(1) A dance … Read Full Bio ↴Streetlife is a name used by several different artists.
(1) A dance music side project of Wally Van Middendorp and Wim Dekker of the Minny Pops. They released two 12" singles on Factory Records, "Act On Instinct" in 1983 and "No More Silence" in 1985.
(2) Streetlife (Born Patrick Charles), also known as Street Life, is an African American hip-hop artist who is close associate of the Wu-Tang Clan, particularly with Method Man (whose Method Man Entertainment label has signed him) and is the closest Wu-affiliate to being an 11th Clan member, appearing on the last four group albums.
He was born in the Bronx then moved to Houston, Texas, but later moved to Staten Island where he grew up.
He made his debut with an appearance on Mr. Sandman from Meth's first album Tical, and was originally intended to appear on Ghostface Killah's Ironman on the track Box In Hand but the track was pulled from the album at the last minute (the track replacing it subsequently becoming known as "Box In Hand", it being too late to change the album packaging). The original version became known as "Box In Hand (Remix)."
Street went on to make two appearances on the Clan's second album Wu-Tang Forever and numerous appearances on Method Man's second album Tical 2000: Judgement Day in 1997 and 1998 respectively, after which he continued to make appearances on Clan albums and on the members' various solo projects.
His own debut album was originally intended to be released in the busy 1998–1999 period but, as was soon to become the norm for Wu-Tang releases, it was repeatedly delayed, eventually seeing release titled Street Education in 2005. Though Method Man only made three short appearances on the album, he was billed as the executive producer.
(3) Streetlife is a group of young musicians and artists whose musical backgrounds are as diverse as their own personalities. 'KEEP ON MOVIN', STREETLIFE's debut album, showcases 14 full length newly recorded club hits.
Hung These Streets
Streetlife Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
[Intro: Streetlife]
Yeah, come on, come on, yeah
I'm a natural born hustler, and it's on nigga
[Streetlife]
I'm a natural born hustler, I was raised in the slums
I stash crack rocks in my mouth til my tongue got numb
And I stood on the ave, until the package was done
A slim chubby fella, always walked with a gun
I got two bad knees, I don't plan to run
I know you can't stand me, since I won a Grammy
And I'm still in your hood, sippin' black berry plenty
I'm an uptown, sneaker rockin', Shaolin New York Yankee
I'm an O.G., I still give haters eye-jammies
All I ever wanted, was an cell five hundred
Be a ghetto celeb, and do my album blunted
[Chorus: Why (Streetlife)]
We love these streets, hung these streets
Never gonna put nothing, above these streets
Reach out and touch something, when the slugs meet
Preach to the streets (teach the youth how to eat)
[Streetlife]
I'm a natural born gangsta, I keep my hat on the lean
I keep the gun tucked, even when the cops on the scene
These mean streets become, graveyards for frauds
A big boy status, triple extra large
Certified Street, check my identification
Frontin' at my Clan at the door? That's a major violation
You can find me in your grimiest ghetto location
Caught up, brought up, in all sorts of street situations
Listen and learn, maggot, or sleep with the worms
I'm a bad sperm, every time I cum, it burn
We hold trials on these streets, court's adjurned
I send heatwaves, that blow out your perm
[Chorus]
[Outro: Why]
Yeah, hah, with the Why, nigga!
Know it's fly, nigga!
My verbal twin, and it's yours
Streetlife! S.I. 7
We in here, nigga, Tical
Yeah, it's on, Loose Linx
To the death, goin' out that way
The song "Hung These Streets" by Streetlife featuring Why is a gritty representation of the artist's experiences growing up in the slums and navigating the harsh realities of the street life. Through his lyrics, Streetlife portrays himself as a natural born hustler who learned to double his money by selling drugs on the street. He stashed crack rocks in his mouth until his tongue went numb and stood on the avenue, waiting for the package to be done. He strutted the streets with a gun in his hand, knowing he was a slim chubby fellow with bad knees who could not outrun the cops.
Streetlife is now an OG who still sips blackberry brandy and rocks uptown sneakers while keeping his hat on the lean. He has achieved his goal of becoming a ghetto celebrity and winning a Grammy while staying true to his roots. In the chorus, Why repeats his love for the streets and their way of life, showing his loyalty to the harsh environment which both shaped him and nearly destroyed him.
The song suggests that becoming successful in this world requires going through trial and error, street education, and dedication to hustling. Streetlife's authenticity shines through his lyrics, showing listeners that he is not afraid to tell it like it is, and that he has paid his dues. The beat enhances the rawness of the song, and Why's backing vocals add a catchy hook that blends in with the style of the music.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm a natural born hustler, I was raised in the slums
I have an innate ability to hustle and make money, and I learned this from growing up in a poor neighborhood.
I was taught by these streets, how to double my ones
I learned how to increase my profits and make more money from the tough environment of the streets.
I stash crack rocks in my mouth til my tongue got numb
I had to take extreme measures to hide drugs and avoid getting caught by law enforcement.
And I stood on the ave, until the package was done
I sold drugs on the street until I sold all of my product.
I'm an uptown, sneaker rockin', Shaolin New York Yankee
I'm from the upper part of Manhattan, I wear trendy sneakers, and I'm a Yankees fan from the Shaolin neighborhood.
Be a ghetto celeb, and do my album blunted
All I ever wanted was to become a famous rapper while smoking weed.
We love these streets, hung these streets
We are proud of where we come from and will always represent the streets that raised us.
Never gonna put nothing, above these streets
We will never forget or abandon the streets that made us who we are, no matter how successful we become.
Preach to the streets (teach the youth how to eat)
We use our platform to inspire and educate young people in our communities to be successful and self-sufficient.
I'm a natural born gangsta, I keep my hat on the lean
I have a natural inclination towards a gangster lifestyle, and I wear my hat at an angle to represent that.
These mean streets become, graveyards for frauds
People who try to pretend to be tough or involved in the street life end up dying because they can't handle the reality of it.
Certified Street, check my identification
I am authentic and legit when it comes to being from the streets, and my credentials prove it.
I'm a bad sperm, every time I cum, it burn
My entire being is destructive and causes pain to those around me, even in intimate situations.
We hold trials on these streets, court's adjurned
We take matters into our own hands and settle conflicts on the streets, rather than relying on the law to provide justice.
I send heatwaves, that blow out your perm
I am capable of inflicting intense, violent force that can even disrupt or destroy a person's hairstyle.
Contributed by Camden B. Suggest a correction in the comments below.