapping, who were you trying to emulate?
I'ma slap you cause you lying, if you don't be sayin' me
I'll call you out if you say anyone other than me as your inspiration
Or the other 3, that the FBI be phone tappin'
Or the other members of NWA that the FBI was secretly monitoring
Shoot the government before you niggaz started rappin'
We were rebels before it was cool, we even had beef with the US government
Now its ? city, I gotta bomb it like Iraq
Things are getting so crazy that I feel like I have to take drastic measures, like bombing a city
Use my alias, spend my nights at the shack
I have to keep a low profile and stay under the radar
Ruthless attack all the way to two thou
Our music is going strong and will continue into the year 2000
Try to block it out, but you never knew how
Our music is too powerful and will always find a way to break through
And when I walk through the crowd
When I'm out in public
I'm seeing mothafucka's bread
I can see that people are profiting off of our music
I hear their bitches sayin' ask MC Ren
People are asking about me and my music
Makin' fools sway when I roll to King Tet's
My music is making people dance when I go to King T's, a popular club at the time
Because I started cussin' all you fools gettin' checks
Because I started dropping f-bombs in my music, all the fake gangsters who were getting popular are losing their appeal
Ruthless for life, see that be my state of mind
I will always represent the ruthless attitude and lifestyle, it's who I am
y'all can kiss my black ass one more time
I don't give a damn what anyone else thinks, they can all go to hell
I run a hundred miles just so I can MC
I put in a lot of effort to be a great MC
villain want that bomb so I get with L.T.
Because I'm so good, other rappers want to work with me to improve their music
Ain't nothin' changed
Despite all the success, I'm still the same person I always was
We find 'em, fuck 'em, then flee
We have sex with women in one-night stands and then leave, no strings attached
While you hatin', pillow talkin', with that bitch, she want me
While you're gossiping with your girl, she's actually interested in me instead
Niggaz weed crazy, Dre and Snoop turned you out
People are really into weed nowadays, and Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg have popularized it
Now y'all cristal sippin', y'all niggaz be trippin'
Nowadays people are drinking high-end champagne like Cristal and acting wild
Make the West look like ass, all full of shit
Other rappers from the West Coast aren't as authentic or talented as we are
Invest in drug money, shit, still gettin' in
We have made a lot of money from selling drugs and it's still profitable for us
What it take for y'all quit
What would it take for you all to give up and quit the rap game?
Ruthless got it on lock
We are in control of the rap game and things will stay that way
y'all shootin' videos tryin' to look like Pac
Other rappers are trying to copy Tupac's style in their music videos
Here we come, here we come, blowin' up your spot
We are back and about to take over the rap game again
My little brother Jubee and the big homie Rock
My younger brother Jubee and my good friend Rock are also part of the NWA crew
Full circle, all this shit gon' repeat
History is repeating itself and we are back in the spotlight
When this shit drop, niggaz clownin' in the streets
When our new music comes out, people will be dancing and partying in the streets
Who really gives a fuck?
At the end of the day, does any of this really matter?
Cause this is ruthless for life
Our music and our attitude is what defines us and will always be a part of us
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: LENTON TEREILL HUTTON, LORENZO JERALD PATTERSON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind