The term Various Artists is used in the record industry when numerous singers and musicians collaborate on a song or collection of songs. Most often on Last.fm, compilation album tracks appear under the name of Various Artists erroneously because the individual artist is not listed in the album's ID3 information.
Compilation albums, for example.
Sometimes, single releases may be credited to Various Artists when their profits are going to charity and, usually in high-profile cases, are sometimes known by a group name. Examples include Band Aid with their releases of Do They Know It's Christmas? and USA for Africa with We Are The World.
Various Artists is also an actual performance name for Torsten Pröfrock, who runs the German DIN label. Torsten performs also as Dynamo, Erosion, Resilent, Traktor besides some others. He's a good friend of Robert Henke and since the Fall of 2004, he is a member of Monolake.
Various Artists was also a short-lived Bristol punk band formed by brothers Jonjo and Robin Key (originally from Birmingham). Other members were also simultaneously in Art Objects who went on to become The Blue Aeroplanes, the latter the Key brothers also co-wrote some songs and were involved in. When Various Artists imploded, the Key brothers went on to form Either / Or.
Various Artists also appear on tracks from musical theater soundtracks, due to the nature of having many cast members on one song, as well as an ensemble in some cases.
Take It Back
Various Artists Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
When we was bumpin Slave, Rick James and Lady T
My man with the East coast taste from Red Alert
Pete Rock, Marley Marl, put-tin in work
On the West we had Julio G on KDAY
Mixmaster Michael mixin more in his heyday
Rob 1 droppin shit so niggas could break
All my real niggas - all a nigga wanna do is
All them other niggas - all a nigga wanna do is be fake
But now - oh shit, damn I'm goin to another wake
Remember, 'bout the times in school
When we made a fool of ourselves to impress a girl, tryin to be cool
Ohh, some niggas gettin sprung on coke
I'm like oh, young niggas gettin sprung off {*BLAM*}
Oh shit! Some niggas never learnin the ropes
Keep this hustling up
Mathematic, here in Cali, rally
Dirty, I can't help it
Believe me! All massive an' all crew line up
They can't get we out
(Who that nigga over there man?)
Niggas lookin over here like shit is sweet
All day mad cause a nigga said his shit is weak
Askin for a true opinion, get mad when a nigga speak
I ain't got no time for that shit, I already figure the nigga's weak
You can't even trust your own best friend or your man and them
Cause them niggas only worry about the shit you handin them
Shit, all a nigga wanna do is
get cake
All a nigga wanna do is be fake
Look around, all snakes, for heaven sakes
Buried with fake, I carry it hate, made in every state
Dilla Dawg
Vintage Cadillac with the grill fronted
Tell them players I'm the GM
Believe me! That is the wickedest sound
That player had in him then use.
Down with all massive and all crew line up
They can't get we out
When it come to championship - yes we 'ave it
And when it come to dignitary
{*speaking too fast to translate*}
The song "Take It Back" by Various Artists talks about the memories of the old days and how things are different now. The first verse sets the tone by describing how music used to be in the '80s on both coasts, with different artists like Slave, Rick James, and Lady T on the West Coast, and Red Alert, Pete Rock, and Marley Marl on the East Coast. The verse highlights the names of different famous DJs and how they contributed to the hip-hop scene back then. The next part of the verse talks about real vs. fake people, and how the rapper's focus is on getting money while others are just pretending to be something they're not.
The second verse talks about the struggles of life and how people tend to judge others based on their looks and actions while missing the "cool" people willing to make a fool of themselves to impress others. It also narrates how some people are responsible and are always learning, while others are reckless and continue to engage in dangerous activities. The rapper concludes the verse with the famous line, "All a nigga wanna do is get cake, all a nigga wanna do is be fake." The line stresses the importance of money and the things people do to get it.
Overall, the song describes how times have changed, and people's behavior has changed, and no one knows who to trust anymore. The lyrics are a reflection of how society has evolved, and how people are more concerned with material things than emotions and friendships. It is a nostalgic song that many people can relate to regardless of their age.
Line by Line Meaning
Keeps it poppin like West coast in '83
The music remains lively and relevant like the West Coast music scene was in 1983
When we was bumpin Slave, Rick James and Lady T
Refers to popular musicians listened to during their time
My man with the East coast taste from Red Alert
Refers to a friend who prefers East Coast music as popularized by Red Alert
Pete Rock, Marley Marl, put-tin in work
Acknowledgement of Pete Rock and Marley Marl's work in popularizing East Coast hip hop
On the West we had Julio G on KDAY
Acknowledgement of Julio G's work and influence on the West Coast music scene
Mixmaster Michael mixin more in his heyday
Acknowledgement of Mixmaster Michael's work and influence on the West Coast music scene
Rob 1 droppin shit so niggas could break
Refers to Rob 1's work in creating music that inspired people to breakdance
All my real niggas - all a nigga wanna do is get cake
Real friends only want to make money
All them other niggas - all a nigga wanna do is be fake
Fake people only want to act like they're successful
But now - oh shit, damn I'm goin to another wake
Realization of life's fragility as the author experiences the death of another person
Remember, 'bout the times in school
Recollection of experiences in school
When we made a fool of ourselves to impress a girl, tryin to be cool
Various attempts made to impress women during school days
Ohh, some niggas gettin sprung on coke
Some individuals have become addicted to cocaine
I'm like oh, young niggas gettin sprung off {*BLAM*}
Sudden realization of the violent consequences that come with drug addiction
Oh shit! Some niggas never learnin the ropes
Some individuals never learn the lessons that life has to offer
Keep this hustling up
Exhortation to maintain one's hard work ethic
Mathematic, here in Cali, rally
Shoutout to the DJ Mathematic who is currently in California
Dirty, I can't help it
Something is wrong and the author is powerless to change it
Believe me! All massive an' all crew line up
Encouragement for everyone to come together
They can't get we out
We cannot be defeated or forced out
(Who that nigga over there man?)
A query about the identity of someone nearby
Niggas lookin over here like shit is sweet
Some people are envious because they think the author's life is easy
All day mad cause a nigga said his shit is weak
Some individuals become angry when they hear the truth
Askin for a true opinion, get mad when a nigga speak
People ask for honest opinions but become upset when they don't hear what they want
I ain't got no time for that shit, I already figure the nigga's weak
Refusal to waste time on undisputably weak individuals
You can't even trust your own best friend or your man and them
Even those closest to you are not always reliable
Cause them niggas only worry about the shit you handin them
People can only be concerned with what benefits them
Look around, all snakes, for heaven sakes
People who are untrustworthy and sneaky are everywhere
Buried with fake, I carry it hate, made in every state
There is so much fake news that it fills one with anger, which is present across the US
Dilla Dawg
Acknowledgement of the late hip hop artist J Dilla
Vintage Cadillac with the grill fronted
A classic Cadillac car with a modified front grill
Tell them players I'm the GM
Author is in charge of the game
That is the wickedest sound
A particular sound is the best of the best
That player had in him then use.
The sound was so good that it had to be used
Down with all massive and all crew line up
Author supports and encourages everyone to come together
They can't get we out
They cannot remove us from our position
When it come to championship - yes we 'ave it
They are champions in their chosen field
And when it come to dignitary
Refers to their status, honor, and power
{*speaking too fast to translate*}
Inaudible speaking
Writer(s): Otis Jackson, James Dewitt Yancey
Contributed by Sadie E. Suggest a correction in the comments below.