Da Youngstas' debut album, 1992's Somethin' 4 Da Youngstas was unfortunately overshadowed by the explosive success of their kiddie counterparts Kris Kross. However, the trio was able to garner a strong reputation in hip hop's underground due to the fact that, unlike similar child acts of the day, they wrote their own lyrics.
Its second album, 1993's The Aftermath, featured grand influences from Das EFX and Onyx, as Da Youngstas boasted a more aggressive and dexterous rhyming style and had production support from some of hip hop's heavyweights such as DJ Premier, The Beatnuts, Marley Marl, and Pete Rock. Hardcore tracks like "Wild Child" and "Crewz Pop" won them a bigger following; notably, Qu'ran began producing beats for the song "Da Hood," foreshadowing a future career as a producer. Some of the songs on the album had been directed to Kris Kross in songs Crewz Pop and Lyrical Stick Up Kids due to the beef they had going on with the group.
Da Youngstas' third album, 1994's No Mercy, is often regarded as its best. It contains the group's most successful single, "Hip Hop Ride," a sunny ode to hip hop music, which peaked at #21 on the Hot Rap Singles charts and #68 on the Billboard Hot 100. This time, most of the production work was left to Marley Marl, K-Def & Dante "Destro" Barton.
The group released its final album in 1995 I'll Make You Famous that found them referring to themselves as the Illy Funkstaz, a nickname the group had used sporadically during its last two albums. It contained the Mobb Deep-featured single "Bloodshed and War." The album was the least successful of the group's releases, and nothing has been heard from the group ever since.
Reality
da youngstas Lyrics
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Reality, reality, reality, its reality (3X)
Well I get up in the morning shower up and take a drive
I'm feeling kinda good cause its good to be alive
The radio is playing ("Its so hard to say goodbye")
It makes me think of all my homies that died
Pain in my heart frustration in my mind
Is my kind or is man blind
(Do she want to get high?) Or do her kids need to eat
I creep; later along I see more drama
(Oh Lord) What a brother got to do to make a dollar?
Sellin more cain than the little stick up kids
Innocent fix in the middle
Kitty gotta body at a party now we lives upstate
To late to change a great mistake
Thoughts crowd my mind as it gets colder
Cops pull me over cause I'm in a Range Rover
I never sweat it; forget it that's how it be
Cause where I'm livin yo its reality
[Chorus]
Everything I see (is reality)
Cops harassin (is reality)
In my city (is reality)
Scratching: Life as a shorty shouldn't be so rough
(reality, its reality)
Everything I see is reality
In the ghettos across the country
(Come follow me)
Brothers on the block shootin craps (yelling)
Watch out they bustin caps
Cops frustrated cause I'm not doin 30
They stop me for what? Illegal search
Keep on shiftin your eyes G
Because you can't find nothing on me
I'm not guilty
I guess its reality in the city
Everybody wants to be like Frank Nitty
I mean really, yo I feel a little pity
But I just sit back relax and hit the Philly
Meditatin yo I'm another state N
But I ain't to far from this, I'm still relatin
To the streets where I was born and raised in
I peeped too many things, ain't nothing amazin
[Chorus] - 2X
Its real, brothers got their hands on the steel
Killin other brothers for the thrill (For Real)
My next-door neighbor just went into the labor
Another little child who might grow awhile
Then again, will he make it when he's older?
Never knew his moms and pop when they were sober
(Project livin ain't nothing to laugh at)
Rat-A-Tat-Tat watch out for the black tech
Which way is out? Is it the gates of hell?
Or a jail cell, or getting a job doin well
I excel I'm just a young brother tryin to make it
I worked too hard for a fool tryin to take it
Livin in the badlands step to bat and
Hurtin the mind now you want to be a bad man
Everything I see (is reality)
On my block, downtown, and even in my family
ain't no escape like Alcatraz
The inner city is past, only the strong will last
Chorus (2X)
Scratching: Life as a shorty shouldn't be so rough
(4X)
Be so rough (3X)
Rough (3X)
Life as a shorty shouldn't be so rough (2X)
The song "Reality" by Da Youngstas is a realistic portrayal of life in the city, highlighting the struggles and hardships faced by people in poverty. The song begins with a whisper repeating "reality," emphasizing that this is the true state of things. The lyrics describe the daily routine of the singer as they get up, go to work, and witness the stark realities of the inner city.
The song touches on several themes like drugs, violence, poverty, and racism. Da Youngstas talk about drug dealing, police harassment, and the desperation that can lead people to do things they may not want to do, like get involved in criminal activities. The lyrics also describe the pain and frustration felt by people of color who face systemic racism, struggle to make ends meet, and often view selling drugs as their only option.
Line by Line Meaning
Reality, reality, it's reality
The world is harsh and unforgiving
Reality, reality, reality, its reality (3X)
The reality of life is inescapable and repetitive
Well I get up in the morning shower up and take a drive
I wake up, shower, and go for a drive
I'm feeling kinda good cause its good to be alive
I feel good to be alive
The radio is playing ("Its so hard to say goodbye")
The radio is playing a sad song
It makes me think of all my homies that died
The song reminds me of friends who have passed away
Pain in my heart frustration in my mind
I feel pain and frustration
Is my kind or is man blind
I question whether humanity is aware of suffering
I see my black sister sellin booty in the street
I see a woman prostituting herself
(Do she want to get high?) Or do her kids need to eat
I question whether she wants drugs or needs money for her children
I creep; later along I see more drama
I encounter more troubling situations
(Oh Lord) What a brother got to do to make a dollar?
I wonder what one has to do to earn a living
Sellin more cain than the little stick up kids
Drug dealers sell more than petty thieves
Innocent fix in the middle
Innocent people are caught in dangerous situations
Kitty gotta body at a party now we lives upstate
Someone died and their family moved away
To late to change a great mistake
It is too late to fix a grave error
Thoughts crowd my mind as it gets colder
As it gets colder, I begin to think more deeply
Cops pull me over cause I'm in a Range Rover
I am pulled over by the police because of my car
I never sweat it; forget it that's how it be
I do not worry about it; that's just how things are
Cause where I'm livin yo its reality
This is just the reality of where I live
Everything I see (is reality)
Everything I see is part of the harsh reality
Cops harassin (is reality)
Being harassed by police is part of the harsh reality
In my city (is reality)
The harsh reality exists in my city
Scratching: Life as a shorty shouldn't be so rough
Life should not be so difficult for young people
(reality, its reality)
This is just the harsh reality
In the ghettos across the country
The harsh reality exists in ghettos throughout the US
(Come follow me)
I invite you to observe the harsh reality
Brothers on the block shootin craps (yelling)
Men gamble and shout on the street corner
Watch out they bustin caps
Be careful, people are firing guns
Cops frustrated cause I'm not doin 30
The police are annoyed that I am not driving faster
They stop me for what? Illegal search
The police stop me and search me without cause
Keep on shiftin your eyes G
Stop being suspicious of me
Because you can't find nothing on me
There is nothing illegal on my person
I'm not guilty
I have not committed any crime
I guess its reality in the city
This is just the reality of city life
Everybody wants to be like Frank Nitty
Everyone wants to be like a famous gangster
I mean really, yo I feel a little pity
I feel sorry for those who idolize criminals
But I just sit back relax and hit the Philly
I relax and smoke a cigarette
Meditatin yo I'm another state N
I am in a different state, relaxing and meditating
But I ain't to far from this, I'm still relatin
I may be far away, but I still relate to the harsh reality
To the streets where I was born and raised in
I am from the streets where the harsh reality exists
I peeped too many things, ain't nothing amazin
I have seen too much of the harsh reality to be surprised
Its real, brothers got their hands on the steel
The reality is that men carry guns
Killin other brothers for the thrill (For Real)
Men kill each other for the excitement of it
My next-door neighbor just went into the labor
My neighbor is having a baby
Another little child who might grow awhile
A new life may begin
Then again, will he make it when he's older?
Will this baby survive and thrive in the harsh reality?
Never knew his moms and pop when they were sober
The baby's parents were always drunk
(Project livin ain't nothing to laugh at)
Living in the projects is not a joke
Rat-A-Tat-Tat watch out for the black tech
The sound of gunfire; beware of dangerous weapons
Which way is out? Is it the gates of hell?
Is there a way out of the harsh reality, or is this all there is?
Or a jail cell, or getting a job doin well
The only escape may be prison or success
I excel I'm just a young brother tryin to make it
I am doing well, trying to succeed
I worked too hard for a fool tryin to take it
I will not let anyone take away what I have worked hard for
Livin in the badlands step to bat and
Living in a dangerous area, I have to fight for myself
Hurtin the mind now you want to be a bad man
Living in the harsh reality damages the mind
On my block, downtown, and even in my family
The harsh reality is present everywhere I go
ain't no escape like Alcatraz
There is no escape from this harsh reality
The inner city is past, only the strong will last
People in the inner city must be resilient to survive
Scratching: Life as a shorty shouldn't be so rough
Life should not be so difficult for young people
(4X)
Be so rough (3X)
Rough (3X)
Life as a shorty shouldn't be so rough (2X)
Young people should not have to endure such a difficult reality
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: GARY E. GRICE, LAMONT HAWKINS, DENNIS DAVID COLES, ROBERT F. DIGGS, JASON HUNTER, RUSSELL T. JONES, CLIFFORD SMITH, COREY WOODS, A. GOODMAN, QUARAN GOODMAN
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