Streets of New York

Kool G Rap, DJ Polo

About Streets of New York

"Streets of New York" is the first single from American hip hop duo Kool G Rap & DJ Polo's 1990 album Wanted: Dead or Alive. It was released as a single with "Poison" as a B-side and later also featured on the compilation albums Killer Kuts (1994), The Best of Cold Chillin' (2000), Greatest Hits (2002) and Street Stories: The Best of Kool G Rap & DJ Polo (2013).


Year:
2019
62 

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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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Kool G Rap

Nathaniel Thomas Wilson (born July 20, 1968), better known by his stage names Kool G Rap (or simply G Rap, and originally Kool Genius of Rap) is an American rapper. He hails from the Corona neighborhood of Queens, New York City. He began his career in the mid-1980s as one half of the group Kool G Rap & DJ Polo and as a member of the Juice Crew. He is often cited as one of the most influential and skilled MCs of all time as he is a pioneer of mafioso rap/street/hardcore content and multisyllabic rhyming. On his album The Giancana Story, he stated that the "G" in his name stands for "Giancana" (after the mobster Sam Giancana), but on other occasions he's stated that it stands for "Genius". more »

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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.
Release Date
The song was released in 1990 as part of Kool G Rap & DJ Polo's second studio album, "Wanted: Dead or Alive."
Genre and Style
Classified 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.
Influence
The song is considered influential due to its vivid depictions of urban life, serving as an inspiration for numerous subsequent hip hop works.
Chart Performance
Despite 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.
Sample Use
The 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.
Critical Reception
Rolling 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.
Social Impact
More 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.
Video
The 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.
Legacy
Though 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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