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1. |
Genesis
04:55
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In the beginning I was just a kid, listenin’ to Slick Rick
Maestro Fresh Wes, Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince
Rewrite the lyrics and recite ‘em to my best friends
But I was just a copycat and this was just a hobby that
Would probably pass after I’d exhausted all my sloppy raps
And got the laughs I was after, typical little bastard
Privileged middle-class mischievous little rascal
With a ticket to sit in the back row at a rap show
I listened to Fat Joe, Method Man, and B. I. G.
And imagined livin’ as a V. I. P.
Though I didn’t have a plan, just a fantasy
But I could still pass exams with ease and plant trees
To get cash for books, tuition fees, and rap CDs
And I had a chance to read classic Greek tragedies
I’ve always been addicted to words
So I just immersed myself in English Literature
But I was immature, and these were fickle times
Between classes I would listen to rhymes and find
My lips whispering lines as if in the background
Then at nineteen I wrote my first original rap down
I go back to the Genesis Eden Garden
When I was a teen in love with freestylin’
That’s when I learned techniques for rhymin’
And started redesignin’
I can still feel that prickle of initial excitement
I figured, “It’s official y’all; this is enlightenment!”
I pictured myself cypherin’ with the likes of Big Pun
Whippin’ punks into submission with a flip of the tongue
I did it for fun; I was ambitious and irreverent
I figured I was clever enough to get the better
Of any competitor, ‘cause I was verbally first rate
My early verses were based on discursive wordplay
With no breaks, no separated parts, no bars, no hooks
Just page after page past the margins of notebooks
So far so good; I built my skills gradually
And kept on track with the bachelor’s degree
Actually, I considered droppin’ out to get respect
But I figured more options would mean less regrets
And besides, some rappers were comin’ differently
I discovered Blackalicious and Talib Kweli
MCs who could rip the beat descriptively
And then in my second season I had this epiphany
“Rap is poetry!” and ever since I’ve represented it
Openly through my position as an academic
Get It?
I go back to the Genesis Eden Garden
When I was a teen in love with freestylin’
That’s when I learned techniques for rhymin’
And started redesignin’
Next semester I convinced my teachers
That hip-hop lyrics would be my thesis research
I thought I would be the first to study it in depth
Reality check; the library index
Already had a long list of hip-hop scholarship
Steps that I followed in; David Foster Wallace and
Tricia Rose and Brian Cross got acknowledgments
And props; they taught me hip-hop history
And I started to approach this culture realistically
And the next step for me in this MC trajectory
Was for me to freestyle obsessively
On road trips I was a motor-mouth motorist
I learned to flow sick on a solo tip
Rockin’ Dr. Dre beats – Xxplosive
I was blowin’ doors open; people started listenin’
Hip-hop for me was a form of discipline
Born Again on the discman, studyin’ flows
Whadaya know? When I was just twenty years old
I hit the tracks runnin’ my mouth like a bloody nose
And took my first steps down this long dusty road
Oh!
I get lethargic and reminisce
In the darkness return to the days
When I learned to spit marvelous
And give props to those who started this
HipHop, I love being part of this
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2. |
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Step inside
Everybody love tonight
The universe won't always be around
And if we can get it together
Baby I wont take my life tonight
No!
With the mountainous ridges surrounding us, my city is
A fortress sitting on the shores of the Pacific
To the North is the wilderness; it’s glorious influence
Is seeping into our pores, and making foreigners envious
It’s like the party never ends for the Vancouverites
Young bucks at the bar get scarred by cougar bites
And the attitude is usually: “Just do what you like”
Go out bruisin’ with your crew at night and get bruised in a fight
Or just get high all the time until you ruin your life
But it’s all good; that’s how the West Coast rides
We’ve got raves in the woods on some techno vibes
And when we get stressed out, we just step outside
‘Cause at night, you can see the ski hill from the highway
And ride past a cedar mill on the sky train
It’s a city of industry with a bohemian mind-state
And that’s why we get it live on a Friday
Step Inside
Step right off the precipice
Down into the dark abyss tonight
'Cause they say that love will never die
So you and I'll be fine
British Columbians are known to smoke a lot of weed
It keeps the people feelin' taller than the tops of trees
And did you that growin' dope was our economy
Up in suburban rental residential properties
We rock a party like “I wonder where my daughter sleeps”
You might just wanna check up in between our cotton sheets
We're kinda cocky, but we're honest in our arteries
So step inside and join the party
Step inside
Everybody love tonight
The universe won't always be around
And if we can get it together
Baby I wont take my life tonight
No!
Welcome to the west coast where folk grow fresh dope
And blow smoke rings until they end up in Fresno
It's 'Hello, where you from? What's your name?
