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.
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Naughty By Nature Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Butter.
"One of us! Right away!"
"Work"
Uh, where all my hustlers?
(Where them thugs at?)
All my ballers.
What, let's do it like this. (Get up!)
(Indiana, Indiana!)
"Work"
Mag in this muth yo.
Killa Castro from Queens, trigga Treach.
(New Jeru, Dirty Jerz.)
Well can you get it like I get it, I got to get my blood
Known for slangin yayo and part the lick with my thugs
Fuck you, fuck your crew fool and all that shit
Bitch, it's a new nigga on the premesis
"Work"
Ah, puttin it down like I knows to
What, splittin these hata's wigs like I'm supposed to
Whenever you, wanna act the fool, and come and test
Get that ak slug through your vest
Forget your dog, get bucked
Wind up and see you with all the garbage stuck
Now you in the depths of Hell, feel like damn it ain't my lucky day
Never shoulda looked my way, motherfucker
Don't trust your bitch ass fool as far as I can thrust ya
Don't make no sudden moves fool and I won't have to bust ya
Trigga Treach he got his pistol do
We puttin in work from here to Russia fool
So what the fuck y'all here to do
"Work"
Huh, and it's on like that
Motherfucker and it's on like that
"I puts in work"
And it's on like that
Yo dog I hope you cleaned your strap
"Uh huh, 'cause I puts in work"
Fatal how the hood'll hate you, caught up in drama
Colors and ganja like black autototes for armor
Millies and macks never the same pocket
Kept his phillies and crack how the streets rock it
Switch em, b cases like he fathered the system
Organized block cinemas away from the prison
With souls, lost rows and so on
Fall victim to the streets and so much can go wrong
Rebels meet crumble and majesties for salaries
Out of towners and goose downers introduce pounders
A lay loot for power evil roots shoot through cowards
Lettin other niggas just regulate they hours
Coke or chronic, philly roll millie by his scrotum
Barrel x to g packs
Never got along with cops, like it was Brett Favre and D backs
It's how rap cats believe that
"Just puttin in work"
And it's on like that
Castro, you know it's on like that
"Huh huh huh huuuh work"
And it's on like that
Yeah y'all we gettin it on like that
"Puttin it in y'all, puttin it in y'all"
Check it, I get deep voice like Barry
All you keep, naw you keep
Forgot I got permit to carry
All you sleep
Look at me, his face I'll bury
I look at you and say that's what happens when cousins marry
"Work"
Hate that funk shit, don't show up
Tore up from the floor up
My gat's so fat it needs to loose weight like hold up
On the run huh, it might be bailin in a Bronco
I be layin low from Rocko
In a condo outside of Toronto
How I feel about y'all poppin shit
Like a constipated port a lot of noise but you ain't droppin shit
This is me here, it ain't no other man
Always into somebody's business like you was
"Work"
Nigga I puts in like ten men
Kick up more dust than dirt
Drinkin more gin than Vin
Well see no El Nino or ghetto tsunami
Couldn't drop up on me so we got to fuck over Tommy
"I puts in work"
I puts in work, and it's on like that
Motherfucker with them snakes and rats
I puts in work
"Work"
And it's on like that
Hope you motherfuckers watch your back
'Cause I puts in work
"Work"
"New Jerus y'all Dirty Jerz y'all"
"Work"
"Ah ow, Indiana comin on through"
"Work"
"Oh, what it mean y'all comin from Queens"
"Work"
"Hey, put it down for my town"
The song "Work" by Naughty By Nature discusses the struggles of the hustle and the importance of putting in hard work to achieve success. The opening of the song features a call-and-response between the members of the group, with one member shouting "Hey!" and another responding with "Butter." The lyrics continue to ask where the hustlers and ballers are, leading into a chorus of "Work" that sets the tone for the song.
The verses of the song explore the experiences of various individuals and the dangers they face in their pursuit of wealth and power. The lyrics reference slang for drugs and enforcers, suggesting that violent means may sometimes be necessary to achieve one's goals. The song also criticizes those who talk about their success without putting in the necessary work and warns that failure can have dire consequences.
Overall, the lyrics of "Work" promote the ideals of hard work, determination, and self-reliance. The song emphasizes the importance of putting in the necessary effort to achieve one's goals, even if that means taking risks or facing opposition from others.
Line by Line Meaning
Hey!
Greetings!
Butter.
Smooth and talented.
"One of us! Right away!"
"Welcome to our group immediately!"
"Work"
"Let's get to business."
Uh, where all my hustlers?
Where are all my hardworking individuals?
(Where them thugs at?)
(Where are those tough guys?)
All my ballers.
All my successful and wealthy individuals.
What, let's do it like this. (Get up!)
Come on, let's do it this way and get active!
Uh, what.
What's going on?
(Indiana, Indiana!)
(Representing Indiana!)
"Work"
"Let's get to business."
Mag in this muth yo.
Magazine in this situation, man.
Killa Castro from Queens, trigga Treach.
Deadly Castro from Queens, trigger-happy Treach.
(New Jeru, Dirty Jerz.)
(New Jersey, representing both clean and gritty parts of the state.)
Well can you get it like I get it, I got to get my blood
Can you understand and achieve success like I do? I must earn my money.
Known for slangin yayo and part the lick with my thugs
Recognized for dealing drugs and sharing the profits with my gang members.
Fuck you, fuck your crew fool and all that shit
I don't care about you or your group, you idiot, and all that nonsense.
Bitch, it's a new nigga on the premises
It's a new person in charge and present.
"Work"
"Let's get to business."
Ah, puttin it down like I knows to
Skillfully expressing myself as I am accustomed to.
What, splittin these hata's wigs like I'm supposed to
Causing trouble and defeating my haters as expected.
Whenever you, wanna act the fool, and come and test
Whenever you want to act stupid and challenge me.
Get that ak slug through your vest
Shot you with an AK rifle through your bulletproof vest.
Forget your dog, get bucked
Abandon your loyal friends, get shot.
Wind up and see you with all the garbage stuck
End up confronting you with a lot of problems.
Now you in the depths of Hell, feel like damn it ain't my lucky day
Now you're in a terrible situation, feeling unlucky.
Never shoulda looked my way, motherfucker
You made a mistake by attracting my attention, you idiot.
Don't trust your bitch ass fool as far as I can thrust ya
I don't trust you at all, you coward.
Don't make no sudden moves fool and I won't have to bust ya
If you don't make any unexpected movements, I won't have to shoot you.
Trigga Treach he got his pistol do
Trigger-happy Treach has his gun ready.
We puttin in work from here to Russia fool
We're working hard, even extending our influence to Russia, you fool.
So what the fuck y'all here to do
What the hell are you all here to accomplish?
"Work"
"Let's get to business."
Huh, and it's on like that
It's happening just like that.
Motherfucker and it's on like that
Hey, it's happening just like that, you motherfucker.
"I puts in work"
"I work hard."
And it's on like that
And it's happening just like that.
Yo dog I hope you cleaned your strap
Hey, my friend, I hope you prepared your gun.
"Uh huh, 'cause I puts in work"
"Yes indeed, because I work hard."
Fatal how the hood'll hate you, caught up in drama
Dangerous how the neighborhood will despise you when you're involved in conflicts.
Colors and ganja like black autototes for armor
Representing gang affiliations and marijuana as a form of protection.
Millies and macks never the same pocket
Millions of dollars and big guns, always kept separate.
Kept his phillies and crack how the streets rock it
Kept his Phillies cigars and crack cocaine, that's how the streets operate.
Switch em, b cases like he fathered the system
Switching locations, carrying briefcases, as if he created the criminal system.
Organized block cinemas away from the prison
Running organized crime operations away from the reach of law enforcement.
With souls, lost rows and so on
With individuals who have lost their sense of morality and continue the cycle.
Fall victim to the streets and so much can go wrong
Becoming victims of the dangerous streets where many things can go awry.
Rebels meet crumble and majesties for salaries
Rebellious individuals eventually fail, while the powerful receive big paychecks.
Out of towners and goose downers introduce pounders
Strangers and drug users bring in new violent individuals.
A lay loot for power evil roots shoot through cowards
Money and influence corrupt weak individuals and they engage in harmful acts.
Lettin other niggas just regulate they hours
Allowing others to control their lives and time.
Coke or chronic, philly roll millie by his scrotum
Cocaine or marijuana, rolling a Philly cigar with a gun close by.
Barrel x to g packs
Barrel filled with illegal drugs.
Never got along with cops, like it was Brett Favre and D backs
Never had a good relationship with the police, like Brett Favre and defensive backs in football.
It's how rap cats believe that
This is how rappers perceive it.
"Just puttin in work"
"Simply working hard."
And it's on like that
And it's happening just like that.
Castro, you know it's on like that
Castro, you know it's happening just like that.
"Huh huh huh huuuh work"
"Huh huh huh huuuh, working hard."
And it's on like that
And it's happening just like that.
Yeah y'all we gettin it on like that
Yeah everyone, we're making it happen just like that.
"Puttin it in y'all, puttin it in y'all"
"Making our mark on all of you, making our mark on all of you."
Check it, I get deep voice like Barry
Listen, I have a deep voice like Barry White.
All you keep, naw you keep
All you want to do is hold on, but no, you hold on.
Forgot I got permit to carry
You forgot that I have a permit to carry a gun.
All you sleep
All of you are unaware and ignorant.
Look at me, his face I'll bury
Look at me, I will defeat him so thoroughly.
I look at you and say that's what happens when cousins marry
I look at you and mockingly suggest that inbreeding leads to such idiocy.
"Work"
"Let's get to business."
Hate that funk shit, don't show up
Dislike that type of music, don't even bother attending.
Tore up from the floor up
Completely messed up and destroyed.
My gat's so fat it needs to loose weight like hold up
My gun is so large and heavy, it needs to lose weight, like pause for a moment.
On the run huh, it might be bailin in a Bronco
Running away from the law, perhaps escaping in a Ford Bronco.
I be layin low from Rocko
I will be hiding and avoiding Rocko (a character/nickname) or trouble.
In a condo outside of Toronto
In a luxury apartment outside of Toronto, Canada.
How I feel about y'all poppin shit
This is how I feel about all of you talking nonsense.
Like a constipated port a lot of noise but you ain't droppin shit
Like a backed-up toilet making a lot of noise, but not actually accomplishing anything.
This is me here, it ain't no other man
This is who I am, there's no one else like me.
Always into somebody's business like you was
Always meddling in someone else's affairs as if you were
"Work"
"Let's get to business."
Nigga I puts in like ten men
I work as hard as ten individuals, man.
Kick up more dust than dirt
I cause more trouble and conflict than anyone else.
Drinkin more gin than Vin
Drinking more gin than Vin (likely referring to Vin Diesel).
Well see no El Nino or ghetto tsunami
We won't experience the effects of El Niño or a destructive event in the ghetto.
Couldn't drop up on me so we got to fuck over Tommy
Couldn't ambush me, so we have to betray and deceive Tommy.
"I puts in work"
"I work hard."
I puts in work, and it's on like that
I work hard, and it's happening just like that.
Motherfucker with them snakes and rats
Motherfucker dealing with untrustworthy and deceitful individuals.
I puts in work
I work hard.
"Work"
"Let's get to business."
"New Jerus y'all Dirty Jerz y'all"
"New Jersey, representing both clean and gritty parts."
"Work"
"Let's get to business."
"Ah ow, Indiana comin on through"
"Ah ow, representing Indiana."
"Work"
"Let's get to business."
"Oh, what it mean y'all comin from Queens"
"Oh, representing Queens."
"Work"
"Let's get to business."
"Hey, put it down for my town"
"Hey, representing and representing my hometown."
Lyrics © DistroKid, Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Songtrust Ave, Missing Link Music, RESERVOIR MEDIA MANAGEMENT INC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: NORMAN JESSE WHITFIELD, ANTHONY SHAWN CRISS, DONALD ROBINSON, KEIR LAMONT GIST, KYRON A. SUMPTER, FALONTE D. MOORE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind