It was written and produced by Dallas Austin for her second studio album, The Boy Is Mine (1998), featuring an orchestral background performed by the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra.

[1] A tale of a street hustler whose girlfriend begs him to change his lifestyle, Austin utilized the dynamics of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra inside the studio to record the song.

He wrote: "Garnished with carnival-like instrumental touches and a gorgeous orchestral passage — and yet maintaining an overall contemporary- R&B shuffle quality — "Street Symphony" absolutely scores on all levels, from its instantaneous chorus and Monica's cool, soul-searching vocal to creative production props and juicy verses about a man gone wrong, all masterminded by songwriter/producer Dallas [...] This is one of those songs that tempers the hot summer air, providing a backdrop for a romantic outing under the stars.

Included are cuts of Monica and her female back-up dancers performing choreography in black leather costumes, with choreographed string players (violins and violas) in similarly dark clothing.

The video is mainly composed of dark greys and blues despite black being a recurring color, presumably to go with the song’s emotional, somewhat bitter (yet mildly hopeful) subject matter.

Then, in a scene meant to have taken place hours earlier inside of a luxury apartment, we see Monica modeling and admiring various diamonds and jewels (presumably stolen property, given as gifts by her lover).