Let us chill and kick down until I catch the last train'
For now I'll smoke hash and go dance to tracks played
We got rappers and singers like Ndidi Cascade
Vancity transit trackin' over to Main
Science World in the back as we're passin' it always
We got the geese in the sky
Got the beaver on fives
Got the weed in the pipes
Got the skiing at night
We're just feelin' the vibe peepin' the resource
Peace to my peeps that are deep in the East Shore
Hittin' keg stands and beer bongs on the weekend
Hippie kids rockin' hemp pants and sleepin' on beaches
This is a way of life and this is how we breath
Step inside our province and fall in love with B.C
Step inside
Everybody love tonight
The universe won't always be around
And if we can get it together
Baby I wont take my life tonight
No!
Step Inside
Step right off the precipice
Down into the dark abyss tonight
'Cause they say that love will never die
So you and I'll be fine
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3. |
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Someone told me to believe in myself, but I needed
A reason, because I couldn’t see for myself
So I teach myself and increase my skills
And I’ll believe when I see results
If at first you don’t succeed, go home and smoke some weed
Watch some TV shows and go to sleep
But don’t forget to include yourself when you’re counting sheep
Life is but a dream for those who float gently down the stream
Wow, that sounds sweet, but to be precise
I’d rather inhabit reality and bring my dreams to life
Even when it seems unlikely, I’m the type to keep fighting
Just to be feisty, ‘cause there’s so many factors
That can hold back the progress of a solo act
With practically no stature, so go ahead and throw it at me
I know exactly where I’m going, and it’s nowhere fast
Although perhaps it’s somewhere spectacular gradually
That’s my only rationale for rolling proactively
So I’m actually happier with the speed of a tortoise
‘Cause if I was growing massively by the moment, I wouldn’t have
The freedom to focus on my vocab and sculpt a masterpiece
Someone told me to believe in myself, but I needed
A reason, because I couldn’t see for myself
So I teach myself and increase my skills
And I’ll believe when I see results
My faith is unshakable; even when the indicators
Of immanent failure are unmistakable
I’m simply incapable of letting my faith go
Some say I won’t make it, but what the hell do they know?
I’m so dedicated that no one can take control
Of my fate, so even when I’m in the danger zone
I still feel like I’m safe at home, so I’m always protected
All perspectives that contradict mine are strongly rejected
I’m like a fundamentalist contemplating the fossil record
Explaining Intelligent Design to a biology professor
I understand my faith well enough not to question it
For a starving artist that’s just a prerequisite
‘Cause I can see direct evidence with my own eyes
That says my chance of success is like throwing dice
And getting consecutive snake eyes forty times
That’s why the only truth I accept is the one I know inside
Someone told me to believe in myself, but I needed
A reason, because I couldn’t see for myself
So I teach myself and increase my skills
And I’ll believe when I see results
With an eye to the future and a fist to the wheel
And a gun to the head and the man in the mirror
And the visions you see is the molding you made
And the prisons you feel are as sharp as a blade
Got a knife to the throat of those that're paid
Just wandering the streets just looking for shade
You've never done an honest day's work and it shows
You got shit in your smile and a shine in your clothes
Bloated and fat and coated in wasted tattoos
You're day old news lies as flat as your shoes
Dreams are torn shattered born battered and bruised
Shorn from the sheep all matted and used
You glimmer and glitter and tease
Get a glimpse of the truth and still do as you please
With your shiny suits your polished nails
Your cheating heart your eyes all malice and blackmail
Your violent breath and your soapbox stare
Your cold thin grin and your hopeless soul
And your clothes that smell of mothballs always old
Hot don't stick to cold oh so thin hold
On the thin line between the incline and decline
Long way down drop in to free fall
Your sins unraveling hands that won't stand
And be counted hammer hits down goes the gavel
Someone told me to believe in myself, but I needed
A reason, because I couldn’t see for myself
So I teach myself and increase my skills
And I’ll believe when I see results
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4. |
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Don’t take me for nothin’ but a punch-line jester
Inside my chest I let the rhymes fester
‘Til I’m feelin’ like a woman in her third trimester
Then I just deliver – wait, scratch that
I mean I digest the liver of anyone try to test
When I flexin’ rhymes tight enough to twist in a rizzla
And when you’re smokin’ it, any type of narcotic is
An appropriate analogue, ‘cause what I’m writin’ astonishes
This is Planet Rock crossed with the tightest mic product since
The writer of sonnets and Titus Andronicus
My life is synonymous with hip-hop fa sho’
You could try to fight if you wanna, but one monkey don’t stop
The show, as Dustin Hoffman knows
And when this Outbreak clogs your throat, no anesthetic is
Gonna stop the spread of this global pandemic
Rap fans get infected the minute a jam’s ended
God dammit…
I’ve got mad style disease
Infectin’ a thousand MCs like spirochetes
I’ve got a sonically transmitted
Disorder of rhyme all of the time
Tanglin’ terrific talk the tongue-tweaker
I walk on your flows like Jesus on water with one speaker
And a dodgy mic and a five string guitar
This troglodyte might bring the stars
Back down to the underground, so all the alley rats can see
Like me, galactically, and break out of the battery
Factory farm, I’m actually not particularly hip-hop
I haven’t got the right swagger or stroll
I don’t battle or ball, but I'm bound
To bop around the world like a Bedouin tribe
Writin’ down poetry, wearin’ amphetamine eyes
Settlin’ never, wrestlin’ idiocy to be unfetterin’
Heads that are chained deep in the brain of the beast
My terrain is ceaselessly unfolding
It ain’t just what I say; I’ll strip and preach naked
To the subway commuters, ‘cause as humans
Suits could never suit us, we’re unique from the day
That we take shape in the uterus, and the future is
Looking grim; I stand in the blistering sun
Watching the trees withering one by one
Feeling the spread of a sickness up in my head I predict this
Is the day my illness infects the hit list
Bear witness…
I’ve got mad style disease
Infectin’ a thousand MCs like spirochetes
I’ve got a sonically transmitted
Disorder of rhyme all of the time
How am I tryin’ to be rockin’ a tune if I’m not a musician?
I listened to two million different hits and caught a few sicknesses
But I’m still livin’, ‘cause now I’ve got a new mission
It’s never to let a rapper get in my auto-immune system
So I seep in your blood quicker than syphilis
In fertility clinics, leavin’ a hideous boil dribblin’
I am the sickest citizen leavin’ impotent fuckers to think again
Givin’ em stinky ends with my written blend
If I fit the description, then there’s been a distortion
This isn’t just a little itch like when your genitals’ scorchin’
It’s more than any medical professional’s ever recorded
In their official report, a swarm of epidemic proportion
Now I’m a witch doctor operating with minimum ignorance
Making incisions in your cynicism with my limericks
I fiddle with your spleen like a swizzle stick
My vocals turn an idiot to a misfit for the frig of it
I’ve got mad style disease
Infectin’ a thousand MCs like spirochetes
I’ve got a sonically transmitted
Disorder of rhyme all of the time
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5. |
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You think I haven’t gone through any hardships
‘Cause I was raised in communes instead of projects?
That’s why I’ve always had problems with the opposite sex
‘Cause I was taught never to treat women as objects
And never to treat anything simple as complex
And vice versa, but I can’t remember what I was taught next
See, that’s the problem with hippie kids
They stop listenin’ when you teach ‘em not to listen to hypocrites
But most of us still can’t appreciate the differences
Between civil disobedience and criminal deviance
It’s the difference between fixin’ a system and pimpin’ it
‘Cause corruption ain’t the same as honest work
I try to separate the pigs from police officers
And I can see nuances, ‘cause I was raised by philosophers
But nuance isn’t popular, and neither am I
My whole life I’ve been tryin’ to read between the lines
And I’ve never been penalized for speakin’ my mind
So freedom is mine; I’m a scorpion
And a libra combined, with a fist and a peace sign
On either side, and I’m just tryin’ to equalize
They say “fight the system we need to be free”
When there's demons increasing at either extreme
It keeps feeding all the greediest schemes
That I can see
They say "fight the system we need to be free"
Like a greasy streams spillin' into the sea
They keep feeding me a hedonist dream
That I can't see
Sometimes freedom is violent; it gets derailed
The system fails whenever freedom tips the scales
When a sadistic freak is freed from a prison cell
Or a big business victimizes people with its sales
Some say we need chaos, but when a government falls
Another one pops up; it’s like juggling rubber balls
We don’t need more freedom; we need tougher laws
Electricity should be double the cost
With subsidies involved for those with no money
It’s gonna be pretty hard to keep this show running
If nobody believes there’s any room for change
We need fewer cars and more commuter trains
And new laws to make sure polluters pay
For what they do to our food chains; these are the changes
Institutions can make, if we just use our brains
Instead of TVs and computer games
They say “fight the system we need to be free”
When there's demons increasing at either extreme
It keeps feeding all the greediest schemes
That I can see
They say fight the system we need to be free
Like a greasy streams spilling into the sea
They keep feeding me a hedonist dream
That I can't see
See, I’m all about change, but I’m not about the counter-culture
Standin’ around with just a frown and a stomach ulcer
Makin’ the occasional ethical purchase
While dismissin’ politics as nothin’ but a nest of serpents
As soon as you’re done talkin’, try runnin’ for office
Try becoming part of something positive
There’s really nothing stopping us; it’s just a problem of optics
In the absence of reason; there’s no illusion of freedom
The illusion is a lack of freedom, and we’re losin’ to these illusions
But we can’t join ‘em; we have to beat ‘em
And just because I’m gettin’ disillusioned with libertarians
Doesn’t make me a disciplinarian
We need different solutions for different areas
From over-fishing the oceans to carbon emission tariffs
From the Arab militiamen to the American Michigan Aryans
We need some significant barriers
This may sound ridiculous from a kid with hippie parents
But sometimes it’s just hilarious how addicted we are
To the idea that we should never be restricted at all
But if freedom means drivin’ an SUV
And never havin’ to clean up the mess you leave
Then I say we need to be less free
I don’t expect you to agree, but you did listen at least
So now you’re free to take this lesson or leave it
Peace
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6. |
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Hey John Deere green
In letters three feet tall
Jimmy loves Charlene
In John Deere green
We drove here in a John Deere Tractor
I cracked a few jokes, happy to hear laughter
And then cracked a beer to reduce my fear factor
So this lump in my throat would disappear faster
And then I got down on one knee and asked her
If she would be my sweetheart until the sweet hereafter
And she clapped her hands together in a way
That told me she'd stay with me forever and a day
And I took her by the arm and led her away
Up the ladder to the barn loft, and laid her head in the hay
And later showed her the place I wrote the letters of her name
Three feet tall, and things were never the same
And ever since, I've been saying' that the one clear thing
I know is these words in this song here I sing
As these guitar strings make my ears ring
Billy loves Charlene in John Deere Greene
Hey John Deere green
In letters three feet tall
Jimmy loves Charlene
In John Deere green
I didn’t know much, but I knew enough
To know the two of us had found true love
We had few rough fights where we’d feud and fuss
Like two stubborn mules who refuse to budge
But we kept a roof above our two heads in the rain
And when things got strained we remembered the place
With the green spray paint where the letters remain
Billy loves Charlene in John Deere Greene
Hey John Deere green
In letters three feet tall
Jimmy loves Charlene
In John Deere green
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7. |
Copyridin'
03:49
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I won't deny it, I've been copyridin'
Gettin' music for free
Intellectual property
You can't keep software from me
Listenin’ to new music is my addiction,
But I think I’m never gonna get enough fixes
So I guess I’m goin’ to prison
But until then you can just…
Go ahead and get it for free
I probably stole more music in the last four years
Than has ever been protected federally
And still I try to sell records hypocritically
I sent 50 Cent a cheque for 50 cents
And ripped everything he ever did off the internet
But all I really did was eliminate the middlemen
‘Cause that’s all he was ever gonna get
So I guess I stole from Eminem and Dr. Dre
But I stole beats and lyrics from ‘em both anyway
Just to get the record to play
And if some kid rip this to a mix tape
Then you’ll never get a leopard to change
Spots I’m rockin’ I’m not expectin’ to get paid
Just at the end of the day, so I’ma step on stage
With a grin on my face, ready to give this business away
When I say…
Listenin’ to new music is my addiction,
But I think I’m never gonna get enough fixes
So I guess I’m goin’ to prison
But until then you can just…
Go ahead and call the police
They’ll probably pull up in a cruiser rockin’ downloaded beats
And if you keep it on the down-low with me
I can sell you some cheap albums with no receipts
‘Cause ever since I started makin’ tracks, I just ain’t had the cash
To buy CDs off the rack, and that’s a fact
But my original collection is massive
And it was all released pre-2003
And there’s 3000 LPs that really ought to be mine
But every CD I buy costs me studio time
And I’ve got songs that need to be recorded
I swear to God I’d buy music, if I could afford it
But my product has gotta be exported
So I’ma write some bad cheques to the music biz
Catch me if you can; I’m an elusive kid
And I’ll pay dues back, if I do get rich
And until then…
Listenin’ to new music is my addiction,
But I think I’m never gonna get enough fixes
So I guess I’m goin’ to prison
But until then you can just listen
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8. |
Mellow Drama
05:36
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She approached me after a show
She said she liked what I did, and she wanted to know
If we could meet for a drink to discuss some things
But she wasn’t blushing; she just straight-up asked it
She said she was an actress and wanted to talk tactics
And gave me her number and her email address
See, a man on a stage is a female magnet
So I couldn’t say what she was after, but she was attractive
So I figured either way I’ll be happy with what happens
I’m no slave to my passions, so I’m okay with abstinence
I just try to stay awake and wait for chain reactions
And the next day by accident I read a review
With her name in it, so I knew what she said was true
She had a central role in one of the best shows
At the festival, and they said she was a pro
And her method was so impressive they gave her five stars
This left my interest quite enlarged
So a few days later I phoned her, trying hard
Not to sound too eager, and I succeeded, by and large
‘Cause we made a date to meet the next day at a quiet bar
She just gave me my first taste of heroin
I wanna go there again tell me where and when
I don't care if you call me an addict
I still gots to have it
This feeling is dramatic
She just gave me my first taste of heroin
I wanna go there again tell me where and when
I don't care if you call me an addict
It's tragic but
I still gots to have it
We met in the afternoon and had a glass or two
And chatted about rap music and actors we knew
She had a nice attitude and some passionate views
A good sense of humour and a sexy laugh too
Basically, everything that I’m attracted to
But after a few drinks I guess our time had come
‘Cause I had to run and meet somebody, plus I was drunk
So we agreed to meet later that same night at one
And after a dinner party I came back into town
And we exchanged some text messages until I tracked her down
At the festival grounds, and we danced around
And had a laugh; ain't no denying the attraction now
But at the height of the evening, she said her ride was leaving
Conflicting all the messages that I was receiving
Inside I was grieving, but I said, “Okay
It’s the end of the day; better make your getaway”
I could have offered her a nice place to stay
‘Cause my place was only five minutes away
But I didn’t; what can I say? I headed home
But before I got to the door, she called my phone
And said “I just sent my ride off alone
You got a place I can go now?” Huh? No doubt!
We stayed up late with deep conversation
And later got naked and made some good vibrations
Like the tectonic plates was shakin’
And we both fell asleep while the day was breakin’
She left a few hours later; we kissed passionately
On the doorstep, then I went back to sleep
She just gave me my first taste of heroin
I wanna go there again tell me where and when
I don't care if you call me an addict
I still gots to have it
This feeling is dramatic
She just gave me my first taste of heroin
I wanna go there again tell me where and when
I don't care if you call me an addict
It's tragic but
I still gots to have it
Three days later we still hadn’t followed up
Festival times are always kinda nuts
Performing shows everyday, plus she was in a play
And commitments just kept getting in the way
And it was takin’ a toll; I couldn’t get her on the phone
So I thought, I’ll just go and get a ticket to watch her show
I sat in the back row, and imagined the passionate
Romance we could have if we just had a chance
To grow, and that’s when the play began
The character she played met a nice man
And they laughed and danced and had a one night stand
And the drama was all about the aftermath
And whether or not their romance would ever have a chance
To grow, and I just sat with my mouth open
And listened as every word that was still unspoken
Between us unfolded on stage in the play
In a way that was deeper than anything I could say
And every now and then she would glance my way
And her expression would change, like she was trippin’ the same
And then the show ended, and the curtains came down
And I waited around until the rest of the crowd
Had exited out, and I found her backstage
And she gave me a sympathetic, mischievous smile
And before I could even get a single sentence out
She said, “My boyfriend is comin’ into town
And I’m not really interested in messin’ around
No disrespect, I’ve just been stressed out
And you and I are gonna be just friends now”
And that was the end of the scene we played
I guess I could appreciate her need for space
But it just seemed strange, like we’d been on stage
Since the minute I’d first seen her face
She just gave me my first taste of heroin
I wanna go there again tell me where and when
I don't care if you call me an addict
I still gots to have it
This feeling is dramatic
She just gave me my first taste of heroin
I wanna go there again tell me where and when
I don't care if you call me an addict
It's tragic but
I still gots to have it
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9. |
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I smoked up at fourteen with romantic notions
Of poets across the Atlantic Ocean doped up on morphine
I was hoping the stuff would be an infinite source of dreams
I wanted to see if it was a portal to the immortal stream
Or just a weed; so I sowed the seeds
Hoping there was more to see, and with more attempts
To score a glimpse into the vortex of hemp’s
Female sex organs, I was just more convinced
Of the transformative potential of my distorted senses
With the doors of perception open everything gets more intense
Every chore is an adventure and trip to the store a quest
To explore foreign destinations, or a test
Of orientation, if you forget your address
My objective was to lower stress
But the side effects were quite the opposite
With blood clots in my eye sockets
My optical field was myopic
Short sighted, I would often fly off topic
Preoccupied by the microscopic
I entirely lost sight of my higher project
Plus I was exhausted; time for a diagnostic
From Betty Ford; I guess I was ready for it
Before I knew it I was twenty-four
And I couldn’t think of any reason to do it any more
Dr. Greenthumb, why’d you stop my dreams comin’?
Numbin’ me slow, leavin’ my mind stream stumblin’
Drainin’ me dry of my deep need to be somethin’
Put my feet up and I’m a slave to weed burnin’
Curled up in a fetal position, a baby on bean-bag
Evil visions flutter ‘round me as I lean back
Seein’ spiders creeping in the shadows on the ceiling
Insects steal inside my neckline, I can feel ‘em
Even my friends are mocking me, I can hear it
In their vocal tones, social misfit losing hope alone
I need a cup of tea, and a blanket to cover me
Feelin’ uppity; can’t catch the subtleties
But for some reason I wrap up another reefer and suddenly
My head is muddled utterly; “Fuckin’ freak”
My friends are muttering now; my words are tumblin’ out
All wrong, mouth closing and opening
Where is this rhyme supposed to be goin’?
What’s wrong with Rowan?
Dr. Greenthumb, why’d you stop my dreams comin’?
Numbin’ me slow, leavin’ my mind stream stumblin’
Drainin’ me dry of my deep need to be somethin’
Put my feet up and I’m a slave to weed burnin’
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10. |
Seduction feat. Dizraeli
03:39
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I stood on somebody’s front porch sellin’ vitamins
Three naked women answered the door like: “Invite him in!”
I never intended to live a life of sin
But I may never be in a place like this again
So I’ma live this life like it’s the last one
I step inside with every intention of havin’ fun
The women lead me to the back of the mansion, and I’m stunned
By incense and decorations, lavishly done
Then suddenly it’s opium smoke that I’m inhalin’
Details blend; my mind is in a tailspin
It’s a hell of a day in the life of a vitamin salesman
But there’s no need to keep sellin’; I’ll just chill a bit
Surrounded by beautiful skin and crushed velvet
I feel a rush to my pelvis as the women undress me
But then I catch a glimpse of reflection that vexes me
There’s an emaciated man behind a curtain whispering…
I used to be just like you
Now I’ve gotta pay for the lust I knew
Tell me what must I do?
Don’t stop here; rush right through
I came here in the same way you did
Polluted by the poison of cupid
Testicles inflated by my sexual
Greatness, the delectable ladies
Handling me, it was a little boy’s fantasy:
Opiates, cocaine and mammary glands;
I’m a family man with four kids
and a mortgage, but I couldn’t resist the forces
Of the snap of the jaws; it’s happened before, bruv
Turn ‘round; she’ll be slammin’ the door shut
You’re stuck; you can never get your pride back
You are tied to a life in the flytrap
You are inside the grip now; lie back
You can never escape man, I tried that
The door’s guarded by this white cat
Whose straight gaze could turn the skies black
Flick of the tail, flutter of eyelash
And your getaway plans man are sidetracked
Your mind snaps in the flash of a synapse
And you’ll find yourself running right back
So don’t listen to these hoes whisperin’
Even when soap glistens on a titty in a pretty way
Go home before you’re trapped in a stone prison
Forced to bone women fifty times on any given day
I used to be just like you
Now I’ve gotta pay for the lust I knew
Tell me what must I do?
Don’t stop here; rush right through
This has gotta be the greatest dilemma I’ve ever faced
These incredible women are ready to give it away
And this pathetic slave is sayin’ that I’d better escape
I’m feelin’ so frustrated that I’m ready to break
The women tell me to forget it, not to listen to the bastard
That he’s just a sex addict they keep locked in the attic
For kicks, and if he wanted to get rid of the habit
And quit, he could walk away just like that
But he keeps babbling about this little white cat
When it’s another kind of pussy that keeps him coming back
I feel like I’m gonna crack, the temptation is so strong
But something goes wrong; now I’m pullin’ my clothes on
The women drop to their knees like, “Don’t go, please
Hold on; you can have us all before dawn!”
But I’m beyond listenin’; I’m fightin’ ‘em off
And gathering the boxes from my vitamin stocks
The white cat tries to bite me as I walk past
But I just give it a swift kick right in the chops
And now I’m back to my life on the block
How was I supposed to know who to believe
The super freaks or the dude on a leash?
I’m usually open to sweetness, but there’s too many people
Who lose their freedom in a moment of weakness
That's why I don’t sleep with hoes and leeches
I used to be just like you
Now I’ve gotta pay for the lust I knew
Tell me what must I do?
Don’t stop here; rush right through
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11. |
Mindstate
04:38
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The mind is its own place, so it’s a base in itself
When it’s impatient, paradise feels like a prison cell
And it’s wasted, but however far from grace it fell
The mind can still make a heaven out of raising hell
We live in a strange realm, and I’m beginnin’ to doubt
My ability to figure it out; now
If the mind is its own place, then mine is an open space
I’m home on the range like a coyote roaming the plains
Showing strangers how to notice correlations, only
I’m facin’ down some cowboys makin’ loud noises
Hoping my home is a vacant location so they can take it
It’s the same ancient battle for the temple of the mind
That people have been fighting since the beginning of time
And the winning side has always been the mentally blind
Who try to simplify everybody into two different kinds
Of people: “You’re either with us or against us, and you’d better decide
Or you’re gonna get criminalized!”
In this critical fight, I’m livin’ behind enemy lines
Keepin’ my mind open like a nympho’s vagina
Tryin’ to fill it with every different kind of info I can find
And you know why? ‘Cause propaganda machines
Can teach you a whole lot about an enemy’s strategies
And every piece of data feeds into reality
There’s no need to understand, just believe
Hidden in the temple in the center of my head
I've invented a script that can never be read
I write it as I'm livin it a few steps ahead
And if I'm ever gonna quit then I better be dead
When the mind finds itself in a police state
It needs a secret place to keep it safe
And when it’s mistreated daily and repeatedly disgraced
It stays sane by retreating into the deepest cave
Where the siege is laid to keep the demons at bay
But the easiest way to break free from these chains
And make peace is to take a leap of faith
And believe something that can’t be reasonably explained
That’s how people change, by takin’ a chance
On a path when they can’t see the destination in advance
And laughin’ in the face of disaster when their best-laid plans
Are translated into wastelands; it doesn’t make sense
But all you need is a beat and street corner to break-dance
And no scientist could ever explain that with brain scans
‘Cause the mind is the one place in the infinite expanse
Of creation that still has infinite space to expand
Hidden in the temple in the center of my head
I've invented a script that can never be read
I write it as I'm livin it a few steps ahead
And if I'm ever gonna quit then I better be dead
There’s a place in the mind that waits in silence
Until it’s awakened by some inspiration inside it
Sometimes the sensation is violent, and we’re surprised
By the places it finds us; in strange environments
We do exactly what the act of creation requires
It takes an entire civilization to change the climate
Into a lake of fire, but at the same time
Every person is alone when they change their mind
So the landscape inside is one of the only places
I know of that’s really capable of homeostasis
In times of crisis; it’s a lonely oasis
Where you’re totally safe, a place to resist the barrage
Of information in this modern day system of ours
I walk through it feeling like I’m living on mars
Recognizing ninety percent of it as just a mirage
That’s why I’m tryin’ to drop the curtain on the Wizard of Oz
‘Cause behind the smoke machines and faces made of green plastic
I feel like there’s real magic that people can access
If they learn to reach past all the easy answers
And ceaseless distractions that we’re always being harassed with
All you need to grasp is that the mind is its own place
And when you make this known then no one can take your home away
And nothing you do to improve it will ever go to waste
And you can use it to create your own fate, so don’t throw it away
Hidden in the temple in the center of my head
I've invented a script that can never be read
I write it as I'm livin it a few steps ahead
And if I'm ever gonna quit then I better be dead
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12. |
Symptom
04:30
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Bush is just a symptom of the ignorant citizens
Who elected him, a simpleton in a crib full of infants
As if a woman afraid of intercourse married an impotent
Man, and the cycle begins again…
Your president’s a reflection of your national temperament
So it’s no wonder you’re sensitive, but I’m tryin’ to make sense of this
‘Cause if he really did cheat to win both elections
Even with no deception he would’ve been a close second
So there’s really no consensus, just a polarized electorate
With both sides protected by their own misconceptions
So many well-intentioned souls with loaded weapons
Arms control begins at home! It’s no question
Why the twenty-first century has been a disgrace
It’s ‘cause the United States keeps shooting their friends in the face
The money wasted on wars could be spent in better ways
But the president gets away with “whatever it takes”
Maybe it’s just a phase in the democratic process
A population with an apathetic consciousness
Is gonna end up with some bastards in office
At least until the problem is solved by the same people who caused it
Bush is just a symptom of the ignorant citizens
Who elected him, a simpleton in a crib full of infants
As if a woman afraid of intercourse married an impotent
Man, and the cycle begins again…
It’s no wonder your president’s as dense as a fence post
It’s a direct result of those who neglected to vote
Oh, you don’t think so? Come on, look at the trends
John Kerry had to pretend that he couldn’t speak French
And if you're always going to resent intelligent women and men
Then you’re never gonna get another Jefferson
And the consequence of indifference goes beyond borders
‘Cause now the burden of peace rests on a neo-con’s shoulders
And the war goes on, even without Saddam’s orders
It’s a melting pot of brown, yellow, black and blonde soldiers
And the bombs over Baghdad have tags attached
That read: “Courtesy of American Non-Voters”
And as Iraq smolders, there’s trouble at home
And now the president sits on a crumbling throne
And every piece that falls off is a stumbling stone
Until he’s left in the rubble alone
Bush is just a symptom of the ignorant citizens
Who elected him, a simpleton in a crib full of infants
As if a woman afraid of intercourse married an impotent
Man, and the cycle begins again…
This is just a little message from your neighbours to the North
You know, the ones you impersonate when you visit foreign shores
‘Cause they spit in your face whenever you step outside your borders
Universal outrage when your president signs orders
You’ve got this huge economy, beautiful music and comedy
And some of the worst abuses of democracy on earth
I hear your bombs and rockets burst, and all I’ve got is words
But I’ve also got supporters and American friends
Determined to make sure this age of arrogance ends
So they never have to apologize embarrassed again
When they discuss themselves; relax, bloody hell
My great grandmother was a Southern Belle, plus I’ve got California cousins
That I love as well, but your government’s a tougher sell
As you can tell I’ve got a thing for rap, so thanks for that
But you can have your tanks back, and the next chance
You yanks have to change tracks, for God’s sake, act!
Bush is just a symptom of the ignorant citizens
Who elected him, a simpleton in a crib full of infants
As if a woman afraid of intercourse married an impotent
Man, and the cycle begins again…
Bush is just a symptom of the ignorant citizens
Who elected him, a simpleton in a crib full of infants
As if a woman afraid of intercourse married an impotent
Man, and the cycle begins again…
Don’t let it
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13. |
||||
Debecen cuando en la vida
Tienes que sufrir
y no es facile!
I lost the plot
I fucked it up
I slept in
I tripped up
I crashed my car
I dropped the ball
I pissed 'em off
I screwed it up
Everybody hates me
I got drunk
I stared at her tits
Woops!
It’s the absent-minded professor, forever stressed-out
Runnin’ around in a state of perpetual doubt with my head in the clouds
With one foot on the ground, and the other one wedged in my mouth
‘Cause I had an epiphany; I was thinkin’ I’d figured it out
But I should’ve thought about it a little bit more before I said it aloud
I’ll be like: “Yes my friends, I’ve thought of a definite trend
When it comes to gender differences between women and men
For women sex tends to be a means to an end
Whereas for men sex itself is the end!”
Something never to say out loud in front of your women friends
An improbable statement with a biological basis
But I should’ve thought before saying it, judging by their faces
But that’s the way it is; my thought patterns scatter logically
For me, “mind over matter” is a matter of policy
I crashed my vehicle fallin’ asleep at the wheel as I drove
A winding mountain road the day after my insurance lapsed
I shrugged it off with a nervous laugh
I stayed up all night writin’ rhymes, so I deserved to crash
Everything I touch turns to crap, but it’s ‘cause
My mind is preoccupied with writin’ the perfect rap
I lost the plot
I fucked it up
I slept in
I tripped up
I crashed my car
I dropped the ball
I pissed 'em off
I screwed it up
Everybody hates me
I got drunk
Que Borracho
Mi Amore
Drinking at the hostel San Cristobal
Still stirring with delight from the night before
We were at a circo groupo loco
Drinkin' in the corner with my imaginate
Una morena, ay mi morena
Comin' through the door like slow motion and
She looked like a gypsy girl with long black curl like
“Vamos a bailar!”
Then we break for cerveza
I lose my cabeza and end up
Kissing her friend on the mesa
Pendejo!
Senor cuervo
Made me forget about the girl I wanted to know
So I asked her for another dance
She says “no chance
Estaba besando mi amiga, que pedo guey”
Then she slapped my face and she walked away
Mi Amore!
Por Favor!
Te Amo!
Lo Siento!
Que Borracho!
Te Quiero!
Mamacita!
Ayudame!
Mi corazon!
Dame chance!
Una Jinete!
Te amo mamacita por favor!
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14. |
Lit-Hop
03:44
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This is just a linguistic attempt to achieve
The effects of chemical ecstasy without the spiritual leprosy
Or physical lethargy; it’s lyrical lechery
‘Cause you feel it comin’ on to you, so listen and see
Why the mixin’ of this delicate recipe is literally
What I feel like I was born to do; yes indeed
I’m bringin’ the heat, but I’m givin’ it that unique feelin’ of intimacy
MCs are dealin’ with so many difficulties, like even illiteracy
So listen to me, and if you only listen to criminals speak
I’ll flip it in Criminalese like Immortal Technique
Turn off the television and read, you little freaks!
‘Cause lit-hop for me isn’t just a figure of speech
Sh-yeah, I live it and breath it; that’s why I rap better than Jesus
‘Cause I’m so deep in this lyrical thesis, I feel like
A religious extremist; yeah, you better believe it
‘Cause if I said it I mean it, unless it was facetious
Well I seen this vision of Hip-Hop
Once when I was dreamin'
It was ressurected lost lyrical genius
And as long as Lit-hop is breathin'
I'm still believin'
Well I seen this vision of Lit-hop
Once when I was dreamin'
It was ressurected lost lyrical genius
And as long as Hip-hop is breathin'
I'm still believin'
You wanna know how I started this lit-hop chronicle?
I went to a lot of shows, and I thought hip-hop was so ironical
When I saw so many wannabe MCs all tryin’ to go
After the same kinda cars and clothes and hoes and marijuana smoke
And I thought NOOO! I wanna go, I wanna go to
Enga-laaand! And I heard a whole lotta people
Whingin’ on the subject of hip-hop changin’
And it wasn’t the same as back in the day and I thought to myself, hey
Bring it on! ‘Cause I don’t complain about changes
Some rap crews is tryin’ to go back to the roots of the people they hang with
I’m just tryin’ to go back to the roots of my language, and that’s English
I had to flip the script ‘cause I got sick of rap that’s brainless
MCs claim intellectual when they’ve never read a textbook
And educated professors never wrote a sexy hook
So they remain ineffectual and never get successful
And you now you’re listenin’ to the only one who’s ever repped both
Well I chose
To leave rap alone and get a Master's
So I could capture the most cinematic scope
And that's when it turned into a fashion show
Well this is the antidote
And I don't wanna teach any classes after shows
I just want put a coupl of classic quotes in my tracks
And maybe let the masses know
How to challenge the status quo
Well I seen this vision of Hip-Hop
Once when I was dreamin'
It was ressurected lost lyrical genius
And as long as Lit-hop is breathin'
I'm still believin'
Well I seen this vision of Lit-hop
Once when I was dreamin'
It was ressurected lost lyrical genius
And as long as Hip-hop is breathin'
I'm still believin'
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Baba Brinkman New York, New York
Science rapper and inventor of several novel hip-hop variants. Canadian transplant to New York. Pathological optimist.
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