Streets of New York
Kool G Rap, DJ Polo
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In the streets of New York Dope fiends are leaning for morphine The TV screen followed the homicide scenes You live here, you're taking a chance So look and I take one glance, there's a man inside an ambulance Crowds are getting louder, I wonder how the People want to go fight for the white powder People hanging in spots They waited until the blocks got hot And got raided by the cops I'll explain the man sleeping in the rain His whole life remains inside a bottle of Night Train Another man got his clothes in a sack Cause he spent every dime of his rent playing blackjack And there's the poor little sister She has a little baby daughter Named Sonya and Sonya has pneumonia So why's her mother in a club unzipped though? Yo that's her job, Sonya's mommy is a bar stripper Drug dealers drive around looking hard Knowing they're sending their brothers and sisters to the graveyard Every day is a main event, some old lady limps The pushers and pimps eat shrimps It gets tiring, the sight of a gun firing They must desire for the sound of a siren A bag lady dies in an alleyway She's seen the last of her days inside the subways More and more down the slope, the kid couldn't cope So he stole somebody's dope and a gold rope Now my son's on the run, he's a wanted one Had fun then was done by a shotgun Upstairs I cover my ears and tears The man downstairs must have drank too many beers Cause every day of his life he beats his wife Till one night she decides to pull a butcher knife Blind man plays the sax A tune called ?The Arms on My Moms Show Railroad Tracks? Many lives are cut short That's when you're living In the streets of New York Baby needs new shoes But his papa uses all the money for booze A young girl is undressed in the back seat of a Caddy Calling some man Daddy Three men slain inside an apartment All you could see was the sparks when it darkened Daylight broke, cops roll on the scene The drug war, daily routine Gambling spots, just a poor man's jackpot You winning a lot, you get shot The drug dealing fanatics But you don't want no static Cause they got crack addicts with automatics Shoot-outs for a desire for territory A kid got caught in the crossfire A tired mother can't take no more She grab the bottle full of sleeping pills and took about 24 Human beings are laying on the pavement Cause they're a part of a mental enslavement The cop snipers, little babies in dirty diapers This type of life is making you hyper People scouting a torched-out building And got killed when the cold air filled in Is hell really suggested? No more persons arrested, a child molested A little kid says "Yo I got a color TV, CD player and car stereo And all I want is a castle I also got a .38, don't give me no hassle" One kid heads straight for the top And gets stopped and popped by a crooked cop Look behind you when you walk That's how it is in the streets of New York
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Written by: Nathaniel Thomas Wilson, Paul Mitchell
Lyrics © CAK MUSIC PUBLISHING, INC, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
10 facts about this song
Artist Background"Streets of New York" is a song by American rapper Kool G Rap, who is renowned in the hip hop industry for his complex multisyllabic rhymes and storytelling skills, themes that are prominently featured in this single.
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Release DateThe song was released in 1990 as part of Kool G Rap & DJ Polo's second studio album, "Wanted: Dead or Alive."
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Genre and StyleClassified under the genre of hardcore hip hop and East Coast hip hop, "Streets of New York" is recognized for its gritty narrative style reflecting the harsh realities of inner-city life.
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InfluenceThe song is considered influential due to its vivid depictions of urban life, serving as an inspiration for numerous subsequent hip hop works.
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Chart PerformanceDespite its impactful content, "Streets of New York" did not chart in mainstream areas. It did, however, reach #1 on the Billboard's Hot Rap Singles chart, showcasing its popularity within the hip-hop community.
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Sample UseThe track largely samples the 1970s song "Across 110th Street" by Bobby Womack, a piece that also discusses the hardships of life in New York, especially Harlem.
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Critical ReceptionRolling Stone magazine listed "Streets of New York" as the 67th greatest hip-hop song of all time, proving its lasting appeal among critics and audiences alike.
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Social ImpactMore than just a song, "Streets of New York" provided a realistic portrayal of the struggles many face in large, urban cities. By shedding light on these subjects, the song played a part in sparking social dialogue and awareness.
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VideoThe music video is shot entirely in black and white, creating a raw and gritty aesthetic that perfectly complements the stark realism depicted in Kool G Rap's lyrics.
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LegacyThough its immediate mainstream success was modest, "Streets of New York" has left a significant legacy and is widely regarded as a classic in the Hip Hop genre, continuing to influence newer generations of artists.
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Citation
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"Streets of New York Lyrics." Lyrics.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 21 May 2024. <https://www.lyrics.com/lyric/36584798/Kool+G+Rap/Streets+of+New+York>.
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