100 Miles And Runnin’
Intro: FBI, MC Ren
"Catch those motherfuckers, catch them, catch them!""Hey man, keep up, keep up, this way, come on man, hurry up!"Verse 1: MC Ren
A hundred miles and runnin' – MC Ren, I hold the gun andYou want me to kill a motherfucker and it's done inSince I'm stereotyped to kill and destruct –It's one of the main reasons I don't give a fuckChances are usually not good'Cause I'm frisked with my hands on a hot hoodAnd getting jacked by the you-know-whoWhen in a black and white, the capacity is twoBut not alone, with three more brothers, I mean street-brothersNot wearing medallions, 'cause we're not stupid motherfuckersThey're out to take our heads for what we said in the pastPoint blank, they can kiss my black assI didn't stutter when I said "Fuck Tha Police"'Cause it's hard for a nigga to get peaceNow it's broken and can't be fixed'Cause police and little black niggas don't mix, so –Now I'm creepin' through the fogRunnin' like a G, well see, I'm at a slight jogSo for now, pack the gun, andHold it in the air, 'cause MC Ren has 100 miles of runnin'Interlude
"In today's news – four fugitives on the runFBI sources tell us that the four are headed 100 miles to their homebase: ComptonBreak: Dr. Dre + Eazy-E
Lend me a motherfucking earSo I can tell you whyVerse 2: Dr. Dre
Running with my brothers, headed for the homebaseWith a steady pace and a face that just reads raceThe road ahead goes on and onThe shit is gettin' longer than the motherfuckin' marathonRunnin' on but never runnin' outStayin' wired and if I get tired, I can still try outHitchhikin' – if that's what it gotta doBut nobody's pickin' up a Nigga Witta AttitudeConfused! Yo – but Dre's a nigga with nothing to loseOne of the few who's been accused and abusedOf the crime of poisonin' young mindsBut you don't know shit 'til you been in my shoesNow Dre is back from the C-P-TDropping some shit that's D-O-P-ESo fuck the P-O-L-I-C-EAnd any motherfucker that disagreesStuck and runnin' hard, hauling ass'Cause I've been a nigga known for havin' a notorious pastMy mind was slick – my temper was too quickNow the FBI's all over my dickVerse 3: Eazy-E
Got the stick and running since they fired the gun that started the clockThat's when the E jumped off the startin' blockA hundred miles from home and, yo, it's a long stretchA little sprinting motherfucker that they won't catchYeah! Back to Compton againYo, it's either that or the Federal pen'Cause niggas been running since beginning of timeTaking a minute to tell you what's on my motherfuckin' mindRunnin' like I just don't careCompton's 50 miles, but yo – I'mma get thereArching my back and on a straight routeJust like Carl Lewis, I'm balling the fuck outFrom city to city, I'm a menace as I pass byRipping up shit, just so you can remember I'm–A straight-up nigga that's done in, gunnin', and comin'Straight at yo ass – a hundred miles and runnin'Interlude
"This one goes out to the four brothers from ComptonYou're almost there, but the FBI has a little message for you:""Nowhere to run to, baby. Nowhere to hide""Good luck, brothers…"Verse 4: MC Ren
Running like a nigga, I hate to loseShow me on the news, but I ain't to be abusedI knew it was a set-up, so now I'm gonna get upEven if the FBI wants me to shut upBut I've got 10,000 niggas strongAnd got everybody singing my "Fuck Tha Police" songAnd while they treat my group like dirtTheir whole fucking family is wearing our T-shirtsSo I'ma run 'til I can't run no more'Cause it's time for MC Ren to settle the scoreI got a urge to kick down doorsAt my grave like a slave – even if the rain poursVerse 5: Dr. Dre
Clouds are dark and brothers are hidingDick trickle at this honey – motherfuckers, I'm ridin'Started with five and, yo – one couldn't take itSo now it's four 'cause the fifth couldn't make itThe number's even – now I'm leavin'We're never getting took by a bitch with a weave inHer and the troops are right behind meBut they're so fucking stupid, they'll never find meVerse 6: Eazy-E
One more mile to go through the dark streetsRunning like a motherfucker on my own two feetBut you know I never stumble or lag lastI'm almost home, so I better haul assTearing up everything in sightIt's a little crazy motherfucker dodging the searchlightNow that chasing shit is done, andFour motherfuckers going crazy withA hundred miles of runnin'!Outro
"Stop! Stop! Stop! Stop!""Surprise, niggas!"What the song means
"100 Miles And Runnin'" is a fictional chase story. Four members of the group are on the run from the FBI, who want them caught for their music and what they have said. Each verse gives one of the runners a turn: MC Ren, Dr. Dre and Eazy-E describe their flight from the authorities, and the song moves from the first hard decision to run, through the long push toward home, to a final sprint through the dark streets of Compton.
The mood shifts from defiance to exhaustion and back to pride. The early verses are angry and tense, with police harassment and racial profiling presented as the reason for the chase. The middle verses focus on physical endurance, the rhythm of running and the fear of being caught, and the group is pictured getting smaller as members drop out. The ending is triumphant: the runners reach home, and the closing lines turn the chase into a taunt aimed at the people pursuing them. The repeated "hundred miles" works as a refrain that measures both distance and persistence.
Many images turn the chase into a statement. Running is a symbol of refusing to be silenced, and the "100 miles" is both a literal route and a metaphor for the distance between the group and the authorities who want them stopped. The fugitives' fans and the T-shirts they have sold appear as a community that stands behind them, showing that the group's message has spread beyond their immediate circle. The song is a dramatic and exaggerated account, and it uses humour and bravado to make its point about police and race.
Key phrases explained
- Federal pen
- prison run by the federal government — Eazy-E uses it to describe the prison that awaits him if he is caught.
- hauling ass
- running very fast — A slang phrase used in several verses to express urgency during the chase.
- getting jacked
- being stopped, searched or robbed — Refers to police harassment, which the narrator describes as a routine danger.
- Runnin' like a G
- running like a gangster — "G" is slang for a tough, street-hardened person, and the line shows the runners' self-image.
- Point blank
- directly, at very close range — Used to describe a blunt, uncompromising refusal to be intimidated.
Song info
- Release date
- 1990-05-29
- Album
- N.W.A. Greatest Hits
- Written by
- Brian Holland, Cold 187um, Dr. Dre, Eazy-E, Holland-Dozier, Lamont Dozier
- Produced by
- Cold 187um, DJ Yella, Dr. Dre
- Samples
- Wilson Pickett – Get Me Back On Time, Engine Number 9 (Pt. 1 & Pt. 2), Martha Reeves & The Vandellas – Nowhere to Run, The Last Poets – Surprises
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