The group formed in East Orange, New Jersey, and first appeared on the music scene in the late 1980's releasing an album titled The Independent Leaders, under their then name The New Style. The album generated the minor hit "Scuffin' Those Knees". After the release of their first album, the group was subsequently mentored by fellow New Jersey native Queen Latifah and consequently changed their name.
Their first hit as Naughty By Nature was a track titled "O.P.P." ("Other People's Parts"), which sampled the The Jackson 5's hit "ABC" and was released in 1991 on their self-titled debut album. The album also generated another hit titled "Ghetto Bastard" (the track is often referred to as "Everything's Gonna Be Alright"). Fellow New Jersey native Tony D, accused Naughty by Nature of stealing a sample from his breakbeat album Music Makes You Move and using it on their track "O.P.P.". The matter was settled out of court. Later they had multiple hits from their third and fourth albums, titled 19 Naughty III and Poverty's Paradise respectively.
"Hip Hop Hooray" was a success from the album 19 Naughty III. Its video was directed by Spike Lee and featured other hip-hop artists popular in the early 1990's, including Queen Latifah, Eazy-E, and Kris Kross.
The group also scored a major hit with the track "Uptown Anthem", from the soundtrack to the 2Pac movie Juice.
In later years, Naughty by Nature started their own music imprint, Illtown Records, and released an album from their proteges the Rottin Razkals. The group (mainly Kaygee) worked closely with a number of rnb groups over the years particularly Zhané and Next.
An ongoing dispute between Kaygee and Treach saw Kaygee leave Naughty by Nature in late 2000 to concentrate on his Divine Mill label. The remainder of the group released an album in 2002 titled IIcons, using a variety of different producers including Da Beatminerz - the album however received a lukewarm reception from the public. Treach is rumoured to be releasing a solo album soon. Kaygee has been extremely successful building his Divine Mill imprint with 2 platinum plus albums on both (Divine Mill acts) Jaheim and Next as well as songs on albums from Syleena Johnson and Charlie Wilson among others. In May 2006 Kay Gee reunited with Treach and Naughty by Nature at a concert at B.B. King's nightclub. They will be working together on their next album.
Everything
Naughty By Nature Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
This is a story about the drifter
Who waited through the worst for the best in crosstown
Who never planned on havin' so dick
Why me, huh?
Everything's gonna be alright (alright)
Everything's gonna be alright (alright)
Everything's gonna be alright (alright)
Some get a little and some get none
Some catch a bad one and some leave the job half done
I was one who never had and always mad
Never knew my dad, mother fuck the fag
Where anyway I didn't pick up, flipped the clip up
Too many stick-ups, 'cause niggas had the trigger hic-ups
I couldn't get a job, nappy hair was not allowed
My mother couldn't afford us, she had to throw me out
I walked the strip, with this here clip, who wanna hit?
I had to eat, this money's good as spent
I'm doin' braids, I wasn't paid enough
I kept 'em long 'cause I couldn't afford a haircut
I got laughed at, I got chumped, I got dissed
I got upset, I got a tec and a banana clip
Was down to throw the led to any tellin' crackhead
I'm still livin' broke, so a lot of good it would've did
Or done, if not for bad luck, I would have none
Why did I have to live a life of such a bad one
Why when I was a kid and played I was a sad one
And always wanted to live like this or that one
Everything's gonna be alright (alright)
Everything's gonna be alright (alright)
Everything's gonna be alright now (alright)
Everything's gonna be alright (alright)
A ghetto bastard, born next to the projects
Livin' in the slums with bums, I said now why treach
Why do I have to be like this? momma said I'm priceless
So I am all worthless, starved, that's just what being nice gets
Sometimes I wish I could afford a pistol then, though
To stop the hell, I would've ended things a while ago
I ain't have jack but a black hat and knapsack
Four squad stolen in cars in a blackjack
Drop that, and now you want me to rap and give?
Say somethin' positive? well positive ain't where I lived
I lived right around a corner from west hell
Two blocks from south shit, it was in a jail cell
The sun never shone on my side of the street, see
And only once or twice a week I would speak
I walked alone, my state of mind was usually home
I couldn't keep a girl, they wanted kids for cause of chrome
Some life, if you ain't wear gold your style was old
And you got more juice than dope for every bottle sold
Hell no, I say there's gotta be a better way
But hey, never gamble in that game that you can't play
I'm slowin' and flowin' and goin' in on and knowin' not now
How will I do it, how will I make it? I won't, that's how
Why me, huh?
Everything's gonna be alright (alright)
Everything's gonna be alright (alright)
Everything's gonna be alright now (alright)
Everything's gonna be alright (alright)
My third year into adulthood, and still a knucklehead
I'm better off dead, huh, that's what my neighbor said
I don't do jack but fightin', lightin' up the streets at night
Playin' hide and seek with a machete seeking freddy's wife
Some say I'm rollin' on, nothin' but a dog now
I answer that with a tech, who wanna bow-wow?
'cause I done been through more shit within the last week
Than a fly flowin' in doo-doo on the concrete
I been a deadbeat, dead to the world and dead wrong
Since I was born that's my life, oh you don't know this song?
So don't say jack, and please don't say you understand
All that man to man talk can just walk down
If you ain't live you couldn't feel it, so kill it, skillet
And all that talk about it won't help it out, now will it?
And ill town fell like I stuck-up props, got shot
Don't worry, I hit by a, flurry, and his punk-ass dropped
But I'm the one who has been labeled as an outcast
In teacher's schools, I'm the misfit child and outlast
But that's cool with the bull, smack 'em backwards
That's what you get for fuckin' with a ghetto bastard
If you ain't ever been to the ghetto
Don't ever come to the ghetto
'cause you ain't understand the ghetto
And stay the fuck out of the ghetto
Why me?
(alright)
The lyrics to Naughty By Nature's song "Everything's Gonna Be Alright" tell the story of a young man living in the ghetto and struggling to make a living. He has faced numerous challenges throughout his life, including poverty, crime, and a difficult upbringing. However, despite all of these hardships, he remains hopeful that everything is going to be alright in the end. The song portrays a sense of resilience and perseverance that is often seen in people who have faced significant adversity.
The lyrics in the first verse describe a man who has been through the worst and is now waiting for things to get better. The second verse talks about the struggles of poverty, including not having a job and not being able to afford basic necessities like haircuts. The third verse details the violence and danger of living in the ghetto, including the use of guns and living next to projects. The chorus is a repetition of the phrase "everything's gonna be alright," which serves as a reminder to stay hopeful and keep pushing forward.
Overall, the song portrays a sense of hope and resilience in the face of adversity. Despite the numerous challenges faced by the singer of the song, he remains steadfast in his belief that everything will work out in the end.
Line by Line Meaning
Smooth it out
Let's calm down and tell a story.
This is a story about the drifter
I'm going to talk about my life.
Who waited through the worst for the best in crosstown
I dealt with a lot of challenges in my neighborhood.
Who never planned on havin' so dick
I never asked for this difficult life.
Why me, huh?
Why did fate deal me this hand?
Everything's gonna be alright (alright)
I hope things will improve.
Everything's gonna be alright now (alright)
I'm starting to feel more optimistic about my future.
Some get a little and some get none
Some people have it easier than others.
Some catch a bad one and some leave the job half done
Some people have bad luck, while others give up too easily.
I was one who never had and always mad
I grew up poor and angry.
Never knew my dad, mother fuck the fag
I didn't have a father and resented him for it.
Where anyway I didn't pick up, flipped the clip up
I turned to violence to cope with my anger.
Too many stick-ups, 'cause niggas had the trigger hic-ups
I committed robberies because others encouraged me to.
I couldn't get a job, nappy hair was not allowed
I faced discrimination because of my appearance.
My mother couldn't afford us, she had to throw me out
My mother was unable to take care of me, so I had to leave home.
I walked the strip, with this here clip, who wanna hit?
I resorted to prostitution to make money and carried a weapon for protection.
I had to eat, this money's good as spent
I had to use the money I made to survive.
I'm doin' braids, I wasn't paid enough
I did hair for people, but I didn't make enough money.
I kept 'em long 'cause I couldn't afford a haircut
I couldn't afford to get my own hair cut.
I got laughed at, I got chumped, I got dissed
People made fun of me, cheated me, and insulted me.
I got upset, I got a tec and a banana clip
I got mad and carried a gun for protection.
Was down to throw the led to any tellin' crackhead
I was so desperate that I considered killing someone who ratted me out.
I'm still livin' broke, so a lot of good it would've did
Even if I had used violence, it wouldn't have solved my problems.
Or done, if not for bad luck, I would have none
If I didn't have bad luck, I would have no luck at all.
Why did I have to live a life of such a bad one
I wondered why my life was so difficult.
Why when I was a kid and played I was a sad one
Even as a child, I was unhappy.
And always wanted to live like this or that one
I envied others who had nicer lives than me.
A ghetto bastard, born next to the projects
I was born in a poor neighborhood.
Livin' in the slums with bums, I said now why treach
I lived among homeless people and wondered why life was so hard.
Why do I have to be like this? momma said I'm priceless
I questioned why I had to live in poverty, but my mother tried to reassure me.
So I am all worthless, starved, that's just what being nice gets
I felt like I was worthless despite trying to be a good person.
Sometimes I wish I could afford a pistol then, though
I sometimes wished I had a gun to solve my problems.
To stop the hell, I would've ended things a while ago
I considered suicide as an escape from my problems.
I ain't have jack but a black hat and knapsack
I had nothing but a hat and backpack.
Four squad stolen in cars in a blackjack
I stole cars in groups of four.
Drop that, and now you want me to rap and give?
After all that, you want me to perform for you?
Say somethin' positive? well positive ain't where I lived
I couldn't think of anything positive to say, given all the negativity in my life.
I lived right around a corner from west hell
I lived near a really terrible place.
Two blocks from south shit, it was in a jail cell
The area near my home was a metaphorical prison.
The sun never shone on my side of the street, see
I felt like I never had any good fortune in my life.
And only once or twice a week I would speak
I felt isolated and alone.
I walked alone, my state of mind was usually home
I preferred to be alone with my thoughts.
I couldn't keep a girl, they wanted kids for cause of chrome
I struggled to find love or romance because of my poverty.
Some life, if you ain't wear gold your style was old
People judged you based on how much wealth you displayed.
And you got more juice than dope for every bottle sold
Drug dealers made more money than I ever could.
Hell no, I say there's gotta be a better way
I refused to accept that this was as good as my life could get.
But hey, never gamble in that game that you can't play
I learned that it's best to avoid situations where you are at a disadvantage.
I'm slowin' and flowin' and goin' in on and knowin' not now
I'm trying to figure out what to do next.
How will I do it, how will I make it? I won't, that's how
I'm wondering if I'll ever be able to escape poverty, but I'm not sure if I will.
My third year into adulthood, and still a knucklehead
Even as an adult, I still made mistakes.
I'm better off dead, huh, that's what my neighbor said
My neighbor thought I'd be better off dead than living the way I did.
I don't do jack but fightin', lightin' up the streets at night
Violence was the only thing I was good at.
Playin' hide and seek with a machete seeking freddy's wife
I threatened people with violence as a way to intimidate them.
Some say I'm rollin' on, nothin' but a dog now
Some people think that despite my problems, I'm persevering.
I answer that with a tech, who wanna bow-wow?
But I still carry a gun and am willing to fight.
'cause I done been through more shit within the last week
I've faced a lot of challenges recently.
Than a fly flowin' in doo-doo on the concrete
I've endured more hardships in a week than most people do in a lifetime.
I been a deadbeat, dead to the world and dead wrong
I've been a failure in every sense of the word.
Since I was born that's my life, oh you don't know this song?
This has been my life for as long as I can remember, and you can't possibly understand.
So don't say jack, and please don't say you understand
Don't pretend to empathize with my problems.
All that man to man talk can just walk down
Talking to me like a man isn't going to solve anything.
If you ain't live you couldn't feel it, so kill it, skillet
You can't understand my problems if you haven't lived them, so stop trying to relate.
And all that talk about it won't help it out, now will it?
Telling me that it will get better doesn't make it any less difficult.
And ill town fell like I stuck-up props, got shot
My hometown feels like it's been torn apart by violence.
Don't worry, I hit by a, flurry, and his punk-ass dropped
But I'm not afraid to fight back.
But I'm the one who has been labeled as an outcast
Despite my problems, I'm still seen as different and isolated from others.
In teacher's schools, I'm the misfit child and outlast
Teachers didn't know how to deal with me, so I was ignored or punished.
But that's cool with the bull, smack 'em backwards
People who don't understand me are free to leave me alone.
That's what you get for fuckin' with a ghetto bastard
But if you mess with me, you'll regret it.
If you ain't ever been to the ghetto
If you've never lived in poverty...
Don't ever come to the ghetto
...then don't try to understand my struggles.
'cause you ain't understand the ghetto
You couldn't possibly comprehend how hard it is.
And stay the fuck out of the ghetto
So just stay away.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: RODNEY JERKINS, JAPHE TEJEDA, CLAYDES SMITH, RONALD BELL, MEEKAAEEL MUHAMMED, GEORGE BROWN, ROBERT BELL, EARL JR. TOON, DENNIS THOMAS, JAMES TAYLOR
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Ace Many
To the younger generation...Welcome to real hip hop.
King Kev
Factsssss
the flash
HELL YEAH!!!
Jasmin Talifre
Yep
julio urbina
Yes sir.
Petrichor
I am 13 years old
John Q
The beat is so danceable yet I can't help but listen to the story he's telling. This is a masterpiece.
Tina Horton
yes
PM2023🤬
Absolutely. Treach’s dope flow, gritty & raw, together with Kay Gee’s upbeat skills make it a classic 🎵
Jay
Word!