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.
Rock
Naughty By Nature Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And why'all thought it was over
(Nah nah it ain't over 'til the fat bitch sings my nigga)
We ready to Rock & Roll God damn it?
(Fuck Yeah)
Dirty Jers' New Jerusaluem
(Shaolin)
Naughty by Nature motherfuckers
Grab your hat bitch
(C'mon!)
[Bridge: Method Man]
Dumb-dumb-dumb there they go [Repeat: x4]
[Treach]
Getting the realism, stating the great prism
Journalism, the Moses writing, graffiti on the state prison
Hard to steal, last year, slash a pop hit
Hate related, he's the closest that I lost since Pac (Tupac)
Got the glock blown, ready to Rock & Roll
Give me a shot that go up the most
Cop the blow, nock us no
Finger fuck the fair place, that's in the stairway
Gut a motherfucker, gotta die to get airplay
If I can't spray the airwaves, like a great AK
You stay where you lay babe, "fuck you" is what I dare say
Hatin' niggas cause it ain't passion for rappin' or axin'
So sell extortion and jackin', what's happenin'?
What's that? The clappin', they'rekidnappin' Sergeants and Captains
I'll be mackin' and actin' like a nigga scratchin' for super passion
(Blap! Blap! Blap! Blap! Blap! see'mon!)
[Chorus: Treach (Method Man)]
Rotten and dazed cause I may not be here tomorrow
World feel the sorrow, click clack, blah blah blah bloaw yo
Bullets in, barrels off, urban apparel
Like I told you before, click clack, blah blah blah bloaw yo
Ready to Rock & Roll (bum bum bum bum bum) {Ready to Rock & Roll}
Ready to Rock & Roll (bum bum bum bum bum) {Ready to Rock & Roll}
Ready to Rock & Roll (bum bum bum bum bum) {Ready to Rock & Roll}
[Method Man]
M.C.'s have the right to remain silent
Everything you say can and will be held against why y'all punk motherfuckers
And Mef can only trust ya as far as I can see ya
Me need ya? That'll be the, day, ya busters
Son suffer, the consequences, for askin'
Competition get an ass kickin' so tremendous
I throw my draws in it
Who representin' for The Projects tennants since Day One?
Shit is gettin' deep out here, run your garments son
Like niggas when the police department come
Yes why y'all, Mef why y'all, stank ass an' all
I'm too off the hook it don't make no sense to call
1-900-Eat-shit, I get get my cobra cock
Might death blow, close your eye
[Chorus]
[Redman]
Ready to Rock & Roll, I lock your load
I blow the block some more
Undercover like sellin' cops some blow
Bring a pain killer, my name ring a bell
Orangutan, I throw it up like gang members
Crunk as fuck, walkin' in with the pump tucked
Punks get it nigga, we even jump sluts
How 'bout a dump truck sellin' 2 for 5
I ride with tools I made out of school supplies
I show you it's not serious for why y'all
Trouble, I got a phone on my wrist to call (bubble)
You niggas know when you pissed 'em off
I turn gorilla with football equipment on
Cla-cloaw-cla-cloaw, I'm 'bout to tap ya foul
Danger, when the last Rotten Rascal out
Hang up, phone calls ain't goin' happen now
An' I'm straight facin', you niggas can't ask around
[Chorus: x2]
The song Rock & Roll by Naughty By Nature is a powerful one that showcases the rapping skills of Treach, Method Man and Redman. The song starts with a dialogue where Treach tells everyone that it's not over until the fat lady sings. The rap then moves to a gritty and intense narration of the realities of life in the ghetto, with lyrics that describe the violence and desperation that people in tough neighborhoods have to deal with on a daily basis. Treach talks about journalism, graffiti on state prisons, pop hits and the loss of Tupac, all in a way that reminds the listeners of the harsh realities of the streets. In the second verse, Method Man comes in with lyrics that talk about the rights of M.C's, the lack of trust, the competition and the consequences of asking too much.
