I rap for the peace of mind, the strength of a silver lining
I couldn’t care less about flow or cadence or rhyming
Since all these words I spit could simply be a fallacy
I choose to believe in having a purpose in an idealized reality
A thought gone before it came never existed
All these ideas are fleeting, but they ain’t the only thing I missed
And if you see me on a bad day, know my wrist is never sloppy
Because this life is too priceless to give away and I ain’t another copy
Another copy of a man you already knew
I speak these words because I know very well to be true
Sometimes objective truths are worth being repeated
I hope they’re never deleted
Cause they’re often needed when you can’t believe in yourself
We all know it’s a tall order
You think you’re stuck in the middle, maybe you’re really at the border
Everyone needs to appreciate what they have before they’re bored
Sometimes I need to remember this music stuff started when I had to learn the recorder
Hot Cross Buns
Mary Had A Little Lamb, that stuff is laughable now
But you gotta start somewhere and I’ll never know how
I got from there to here because I don’t ever remember taking a vow to get here
Sometimes you gotta look yourself in the mirror
And say, “Hey man, I love you” and make sure the message is clear
We all got demons and I’m exercising them with these bars
I wish more rappers would do the same instead talking bout money and cars
Cause I know there’s more ways to be
And at the end of the day, I’m not showing you every part of me
Because honestly there’s always sides you never goin see
And til the end of my days, that’s how it’s still goin be

I introduced myself too early
You only ever knew that I’m nice and that my hair is curly
Sometimes, I gotta hide that I’m somber
These traditions ingrained with losing won’t help me no longer
67 Leafs, 90 Blue Bombers
Ain’t been around long enough to see my teams prosper
But LP’s going Red Lobster
Lineup is stacked up like Golden State’s roster
I go hard in the paint, Picasso
Don’t call me a Kanye fan, I don’t know nothing about the Life of Pablo
Wrote out this verse like it’s my major
Been cutting it thin since my dad owned a razor
I modulate the beat like a phaser
Bring the chorus in, sounds like a laser
I make these songs just to get something out of me
A form of expression is needed, it’s the only way that I still be
But sometimes I get nothing out of it
Sometimes it feels like these thoughts are counterfeit
Cause when you hearing this, of me, you only get one side
I’m holding back to hold on to some sense of pride
But in that sense, I’m not truthfully expressing
But finding one’s self through a medium is a valuable lesson
You might find my lines way too clean
But the reality is you only get shades of me

You only get shades of me
Can’t walk the talk until God’s all you see

You only get shades of me
As if I was the rock and the world was the sea
You get one side and one day, Imma fade away
I know this fact too well, so Imma enjoy today
I’ll do the best I can, but I’m only one man
It ain’t in my plan to go against anything for which I stand
You’re just mad because I have the upperhand
I’m cruisin while you look like a Chevy in quicksand
These are true vibes, no need to check your textbook
I’m going off in a wasteland like my name might be Westbrook
My lines never got took, I got no grammar
I’ll take on anyone you got, call me Bruce Banner
Don’t talk to me like I ain’t in your dayplanner
Don’t look at me like I’m nothing but a broke ladder
I flow so hot, I might cook your brain matter
Serve it up fresh with some fries, call it the Rapper Platter
Honestly, I’m better than the latter
I shouldn’t be speaking this way, I’m a positive dude
And honestly, I would never want to misconstrued as rude
I’d never eat their empty thoughts as food
And that’s the thing
I feel like this music leaves us conflicted
Not knowing where we’re going or why we even existed
But I never missed it cause I saw it listed
So if you wanna listen, listen close, you might get the gist of it
This music’s too lit, but sometimes you miss the point
Sometimes those officials of the king don’t know which head to anoint
And I’m not looking to get a house in the Palisades
All I’m saying is when there’s no more colour, we only got shades

This concludes the Shades program. The following 9 tracks are a set of instrumentals for you to enjoy at your leisure. Enjoy and have a nice life.