Songfacts®:

• This song finds De La Soul complaining about being harassed by aspiring rappers into listening to lousy demo tapes. Posdnuos explained to Melody Maker: "All we're doing is writing about how we feel at one point. When you function everyday, you think of millions of thoughts each day you exist. But we can't put millions of thoughts and feelings on each piece of wax, because that's just a record of where you are that day 'Ring Ring' is about how a certain kind of person had been bothering us, at a time when we really couldn't deal with being bothered. People don't realize that we're one group that really tries to be involved in all our business, every aspect of being a group."
  
  "Often we're on our way somewhere to do something real important and people see it as their only opportunity to get to us," Posdnous continued. "Half the time these kids are talking to us and they're so misguided you really need a couple of hours to straighten them out about how to work in the music business. 'Ring Ring' is about being bounded by these people and not having the time."
• Released as the second single from De La Soul Is Dead, this topped the charts in several European countries, including Finland and Switzerland. It was less successful in the US, where it only reached #22 on Billboard Hot R&B/Hip Hop Songs.
• The song's chorus uses lyrics and melody from the Curiosity Killed the Cat song "Name and Number," which was a 1989 Top 20 hit for them in the UK. Little Mix's 2013 single "How Ya Doin'?" is heavily based on the same tune.
  
  The bass in the introduction comes from Lou Johnson's "Beat" and the drum comes from The Honey Drippers' "Impeach the President". The track also contains samples of The Whatnaut's "Help Is On The Way" and The JB's "Pass The Peas."
• The song was sampled on Jaheim's 2009 single, "Ain't Leaving Without You."