They first came to notice in 2000 with the single "Whistle While You Twurk" which got play on urban and pop radio stations and peaked at #16 on the US R&B/Hip-Hop chart. Their full-length debut album, Thug Walkin', came out later that year. Their next album, Alley: The Return of the Ying Yang Twins (2002) failed to sell 500,000 units and they didn't really achieve popularity until they collaborated with the self-styled "King of Crunk" Lil Jon on his 2002 single "Get Low". The song was a huge club and radio hit and the duo subsequently signed a deal with TVT Records.
Their first album for the label, Me & My Brother was certified platinum on April 12, 2005[1] and yielded three more hits — "Whats Happnin!", "Naggin'" and the popular Lil Jon collaboration "Salt Shaker". The same year the duo appeared on Britney Spears' album In the Zone and her television special of the same name. In 2004, TVT released My Brother & Me, an album composed largely of remixes which featured a bonus DVD of the group's videos. A new album U.S.A. (United State of Atlanta) appeared in the summer of 2005 as its singles "Wait (The Whisper Song)", "Badd", and "Shake" were dominating urban radio, and U.S.A. (Still United), a collection of outtakes, remixes, and collaborations similar to My Brother & Me followed in December 2005. It too was accompanied by a DVD featuring music videos and other footage from the U.S.A. (United State of Atlanta) period.
The group's fifth album Chemically Imbalanced was released in November 2006. For this album the Twins collaborated with producers Wyclef Jean and Jerry 'Wonder' Duplessis in addition to Mr. Collipark (who produced a majority of the songs on the group's previous albums). The first two singles were the Hall & Oates-sampling "Dangerous", featuring Wyclef Jean, and "Jigglin'".
They have both parted ways with Mr. Collipark after their last album, Chemically Imbalanced, and their future albums will not be distributed through TVT Records. They have also planned to work on their own record label and artists. D-Roc owns Punnn!!! Entertainmnet with Da Muzicians and Nue Breed as the first two duo signees. Kaine owns EA Productions, and has his group Hard Boyz, as well as Countrie Biggz, Geeskie, and Kuzin Big Boyy. Kaine also plans on releasing a solo album in the near future.
Family
Ying Yang Twins Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Dead, pulled by a van, blood gone from his head
I had another partner named Terry
Dead, he tried to flee the scene before they hit 'em wit the left
My grandma always said
When it rains it pours
So they're dying like flies
I had a cousin named Ant
Dead, they say the young man only died by the head
The streets all we got it
Boys gon' be boys, me in ya hype
Teach your son to like guns with toys
Now what we supposed to do
When you know you gotta get ya kid enrolled in school?
So you start hanging 'round with the local crew
Have a smoke or two
Start kicking 'em a joke or two
Tell me what the parent's supposed to do?
Go tell momma
(Go tell momma)
To go ask daddy
(To go ask daddy)
That since when was the last time
We were a family
Like we supposed to be
Brothas and sistas
(Brothas and sistas)
Achi cousins I love you
(Achi cousins I love you)
And sometimes we as family
We don't do what we supposed to
So I say
Family, yeah, family
Family, yeah
1979 that's when my momma had me
2006, her oldest son is a daddy
Check it, I got two daughters of my own
They say I degrade women
But they degrade they self
They didn't have help, growing up
She had a dead beat momma
And a dead beat dad
She go and shake, shakes quick in the club
Drop it like it's hot
I tell my kids what to do
And what to do not
I'm a grown and
I gotta feed my kids
So I teach them the right
And wrong way to live
If you feel bad
You need to stop shaking, shaking
And your parents won't be so mad
Might smile at you
If you keep shaking your *** in the club
Ying Yang gon' show you love
Listen, I keep stressing to my daughters stay in school
Learn all you can, yes, I'm a real family man
Go tell momma
(Go tell momma)
To go ask daddy
(To go ask daddy)
That since when was the last time
We were a family
Like we supposed to be, family
Brothas and sistas
(Brothas and sistas)
Achi cousins I love you
(Achi cousins I love you)
And sometimes we as family
We don't do what we supposed to
So I say
Family, yeah, family
Family, yeah
Check this out
I wanna break the music down for a minute
I wanna say something to us
You know I say us 'cause we are a people
We all are equal
If you love your sister, your brother
Your father, your mother
Clap yo' hands
Clap yo' hands
Clap yo' hands
Clap yo' hands
Family, family
Family, family, family
Go tell momma
(Go tell momma)
To go ask daddy
(To go ask daddy)
That since when was the last time
We were a family
Like we supposed to be
Brothas and sistas
(Brothas and sistas)
Achi cousins I love you
(Achi cousins I love you)
And sometimes we as family
We don't do what we supposed to
So I say
Family, family
Family, yeah
The Ying Yang Twins' song "Family" is a reflection on the tragedies and challenges faced by families living in urban communities. The song is an honest representation of the realities of life in tough neighborhoods and the pain of losing friends and family members to street violence. The opening lines of the song detail the deaths of the singer's partners, Courtney and Terry, who were both killed in violent incidents. The lyrics go on to describe the loss of the singer's cousin, Ant, and the fear that these deaths have instilled in him.
