Straighten It Out
Pete Rock Pete Rock & CL Smooth & C.L. Smooth Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

Uh, yeah. Uh-huh
We got Pete Rock and C.L. Smooth
And we're here to tell you to
And that's a fact, baby
Now you're gonna kick some lyrics
Like this, c'mon

Walk the fine, short line, and put the needle to the grind
Representin' one kind, seeing eye for the blind
Witness what I carry on bears a further purpose
From how we do slam a few, then you want to purchase
A dialogue of funk, you love to pop it in your trunk
I win, more disciplined than a Show-lin monk
Pete Rock and C.L., well set to spark it
The powerful target to destroy the black market
But when you say black, listen, I don't know, you lose me
I guess another beggar can afford to be choosey
I come to the maximum, artist on a major label
Any duplication of this one is fatal
On one to five, I gotta hit ya live
Beat your ass with my tape, any race or shape
Cuz if they got mine, they got yours too
But together here's what we gotta do

Tell 'em straighten it out
Ah, yeah straighten it out
You know this is the word (say what?) straighten it out
That's right y'all straighten it out (say what?)
You got to straighten it out
Everybody must straighten it out (say what?)
Straighten it out yeah
Straighten it out it's like that (say what?)

The funk legacy I pass on, clearancy for high rates
Every time we sample all the past time greats
Stick it in the SP-1200 beat, I make a loop
Lovely, where the Troop in a Lexus coupe
Just a little bit, set to make a whole lot happen
The musical inside my rappin'
Written by the C.L., produced by the P.R
And add in any credit that you heard thus far
I start from scratch, cuz the bass line's critical
Better than the original who first made it
But now you want to sue me, but fans never boo me
Believe I know the times, we been broke, too, G
Here's another sample clear, seeya, get the hell outta here
Like a bootleg, you're over for the year
You'll only get the credit where the credit is due
So, listen, what I shout out is true

Yeah, true straighten it out
You gots to tell 'em to straighten it out
(Say what?) straighten it out
You got to tell 'em to straighten it out
(Say what?) straighten it out
That's right straighten it out
C'mon (say what?) straighten it out
That's right straighten it out
Straighten it out (say what?)

Like the strands of lamb's wool, I'm thinkin' that's said
Here to go to the head and count the locks on a dred
I and I'd 'mit to verify, goin' to multiply
A theory many thought a conspiracy
Here to let you know that it applies to all of us
You're no exceptions to the rule and that's a plus
Cause who Jah bless, let no one curse
Straighten out what I be about, reckon above the clout
And let the management work for me
Because I don't need the unnecessary hostility
A proper marketing plan so we can gobble up the dough
Straighten it out, so everybody know
The kids are official with the purpose of a smooth surface
Kickin' the service one time to make 'em nervous
We're finally here and very long overdue
Pete Rock, this one's for the crew

You gotta straighten it out
Everybody must straighten it out (say what?)
You gotta straighten it out
Everybody must straighten it out (say what?)
Straighten it out you got to
Straighten it out c'mon (say what?)
Straighten it out
All black people must straighten it out
Say what?
Straighten it out
Everybody must straighten it out
The YG's, they must straighten it out
The Hilltop, they muststraighten it out
The whole money-earnin' must straighten it out
Everybody must straighten it out




Come on straighten it out
Ah, yeah straighten it out (to close)

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Pete Rock & C.L. Smooth's song "Straighten It Out" are a call to action to unify and empower the black community. The song's message is articulated through a combination of slick wordplay, dense allusions, and metaphors. The first verse is a boast about the duo's skills as hip-hop artists, but their focus quickly shifts to the power of black music and culture to achieve social change. They urge their listeners to "witness what [they] carry on", to support black businesses, and to be mindful of the economic and political pressures that perpetuate inequality. The second verse is more introspective, with C.L. Smooth ruminating on his impact as an artist and the responsibility that comes with success. He urges listeners to "straighten [their] attitudes and be more efficient", to work for the common good rather than personal gain, and to resist being co-opted or exploited by outside forces. The chorus repeats the title phrase, "straighten it out," as a mantra for positive change and upliftment.


Overall, the song's call for unity and empowerment is grounded in a deep awareness of black history and culture. The duo reference everything from Show-lin monks to reggae lyrics to the SP-1200 beat machine, highlighting the multifaceted influence of black creativity. They also incorporate religious and spiritual themes, referencing Jah (a Rastafari term for God) and invoking a sense of destiny and purpose. The song's steady, insistent beat and Pete Rock's jazzy samples add to the overall feeling of upliftment and positivity, making "Straighten It Out" a classic anthem of hip-hop positivity.


Line by Line Meaning

Walk the fine, short line, and put the needle to the grind
Be precise and diligent in your work


Representin' one kind, seeing eye for the blind
We speak for a particular group and see what others cannot


Witness what I carry on bears a further purpose
Pay attention to the deeper meaning behind what I say and do


From how we do slam a few, then you want to purchase
Our skills are so good that you'll want to buy what we're selling


A dialogue of funk, you love to pop it in your trunk
Our music is so good you'll want to listen to it constantly


I win, more disciplined than a Show-lin monk
We are incredibly disciplined, even more so than a monk


Pete Rock and C.L., well set to spark it
We are ready to ignite the crowd


The powerful target to destroy the black market
We aim to destroy the illegal sales of our music


But when you say black, listen, I don't know, you lose me
I don't understand what you mean when you say "black"


I guess another beggar can afford to be choosey
When you're desperate, you can't be too picky


I come to the maximum, artist on a major label
I give my all, being an artist signed to a big record label


Any duplication of this one is fatal
Copying this music would be a bad idea


On one to five, I gotta hit ya live
From a scale of one to five, I have to give an energetic performance


Beat your ass with my tape, any race or shape
My music can win over anyone's approval


Cuz if they got mine, they got yours too
If they have my music, they probably have yours too


But together here's what we gotta do
We need to work together to achieve our goals


Like the strands of lamb's wool, I'm thinkin' that's said
I'm thinking deeply, like the texture of lamb's wool


Here to let you know that it applies to all of us
This message is meant for everyone


You're no exceptions to the rule and that's a plus
You should actually feel good about having to follow the rules


Cause who Jah bless, let no one curse
God has blessed us, so no one can bring us down


A proper marketing plan so we can gobble up the dough
We need a good strategy to make lots of money


The kids are official with the purpose of a smooth surface
Our young fans are serious about the smooth music we make


Kickin' the service one time to make 'em nervous
We are delivering our performance confidently to impress the audience


We're finally here and very long overdue
We've taken a while to get here, but we are finally making an appearance


Everybody must straighten it out
Everyone needs to get their act together


The YG's, they must straighten it out
The young gangsters need to shape up


The Hilltop, they must straighten it out
People in the Hilltop neighborhood need to get their act together


The whole money-earnin' must straighten it out
Those who are making money need to get organized


All black people must straighten it out
A call to action for the Black community




Lyrics Β© BMG Rights Management, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: COREY BRENT PENN, PETER O. PHILLIPS

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Most interesting comment from YouTube:

Chris Cates

CL Smooth couldn't have said it better.
"Just a little bit, set to make a whole lot happen
The musical inside my rappin'
Written by the C.L., produced by the P.R.
And add in any credit that you heard thus far

I start from scratch, 'cause the bass line's critical
Better than the original who first made it
But now you want to sue me, but fans never boo me
Believe I know the times, we been broke, too, G"



All comments from YouTube:

Stereo-Type

I will never understand how we let Hip-Hop like this slip away from us..

uncle Daniel Vicente

Same thought..like how swayπŸ€”πŸ€”

Mr. Chevy Mills

Record companies.
Soon as Curtis blow & them sign record contracts in '79.
Now I understand why Grandmaster Flash and them didn't sign with Sugar Hill immediately.

Gringo With A Green Bag

It is one of the greatest travesties of mankind. At least those who know about it still know.

Necalli Jones

I love this comment

uncle Daniel Vicente

Exactly πŸ’―

86 More Replies...

DAVIT HAMBARDZUMYAN

If this beat doesn’t make you move your head and give you goosebumps then you have no right to listen to this masterpiece

Pee Michael

No doubt fam

Dropshot1

Just thinking the same!

Sal Deck

One of the hardest beat and breakdown...ever...

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