2 Live Crew was created by David "Treach DJ Mr. Mixx" H… Read Full Bio ↴Early career
2 Live Crew was created by David "Treach DJ Mr. Mixx" Hobbs in Riverside, California, with fellow rappers Chris (Fresh Kid Ice) Wongwon, and Yuri ("Amazing Vee") Vielot. The 3 met at March AFB Riverside, CA, as they were enlisted in the Air Force.[citation needed] Along with giving local parties on and off base, they recorded their first singles through Macola Records Distribution in Los Angeles, CA. They released "Revelation" in 1984; the single sold well in Florida, encouraging the group to release "What I Like." In 1986, due to the popularity of the new single "Throw the Dick," the group, including new member Mark "Brother Marquis" Ross replacing Amazing Vee due to military commitments, relocated to Miami and teamed up with Ghetto Style DJ's and soon to be manager and eventual performer Luther Campbell, who used the nickname "Luke Skyywalker" (and was subsequently sued by George Lucas).
"Throw the Dick," with its fast dance tempo, turntable scratching explicit phrases from comedy albums, stuttering voice samples, and the Roland TR-808 drum machine brought a new sound to the group, penned as The Miami Bass Sound. David "Treach DJ Mr. Mixx" Hobbs was credited with the production.
The year 1987 saw the release of The 2 Live Crew Is What We Are, featuring profane and sexually graphic lyrics. Rudy Ray Moore's comedy albums and other XXX assorted comedy albums provided the material for most of the explicit samples that "Mr. Mixx" used. The album was produced by Mr. Mixx. Bob Rosenberg, a south Florida DJ who would later form the dance-pop group Will to Power, remixed and edited the song "Beat Box".[2] The record went gold. Though the controversy did not rise to the levels the group would reach in the future, a Florida store clerk was charged and acquitted of felony charges for selling the album to a fourteen-year-old girl in 1987.
Campbell decided to sell a separate clean version in addition to the explicit version of the next album, Move Somethin' (1988), produced by Mr. Mixx. A record store clerk in Alexander City, Alabama was cited for selling a copy to an undercover police officer in 1988. It was the first time in the United States that a record store owner was held liable for obscenity over music. The charges were dropped after a jury found the record store not guilty.
As Nasty As They Wanna Be and "Me So Horny" controversy
The group released their album As Nasty As They Wanna Be in 1989, which also became the group's most successful album, largely because of the single "Me So Horny", which was popular in spite of little radio rotation, thanks, in part, to prevalent play on MTV. The song was based on a quote from a Vietnamese prostitute in Stanley Kubrick's Full Metal Jacket and took a sample from Mass Production's Firecracker. This album was also produced by Mr. Mixx.
The American Family Association did not think the presence of a "Parental Advisory" sticker was enough to adequately warn listeners of what was inside the case. Jack Thompson, a lawyer affiliated with the AFA, met with Florida Governor Bob Martinez and convinced him to look into the album to see if it met the legal classification of obscene. In 1990 action was taken at the local level and Nick Navarro, Broward County sheriff received a ruling from judge Mel Grossman that probable cause for obscenity violations existed
Navarro warned record store owners that selling the album may be prosecutable. 2 Live Crew then filed a suit against Navarro. That June, judge Jose Gonzalez ruled against the album, declaring it obscene and illegal to sell. Charles Freeman, a local retailer, was arrested two days later, after selling a copy to an undercover police officer. This was followed by the arrest of three members of 2 Live Crew after they performed some material from the album at a live performance held at the Futura Night Club in Hollywood Florida. They were acquitted soon after. In 1992, the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit overturned the obscenity ruling from Jose Gonzales, and the Supreme Court of the United States refused to hear Broward County's appeal. A notable feature of the case was the distinguished literary critic and now Harvard University professor, Henry Louis Gates, Jr. as an expert witness on behalf of the defendants. He argued that the material that the county alleged was profane, actually had important roots in African-American vernacular, games, and literary traditions and should be protected.
As a result of the controversy, As Nasty As They Wanna Be sold over two million copies. It peaked at #29 on The Billboard 200 and #3 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart. A few other retailers were later arrested for selling it as well. Later hard rock band Van Halen sued over an uncleared sample of their song "Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love" in the 2 Live Crew Song "The Fuck Shop". The publicity then continued when George Lucas, owner of the Star Wars universe, successfully sued Campbell for appropriating the name "Skywalker" for his record label, Luke Skywalker Records. Campbell changed his stage name to Luke (and changed the record label's name to Luke Records) and then released an extremely political solo album, Banned in the USA after obtaining permission to use an interpolation of Bruce Springsteen's Born in the U.S.A. 2 Live Crew paraphernalia with the Luke Skywalker or Skywalker logos are usually sought after as collector's items.
