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Verse 1st
I started it, coming up with nothing but a starter kit
Back in eighth grade when everybody rocked a starter fit
Hearing, they hard of it, led em where the water sit
Did it for the fun but maybe more for the art of it
Thought of it, a long time ago
Looking at the scenes, I feign, just to be a part of it
Pardoned it, the death penalty given Hip Hop
Convicted up on charges forcing artists’ to slaughter it
Fought with it, beat the case and free now
But hold on, back to get my peeps out, Chicago to the Deep South
Get up out your seats while I audit it
See you overdue for G-DO beats with my heart in it
Need a revolution in these streets; I play my part in it
Forcing evolution to its feet like Charles Darwin did, Marvin did
Gone to meet the man like James Baldwin did, hauling it
The world on my back like I’m Atlas holding all of it
Chorus
Verse 2nd
Under an attack and we at risk and if you want you can bet this
I put it on my breakfast the bacon is coming for your neck next
Coming to collect more than checks or your necklace
They gunning for the set list
Only want you bumping ignorance and something sexist
Reckless, left with, nothing to protect this
Except for my expression, being the Xception
Breathless, written in stone
This a hieroglyphic image spitting a poem
And blessed with, everything I need ‘til I’m resting
Sowing in a legendary seed through these segments
To grow into the very thing we need for these questions
Call it a confession, call in a professor
She’ll say it’s just a lesson, the child of a lesser
Known to act wild, more than just aggressive
They say its Chit-Town; I say that’s just the dressing
The food is the message, for fools and the wretched
Whether you confused or you loosing direction
Looking for a clue or a crew for protection
Look inside of you until we cruise to the nexus, move
Chorus
Verse 3rd
Second to none trekking the slums reflecting the hums
To every section where they run to the beating of drums
Coming this way or that one, a black fist or a black gun
Black listed under the black sons
The facts twisted they believe that we act dumb, but
Perhaps if its just a tactic to act numb
A bold shield a cold world with cold deals
Cold meals cold shoulders where having hope kills
And how to cope feels like having a sob
And having to rob feels like an average job, why
Stay mad at the mob try and listen to em
If you knew what they knew you might give in to em
But the truth is you already know
If you not marching with em then you probably stole
What they demanding, nothing outlandish just chances
To breath free of fear they only wanted if they hands is
Tied behind they backs like bandits
Cries of the beaten and the broken defines what my band is
Fly ‘til we land and arrive where the plan is
For you and I to look into our eyes for the answers
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2. |
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VS. 1
These, streets covered in pain coveting pain, heartbeats bump in a range of something hanged, nothing to love em and nothing to blame, stuck with just a buck and a hustle good luck in the game, gain just enough on that hustle to stay in your lane, lames lay and wait on your muscle to lay in the flames, frames of a chain unbroken, unspoken horror, modern day Gomorra, galore of, glorified warriors at war wuh, the poorer, crabs in the bucket and with nothing to grab at, looking for a touch just for something to laugh at if half had a path and the math to map that that’ll be the track so they pack the past cracks that cover these streets and cover they backs the bug of the beast the slug and the strap the judge and the heat the drugs and the rap the sludge in the deep the mud of the trap, grease
VS. 2
Forever, for ages, story in these pages, tragic, repeated ever after, phases, changes, coming up in batches, wonder if the brain is, catching up with habits, perhaps it’s the big macs sent em to the madness, symptom of the madness, victim of the savage grasp of the cappa-tillist, until its, nothing left to have and everyone is ravaged wonder if its patterned, like the figure eight, so it happens, again and again insanity’s wind, vanity wins, challenging the plan to begin when, the talented tenth ‘ill balance these pimps, violence immense, the eyelet from whence, the pilot that guide, the people to die, leaving the streets, no peace to reside, release for the tired, police and the wire, no piece of the pie, they eat with they eyes, grease
VS. 3
Cooked in that Crisco that good ol’ that good gold yellow like your wrist glow below zero, ice all over like lights, no pillows, life of a night walker stumbling in let it begin, then his skin soaking in sin, the broken of men, hoping the ends, meet, but no means in these streets, only green in these streets is that chief smoke screens cover up another scene of the grief, the reason for beef and leaving dreams of being better than thief or even at least achieving what you had in ya’ reach, these, streets teach that its weak to be a visionary, keep your vision buried, physique is meek, scary if you dare sneak a peek see the good life stopped five blocks up the street, but them cops up the street, and they cocked up to keep a cold lock on the feast, so you drop just to pop, grease
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Crazy frustration, 20 beats, thousand rhymes, bout with time, climbing mountains shouting out, bout that time, mouth of mine, open up, throwing out, miles of lines, blowing up, towns and mine, Capricorn, show my sign, rapper war, I’mma shine, tap the door, tell em I’m, back for more, stop the lies, Hip Hop is bout to thrive, whack abort, overboard, oh my lord, show them I’m holding court, know my sport, mic attack, blow the fort, fighting back, writing that, lighting rap, might strike and light the map, like a match, like a pack, like a ratch, tire tracks, point where the fires at, joint where the fire at, tired yet, lie and rest, while I, inspire bets, will he fall, will he jet, bet he stall, silly guess, really now he’s really next, till he crawl, till he sweat, killin ya’ll, feeling that, real is lost, skills are left, falling off, chill with that, all in all, still in tact, feel that crack, snares and hats, G-DO went there and back, where we at, scary cats, don’t dare to bare that axe, beware if you despair that, better prepare to spare that tax, whether we there or there on wax, ever declare to tear the track, never these squares, up in the circle when I need air, sucking the purple like I need air, I bleed rare, you need prayer up in a girdle concede there, you need stairs, to reach where I teach an emcee how to speak clear, breach fear, peak where, the beat there, when the beat go, see the people, through the peephole, let em eat so, they each know, everybody can stay in free so, everybody can play they feet so, make your body move to that beat slow, that Heathrow, fly away, with the heat so, high today, make it sweet for, next week or, let it seep in a riddle where they sleep or, let it creep in the middle where they see more, before, I’m outta here, make it loud and clear, for the crowd to hear, don’t doubt the pair we bout that there our route compared to no one's fair we out the sphere now ya’ll aware!
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4. |
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Verse 1st
She was just about perfect, from where I stood, I wanted to hold her hand, I wanted to know what’s good, I’m wondering if we could, fall in love in the summertime, more than something fine you what I wanna find, when I’m not looking, you appeared, I had to hover near, began to tug your ear, seeing the cover’s clear can we walk for a little while, open up our files and check each other out, ouch!, said you got a man at home, pretended it didn’t matter, relented and went along, intended to get along, so on we go, you on my left side making my chest rise, my heart pounding can we get a drink talk on beach hearing some beats while I look in the best eyes, a song of my own said you like the track and the lyrics strong, looking for a crack, but your spirit is strong, I hear it a song from the sea, saying to hold on and we’ll see, maybe we can be two peas in a pod, looking to never break out, a meet and greet at the bar I know you wanna break out, we creep and leave in the stars and on the way out, the eternal sunshine of your spotless mind blinded my way out, I followed you to the moon, we landed back in the room, you bit the back of my neck, no longer was I immune, we let our love connect the rest took us ‘til noon, the butterfly effect, wonder if it’ll bloom, holding on to the next, time me and you, making two
I couldn’t care less about anything, cause what I feel is true, I couldn’t care less about anything, just wanna be with you
Verse 2nd
You had me thinking, if we had just another weekend, I would need forever after that, could see ever after in our laps, could see us on a chapter of the past and laugh, but that’s after this evening, we creeping, your man came to town, not even knowing our hands are tied now, kiss, just for a minute in a hideout, thought for a minute that I’m high now, bye for now, long night coming around, everything feeling wrong, feeling upside down, never felt so alone, missing you and your smile, you play a song in my heart and I’m hearing it now clearing the clouds, let’s get lost in crowd, lost in the now, went to the zoo, just to act wild, this feeling is new, this feeling is cool, this feeling is you, this feeling is… high school, nice move, dip into a dark room, bout to tear each other apart, the way you touch is an art the heart moves, when we together its like time stopped like we lived a lifetime of forever but our time stopped, oooh, we said goodbye and promised to say hello whenever we had a chance, you moving closer and so, I’m thinking we got a chance, to grow, advance, texting every minute that we can, address you in a message like, woman damn, your presence is a blessing to my essence no more guessing that I am, completely in love and I’m so cool with it, truth, me and you, making two
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Waiting for another chance to make it to great, I let the last pass by the far side of my plate, now it’s a fast while I grasp everything that I ate, about to crash looking for another way to escape, maybe a spliff or a kiss from the one that I hug, she always know the way to make me feel like I’m loved, but every other day I end up falling again, back into the guessing on the what could’ve been, wondering if everything I did was in vain, like the summer when I tagged every block with my name, only to return to see it covered and gone, and if you think I learned from that last lesson you wrong, I’m still acting like a word without the action is strong, hard-headed, maybe I’ll react to this song and start treading, new ground cus this is maybe what I needed, so good at playing it, so bad at being it, but time now to find out exactly what I see in it, this mirror in my lyrics when I hear it know it’s me in it
Looking back, I wonder what I could’ve made of me, looking forward wonder will I see a greater me, either way I gotta let it go and, seize the day it’s the only way to know
(Shishani) Looking back and wondering what could’ve been, it don’t matter much now, got to seize the day
Yo, they always called me an old soul, everywhere I go they told me I would be so cold, now I feel like I’m supposed to be that and plus some, like I’m the one that supposed to go to ghettos to hush guns, it’s not me, not yet at least, I’m still on a leash, tied to my own hands so I guess I’m free, and that might be the hardest part of it all, a fully loaded archer but the targets harder to call, my heart is starting to fall, my art is starting to stall, on the road with no gas, holding up a sign, straight outta low cash, going out my mind, can I catch it, or maybe let it, blow away and then forget like I never had it, open another day and spend like I never had it, hoping within there’s an ending to my old habits until I know that it’s, me.
Looking back, I wonder what I could’ve made of me, looking forward wonder will I see a greater me, either way I gotta let it go and, seize the day it’s the only way to know
(Shishani) Looking back and wondering what could’ve been, it don’t matter much now, got to seize the day
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6. |
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I was just a little boy when I summoned, something like I seen in a dream, I knew it was coming the old wise men, told me that I was wanted to show the cowards in, and when the doubt is confronted, just know the power’s in, strong words from a struggled that paid for it, so I doubled up my hustle cus I’m made for it, I took the scroll from him, he told me don’t read a word on that roll ‘til I’m thirty years old on em, what do I do ‘til then, he said I knew already, I threw up two and then, hit the door with heavy, stress on my brain a pain in my chest the test of my range remain on the quest the testament came, addressed to my name arresting my breath, hold up, let me catch and rest until I woke up, I saw the scroll in the window wondered if the wind blowed would it tow my woe away and send for, a yellow brick road scarecrow and toto, someone to say hello to so I know I’m never solo, I’m so low, feeling like there’s nowhere else to go so, I rose slow, felt it from my big toe to forehead, knew that there was more here, hit the floor in fourth gear, so many doors to explore here, looking from the sky while I soar here, to creep into the core where, the raw there, the people, they hungry, looking for a king
To stand where they broke down hope down everything they know is on the ropes now, looking for a king, that love in a dark cloud when it’s getting dark out he can be that spark now, looking for a king
They waiting for a king, so I’m waiting on my damn self, ain’t looking for a hand or another man’s help, I’m cooking up a plan with the cards I was dealt, dealing with the complex of the god in my self, and everyone else, if everyone helps, then everyone’s wealth, will be the measure of our love and everyone’s health, the message, I carry it stealth like Harriet helped, to bury just a little seed where it’s scary as hell, the area well known where they bury they selves or where we in cells, locked down killing our selves, like we willing to fail, to prove we’ll do something cool, but we still in our shells, still in our hell waiting to grow up, waiting for a chance to make it out and blow up, but slow up man, know its burning holes in your soul but hold up man, keep your eye on the goal, keep your eye on the road, it gets deep, so we fly or we fold, the fire will grow, the higher we go, aspire to know, a lie when its told, from liars that know, you can explode, knowing the whole, truth of the code tucked in my coat, so I unrolled the scroll, the paper nearly broke, I was thirty years-old, so I read what they wrote, quote, the time is now to be a leader, open up your heart see the people, they looking for a king
To stand where they broke down hope down everything they know is on the ropes now, looking for a king, that love in a dark cloud when it’s getting dark out he can be that spark now, looking for a king
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7. |
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Verse 1st
I seen it in zenith blue and yellow greenish/ had me on my diyn, acting kinda kingish/ living in between, gods and the demons/ something like a dream, but real like the evening/ my father took his last breath in my arms bleeding/ looking at the best man I knew or ever needed/ fall into a fast death but left me with a reason to keep on keeping it on another season/ I’m falling springing, singing when its summertime/ for dinner serving up the winter cus I’m from the Chi/ center of the state of my mind state of decline/ so I stay awake away from the cousin of death/ fuck it, I get some rest when I’m out of my breath/ until that deadly day a double dose of this air in my chest/ is coming through my throat to meet the notes and g-do to confess that/ this is more than just that dope or that hope/ more than just that make it through your day so you can cope music/ this is when your back against the wall on the ropes music, use it/ for seeing truth, seeing you through it/ looking for proof they only try while we do it we do it
Never giving in/ Only giving love/Never sitting in/ only getting up/Better in the end and we move through it/Answer the cry they only try while we do it we do it
Verse 2nd
A matador tempting my fait what does it matter for/ even if I break I can’t wait for disaster or/ worry on the after my task is to master/ the right now bringing the right sound, bringing the lights down, swinging the mic round, clashin’!/ with the main trickle, they call the mainstream/ and everywhere I go the radio the same thing/ that’s why it’s never on like it was a severed arm/ of the media-monster, the we be the conscience of the public/ nonsense what they publish nonsense what we stuck with and fuck with/ like we got sponsored to shuck signed to jive for a bucket of thighs and some mustard greens but no bucks to lean on/ when its rough your team gone if that ain’t enough even your dream gone, this is my theme song sing along we shall overcome when we can get along forget a loan get your own fix a home find a friend lift em up see the sin give it up make amends this is love what its bout hear and now flood or drought ears are out to hear us out they fear us now we near the mouth we coming in taking what belong to us stick em up get your hands hold em up one demand show your love before it end and time is up make sure to bend your blinders up we were the fringe behind the cusp but now we in reminding us of where we been and what we trust buried in to every bluff wary of our very touch scary preparing to bust but where we ducked before we up and we ready to move it, they only try while we do it we do it
Never giving in/ Only giving love/Never sitting in/ only getting up/Better in the end and we move through it/Answer the cry they only try while we do it we do it
Verse 3rd
We made it, in ways its, hard to even phrase it/ could say its just a daze, but really just amazing/ they say its yesterday’s, but we say today its blazing/ like yesterday’s grapes making up todays raisins/ praises, for everything that every god gave us/ every mom that raised us to see her son save us/ saviors, I’m talking bout ya’ll and all your neighbors/ you it, the true fit we do it we do it
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Verse 1st
He so high today, 7 Ls straight to the face, straight to the fade to black like he was on the track to set in hell straight to the gates no turning back he said his self he headed down the wrong way and can’t wait til he get there so he saying what the song say, goodbye to faith, believe in pain, deliver it raw to receive the same, if ever he saw what he became, he’d sever it off to relieve the rain, them veterans called to read em game, together they thought they could feed em dreams, but never they saw them demon scenes, forever he floss them thieving things, feeling better now thinking he was bred to be the boss of these streets and that bread like no matter what it cost make these streets run red where they soft, told em he want each and every shred of they cloth, King style, better now, that cheddar now muafuckas want beef he fed em cow, he dead em now, feeling bad for now, but remember in a minute when he had without, if they wanna bounce, he let em out, better he do what he do on his own account, in the zone for now, no home for now, so he going it alone no one to shout…
Verse 2nd
Did it cover and hide under asunder the wonder with thunder the blood in his eyes number one hunger one hundred he hunted he wanted the dumbest till love in him died and nothing he tried from running to gunning to slumming through summer was something he cried blunted from one and from wanting he jumping to done and to something till nothings alive, but his son’s alive the one that survived unwanted from stomach the one that would rise something from nothing that turned into one and to open the skies love is alive! lovers of life here is a life you can know is not a lie he seen it with his own eyes it bleed in his DNA they say its in his bones how he sees what we pray to save, so we say, keep him in the streets til he’s prison age, he wiggled it on, little by little he widdled the middle ta civil was gone, criminal fit him everyone whistled but little was warned little was sworn, to protect em, so we all grow, a story ya’ll know, so we all know…
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10. |
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Envisioning the hereafter, wonder if its right now/like what you after is sittin' in your life now/this is the factor that make you put that pipe down/the missing chapter perhaps we got to write down/so I write now with love in every vowel/peace in the consonants and every other sound/hope you hear it loud and when you in the mood/for doing something that you thought you’d never ever do/finding forever in this breath/holding it on until the next, next, next/a discipline in knowing the best know when to rest/and to wake up towing the stress but never break up/essentially I’m showing the rest the quickest way up/potentially I’m blowing the test away they gave up/but wait up the slow holding the whole weight up/and the quickest in the bunch ‘ill blow the whole place up/…slow the pace up, what’s the rush for/called the rat race, but we much more/no matter how poor or sore your soul is/open the door and explore where gold is/I told this to a group of young hustlers/With gold clips and a whole slew of customers/Where would they be if they dreamed/Then believe exactly what they seen was the mission/Instead of wishing for another brother to kill/Hit the ignition on another engine to build/Something beautiful its a decision to feel/Don’t be afraid, everything I mention is real/We on our way follow the ambition to will/Another day pushing through the limits at will/If you go astray pay attention to these words of mine/Everything you need to know, was written in the first line/So be divine and let your mind free/See the beauty in the beast your duty to the streets/You call home make it your own from where it was/Hold on to the love from below to above
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The Otherside is exactly what it sounds like! The other side of our creative imagination, our conscience, our routine, our idea of fresh, our expectations, our approach to beats, rhymes, and life. Come on this journey with us, unpack your habits, and get ready to break through to edisrehtO ehT.
