"Streiht Up Menace" is a 1993 single

Single (music)

In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...

 by MC Eiht

MC Eiht

Aaron Tyler , better known by his stage name MC Eiht, is an American rapper. His stage name was partly inspired by the numeral in KRS-One's name. He chose Eiht for its links to "hood culture", including 8Ball and .38 caliber firearms...

 off the soundtrack of 1993 movie Menace II Society

Menace II Society

Menace II Society is a 1993 urban crime drama and the directorial debut of twin brothers Allen and Albert Hughes. Menace II Society is set in South Central Los Angeles and follows the life of a hoodlum named Caine Lawson and his close friends. The film gained notoriety for its frequent scenes of...

. The lyrics of the song focus on the life of the characters in the movie, acting as a sort of plot summary for the film. Compton's Most Wanted also did this with another song from a soundtrack with the song "Growin' Up In The Hood" from the Boyz n the Hood

Boyz N the Hood

Boyz n the Hood is a 1991 American hood film written and directed by John Singleton. Starring Cuba Gooding, Jr., Ice Cube, Laurence Fishburne, Morris Chestnut, Nia Long, Angela Bassett and Regina King, the film depicts life in poor South Central Los Angeles, California and was filmed and released...

soundtrack.

Video

The video for "Straight Up Menace" depicts MC Eiht alone in a slightly foggy bedroom. The video features clips from the movie.

Legacy

"Straight up Menace" is widely known as MC Eiht's best song to date. Montell Jordan's "Falling" from his sophomore album, "More..." (1996) sampled "Streiht up Menace" as did "Rapfilm" by Kool Savas (2009).