1. A American Hip Hop group.
2. A… Read Full Bio ↴There are currently two groups:
1. A American Hip Hop group.
2. A Japanese instrumental latin jazz-fusion group.
1. The Beatnuts are a hip hop group and production duo from Queens, New York City. Its current members are JuJu and Psycho Les. JuJu (born Jerry Tineo on December 4, 1968) is Dominican American from Corona and Psycho Les (born Lester Fernandez on April 10, 1972) is a Colombian American from Jackson Heights. The Beatnuts were originally a trio before Kool Fashion, now known as Al' Tariq, left the group to start a solo career. The Mighty V.I.C. (Groove Merchantz, Ghetto Pros) was also a member of The Beatnuts' production team for a while.
Early on in their career they produced whole albums for Posse members Common Sense and Chi-Ali. Their production is noted as some of the finest and most accomplished, if unheralded, in all of hip-hop, often intricately detailed (as in their finely honed work for Mos Def on two tracks from Black on Both Sides) but more regularly barnstorming, club-friendly, flourish-laden party music. Jennifer Lopez used their track "Watch Out Now" as the instrumental for her song "Jenny from the Block". The Beatnuts produced more songs for the artists they had previously collaborated with as well as Fat Joe, Suprême NTM and Da Youngsta's. At the same time, The Beatnuts made their name as remix specialists by remixing songs for MC Lyte, Da Lench Mob, Naughty by Nature, Jomanda and others.
The Beatnuts are noted for being unabashedly, bullishly ribald and in-your-face performers. Recent Beatnuts albums are characterised by more Latin influences.
Less known is they are considered part of the Native Tongues collective. The Beatnuts are the only Latino members of the Native Tongues collective. Although only peripheral members, they are routinely acknowledged by Q-Tip.
Off the Books
The Beatnuts Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
(You better watch your step)
(You know who this is)
Oh yeah
Creo que hay es
(You better watch your step)
Ayo, it's all love
Respect crime, but not when it reflect mine
The shit I'm on is wrong but it lasts long
Pull a fast one, then Pun'll wake up with the stash gone
I'm mad strong and my cream is fast
Smoke the greenest grass, my bitch got the meanest ass
And a taste legit, I don't have to waste a whole case of Crist'
All it takes is my pretty face and my gangsta wit
Lace the click 'cause we all share
It's all fair like love and war, thug galore with the long hair
Big Pun, Pun the name that makes the kids run
Like spelling murder reverse it deliver redrum
Come one, come all, if you wanna brawl
I'm the mighty Thor clotheslining motherfuckers like Steven Seagal
'Cause all you gonna get is your ass kicked or up in a casket
That's it (that's it?) That's it
Punisher bash it, at last it's rappers that really blast shit
Cats getting Big Willie niggaz like Billy Bathgate
Up in Jimmy's Cafe, having caviar
Cracking Cristal at the bar, smoking cigars, living large
We rob and steal, run with the mob, doing jobs for bills
I'm hard to kill for real, nigga, guard your grill
I like to chill, spark an L and get high
I'm one hell of a guy, fly, pelican, fly
What up Duke-o? You know, politicking papi chuco
I'm out here, watching for Jake, getting this loot though
Shoot bro, I got a waterproof suit, yo
Swerving like a AKA in Beirut, yo
Squeezing, out of automatic M3's and
Please, you ain't seen no thugs like these
I can tell you lots of things that'll make you believe
In Corona yo, it's better to take than to receive
Your career's on life support and I'ma pull the plug
And have every thug shooting that Beatnut drug
In they blood, no escaping this
Niggas is going over their favorite shit (for what?) To be taping this
World premiere, loud and clear
Lye and beer, get the dough, blow up the show
Disappear, jump in the Cavalier
Feeling marvelous, street pharmacist, twist arboles
For pleasure, bring your territory sever
Keep my workers under pressure, got 'em saying fuck Lester
But that's aight Duke-o, my heart nowadays too cold
Don't give a fuck where you been, what you done, where you go
You know, peep this favorite
In black shades like a secret agent
We're night thieves, roll up on you sleeves
We light trees, bust these and stack cheese
It's off the hook this year
Making mad money off the books this year
Ain't nothing but crooks in here
Getting mad money off the books this year
It's off the hook this year
Getting mad money off the books this year
Ain't nothing but crooks in here
Getting mad money off the books this year
Go, go, go, go
Go, go, go, go (Terror Squad, Beatnuts)
Go, go, go, go
Go, go, go, go
Go, go
The Beatnuts’ “Off The Books” speaks about the lifestyle of a criminal and how he channels his earnings. Punisher, one of the rappers, brags about his fast money and his innumerable assets, smoking the best weed, driving luxurious cars, et cetera. His “big nine” and illegal ventures only bring in more money, which is evenly shared among his crew. They have no ethics regarding work since they believe punishing someone for money is acceptable. The rappers claim the year has been generous in terms of money-making, and they have been doing so “off the books” or clandestinely. Many themes arise from these lyrics like ambition, money, fame, and power.
The song pulls inspiration from funk and jazz music, typical of The Beatnuts’ signature style. The lyrics are aggressive and explicit in their action and language, creating a raw sound. The song also highlights the conflict between legal and illegal hustles.
Line by Line Meaning
Ayo, it's all love
Let's keep things peaceful and friendly
But love's got a thin line and Pun's got a big nine
However, love can easily turn into hate and Big Punisher is armed and dangerous
Respect crime, but not when it reflect mine
I understand the importance of criminal activity, but not when it affects me
The shit I'm on is wrong but it lasts long
I'm involved in illegal activity, which I know is morally questionable but brings in a lot of profit
Pull a fast one, then Pun'll wake up with the stash gone
I'm capable of cheating and stealing from Big Punisher, but beware of the consequences
I'm mad strong and my cream is fast
I'm very powerful and have a lot of cash flow
Smoke the greenest grass, my bitch got the meanest ass
I smoke the highest quality marijuana and my significant other is very attractive
And a taste legit, I don't have to waste a whole case of Crist'
My reputation precedes me and I don't have to buy expensive drinks to impress anyone
All it takes is my pretty face and my gangsta wit
My good looks and street smarts are all I need to charm others
Lace the click 'cause we all share
I'm loyal to my crew and we have each other's backs
Big Pun, Pun the name that makes the kids run
Big Punisher is my friend and his reputation strikes fear into people
Like spelling murder reverse it deliver redrum
I have a way with words and can turn them around to create fear and intimidation
Come one, come all, if you wanna brawl
I'm willing to fight anyone who challenges me
I'm the mighty Thor clotheslining motherfuckers like Steven Seagal
I'm very strong and can take on multiple opponents at once
Punisher bash it, at last it's rappers that really blast shit
Big Punisher is a skilled rapper who can destroy his competition
Cats getting Big Willie niggaz like Billy Bathgate
Others try to be like Big Punisher, but fail
Up in Jimmy's Cafe, having caviar
I enjoy the finer things in life
Cracking Cristal at the bar, smoking cigars, living large
Drinking expensive champagne, smoking cigars, and living a luxurious lifestyle
We rob and steal, run with the mob, doing jobs for bills
I'm involved in criminal activity, working for money and running with a dangerous crowd
I'm hard to kill for real, nigga, guard your grill
I'm very difficult to defeat and you should protect yourself from me
I like to chill, spark an L and get high
I enjoy relaxing and smoking marijuana
I'm one hell of a guy, fly, pelican, fly
I'm a great person and fly high like a pelican
What up Duke-o? You know, politicking papi chuco
Hey friend, what's up? Let's have a discussion
I'm out here, watching for Jake, getting this loot though
I'm keeping an eye out for the police while I'm making money
Shoot bro, I got a waterproof suit, yo
I'm always prepared for any situation
Swerving like a AKA in Beirut, yo
I'm driving erratically like a soldier in Beirut
Squeezing, out of automatic M3's and
I'm using my automatic weapon to shoot at others
Please, you ain't seen no thugs like these
Nobody knows how to be a thug better than me and my crew
I can tell you lots of things that'll make you believe
I have a lot of convincing stories to tell you
In Corona yo, it's better to take than to receive
It's more advantageous to steal from others than to ask for help
Your career's on life support and I'ma pull the plug
Your music career is failing and I'm going to end it
And have every thug shooting that Beatnut drug
I'll have everyone hooked on our drug (music)
In they blood, no escaping this
Our music is addictive and you can't escape it
Niggas is going over their favorite shit (for what?) To be taping this
People are getting excited over our music and recording it
World premiere, loud and clear
We're announcing the debut of our new music
Lye and beer, get the dough, blow up the show
We're partying and making money off of our performance
Disappear, jump in the Cavalier
Let's escape and drive off in our car
Feeling marvelous, street pharmacist, twist arboles
I'm feeling great and I'm a drug dealer who rolls marijuana cigarettes
For pleasure, bring your territory sever
I'm invading your area for fun and taking whatever I want
Keep my workers under pressure, got 'em saying fuck Lester
I'm making sure my employees are working hard, and they resent their supervisor
But that's aight Duke-o, my heart nowadays too cold
It's okay, I've become emotionally indifferent
Don't give a fuck where you been, what you done, where you go
I don't care about your past, your actions, or your future
You know, peep this favorite
Listen to this song, it's my favorite
In black shades like a secret agent
I'm wearing sunglasses like a spy
We're night thieves, roll up on you sleeves
My crew and I are burglars, getting our hands dirty
We light trees, bust these and stack cheese
We smoke marijuana, rob others, and make money
It's off the hook this year
Our music is amazing this year
Making mad money off the books this year
We're making a lot of profit off of our creativity
Ain't nothing but crooks in here
Everyone in this room is involved in illegal activity
Getting mad money off the books this year
We're making so much money this year from our creative work
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Christopher Rios, Jerry R. Tineo, Lester Fernandez, Felix Delgado
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@smallz556
This generation will never comprehend how soul touching the 90's were in hip hop💯
@charlenejones7595
🙏🏽🙏🏽🙏🏽
@Darzkin_
😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊
@josephcanales-pb3ip
In the 90's hip hop was good. Real good. Artist made sure what they put out was fire. They spent time in the studio and put their hearts in that shit. Nowadays, artist put out stuff that is wack. The love for rap is gone with these new artists. They just want to get paid and really don't care if it sounds corny. As long as the money comes in , they are alright with it. Back in the days you would never see that. Hit after hit and the best rap ever was in the 90's.
@rasheedrodneyroberts1568
BIG FACTS!!!!!!!!!!
@Jessica-zi1zq
❤❤❤❤ Agreed 💯! We still have the best music till this day!
@rooseveltdarbey9493
Cuban Linx should have definitely blew up he is a phenomenal lyrical MC.
@ericflores2929
he got albums 💯💪🏽💪🏽CUBA
@bonganimalcolm6853
Big pun wasn't fat, was full of heavy bars. Rip🇿🇦🇿🇦
@kierankelly288
bongani malcolm https://youtu.be/3zSC09PWTho