1. |
FIRST TAKE
01:50
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First take
Fine line between the 3 and a dinner plate
Take a while later for you to calculate
I acclimate it
Feels like you frustrated
I fuel the feedback loop to demonstrate it
Never needed opinions
All I need is my own, I’m writing based off a feeling
That’s the way to punch a hole through the glass ceiling
I’m Scottie B on the boards, stealing
I’m Luka with a deck of cards with the way I been dealing
I’m sampling until I find meaning
Calling the game how I see it, I’m talking bout MCing
Court could use a good cleaning
That’s a figure of speech
Guess I should mind that my words are another extension of my reach
I don’t teach, I give perspective on why I do what I do
But you gotta do you
Or you’ll never break through
That’s how it is
Gotta learn to use what you got when you in the biz
Another day of trying
No prying against the skids
Gotta make sure you wipe your shoes
Don’t be slippin like Harden
I don’t need clips to know the game is trash
I sit back and kick it, know when to drive and make the pass
I could never go past it
Keep it real when I cast it
Could be Jeff the way I outlast it
Surviving with this music, that’s a heavy bar
But I ain’t tied to it like the way y’all are, that’s a holy guard
I’m never on par, I rise above
That’s the first take so far
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2. |
THE BENCHWARMER
03:34
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It’s the Benchwarmer
Rhymes hot like fresh-to-order
Like someone pass the recorder
Lemme play Hot Cross Buns real quick
I drop a shot every time the clock go tick
Wrote this on my phone, no cigs, never touched a Bic
This straight from the heart like a clot did
On a enemy, clog then drop dead, a giant like Coughlin
Hit the post more than Instagram followers kid
Never thought I’d reference that
Cause I thought Facebook Messenger was where it’s at
2013, listening to Childish Gambi
Played the drums, wrote pop songs, still had hoop dreams
But it was all for naught
Bit of height and a jumper is all I got
Could hit that line with a dot, but I knew chemistry was not for me
I was end of the pine, both in class and the team
But when I got up off it, had MJ handles, foes hit the Smooth Criminal lean
I hit the 2K green
Only one way to do this
Swear if the moral’s true, that we gotta stay committed
Cause the city on the hill can’t be hidden son
How we get ourselves outta this one?
Great question
I best stop looking for answers and get to stepping
Only way to break the streak is to keep shootin
No problem losing a game or two, it ain’t death, it’s just the skin bruisin
I guess that that’s the real motive
Cause I don’t wanna be stagnant if things don’t keep flowing
Don’t plan to be all-knowing, no man can be omnipotent
But in pursuit of it, I’ll keep myself afloat for the moment
I’ll repetitiously kill it until I boost my reputation
And I’ll make the morning news the way I relay information
Til my soul drops, matter fact the heart stops
With a single sentence, the syllables punctuate the ending of a life
So I gotta keep my focus right and learn to stay present
You can have the heart of kings but the life of a peasant
It’s not what you have to say but how you said it
Put money on the one with the strong voice, yeah, I bet it
Mic check one two one two
It’s the man Joe Proulx breaking out real soon
Man, you said you a star? I’ll kick you straight to the moon with
The way I kick it, grab the guitar and play a few tunes
The way I stick it, you think I brought a bat to the booth
The way I hit it, you’d think the beats were scared out their boots
Okay I did it, massage out the knots, this is therapy
The way I bear it, the soul is the only thing to see
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3. |
FAST BREAK / HALF COURT
04:19
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FAST BREAK
Man I been tryna break out but now all that I need is a fast break
Man all of this tension can get released soon as ya beats make the ground shake
Uh, call and response (call and response)
Making it rock, uhhhhhhh
Ink made a blot (ink made a blot)
My flow break the clot
Plot in the game, write my name
If you down with the same
Piece of mind I explain
This is work with no gain
Feel the glass in this pain
Blood and sweat with no stain
Words and shots how I train
Showing off is disdainful
I do this for my spirit
Doesn’t matter if you hear it
Checkin on samples, don’t clear it
Make a ruckus with your vision til they fear it
Couldn’t care less bout my appearance
You can find my wardrobe in the clearance
Rack, bounce back, make ‘em crack
Bones and marrow
Flow with the rock be like bow and arrow
Straight and narrow
Stank face on y’all look like Rob De Niro
I’m a weirdo
But I ain’t rappin on tracks like Ben Shapiro
Idiot
Seriously thought he was kidding
But no fippin
HALF COURT
Wake me up when the doorbell rings
Only say it cause I sleep on those who don’t follow up on things
I mourn the regret that talent brings
I say my summer was hot enough to make the kettle sing
No kings when you checking anybody standing on the wings
She my queen? Ding ding ding, that’s a win for the misguided
Was violent as a kid, but now I fight to raise the eyelids
Wake up, there’s people dying in Thailand
I wonder if you even know what a crime is
I’m civil if I know what the time is
Calling Wooten over Primus
What did I pay for feelings? Seems priceless
Didn’t ask to be decisive, just asked to stop crying
At night awake, every light blinding
Weekends disjointed as hell
But I still keep to the two step
All hold on the rouse
Tripping off on the new shit
Y’all think it’s true
That’s a noose though
No deal, please; think of Pluto
When you feel abandoned
Just know there’s endless space to move slow
Keep your head down cause the groove low
Never got by on looks alone, shouts to Trudeau
Don’t play the heat if you can’t take it
Got MJ handles, they leaning like the Matrix
Man, these rappers bandwagon like the Lakers
LeBron pulling strings on fools like he Mayer
Miss me with that Insta
I’m gonna end careers then I’ll never mention ya
Got no dirt on me, it’s just staining ya
Got no lines, so I must be painting ya
All these people think my music alien
Yo, you just mad my music Mastiff when you Pomeranian
Missed the dunk, man, you shoulda laid it in
Missed the outline, so Imma shade it in
Never miss the beat like Kaiser Chiefs
Kansas City would be proud
I’m tryin to vibe but the deaf keep complaining that I play my music loud
Blast this shit til they come full circle
I’m on a run, make y’all jump like you running hurdles
Vibe is so myrtle, convo is internal
Steady working
On my convertible cause the roof got ripped off in a car chase
I guess that’s what happen when you constantly living out the visions in your head space
I gotta keep it face to face
I would never tell my pace to haste
Copy my moves over again like Imma bout to paste it
Adjacent from others, word to all my brothers down south
Lifting wheels soon, y’all goin see what I’m all about
Sick of all these people blocking my shine
Spine strong, straight stance when I drop dimes on ya
California dreams are worthless if you only care bout the surface
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4. |
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I don’t speak my mind as much as I should
So now’s my time and the beat is therapy? Understood
My only hope is when I swing; that the ball hit wood
And I hope I hit the stank like only George Duke could
Listen, the ones who make mistakes are the truest of human beings
And when they reach the top, that’s the truest beauty you’ve ever seen
Cause those individual’s heights are never compared
Those who live on upper floors often started under the stairs
You’re a wizard, yeah, I doubt the drum sticks carry spells
But when they hit the skin with a rhythm, I feel that my soul distills
More than pills or my will could ever ever settle
Life will come around, a flat circle, a wheel that I can pedal
My soles flat to the metal, another ride through these streets
I’ll never leave unless I can save me from these fallen trees
Fallacies I’ve found; I dodge with the Skip and bound
And grab the mic cause there’s no lies abound when I’m around
It’s Joe P
My only hope is when I swing; that the ball hit wood
And I hope I hit the stank like only George Duke could
Grew up on Eminem but I ain't got the wordplay
Or the beats like Ye, or the swag like Andre
These rappers lie every album cycle like subscription service
I bitch and moan and ponder why I'm feeling so nervous
if x marks the spot than the x must be silent
Like Joe's last name, I can see the ultraviolet
Like a mantis shrimp, my bars powered by speeds of light
When I spit, I flashbang cause all you see is white
I am rap's Costanza, hip hop's Peter Griffin
Turns out all they needed was the introvert that's missing
I'm like Macklemore but mixed, I'm like Kendrick with no talent
I gotta snub the grammy, there needs to be a balance
All these rich fucks get fucked, I’m calling out your bluff
Talking smack about mama, Imma smack you up
Funny enough, my ma ain't give a shit, but I do
Save your bullshit for when you exit my room
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5. |
PEP TALK
03:12
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Can’t quit looking at me, that’s a tough walk
Are you fellas all ready for the pep talk?
Work smarter, still work harder
I’m locking up the whole gym like I’m Coach Carter
Keep myself underground so y’all can see when I’m peaking
One true version of myself and it’s speaking
Take the shot and they weaken
Fake is every day you think you stand alone or you tweaking
When you just need to breathe in
Then you sow what you reapin
I mix the hesi with the in-n-out, they think that I’m creepin
Man, open your eyes up
And make sure your mouth shut when you talking out your ass
Every game that pass, I revitalize the lessons of past
I just go
And I fall into the blessing of the present
And I’m grateful for the highs and all the lows cause Heaven sent it
And if I ever forget it, I won’t remember where my breath went
I give praise to God above, best believe that I meant it
Now before I was venting, now I’m keeping things scented
Gotta keep my message clean so suits and ties recommend it
And if they don’t, then they probably never will
I’ll do my thing on wax no matter if it’s paying the bills
It ain’t that serious, please put ya guns away
Shots fired unnecessarily when game is at play
Shooting right to the sun, the temperature’s getting high
They had us in the first half, not gonna lie
But you gotta take your shots in the flow of the game
Your shot goin come, just be patient and you’ll catch the flame
See those guys overshooting, they goin mistake you as lame
They forcing, but you flowing, man, these shots ain’t the same
Remember the shots after the chorus, check ya tone
Get your shots up like patron
I take a photoshoot without the phone
No dunks or 3’s, in the mid-range, I think now I’m in my zone
When I shoot my shot, they don’t make a sound
But that’s okay cause y’all got ya trash talk in this morning at the shoot around
Don’t be scared if that girl shoot you down
You still moving, you got so many more shots in your life, so keep shooting
And keep staying true to yourself, oh, that’s the truth man
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6. |
HALFTIME INTERLUDE
02:16
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Halftime will be that good time you’ve been waiting for
So stop complaining bout the way it’s gone
You got a fresh start coming up
So it’s time to pregame and run it up until you ain’t really remember much
Cause you need a new perspective
Everybody in the future don’t think bout direction
Or what life really means, that’s a common misconception
They just got where they are trying to relieve inner tension
Cause they been storing emotional pensions
Man, it just kept expanding
No more coping with these mechanics and get rich quick schemes
No camaraderie, just 8 billion 1 person teams
Tryna find a couple more memes, please
Oh my god, don’t get the joke, just leave
A generation of kids with no motive to get it by any means
Fame is worthless, finding that out can be costly
Man, we tryna get green, no envy
Rockstars invest stocks, no MCs
Tryna increase plant life, don’t cut trees
Learned that in middle school
We got the plan for progression and the world’s got the tools
Go ahead and hop in, no infinity pools
I got the ultimate way to keep cool, it’s in you
No more engine revving, y’all got something to prove
I’m screeching the Civic like a baboon
Blasting the new tunes waiting for you to get in tune, come on dude
Now cruise
Halftime brought to you by changing moods
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7. |
STEVE NASH
03:15
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Wake up, Shamgod, don’t cross me
Jumper deadly, so you best back off me
Seven seconds, Steve Nash, D’Antoni
Run the game like a fast break, no Amare
It’s the rap game maverick
Off the top, rock it out, slay em with the right grip
Flow, cadence is spur of the moment, sounds fresh
Got the jazz in the feel, you can see it in the flesh
I always been a trail blazer, never need to stop
You can clip me from the past, look like Rick Barry with the granny shot
But I always brought thunder in the paint
Never been a saint, but I bring it like a king, never quaint
You can catch me by the lake with the sun on my face
Yelling Kobe from the sidelines, trying to catch some rays
Keep an eye out for the wolves, they been plotting on my place
Y’all be flocking like some pelicans, please, I need my space
I’ll be coming out the bush like a grizzly soon
I been speaking what I’m feelin, lend an ear to the tune
Got the heart of a warrior, but my soul a golden nugget man
And you can never be me, I’m one in 8 billion
It’s the Winnipeg rap cavalier
Got it good with the words, gotta heat it up in here
Got the magic touch, no bull in these lines
No MJ postgame, but crossed him like I’m Allen I
Y’all know now that I’m 7; he 6
Doing this til I’m 89, pacing over these kids
Doing the grapevine, shots are blazing nets with the swish
Back in the Nick of time, tearing all these beats into shreds
Like a lyrical raptor, gonna outwork these actors
Talking shit they never done, gonna buck em right after
This verse, cause I punch in right on time like a piston
Brother this the new mission, I’m the wizard they missing
Cast a spell, then they hissing, y’all hornets in the trap
Gonna hawk em like the Claw, like a Fox in the gap
Til one day I sit back and unwind
Everyone’s face looking Celtic green while my real ones at my side
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8. |
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My God, it’s been a cold week
Feelin like I’m the only hope I got, feel like Kenobi
Everybody got a reason why they think they should control me
Why I feel the need to be defensive with no goalie
My reaction moldy
I threw myself out then put some oldies on
Cause I just wanna slip away, don’t need your drama
Only reason I’m still wholly involved with music is for me
Evens out the edges
Talks me off the ledges
Trims the metaphorical hedges
That shit was wack
But I said it cause in the moment I wrote it, I had to laugh
I wanna do what gives me life, pride taken in that
In which I create and display; as a matter of fact
I keep it light, but still find depth in expression
A map to track my progression
I lack that kind of professional tact to slave over a sample chop for hours
Still my shit the lightning in the bottle that’ll never grow dour
Unlimited power, that’s what you get in speaking truth
That’s why at the studio, I stopped singing in the booth
Behind the board is where I feel most connected to what I’m venting
Connecting to the music through my penmanship
Discretion advised
Editing’s crucial, but I won’t write here just to lie
Only way I have conviction is saying what I see through my eyes
Hear the tears I cry
This shit is wavy, the blues ain’t dye
They in my genes and cords
That’s how I wield the sword
The outcome’s up in arms
Am I the only one that shields before he finds his mark?
Every bar is a cover-up, like I’m hiding meals, coming a la carte
Part the curtains like waves, let me know when they verses start
All I see is empty calories, gimme something tart
Something to cleanse the pallet, now appreciate the art
I swear my heart is in it
Funny that when your pain is melodic, it’s considered exquisite
Chemical imbalance is enough to make your heart pound
But they don’t realize you’re at rock bottom until you hit the ground
They gonna need my discretion to rhyme
Came from nickel and dime
Pain trickle over my simplest lines
Thoughts bubble out of minds
You gonna need a whole Hubble
The comeback kid got his name cemented and indented ,
It’s no space in this game for ya
Grew up on EBT
You type the struggle through ChatGPT
I’m AI with the cross up
Hischier with the stick
Moving like a young vet bruh, the gig is up
Flow hotter than H E double fucking hockey pucks
Probably gaslight a river ‘til they turn to the aquaduct
Play with my cards, aim for stars, don’t call it luck
Dante’s inferno in my pen, I’m eternal; and ascend,
Handle the pen, writing since I was ten
Mike Tyson when the pen striking
Ight then
They treat my lyrics like scriptures, Biblical flow
God with a temper is how I’m gonna remembered, whoa
We keep on racing, there’s no need to keep pace
Man, I been feeling every word like there’s chalk on the pavement
When you get stuck up
Mercenaries need to step up, they move illegal brah
I don’t need to hit hardwood to know where the picks are
Make sure feet stuck like pine tar
Take care of business, toss the keys to the car
Please get my steak cooked with a nice char
Imma chop this beef real quick
Y’all hiding the truth like front page news did
Facts shouldn’t be behind a wall
Make your call, can’t run game without the ball
Don’t think you notice that you’re destined to free fall
Without awareness
Need to know the difference between letting things flow and careless
Running with the ones I’ve been with since we had bare chests
When rhymes really hit, it leave the room chairless
And everyone garish til they meet they ends
And everyone won’t say what side they on, they say “it depends”
And I know it’ll come down to a point when things stop making sense
But I can clear the air
I been with the pen
Messaging been off the fence
I’m like “where’s the texts?”
Flying underwater like a sponge did
Like I’m under the radar so better come quick
Doing my best so y’all can see this flawless
Flow come together like ham Swiss on a bun
Toasted, y’all cadence sound ham-fisted
Look close, you can see the spit glisten
I keep punching cause I never been a fan of missing
Guess that’s what happens you and your passion antithesis distant
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9. |
T DOT (HOME)
02:56
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I remember when I watched b-ball for the first time
06’ Chris Bosh on the grind
Adored the pageantry, so much it made me mad at me
For not knowing it sooner, my chips coulda been bluer
So I got to it, shooting in the gym after school
In the driveway, only time to stop was getting food
Home alone for the day? Just ballin and Mr Noodles
Caught up in the game, but I knew I never looked cool though
T Dot is the home
19’ got the chrome
Always feel that pull
To get home
All those years watching, never thought we’d get the chip
DeRozan and Lowry cool, but never found the dip
Until one da, made the trade that set the pieces into place
Suddenly we had a chance, the Klaw became the face
Of a group on a mission, for a while I didn’t believe
Then I saw a series won by a shot over Embiid
And then on, the rest of it was all history
Y’all ain’t realize what this meant for the fans, what it meant for me
That sealed the fate
I had to be in the city that hosted the greats
Thought one day, one day, I’ll get to see my boys in the flesh
Getting to go with your best friend, as good as it gets
Roll up to the airport, keep it real
I be rolling through security, no time to steal
Just waiting for the moment and get the feel
A lifetime of watching, now I’m in the arena where legends were made
Getting to see the champs in person, man I’ll never be the same
Y’all can call me the Dollar Tree Vanvleet
Spent too many nights with a ball, sneakers on concrete
Putting in work, never led me to a profession
But this sport was the bearer of valuable lessons
I’ll always remember to go hard no matter the score
I respect the game of others, in the courts or on tour
Hit the 3 and 1, man, that’s four to the floor
Y’all changed my trajectory every time I hit record
T Dot
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10. |
SEA BEAR (OUTRO)
04:31
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Feelin like a sea bear the way I’m wading through these problems
Muscle through the pain, yeah, that’s how I’m goin solve ‘em
Wait, hold up
Another day in the wasteland waiting for frost to float up
Never does, never will, it kills, the will, it folds up
Never been uninspiring
Brain jostles its wiring and starts to load up
Another drive to a small town with no lights on the corner
No reason for pity like a starving Trump supporter trying to get across the border
Back track that, tryna build my listeners up, brick and mortar
But we set out, shovelling the snow outside our house
Waiting for the Lord to turn the world around
I’m taking the weight of it pound for pound
Think I’m down for the count
Even if the boulder never budges, it was worth it to fight the bout
But while my heart is in the north, my talents are heading south
At least that’s how I feel about it
No recognition from peers in isolation can fill your doubt
Never mind the acts of tyranny that make the walls come down
Cave inside of my heart where my feelings were, wow
Can’t hold the walls up without strength in myself
Never undervalue my worth against the weight of my wealth
The way I weave words, you’d think the vowels were felt
The consonants are the thread, my passion tightens the belt
I’m a day one fan with my heart on my sleeve
I’m a cold blood shooter end of clock down 3
I’m that 12 year old boy in the shrubs, felt like a tree
I’mma put away the game til those texts go green
I’m most famous for the work that always goes unseen
Rule tracks with iron fists, punching holes through beams
I’m my own dream team, see me working the seams
My vibe is handmade, no frozen food in the genes
No salt in the wound, know that I’m skipping the gout
Clock triple digits, know this shit was a rout
Cards are all down, know I’m punching you out
And when you fall, get back up again
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