The chorus of the song calls for a return to family values and unity. The singer asks listeners to tell their parents to remind them of when they were last a family that was united and living according to the values of the community. He emphasizes the importance of family, even when times are tough, and encourages listeners to show love to their siblings, cousins, and other family members.
The song reflects the Ying Yang Twins' personal experiences growing up in Atlanta's rough neighborhoods. Despite the song's tough subject matter, it has a positive message of hope and resilience. It highlights the importance of community, family, and love in the face of adversity.
Line by Line Meaning
I had a partner named Courtney
I used to have a friend named Courtney
Dead, pulled by a van, blood gone from his head
He died in a gruesome way
I had another partner named Terry
I also had a friend named Terry
Dead, he tried to flee the scene before they hit 'em wit the left
He also died in a violent incident
My grandma always said
My grandmother used to tell me
When it rains it pours
Bad things tend to happen to us all at once
So they're dying like flies
Many people are dying
Got me kinda scared to go outdoors
I'm afraid to leave my home
I had a cousin named Ant
I had a cousin named Ant
Dead, they say the young man only died by the head
He died from a headshot
The streets all we got it
We only have the streets
Boys gon' be boys, me in ya hype
Boys will be boys and I'll be with my friends
Teach your son to like guns with toys
Teach your son to like guns as toys
Now what we supposed to do
What can we possibly do?
When you know you gotta get ya kid enrolled in school?
When you need to enroll your child in school?
So you start hanging 'round with the local crew
So you start hanging around with the local gang
Have a smoke or two
Smoke a cigarette or two
Start kicking 'em a joke or two
Start telling a few jokes to them
Tell me what the parent's supposed to do?
What are parents supposed to do in this situation?
Go tell momma
Tell your mother
(Go tell momma)
Repeat: Tell your mother
To go ask daddy
To ask your father
(To go ask daddy)
Repeat: To ask your father
That since when was the last time
When was the last time
We were a family
We were together as a family
Like we supposed to be
As we should be
Brothas and sistas
Brothers and sisters
(Brothas and sistas)
Repeat: Brothers and sisters
Achi cousins I love you
Dear cousins, I love you
(Achi cousins I love you)
Repeat: Dear cousins, I love you
And sometimes we as family
And sometimes as a family
We don't do what we supposed to
We don't do what we are supposed to do
So I say
So I'm saying
Family, yeah, family
Family, yes, family
1979 that's when my momma had me
I was born in 1979
2006, her oldest son is a daddy
In 2006, I became a father
Check it, I got two daughters of my own
I have two daughters
They say I degrade women
They say I disrespect women
But they degrade they self
But they degrade themselves
They didn't have help, growing up
They didn't have any help growing up
She had a dead beat momma
Her mother was a deadbeat
And a dead beat dad
Her father was also a deadbeat
She go and shake, shakes quick in the club
She dances provocatively in the club
Drop it like it's hot
Dance seductively
I tell my kids what to do
I tell my children what to do
And what to do not
And what not to do
I'm a grown and
I'm an adult and
I gotta feed my kids
I have to provide for my children
So I teach them the right
So I teach them what's right
And wrong way to live
And what's wrong to avoid
If you feel bad
If you feel bad
You need to stop shaking, shaking
You need to stop dancing seductively
And your parents won't be so mad
And your parents will not be angry
Might smile at you
They might smile at you
If you keep shaking your *** in the club
If you keep dancing seductively in the club
Ying Yang gon' show you love
Ying Yang Twins will show you love
Listen, I keep stressing to my daughters stay in school
Listen, I keep telling my daughters to stay in school
Learn all you can, yes, I'm a real family man
Learn as much as you can, because I'm a true family man
Check this out
Listen to this
I wanna break the music down for a minute
I want to pause the music for a moment
I wanna say something to us
I want to say something to all of us
You know I say us 'cause we are a people
I say us because we are all human
We all are equal
We are all equally important
If you love your sister, your brother
If you love your siblings
Your father, your mother
If you love your parents
Clap yo' hands
Clap your hands
Family, family
Family, family
Family, family, family
Family, family, family
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: MICHAEL ANTOINE CROOMS, JERRY DUPLESSIS, DEONGELO HOLMES, ERIC JACKSON, WYCLEF JEAN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind