Ruthless records was splitting apart. Dre, convinced Eazy-E was withholding profit from the N.W.A sales, left the label and started Death Row Records with Suge Knight. Eazy-E refused to release Michel'le and Dr. Dre from their Ruthless Records contracts. Supposedly, Suge and Dre extorted Eazy with metal pipes and baseball bats and forced him to release Dr. Dre, Michel'le and The D.O.C. so he could sign them to Death Row.
Michel'le made occasional guest appearances, notably on the single "Let's Play House" with Tha Dogg Pound in 1996 on Death Row Records. Michel'le released her second and Death Row's fifteenth album called Hung Jury in 1998. Her sophomore effort did not come near the success of her first selling only 300,000 copies to date.
Following Dre's departure from Death Row, Michel'le broke up with Dre and began a new relationship with Suge Knight. Michel'le has a child with Dr. Dre, Marcel, and at least three kids with Suge Knight. It's unknown how many they have. They are currently married. Michel'le is still a part of the Death Row Roster. Her most recent music was a contribution to the Dysfunktional Family soundtrack in 2003. A trailer video for Michel'le's brand new single "Freedom To Love" can be seen on YouTube. The single "Freedom To Love" (listed as "Freedom Two Love" on Amazon.com MP3 downloads) was finally released in 2011. The song "Freedom To Love" charted, reaching #91 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart.
Hung Jury
Michel'le Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
D′un Ombre à L'autre
Le Pas Des Balerines
Pour elle le pas des ballerines,
Pour moi le vol noir des corbeaux.
Pour elle le turquoise des piscines,
Pour moi la rouille des barreaux.
Pour ses yeux clairs comme de l'eau,
J'ai jamais vu de ballerines,
Sur la paille des cachots.
Chez elle le cuir des limousines,
Et des sourdines aux pianos,
Et chez moi le vacarme des cantines,
Le souffle des bourreaux.
J′ai donné dix ans de ma vie,
Pour ses yeux clairs comme de l′eau,
Pour cette veilleuse qui suit,
Mes doigts sur la photo.
Y'a un homme qui tombe
Les yeux dans la rigole,
Dans la rue principale,
Les lumières qui tournent,
Les jurés me regardent,
Il va falloir que je parle.
La lame est dans ma poche,
Si c′est elle que t'aimes,
Il faut que tu le fasses.
Les lumières s′approchent,
Le cri des sirènes
Mais c'était une impasse.
Et tout le temps que ça dure...
Oh tout le temps que ça dure...
Tout le temps que ça dure.
Les amitiés bizarres
Et les livres pornos.
Dedans, l′eau noire des machines,
Les odeurs de caniveaux,
Et dehors le soleil médecine
Aux crinières des chevaux.
J'ai donné dix ans de ma vie,
Pour ses yeux clairs comme de l'eau,
Elle m′aime encore, elle m′a écrit,
Je change d'air bientôt...
Elle m′aime encore, elle m'a écrit,
Je change d′air bientôt...
Elle m'aime encore...
Oh! elle m′aime encore...
Elle m'aime encore...
Oh! elle m'aime encore...
Elle m′aime encore...
The lyrics to Michel'le's song Hung Jury imply a sense of contrast between two individuals with significantly different life experiences. The first stanza compares the singer's life to that of a woman's, possibly a lover or significant other. The woman leads a life of luxury, symbolized by the leather of limousines and mute devices on pianos, while the singer's life is full of noise and chaos, represented by the sounds of cantinas and the breath of executioners. The woman experiences the colorful beauty of swimming pools, while the singer is surrounded by the drab rust of prison bars. The singer highlights their commitment to the woman, expressing their willingness to give ten years of their life for her bright sparkling eyes. The second stanza involves a more sinister narrative, describing a man who is about to speak to a jury but seems resigned to his fate. He has a knife in his pocket and seems desperate, suggesting he may be contemplating taking his own life. The final stanza then circles back to the woman mentioned earlier, with the singer stating that she still loves them and has written to them. They intend to move on and start afresh.
The lyrics to Michel'le's song Hung Jury touch on themes of social class, love, sacrifice, and desperation. The song portrays two contrasting lifestyles, one of luxury and the other of prison, to highlight the differences between the two individuals. The sense of desperation conveyed in the second stanza adds an eerie quality to the song, hinting at possible criminal activity or self-harm. Interestingly, the song features phrases in French, suggesting a multicultural influence on the artist.
Line by Line Meaning
Pour elle le pas des ballerines,
She lives a graceful, elegant life. She dances through life as though walking on air.
Pour moi le vol noir des corbeaux.
My life is dark, like a black bird in flight. I see only darkness and despair.
Pour elle le turquoise des piscines,
She enjoys the beautiful things in life. She loves the turquoise blue of swimming pools.
Pour moi la rouille des barreaux.
My life is filled with rusted jail bars. I see nothing beautiful or enjoyable.
J'ai donné dix ans de ma vie,
I gave away ten years of my life. I sacrificed my freedom for her.
Pour ses yeux clairs comme de l'eau,
I did it all for her clear blue eyes. She was worth the sacrifice.
J'ai jamais vu de ballerines,
I never got to see ballerinas. I missed out on the beauty of life.
Sur la paille des cachots.
Instead, I was trapped in a cell, surrounded by straw.
Chez elle le cuir des limousines,
She lived a luxurious life, complete with leather seats in limousines.
Et des sourdines aux pianos,
There were even mutes on her pianos. She lived in a world of exclusive elegance.
Et chez moi le vacarme des cantines,
I was surrounded by the loud noise of the prison mess hall. My world was harsh and noisy.
Le souffle des bourreaux.
I could hear the breath of the executioner. My life was one of constant fear.
Y'a un homme qui tombe
A man falls to the ground. My attention is drawn to him.
Les yeux dans la rigole,
His eyes are in the gutter. He's in desperate need of help.
Dans la rue principale,
We're on the main street. There are people all around us.
Les lumières qui tournent,
The lights are spinning round and dizzying. The world is chaotic and confusing.
Les jurés me regardent,
The jury stares at me. I'm the one they're judging, the one whose fate hangs in the balance.
Il va falloir que je parle.
I know I have to speak up, to explain myself. I need to get out of this situation.
La lame est dans ma poche,
I have a blade in my pocket. It's my last resort.
Si c'est elle que t'aimes,
If you really love her, then you have to do this for me. I'm asking for a favor.
Il faut que tu le fasses.
You have to do it, no matter how hard it is. You need to make the sacrifice for me.
Les lumières s'approchent,
The lights are getting closer. I'm running out of time.
Le cri des sirènes
I hear the sirens screaming. The police are coming for us.
Mais c'était une impasse.
It was a dead end. I had no other options.
Et tout le temps que ça dure...
It feels like forever...I just want it to be over.
Tout le temps que ça dure.
It goes on and on. I can't escape it.
Les amitiés bizarres
Strange friendships can develop in dark places. We cling to whoever gives us comfort.
Et les livres pornos.
In the darkness, even pornography can seem like a small escape.
Dedans, l'eau noire des machines,
Inside, there is only black water and machines. It's eerily quiet, save for the sounds of the machines at work.
Les odeurs de caniveaux,
The stench of the sewers is overwhelming. The air feels thick and dirty.
Et dehors le soleil médecine
Outside, the sun shines brightly. It's like medicine for the soul.
Aux crinières des chevaux.
The sun shines down on the horses' manes. It's a beautiful sight to behold.
Elle m'aime encore, elle m'a écrit,
She still loves me, she wrote to me. Despite everything, she still cares for me.
Je change d'air bientôt...
I'm getting out of here soon. I'm finally going to breathe fresh air again.
Oh! elle m'aime encore...
Despite everything, she loves me. It's the one bright spot in my life.
Writer(s): William Robinson, Reggie Lamb, Reginald Corneliuus Moore, Michel'le Denise Toussant, Frank Edward Wilson
Contributed by Skyler E. Suggest a correction in the comments below.