Released: September 29, 1998

Featuring: Backbone Cool Breeze

Songwriter: Big Boi Cool Breeze Backbone

Producer: OutKast

[Verse 1: Backbone]
From front to back street, listen, we on a mission
To get right, workin' street corner in the midnight
Picture the scene, these fiends with five
Ten dollar dreams, scheme, for a sack of that, believe that
I'm wit' whateva like Wheatstraw
Stuck servin' my cocaine raw
Drop sixty-two off the brick, jump back
Twenty over, now that's mo' money to get
Slick, we fin' to lick on this corner without gettin' caught
But time, keep a sleepin' and money gettin' short
Plus that crooked cop Brock think we blow slangin' (fuck him)
That why he ride through the hole with the do' swangin'
But I make moves, shake them tricks up out they shoestrings
Be more precise when we do things
'Cause life is like shakin' the dice, but I buck back twice
Like five-deuce, fo'-trey, okay

[Hook: Backbone]
I'm strictly stressin' dirty dirty
Gon' represent it to the T-top
Born and bred up on the street top
Get to the money and the sweet spot
And forever hollerin' "Hootie Hoo!" when we see cops

I'm strictly stressin' dirty dirty
Gon' represent it to the T-top
Born and bred up on the street top
Get to the money and the sweet spot
And forever hollerin' "Hootie Hoo!" when we see cops

[Verse 2: Big Boi]
Shit, cops and robbers, niggas be bound to get them dollars and cents
They get in a slump like baseball players when they short on they rent
Anything goin', you ain't knowin' how much money you spent
But in the real world you surrounded by these ladies and gents
Who hang around you 'cause you be buyin' all the weed and all the chicken
Feedin' everybody, smokin' 'em out
When you was broke though they was missin'
Now you ridin' 'bout fo' deep, startin' to tear up your suspension
And your baby mamma on child support, my fault, forget to mention
You don't even have a checking account wasn't thinking about no pension
I used to work at Steak 'N' Ale, Old Gold off in the kitchen
Had determination and graduated, now I got the whole rap world fascinated
I wanted a piece of the pie for me and my family so I made it
Continue to sell dope, it's payin' the bills so you gon' do it
But legislation got this new policy: three strikes and you're ruined
Now where your crew at? Yeah

[Hook: Backbone]
I'm strictly stressin' dirty dirty
Gon' represent it to the T-top
Born and bred up on the street top
Get to the money and the sweet spot
And forever hollerin' "Hootie Hoo!" when we see cops

I'm strictly stressin' dirty dirty
Gon' represent it to the T-top
Born and bred up on the street top
Get to the money and the sweet spot
And forever hollerin' "Hootie Hoo!" when we see cops

[Verse 3: Cool Breeze]
Ay, me and my buddy on the cut and they know we servin' 'em slabs
We better watch what we doing, and look out for Joe Nab
And quit re-ing up and standing on this same old block
Before our gangsta-ass partner get both of us shot
Niggas talkin' 'cause they making some flow
But still ain't did nothin' that ain't been done befo'
You can't be trying to showcase, just put it down for your spot
And improvise and work with that little you got
So I think when I finish selling my last sack
I'ma take some of this money, go and give some back
'Cause people won't forget about the time you gave, knowmsayin'?
And start thinkin' 'bout a path to pave

[Hook: Backbone]
I'm strictly stressin' dirty dirty
Gon' represent it to the T-top
Born and bred up on the street top
Get to the money and the sweet spot
And forever hollerin' "Hootie Hoo!" when we see cops

I'm strictly stressin' dirty dirty
Gon' represent it to the T-top
Born and bred up on the street top
Get to the money and the sweet spot
And forever hollerin' "Hootie Hoo!" when we see cops

[Outro: Big Boi]
This is uh… a lil'… tune that we composed back on the first album
I know a lot of y'all, uh, playas out there thought we wasn't gon' come back at y'all with this thang here, but… it go a lil' some' like this!

OutKast

Atlanta, Georgia natives André “André 3000” Benjamin and Antwan “Big Boi” Patton are OutKast, one of the most successful rap groups of all time. Along with the production crew Organized Noize and the Dungeon Family collective, André and Big Boi helped popularize and expand the sound of rap in the “Dirty South.”

The duo connected at Tri-Cities High School and after the names “2 Shades Deep” or “The Misfits” didn’t work out, they went with OutKast as a synonym of “misfit.” They signed to LaFace Records in 1992 prior to finishing high school and their first official appearance came on a remix to TLC’s hit single “What About Your Friends.” This led into their debut single “Player’s Ball” being released in 1993 and their debut album Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik following in 1994. They had a pivotal moment early in their career as they were named New Artist of the Year at the 1995 Source Awards, leading them to be booed by the New York crowd and André responding with his iconic “The South got somethin' to say.”

Their next two albums, ATLiens (1996) and Aquemini (1998), have sparked debates as to which album is superior. ATLiens saw the duo begin to produce their own music and increase their profile while Aquemini received a perfect “5 Mic” rating from The Source magazine. Their next album, Stankonia (2000), further solidified their superstar status with the hit singles “B.O.B.,” “So Fresh, So Clean” and “Ms. Jackson,” which won a Grammy for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group while Stankonia won a Grammy in the Best Rap Album category.