The third verse brings Redman into the mix, and he takes the rapping to a higher level. He talks about his ability to "show it's not serious," and his capacity to turn "gorilla with football equipment on." Redman brings in the humor and the satire that is so prevalent in Naughty By Nature's songs, making Rock & Roll a truly representative work of the group. In conclusion, the song Rock & Roll is another excellent example of how Naughty By Nature can turn raw, unfiltered reality into a powerful work of art that speaks to the heart and soul of their listeners.
Line by Line Meaning
And why'all thought it was over
You may have thought the party was over, but we're just getting started
(Nah nah it ain't over 'til the fat bitch sings my nigga)
We're not done until the very end, and we're not letting anyone get in our way
We ready to Rock & Roll God damn it?
Are you guys ready to party and have a good time?
(Fuck Yeah)
Hell yeah!
Dirty Jers' New Jerusaluem
We represent New Jersey with pride and are taking over the rap game
(Shaolin)
We're also showing love to our friends in the Wu-Tang Clan from Shaolin, New York
Naughty by Nature motherfuckers
We're proud to be Naughty by Nature and are going to keep doing our thing no matter what anyone says
(Wu-Tang my niggaz)
We have respect for our fellow rap artists and give a shoutout to Wu-Tang Clan
Grab your hat bitch
We're about to rock and roll, so get ready for a wild ride
(C'mon!)
Let's do this!
Dumb-dumb-dumb there they go [Repeat: x4]
We're not afraid to call out the haters and critics who don't understand our music
Getting the realism, stating the great prism
We're bringing truth and honesty to our music, and we're proud of it
Journalism, the Moses writing, graffiti on the state prison
Our music is like powerful journalism, shedding light on the harsh realities of life
Hard to steal, last year, slash a pop hit
Our music is original and can't be copied, and we're proud to have had a hit song last year
Hate related, he's the closest that I lost since Pac (Tupac)
We're still mourning the loss of our friend Tupac, and we feel a deep sense of hate and anger in the world
Got the glock blown, ready to Rock & Roll
We're not afraid to get wild and crazy and are ready to party hard
Give me a shot that go up the most
We want to make the biggest impact with our music and performances
Cop the blow, nock us no
We're not going to let anyone stop us from achieving our dreams and making great music
Finger fuck the fair place, that's in the stairway
We're going to break the rules and make our own way to the top
Gut a motherfucker, gotta die to get airplay
We're not afraid to be controversial and speak out against the corrupt music industry
If I can't spray the airwaves, like a great AK
We want our music to be heard by as many people as possible and are willing to use any means necessary
You stay where you lay babe, "fuck you" is what I dare say
We're not afraid to stand up for ourselves and tell our haters to fuck off
Hatin' niggas cause it ain't passion for rappin' or axin'
We recognize that some people hate us because they don't have the same passion and talent for music as we do
So sell extortion and jackin', what's happenin'?
Some people in the music industry are more concerned with making money than making great music, and that's a problem
What's that? The clappin', they'rekidnappin' Sergeants and Captains
We recognize that there's violence and corruption in the world, and we're not afraid to speak out against it
I'll be mackin' and actin' like a nigga scratchin' for super passion
We're going to keep pushing ourselves and striving for excellence, no matter what challenges we face
(Blap! Blap! Blap! Blap! Blap! see'mon!)
We're not afraid to get a little wild and crazy with our music
Rotten and dazed cause I may not be here tomorrow
We live life to the fullest every day and don't take anything for granted
World feel the sorrow, click clack, blah blah blah bloaw yo
We're not afraid to get a little violent with our music and lyrics
Bullets in, barrels off, urban apparel
Our music is raw and authentic, and we represent the urban lifestyle
Like I told you before, click clack, blah blah blah bloaw yo
We're not afraid to repeat ourselves and keep making great music
Ready to Rock & Roll (bum bum bum bum bum) {Ready to Rock & Roll}
We're pumped up and excited to party and make great music
M.C.'s have the right to remain silent
We recognize that not everyone is cut out for the rap game and that some people should just keep quiet
Everything you say can and will be held against why y'all punk motherfuckers
We're not afraid to call out the posers and fakes in the rap community
And Mef can only trust ya as far as I can see ya
We're careful about who we trust and recognize that not everyone has our best interests at heart
Me need ya? That'll be the, day, ya busters
We don't need anyone else to make great music and achieve our dreams
Son suffer, the consequences, for askin'
We're not afraid to get a little violent with those who cross us or ask too many questions
Competition get an ass kickin' so tremendous
We're confident in our abilities and know that we can take on any competition in the rap game
I throw my draws in it
We're not afraid to get a little raunchy and wild with our music
Who representin' for The Projects tennents since Day One?
We're proud to represent the people and communities we come from and have been doing so since the beginning
Shit is gettin' deep out here, run your garments son
Things are getting serious and we're not afraid to get a little messy or violent if we have to
Like niggas when the police department come
We've had to deal with our fair share of police harassment and are not afraid to speak out against it
Yes why y'all, Mef why y'all, stank ass an' all
We recognize that some people are just haters and will try to bring us down no matter what
I'm too off the hook it don't make no sense to call
We're crazy and wild and can't be held down by anyone or anything
1-900-Eat-shit, I get get my cobra cock
We're not afraid to be a little vulgar and inventive with our lyrics
Might death blow, close your eye
We're not afraid to get a little violent with our music, even if it's just metaphorical
Ready to Rock & Roll (bum bum bum bum bum) {Ready to Rock & Roll}
We're pumped up and excited to party and make great music
Ready to Rock & Roll (bum bum bum bum bum) {Ready to Rock & Roll}
We're pumped up and excited to party and make great music
Ready to Rock & Roll (bum bum bum bum bum) {Ready to Rock & Roll}
We're pumped up and excited to party and make great music
Ready to Rock & Roll, I lock your load
We're ready to party hard and make an impact with our music
I blow the block some more
We want to make as much noise as possible with our music and performances
Undercover like sellin' cops some blow
We're not afraid to be a little sneaky or underhanded with our music
Bring a pain killer, my name ring a bell
We're confident in our abilities and know that we're making a name for ourselves in the rap game
Orangutan, I throw it up like gang members
We're not afraid to throw up our sign and represent our crew and community
Crunk as fuck, walkin' in with the pump tucked
We're ready to party and have a good time, and we're also prepared for anything to go down
Punks get it nigga, we even jump sluts
We're not afraid to get a little violent with those who try to bring us down or disrespect us
How 'bout a dump truck sellin' 2 for 5
We're not afraid to get a little creative with our lyrics and have some fun with them too
I ride with tools I made out of school supplies
We're not afraid to use anything at our disposal to make great music and achieve our dreams
I show you it's not serious for why y'all
We're not afraid to have some fun and be a little silly with our music and lyrics
Trouble, I got a phone on my wrist to call (bubble)
We're not afraid to call for backup or help if we need it
You niggas know when you pissed 'em off
We're not afraid to call out those who have wronged us and make them pay
I turn gorilla with football equipment on
We're not afraid to get a little crazy and wild with our music and performances
Cla-cloaw-cla-cloaw, I'm 'bout to tap ya foul
We're ready to get a little violent if we need to and won't back down from a challenge
Danger, when the last Rotten Rascal out
We're not afraid to be a little dangerous and rebellious with our music and lifestyles
Hang up, phone calls ain't goin' happen now
We don't have time for negativity or hate and are focused on making great music
An' I'm straight facin', you niggas can't ask around
We're not afraid to be ourselves and are proud of who we are and what we represent in the rap game
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: BILLY SMITH
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind