The original lineup consisted of Arabian Prince, DJ Yella, Dr. Dre, Eazy-E, Ice Cube,and MC Ren; Arabian Prince embarked on a solo career in 1989 and Ice Cube left in December of that year over royalty disputes. Several members would later become platinum-selling solo artists in the 1990s. Their debut album Straight Outta Compton marked the beginning of the new gangsta rap era as the production and social commentary in their lyrics were revolutionary within the genre. Rolling Stone ranked N.W.A number 83 on their list of the "100 Greatest Artists of All Time."
The group released two albums, "Straight Outta Compton" (1988) and "Niggaz4Life" (1991) before disbanding in 1991. The group also released a compilation record, "N.W.A. and the Posse" (1987) and an EP, "100 Miles and Runnin' " (1990).There was also a "Greatest Hits" compilation released (1996). Both Straight Outta Compton (2002) and Greatest Hits (2003) have been Re-Issued with extra tracks.
Bow Down
N.W.A Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Don't fuck with my stack the gage is racked
About to drop the bomb I am the motherfucking don
Big fish in a small pond
Now the feds want to throw the book at the crook
But I shook they worm and they hook
Guppies hold they breath they want to miss me
When I am tipsey
Its the unseen pulling strings wit my pinky ring
We got your woman so pucker up
Fo we fuck her up
Bow down before I make a phone call
Got 25 niggas running up on y'all
Fo the cheese we want them keys
Everybody freeze on ya knees butt naked please
Before any of you guppies get heart
Nigga rewind my part and (Bow Down)
I take ten steps and I draw
Now who's dissing the mad ass Inglewood
Addition
I bust like a pimple my mind is ill mental
The Westside connects with me and south central
And a drag from the zig zag can't fuck with the
Philly's
Holding down the wild west like a kid they
Call Billy
Once again it's Mack 10 the gold crown hold of
Strong as a Coca-Cola with a crome pistola
Now who want to fuss so I can buss when I cuss
My look bring you fear with gear deom the Surplus
Since a teen I chased the green the crack scene
King
Lolos Cornishes and Bagguetts on my pieces
So recognize these real G's take the cheese
The west side connection keep it rolling like gold
D's
Three Wheeling and Dealing is like the California
Style
But in the mean while in my town you got to
Bow
Bow Down when you come to my town
Bow down when we west-ward bound 'cause
We ain't no haters like you
Bow Down to some nigga's that's greater than
You
Well it's that chuck wearing still sporting a
Beanie the shadiest
Nigga in the click who want to see me as I slide
My locs on let
My khakis hang west side connect gang bing bing
Bang run away run
Away or get yo punk ass sprayed by this H double
O to D to the
S.T.A fuck hiding it I am gang related simple and
Plain which
Means I could give a fuck about you nigga's in
The rap game
Flashy nigga's get stuck up beat the fuck up when
You come around
Keep your chain tucked from this zero zero's
Affiliated fuck a
Studio lyricist I'm real with this talk the talk
Walk the walk
Dis me on wax and I am trying to saw your whole fucking
Head off
Nigga
I'm platinum bond so bitch shut up punk all yea
Could kiss my converse like sh'o 'nough
Bow Down when you come to my town
Bow down when we west-ward bound 'cause
We ain't no haters like you
Bow Down to some nigga's that's greater than
You
(Yea lemme tell you something)
(gangster's make the world go round)
(you ain't gotta clown)
(But if you living on the west side of yo town)
(Make them other fool's bow down)
The lyrics of N.W.A's song "Bow Down" can be interpreted as a statement of power and dominance in the rap industry, as well as in the gang culture. The song is composed of various verses, each spoken by a different rapper, boasting about their authority and control over their territories. The repetitive chorus "Bow Down" can be understood as a command to show respect to those who hold power.
The first verse is rapped by Ice Cube, who proclaims himself the "Big fish in a small pond" and brags about his ability to "run everything west of the Mississippi." He also claims to have control over a woman, threatening to harm her if the listener disobeys him. The second verse, rapped by Mack 10, emphasizes his involvement in gang activity and his readiness to use violence. The third verse is rapped by WC, who also brags about his criminal record and his ability to intimidate others.
The overall tone of the song is aggressive and confrontational, with the rappers using profanity and violent imagery to assert their power. The lyrics reflect the climate of gang violence and tensions between different rap groups in the 1990s, a time when N.W.A was one of the most influential and controversial rap groups in the genre.
Line by Line Meaning
The world is mine nigga get back
I own this world and you better step aside
Don't fuck with my stack the gage is racked
Don't mess with my money, I'm ready for any trouble
About to drop the bomb I am the motherfucking don
I'm about to release something huge, and I'm the leader here
Big fish in a small pond
I'm the boss in this little area
Now the feds want to throw the book at the crook
The authorities are trying to pin something on me
But I shook they worm and they hook
I avoided their trap and escaped their grip
Guppies hold they breath they want to miss me
My enemies are lying low, hoping to avoid my attention
When I am tipsey
When I'm drunk
Running everything west of the Mississippi
I control everything on this side of the river
Its the unseen pulling strings wit my pinky ring
I have people helping me behind the scenes
We got your woman so pucker up
We have your girl and we're threatening to hurt her
Fo we fuck her up
Before we hurt her
Bow down before I make a phone call
Submit to me or I'll bring down consequences on you
Got 25 niggas running up on y'all
I have a crew backing me up, and they'll attack you
Fo the cheese we want them keys
We want the drugs you're hiding
Everybody freeze on ya knees butt naked please
I want you to surrender completely
Before any of you guppies get heart
Before any of you get brave
Nigga rewind my part and (Bow Down)
Listen to my words again and submit to my dominance
I take ten steps and I draw
I'm fast and skilled with a weapon
Now who's dissing the mad ass Inglewood
Who's talking trash about my hometown of Inglewood?
Addition
Add-on to my previous statement
I bust like a pimple my mind is ill mental
My anger and violence are about to explode
The Westside connects with me and south central
I have allies all across the Westside and South Central areas
And a drag from the zig zag can't fuck with the
Even smoking a blunt can't calm me down
Philly's
Philly blunt, a type of cigar used to smoke marijuana
Holding down the wild west like a kid they
I'm keeping control in the Wild West, even as a young person
Call Billy
They call me Billy as a nickname
Once again it's Mack 10 the gold crown hold of
I'm Mack 10, the best rapper with the best crown
Strong as a Coca-Cola with a crome pistola
I'm powerful and deadly with my chrome (gun) like Coca-Cola
Now who want to fuss so I can buss when I cuss
Who wants to argue with me so I can shoot them when I swear?
My look bring you fear with gear deom the Surplus
My appearance alone makes you afraid of me, even with clothes from the Surplus store
Since a teen I chased the green the crack scene
Since I was a teenager, I wanted to make money in the drug world
King
I'm the king of this world
Lolos Cornishes and Bagguetts on my pieces
I have fancy jewelry on my body
So recognize these real G's take the cheese
Understand that we're real gangsters, and give us your money
The west side connection keep it rolling like gold
Our group, the Westside Connection, is successful like gold
D's
Disc wheels, a type of car wheel
Three Wheeling and Dealing is like the California
We're making deals like the California style of three-wheeling cars
Style
Way of doing things
But in the mean while in my town you got to
Meanwhile, in my town, you have to
Bow
Submit and bow down to me
Well it's that chuck wearing still sporting a
It's me, still wearing Chuck Taylors
Beanie the shadiest
I'm wearing a beanie and I'm shady, untrustworthy
Nigga in the click who want to see me as I slide
People in my group want to watch as I dodge or flee
My locs on let
I'm wearing my locs (sunglasses)
My khakis hang west side connect gang bing bing
I'm wearing my khakis low like a gangster from the Westside Connection
Bang run away run
I'm threatening to shoot, so run away
Away or get yo punk ass sprayed by this H double
Run away or I'll shoot you with this H and O (H2O2)
O to D to the
Initials for hydrogen peroxide (H2O2)
S.T.A fuck hiding it I am gang related simple and
I'm not hiding anything, I'm just openly associated with a gang
Plain which
Which is straightforward and honest
Means I could give a fuck about you nigga's in
I don't care about any of you other rappers
The rap game
The world of hip-hop
Flashy nigga's get stuck up beat the fuck up when
People who show off too much get robbed or attacked
You come around
When you show up
Keep your chain tucked from this zero zero's
Hide your jewelry from me, the 0-0's (short for 2000s)
Affiliated fuck a
I'm with a certain group, and I don't care
Studio lyricist I'm real with this talk the talk
I'm not just a rapper who writes in a studio, I'm really about this life
Walk the walk
I also live it in action
Dis me on wax and I am trying to saw your whole fucking
If you diss me in a rap, I'm trying to kill you
Head off
Cut off your head
Nigga
Man
I'm platinum bond so bitch shut up punk
I've achieved platinum record sales, so shut up
All yea could kiss my converse like sh'o 'nough
All you can do is bow down to me and kiss my shoes
Lemme tell you something
I want to say something significant
Gangster's make the world go round
Gangsters are a crucial part of the way the world operates
You ain't gotta clown
You don't have to act like a fool
But if you living on the west side of yo town
But if you're living in a certain area
Make them other fool's bow down
Make the others submit and bow down to you
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Spirit Music Group, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: STEPHEN ANDERSON, WILLIAM N CALHOUN, O'SHEA N JACKSON, DEDRICK D'MON N ROLISON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind