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.
Ring The Alarm
Naughty By Nature Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Ring the alarm
Jersey bring the bitch out the bastards
Woah yeah
We get cash in wit bass D.O.A.
You'll find that higher Brick City D.O.A.
[Verse 1]
Criticise us when yo bitch ass ain't even signed yet
Instincts is mental, some bitch stinkin gentle
Go reshine yo symbol and rethink yo demo
If fifth was a fifth we'd both be drunk
And if it hurt my shit he'd be dead in the trunk
Fuck the funk, pass the puck
And parade on Upper Lassgate
The charge in the city is still perform for Petacky
In that case it must be Naughty for life
Shout out to all my niggas doin 20 to life
I trust fools about as far as I can see you tricks
So fuck you wit 2, think quick I don't need you jinx (Ha!)
CHORUS x2 [Replace Jersey with Westside on repeat]
[Verse 2]
Spoke the mic and let you kiss of death
Smokin MCs before they have a chance to take one breath
I got the shit to blow right through yo vest
Any nigga thinkin they want to step 2 this, jump and test
Naughty's been known for bringin major niggas max of stress
Never want us in yo party 'cause we crack yo set
Little juvenile delinquent gets a classic vet
Somebody come and grab yo child before I snap his neck
Uuh! Yeah! You motherfuckers disgrace me
I'll make money but the money don't make me
Niggas like you be always actin so flakey
Chess while you runnin round yo hood, don't shake ya
Crowd puts it down on the level above
It's international called Illtown love
Witness this motherfucker just turn the mic on
I spit this shit from my bitches who get they dyke on, rap pawns
CHORUS x2 [Replace Jersey with Midwest on repeat]
[Verse 3]
Jerry taps some more caps, ooh where you goin
Reapin in somebody half six in the mornin
Whoo, and the rollin deep with they gat in they hand
With they wars canine, and they batterin rams
Somebody that got them mad
Bitch rollin through the front fence, strollin through my back
If Vin move the llello, continue to lay low
You try to fuck me now you've been doe rubbin day hoe
Could've been on the payroll, but you want to play bro
So muthafuck you and tell the captain I say so
I'll show you the master you dick writin bastard
My lawyer's so good, she gonna be workin in Alaska
CHORUS x2 [Replace Jersey with Eastside on repeat]
The chorus of the song repeatedly calls the people of Jersey to ring the alarm and to bring out the bastards. The rap group is asserting their dominance and command over their territory by calling out for action against those who may be causing trouble. The lyrics of the song contain a lot of bravado with the rap group asserting their authenticity and position as established rappers. In verse 1, they criticise those who are still struggling to make it in the industry and joke about getting drunk on a fifth of something. They also give a shoutout to their friends who are serving long sentences in prison.
In verse 2, the lyrics describe the rap group's prowess in the industry, their ability to conquer all who come up against them and their tendency to bring stress to major players. They also express their frustration with flaky people who do not have their back and call themselves out for their own authentic and unique style. In verse 3, they describe a scenario involving a person named Jerry who is creating trouble and the need to stay low to avoid trouble. The rap group expresses their power and ability to navigate such situations and to prevail in the face of adversity.
Line by Line Meaning
Ring the alarm
Alert everyone, something important is happening
Jersey bring the bitch out the bastards
Jersey people take action and defeat their enemies
Woah yeah
Expression of excitement and energy
We get cash in wit bass D.O.A.
We make money with our music
You'll find that higher Brick City D.O.A.
There is no one better than us in Brick City
It just ain't yo time yet, and you still claimin rhyme vet
You are not yet experienced enough to be the best rapper
Criticise us when yo bitch ass ain't even signed yet
You criticize us even though you are not even signed as a rapper yet
Instincts is mental, some bitch stinkin gentle
Your instincts are weak and passive
Go reshine yo symbol and rethink yo demo
Improve your skills and rethink your music demo
If fifth was a fifth we'd both be drunk
If alcohol was available, we would both be drinking
And if it hurt my shit he'd be dead in the trunk
If someone tried to harm me, they would be punished severely
Fuck the funk, pass the puck
Ignore nonsense, keep moving forward
And parade on Upper Lassgate
Celebrate our success and achievements
The charge in the city is still perform for Petacky
Our responsibility in the city is to continue performing for the people
In that case it must be Naughty for life
Our loyalty to Naughty by Nature will last forever
Shout out to all my niggas doin 20 to life
Greetings to all our friends imprisoned for long-term sentences
I trust fools about as far as I can see you tricks
I don't trust foolish people
So fuck you wit 2, think quick I don't need you jinx (Ha!)
Don't try to deceive me, I don't need bad luck
Spoke the mic and let you kiss of death
We perform with skill and confidence, leaving our competition defeated
Smokin MCs before they have a chance to take one breath
We defeat other MCs before they even start
I got the shit to blow right through yo vest
Our music is powerful and can penetrate physical protection
Any nigga thinkin they want to step 2 this, jump and test
We challenge anyone who wants to compete with us
Naughty's been known for bringin major niggas max of stress
We are known for making other rappers stressed out and anxious
Never want us in yo party 'cause we crack yo set
Other rappers don't want us at their parties because we steal the show
Little juvenile delinquent gets a classic vet
Young and inexperienced rappers learn from us experienced veterans
Somebody come and grab yo child before I snap his neck
Someone needs to control their irresponsible child before I get angry
Uuh! Yeah! You motherfuckers disgrace me
We don't like disrespectful people
I'll make money but the money don't make me
We don't let our wealth define us
Niggas like you be always actin so flakey
We don't trust unreliable people
Chess while you runnin round yo hood, don't shake ya
Be strategic and smart, even in a dangerous neighborhood
Crowd puts it down on the level above
Our fans love us and show it by singing along
It's international called Illtown love
Our fans worldwide appreciate our music and represent their hometowns
Witness this motherfucker just turn the mic on
Watch us perform and feel the power of our music
I spit this shit from my bitches who get they dyke on, rap pawns
Our lyrics represent and empower women who love other women and are disrespected by male-dominated rap culture
Jerry taps some more caps, ooh where you goin
Jerry (a slang name for the police) is searching for and arresting more people
Reapin in somebody half six in the mornin
The police are making arrests early in the morning
Whoo, and the rollin deep with they gat in they hand
The police are heavily armed
With they wars canine, and they batterin rams
The police have dogs and battering rams for making arrests
Somebody that got them mad
Someone has angered the police
Bitch rollin through the front fence, strollin through my back
A woman is entering our property without permission
If Vin move the llello, continue to lay low
If our drug dealer moves their product, we should stay hidden
You try to fuck me now you've been doe rubbin day hoe
Someone tried to scam us, but we caught them and punished them
Could've been on the payroll, but you want to play bro
We could have hired someone, but they wanted to betray us instead
So muthafuck you and tell the captain I say so
We despise disloyal people and want them to leave us alone
I'll show you the master you dick writin bastard
We will teach you the skills you need to succeed, even if you were against us before
My lawyer's so good, she gonna be workin in Alaska
Our lawyer is incredibly skilled and successful in her job
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: ANTHONY CRISS, ANTHONY SHAWN CRISS, KEIR GIST, KEIR LAMONT GIST, VINCENT E. BROWN, VINCENT VINNIE BROWN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind