MAAD stands for Minority Alliance of Anti-Discrimination. Following the dissolution of Low Profile, the rapper WC formed the group and released the albums, Ain't a Damn Thang Changed in 1991 and Curb Servin' in 1995. The albums spawned some popular singles, notably "Dress Code", "West Up!" and "The One".
WC would later leave the group and form the gangsta rap supergroup Westside Connection with Ice Cube and Mack 10. WC and Crazy Toones continued working together at Ice Cube's Lench Mob Records.
On January 9, 2017, Crazy Toones died at age 45 of a heart attack.
On September 28, 2022, Coolio died at age 59 of an accidental overdose of fentanyl, heroin and meth.
Behind Closed Doors
WC And The Maad Circle Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
C.
And The Maad Circle[-W.
C.-] Aiy Toones![Toones] What′s up, man?[-W.
C.-] How many of your people in your neighborhood got one of this?[Toones] What's that?[Female] I have just fallen, and I can′t get up![Police] We're sending help immediately Mrs.
Freeture[ One: W.
C.]Dear Mr.
Chief of police, excuse my handwritingBut try to understand that I wrote this with a broken handI'm just one out of many from the inner cityWhose been a victim of unseen police brutalityBeating with a Billy Club until I became numbPistol whip - bruises on my face from a handgunThey said: that I was speeding, going over the limitBut when they pulled me over man, they never gave me a ticketThey just said: I better stick both of my hands out my windowReal slow or be one dead negroUhh.
WhiteThe same crooked cop from along time ago (What's up?)Who planted an ounce in my homie El CaminoWith a smile on his face, he said welcome back niggaHad his partner on the side with his finger on the triggerI knew the routine, so I assumed the positionStarted searching through my pockets like he was on a mission (WORD!)Yo, came up over my nuts and look what I gotI said: That′s money that I made in the Metal ShopAs he put it in his pocket and said: End of ConversationAnd you better start walking or face a violationI looked him in the eyes and knew he was a punkAnother sissy with a badge just trying to front (WORD!)I told him take off your gun and we can go someAnd if you??
From the shoulders, you can have my funds (WORD!)He didn't hesitated and threw the first punchBut quickly I ducked, and went straight for the nutsWith a left, right - right left, right left -----> Ice CubeGoddamn! - but did you knock him out? -----> W.
C.
Yep, and that′s when his partner put his gun in my sideAnd said: Get in the trunk, punk; we're going for a rideThey took me to a hood that my hood was feuding withLocals in a park, drinking Forties and kicking it??
Is getting wet, and waiting for a picnicThey let me out the trunk and said sick him (Sick of that bullshit)That′s how the story goes (What?) - in a rat holeCause I'm a second class citizen, behind closed doors[ Dawn Silva, Jackie Simley][ Three: W.
C.]Hanging at the crack house, slanging my ya-yoI'm making about a twenty thousand dollars a day or soBut here comes Johnny the NarcoThe neighborhood cop from around the blockHoping that he can pot my spotBut wait a minute, he is solo - Oh noSomething smelling fishy, y′all, cause that ain′t like 5-0I wondered what's up, I seen him slowly stepping out of his rideNow he′s calling me off to the sideI'm peeping out the corners for back-upCause nowadays smokers be snitching on niggaz and setting them upBut it was far from a set upIt was more like a proposition aimed for me to stay in my businessA little side money for the dirty copsTo keep the feds off my back while I′m slanging my rocksI should've listened to my homies and told them to go to hellAnd took any chance of getting busted and going to jailBut instead, I got to paying the cops off weeklyUntil they took advantage and started getting greedyThat′s when I told him that I was stepping outI'm just a memory from the past, and they can Kiss My Ass!
But that's when they started black mailing meAnd yelling and telling me: Uhh.
You, black sheeps will be sorrySo later at that night, when I was at home sleepSomebody kicked in my door when they yelled out FREEZE!!...
Open that Door![ Tom Blaw]This time the suspected drug dealers spotted the crash officersbefore they hit the front door.
WC And The Maad Circle's song "Behind Closed Doors" is a powerful commentary on the systemic issues faced by black Americans within the criminal justice system. The song itself is split into three distinct sections, each dealing with a different aspect of that system. In the first verse, lead rapper WC describes his own experiences with police brutality, where he has been subject to physical abuse by officers for simply being black. The lyrics paint a vivid picture of WC's fear and anger at the injustice, as well as his resignation to the fact that this is the "routine" for black people in America.
The second verse, delivered by Coolio, relates another story of police corruption, this time from the vantage point of someone who has already served time in prison. The lyrics describe a crooked cop planting drugs on Coolio's friend and then, later finding him out on the streets, trying to extort money from him in exchange for protection from the law. Coolio's refusal to play along leads to a violent confrontation, resulting in him being kidnapped and taken to a rival gang's territory, highlighting the extent to which corruption in the police force has infiltrated every level of American society.
Finally, the third verse deals with the pressures applied to drug dealers from both the police and rival gangs, which forces them into a cycle of violence and fear that is almost impossible to escape. The lyrics describe how WC is making "about twenty thousand dollars a day or so" dealing drugs from a crack house, but is eventually blackmailed by corrupt cops who threaten to expose his operation to the authorities. The pressures escalate until his home is raided by officers and he is left with nowhere to turn.
Overall, "Behind Closed Doors" is a searing indictment of the racial biases and injustices of the American criminal justice system, delivered through a series of personal, hard-hitting stories. The song is a testament to the power of hip-hop to address complex social issues, and to highlight experiences and perspectives that are often marginalized or ignored in mainstream media.
Line by Line Meaning
Dear Mr. Chief of police, excuse my handwritingBut try to understand that I wrote this with a broken handI'm just one out of many from the inner cityWhose been a victim of unseen police brutality
The artist writes to the Chief of Police with difficulty because he has suffered from police brutality. He mentions that he is not the only one who has suffered in this way. He is writing to ask for this violence to stop.
Beating with a Billy Club until I became numbPistol whip - bruises on my face from a handgunThey said: that I was speeding, going over the limitBut when they pulled me over man, they never gave me a ticket
The artist describes how he was beaten and pistol whipped during a traffic stop. Despite being stopped for speeding, he was not given a ticket.
But that's when they bust me in the neck with a flashlightBut still I stayed calm and took the painPictured when my ancestors gone through the same thing
The artist was hit in the neck with a flashlight by police. Despite the pain, he remained calm, thinking of the experiences of his ancestors who had faced similar violence.
So I gotta flip, hurtle, hit the corner with flash bagsSo held my chase in Jesse York′sBut when I woke up, another black and a white roomParalyzed waist down from a bullet woundAnd now I'm being charged for resisting arrestBut it was either catch a bullet or be beating to death
The artist ran from the police and was shot, leaving him paralyzed. He was charged with resisting arrest, but explains that he had to choose between taking a bullet and being beaten to death.
The policemen are your friendsThey′re here to protect and serveBut as long as you′re white then you're alrightAnd you won′t get beat to the curbThe policemen are your friendsThey're here to protect and serveBut if you′re black, you better not talk backCause if you do; then you will get burnt
The artists sing about the different treatment that white and black people receive from police. White people are seen as friends who are there to protect and serve, while black people are at risk of violence if they speak up or resist police.
That was in the past now I'm back on the pavementWith two kids that gone on full probationIt feels kind of good not to carry a shankI got five hundred dollars on my way to the bank
The artist has recently been released from prison and is happy to be back on the streets without a weapon. He has some money and is on his way to the bank.
But quickly I ducked, and went straight for the nutsWith a left, right - right left, right left -----> Ice CubeGoddamn! - but did you knock him out? -----> W.Yep, and that′s when his partner put his gun in my sideAnd said: Get in the trunk, punk; we're going for a ride
The artist defends himself and knocks out a police officer but is then threatened with a gun and forced into a car trunk.
I'm making about a twenty thousand dollars a day or soBut here comes Johnny the NarcoThe neighborhood cop from around the blockHoping that he can pot my spot
The artist is a drug dealer making a lot of money but is targeted by a police officer hoping to catch him in the act.
Writer(s): Gregory Webster, Eric Wright, Andre Romell Young, Anthony D Wheaton, Artis L. Jr. Ivey, Buddy Hank, Charles C Carter, Clarence Satchell, Donna Lynn Clinton, George S Clinton, Gregory E Jacobs, Leroy B
Contributed by Emily W. Suggest a correction in the comments below.