In 1991, 2 Live Crew released the very first live rap album, Live in Concert, and Sports Weekend, a full-length studio original. It peaked at #22 on The Billboard 200 and #19 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart. It did not gain the same sales level that they experienced with As Nasty As They Wanna Be. The 2 Live Crew members went their separate ways after this. Luke pursued his solo music career and other projects.
In 1992, Fresh Kid Ice released unreleased tracks from pre-Luke 2 Live Crew, Deal with This under the name Rock on Crew, while Luke and Ice also released new solo albums, I Got Shit on My Mind and The Chinaman, respectively.[citation needed]
Mark "Brother Marquis" Ross co-starred alongside Fred Williamson in the film South Beach and started a new group with Aldrin "DJ Toomp" Davis, a former member of Poison Clan, which was also signed to Campbell's label. They named the group 2 Nazty, and released the album "Indecent Exposure" on Attitude Records in 1993. The single was called "Can't Say I Love You," but it did not chart, and the group never released a second album. The single was a departure from the typical 2 Live nasty rhymes, and focuses on what a deep emotion love is, and how it should not be said to anyone lightly. The rest of the album sounds like a 2 Live Crew record, and focuses on sexual exploits of the members.
The hard feelings over the split of the 2 Live Crew is apparent on the album, as Marquis is heard on the track "Interview" saying he was fired from the group, and that the other members had no love for him. DJ Toomp also has a line in "Be My Bitch" comparing signing a deal with Skyywalker Records to signing your life away.[citation needed]
1994: New line-up and lawsuit
1994 saw Luke, Fresh Kid Ice and a new addition to the group, Verb, regrouping as The New 2 Live Crew, issuing Back at Your Ass for the Nine-4. This album peaked at #52 on The Billboard 200 and #9 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart. The New 2 Live Crew broke up in 1995.
"Oh, Pretty Woman" lawsuit
Main article: Campbell v. Acuff-Rose Music, Inc.
During this time the lawsuit brought about by the estate of Roy Orbison, the copyright owners of "Oh, Pretty Woman," went to the Supreme Court. The Crew had parodied the original on the album As Clean As They Wanna Be without permission. The Supreme Court adopted a rule from an earlier Ninth Circuit case Fisher v. Dees. 794 F.2d 432 (9th Cir. 1986) involving Rick Dees, and ruled that 2 Live Crew's parody was fair use.[4]
Reunions
Luke, Fresh Kid Ice, Brother Marquis and Mr. Mixx re-formed again to record "Hoochie Mama" for the soundtrack to the movie Friday. Plans to reunite for an album were short-lived, as Fresh Kid Ice, Mr. Mixx, and Brother Marquis left Luke and Luke Records to go to Lil' Joe Records and released Shake a Lil' Somethin' (1996). It peaked at #145 on the Billboard 200, also peaking at #33 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart.
Mr. Mixx left soon after, leaving Fresh Kid Ice and Brother Marquis to record The Real One in 1998. It peaked at #59 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart. In 1998, Brother Marquis became a born-again Christian, quit the group, and began devoting himself to combating what he sees as the "evils" that he as a member of 2 Live Crew portrayed and glorified. Rapper "First Degree aka Tiki was then recruited as the groups newest addition by Fresh Kid Ice however, his attempt was only for a duration of a few years. Brother Marquis's born again status/views on music changed back to his roots in 2006 when he worked with music producers Dylan Berry and Noah Lifschey of Hollowstone Music under in the LA rock/rap group called the Shake Joint and released a solo album in 2008 that contained explicit lyrics.
2 Live Crew performed at the 2005 Gathering of the Juggalos.
In late 2007, 2 Live Crew announced on their MySpace page that Brother Marquis and Fresh Kid Ice will be releasing an album sometime in 2008. The album, tentatively named Just Wanna Be Heard, is currently scheduled for release in the spring of 2009.
Pretty Woman
The 2 Live Crew Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Verse 1: Luke
(Pretty woman) Ha haaa, walkin' down the street
(Pretty woman) Gir, girl, you look so sweet
(Pretty woman) You, you bring me down to the knees
(Pretty woman) You make me wanna beg please
(O-o-o-o-oh, pretty woman)
Verse 2: Fresh Kid Ice
(Big hairy woman) You need to shave that stuff
(Big hairy woman) You know, I bet it's tough
(Big hairy woman) All that hair, it ain't legi-i-it
('Cause you look like Cousin I-I-I-I-It)
(Big hairy woman)
Verse 3: Brother Marquis
(Ball-headed woman) Girl, your hair won't grow
(Ball-headed woman) You got a teeny-weeny afro
(Ball-headed woman) You know, your hair could look nice
(Ball-headed woman) First you got to roll it with rice
(Ball-headed woman)
(Spoken) Here, lemme get this hunk o' beans for ya,
Ya know whatI'm sayin'? Ha ha! This better than Rice-a-Roni!
Ha ha ha ha ha!
(O-o-o-o-oh, ball-headed woman)
Bridge:
(Mr. Mixx) Big hairy woman, come on in ...
(Marquis) And don't forget your ball-headed friend
(Luke) Hey, pretty woman, let the boys jump in-n-n-n!
Verse 4: Mr. Mixx
(Two-timin' woman) Girl, you know you ain't right
(Two-timin' woman) You was out with my boy last night
(Two-timin' woman) That takes a load off my mind
(Two-timin' woman) Now I know the baby ain't mine
(O-o-o-o-oh, two-timin' woman)
All:
O-o-o-o-oh, pretty woman!
The 2 Live Crew's song "Pretty Woman" is a misogynistic and objectifying track that degrades and insults women in different ways. The lyrics are divided into four verses, each sung by a different member of the Crew. In the first verse, Luke simply praises a pretty woman in the streets, saying she brings him down to his knees and makes him want to beg. The second verse performed by Fresh Kid Ice, however, insults a big hairy woman and suggests she needs to shave. In the third verse, Brother Marquis targets a bald-headed woman and offers her some humorous beauty tips involving rice. Finally, Mr. Mixx calls out a two-timing woman for seeing his friend and concludes that he is relieved the baby is not his.
While some may argue that the song could be interpreted as a comedic exploration of societal beauty standards, it is clear the Crew's lyrics are sexist, disrespectful, and harmful towards specific groups of women. Their lyrics paint a troubling portrait of women being reduced to their body parts, hair, and perceived sexuality. It highlights the objectification of women in hip-hop music at the time and reinforces negative stereotypes about women.
Line by Line Meaning
(Pretty woman) Ha haaa, walkin' down the street
Luke is admiring a woman who is walking down the street
(Pretty woman) Gir, girl, you look so sweet
Luke is complimenting the woman's appearance and finds her attractive
(Pretty woman) You, you bring me down to the knees
Luke is so attracted to the woman that he feels weak in the knees
(Pretty woman) You make me wanna beg please
Luke is so enamored with the woman that he would do anything to be with her, even beg
(O-o-o-o-oh, pretty woman)
Luke is expressing his desire for the woman
(Big hairy woman) You need to shave that stuff
Fresh Kid Ice is criticizing a woman's body hair
(Big hairy woman) You know, I bet it's tough
Fresh Kid Ice believes that having a lot of body hair would be difficult
(Big hairy woman) All that hair, it ain't legi-i-it
Fresh Kid Ice doesn't think it's natural for a woman to have a lot of body hair
('Cause you look like Cousin I-I-I-I-It)
Fresh Kid Ice is comparing the woman's hairiness to Cousin It, a character known for having long hair in the show The Addams Family
(Ball-headed woman) Girl, your hair won't grow
Brother Marquis is pointing out that a woman has short hair or is bald
(Ball-headed woman) You got a teeny-weeny afro
Brother Marquis is indicating the woman has very short curly hair
(Ball-headed woman) You know, your hair could look nice
Brother Marquis thinks the woman could have nice hair if she follows his advice
(Ball-headed woman) First you got to roll it with rice
Brother Marquis suggests that the woman should use rice to make her hair straight and more attractive
(Spoken) Here, lemme get this hunk o' beans for ya, Ya know whatI'm sayin'? Ha ha! This better than Rice-a-Roni! Ha ha ha ha ha!
Brother Marquis is making a joke about using beans instead of rice to make the woman's hair look good
(O-o-o-o-oh, ball-headed woman)
Brother Marquis is expressing his interest in a woman even though she has very short hair or is bald
(Mr. Mixx) Big hairy woman, come on in ...
Mr. Mixx is inviting a woman with body hair to join them
(Marquis) And don't forget your ball-headed friend
Brother Marquis jokingly suggests that the woman with short or no hair should bring her friend with her
(Luke) Hey, pretty woman, let the boys jump in-n-n-n!
Luke is inviting the woman to join them and have some fun
(Two-timin' woman) Girl, you know you ain't right
Mr. Mixx is accusing a woman of cheating on him
(Two-timin' woman) You was out with my boy last night
Mr. Mixx believes that the woman was spending time with someone else instead of him
(Two-timin' woman) That takes a load off my mind
Mr. Mixx is relieved to know the truth about the woman's behavior
(Two-timin' woman) Now I know the baby ain't mine
Mr. Mixx realizes that he is not the father of the woman's child, if she has one
(O-o-o-o-oh, two-timin' woman)
Mr. Mixx is expressing his disappointment with a woman who has been unfaithful
(O-o-o-o-oh, pretty woman)
All members of the 2 Live Crew are expressing their desire for an attractive woman
Writer(s): BILL DEES, ROY ORBISON
Contributed by Mason J. Suggest a correction in the comments below.