(Intro) Cut off...ignored...overlooked I mean...they act like I’m not already used to this...ya know Whole time, I’ve been workin’ at this too long I know if I build it, they gon’ come...ya know All I need is one All I need is one (Verse 1) At a lounge on a known strip, Uptown Frantic planning gives way for calm, hushed sounds Congregations at the bar, drinks splashed with lime People whipping out their phones just to pass the time Busboys sweep the same spots more than once When newer faces don't appear, never fear, that's when boredom comes Turntables need caresses in this red light district Mics turned on by the right kisses But the hardwood has the only grooves present on the scene Hear a few mumbles questioning the methods of his team But sitting at a table is the main act Undistracted by tonight's events, dude is laid back Only with a wire tap can you hear his practice runs Doesn't need his earbuds, memorized the tracks to come Sippin' on some Earl Grey, breathing in and out slow Careful with his vocal cords like he's singing alto There's a warmth in his aura, a fire in his spirit Knowing there's a chance nobody could hear it The masterpiece that took several years and overcoming dreaded fears Friends thinking, "Man, his words should be good enough to get 'em here..." (Chorus) Hello world, are you listening If you got time, I'd appreciate you visiting I might drop a couple jewels, get 'em glistening Widen your mind a little more is what my mission is, ummm Hello world, can you hear me now Don't divide your attention or just hear me out I got a special little story that I wrote just for you Sit back and let me do what I do So don't be offended or fear, the messenger is here Please don't shoot me down before you lend me your ear (Verse 2) How does he smile when he's usually a snippy dude? Often it seems he's the last one they listen to Put out his mind about his momma spending endless minutes Talking soaps while he's like, "When will she ever finish?" Hard to ignore math and english class, tryna get his point across But somebody's more concise, so the teacher points across He allowed folks to bend his ear darn near to the cock's crow When he needs the same: "Oops, gotta go!" He's so passionate about so many things that he sees That he'd rather write rhymes instead of beg and plead Stressed he's not, though he hears another rapper upstaged him At a bigger club, didn't use the front pages Hundred forty characters Multiplied by another hundred forty characters DJ says, "You ain't the least bit embarrassed, bruh?" Artist just replies, "I will not let it disparage us Whole time, I feel for him, spending all his nights writing in his suite Akinyele treatment: 'Oh, I only like the beat!' He got the quantity of folks, but not the quality of folks I ain't worried, just be ready, they'll be walking in in droves...” (Chorus) Hello world, are you listening If you got time, I'd appreciate you visiting I might drop a couple jewels, get 'em glistening Widen your mind a little more is what my mission is, ummm Hello world, can you hear me now Don't divide your attention or just hear me out I got a special little story that I wrote just for you Sit back and let me do what I do So don't be offended or fear, the messenger is here Please don't shoot me down before you lend me your ear (Verse 3) Right when the light switch might flip Milliseconds 'fore the guy's getting tight lipped Striding in is somebody who reminds him Circa '96, ceased time, then rewinded him, but the whole line is him Nobody behind or on the side of him Sent a couple of texts to remind his friends The bouncer pats him down, a woman stamps his right hand Climbs a flight of stairs, boosted for tonight's plans Gets to the top, sees a wide open space with few patrons Folks looking like they're losing patience Seeing this, the artist sends a signal to the DJ "Homie, you can take your random mix off of replay..." Looking so confused like, "Bruh, it's only one dude!" Artist says, "Never mind, mic check me, 1, 2" Tells his best friend, "Bring that brother to the front row Might just be a dumb goal, but at least one showed One person who was interested and didn't know me from a can of Glidden Didn't stop the man from listening He could've gone up the street where it's a whole lot of fanfare My audience is here, so don't just stand there..." He grabbed the mic, got attention so his fam was aware Made a call and response for the hands in the air Had a lofty goal, failed to fill the stands, didn't care Still brought it like a hundred thousand fans sit in chairs Performed the whole set as he planned this affair Though the turnout was a tad different than prepared After the show, the new supporter said, "Fam, this was a blessing Most of what I listen to's depressing No, I'm not a rapper, but the lesson that I learned from your exposure To move ahead, I gotta have closure Even if I'm late to the party, I can still dance But I gotta make it to the party for a real chance ‘Cause I'd hate to live with largely unfulfilled plans Ain't my fate to live a sloppy, unappealing span You were bold enough to feel it, even braver when you said it It was this or a cup of coffee, didn't regret it...” They shook hands, couple thanks were exchanged Parted ways while the rest were looking strange His attitude was simple: "I ain't just earn a fan, I made a friend Yeah, I know I said droves, but I never stated when..." (Chorus) Hello world, are you listening If you got time, I'd appreciate you visiting I might drop a couple jewels, get 'em glistening Widen your mind a little more is what my mission is, ummm Hello world, can you hear me now Don't divide your attention or just hear me out I got a special little story that I wrote just for you Sit back and let me do what I do So don't be offended or fear, the messenger is here Please don't shoot me down before you lend me your ear

(Verse 1) Once again we packing up, ain’t this like the fifth move? Living life out of Samsonites, I’m only six, dude Oxon Hill? Y’all ain’t get your proper fill the first time Oh I get it, trying to charm us with a third time But Shangri-La awaited by that water tower Cycle Power tripping on this course for hours Running to “The Truck”, spending chore allowance Gimme all your Lemonheads, I’m ‘bout to make it quarter shower This the birthplace of my creativeness If Hasbro didn’t make it? Then I papered it Legos in abundance while the Autobots were rolling out “Hot dogs? Pork and beans? Dad, you holding out!” Yellow slide spiral, bump static shock Contests jumping off the swings, bruh, we had it locked Comparison, not even Paris in my litmus So how’d we get to average from an embarrassment of riches? (What IS this?) (Chorus 1) I don’t wanna leave, don’t make me leave (don’t do it) Mommy, Daddy, please don’t make me leave (I’m goin’ through it) On the verge of dreams I done prayed to see So what you mean when you saying “peace”? Yeah, I done found my whole swagger here How you figure my opinion don’t matter here? Maybe y’all can work it out, make your peace Unh, but please don’t make me leave (Verse 2) Maybe in the midst of ear-to-ear with Miss Betty On that overcrowded D12 Unbeknown, mom was all alone, tired from the pressure as the steady While my dad was in his deepest hell I’m way too busy saying “Countach!”, red Lamborghinis up in Motor Trend To notice tiffs as anything but “here we go again” Turned eight and couldn’t grasp moments canceled out Probably should’ve asked for more than Jazz blowing candles out “Slow it down, Momma, what you mean we gotta go? Can’t afford it on your own? Where that pot of gold? Christmas ‘85? Voltron? Five lions? Long shot to stay together? Can’t you use a five iron? And where’s Dad so he can answer for his crimes? All that bamma had to fathom: get up faster for your grind” Forgiveness is a fight Betrayal worse than Baltimore packing up for Indy in the middle of the night, I’m friggin’ tight! (Chorus 1) I don’t wanna leave, don’t make me leave (don’t do it) Mommy, Daddy, please don’t make me leave (I’m goin’ through it) On the verge of dreams I done prayed to see So what you mean when you saying “peace”? Yeah, I done found my whole swagger here How you figure my opinion don’t matter here? Maybe y’all can work it out, make your peace Unh, but please don’t make me leave (Verse 3) I miss Music Video Connection Miss Sandra Clark and Laura Charles affection Missing Animal and all his grammar woes Miss watching Wheel, “What the deal? Pat and Vanna close?” Missing baby-faced Janet when she grabbed control Missing tapes with Doug E. Fresh’s “Show”, “Candy” cameos Miss when radio was life and had me glued And if I missed recording all my faves, had an attitude But the problem being frozen in nostalgia Now’s in low regard, the old is god, don’t know it stalled ya Desperately, I seek the missing pieces But steadily appeasing this amnesia isn’t peace, kid What if all of my beseeching reaches regions Steeped within at least a hunnid weeks of keeping secrets Am I relishing my fetish for the drama? Are embellishments affecting my perception of the trauma? I loved Alice, dissed Savannah, Halley’s tolerated Elmira’s street slang, alley conversation Largely painted as a saint in contemplation But wrong for me to chase and don’t embrace exoneration Held my parents hostage for their intuition Season seemed incomplete, but conquered their fruition Double seeds, apples this couple sees Though I’m often thrown, now I’m grown, leave this bubble be When I slowly spun this dream of going back Rap and tap, door to 102, hoping for a crack “Hi, can I show you where I seen a lightning bolt attack?” But Saint Elizabeth’s is called: “Hello, Joe’s a quack!” Hell no to that Closest of approaches, ride through, reminisce and whirl Regenerist is hiding wrinkles, kinda miss the girl But if I’m gonna get the present gifts and pearls I can’t marry Alice, gotta leave her in a different world... (Chorus 2) I use to hate it when you made me leave But what was great to me ain’t your place of peace Yeah, my glory started here But my life story’s only part in here If we stayed, I’m afraid to see Kinda glad that you made me leave

(Intro) The good guy Such a lofty title It comes equipped with one of the heaviest crowns to have ever been made You build a rep, people believe it The hype continues, but Takes years to build a rep Only minutes to ruin it (Verse 1 - A.J. Throwback) Momma Joe was all set to pack us up inside the Delta, make a mad dash I'm guessing that's the irony of Glad bags All the arguments became a bad fad Tryna be a big boy while ducking bombs over Baghdad Fast forward past that, separation, last ditch Talking through the screen door, escalated mad quick Witnessing your parents scuffle, day you hoped would never come Daddy came in with desperation, but he left in cuffs Subconsciously, the fights determined Joe's position I avoided confrontation like Jehovah's Witness Should be in Jhoon Rhee: bothered, so defensive Swear my mantle's filled with Emmys, was a dope pretender When '07 felt like history repeated worse I said, "It's either we disperse or order me a hearse" But my experience is prone to rear its ugly head Speak but be misunderstood or seek the comfort of nothing said (Chorus - KimA Michelle) Life is what you make it Your faith should not be shaken So hard you try Open your eyes Push through the tears, face your fears It will be alright (Verse 2 - A.J. Throwback) When the folks who's s'posed to love you don't choose you, loyalty can be a touchy topic All they know is go, but still ain't sharing much in common Last poet found the corner where I quickly curled His bad habits robbed the budget meant for Disney World Free spirit, trying to change me, where they often lost me So a sporadic dad's in no position trying to boss me Keen to my energy, so never hinder me Or quickly make yourself my enemy, even akin to me What I do? Carry all that stinking thinking into love Disappointed one or two occasions, chicks is getting snubbed Is she worth it? Am I tripping? What does fam and friendly say If they trashed, justified it: "Eh, she's wack anyway Tryna grammar check my rhymes, pick which jeans to wear Regulate who I can dance with when she ain't even there" End result of my rebellion: slew of curse words Worsened every fear I could've reversed from my first verse (Chorus - KimA Michelle) Life is what you make it Your faith should not be shaken So hard you try Open your eyes Push through the tears, face your fears It will be alright (Verse 3 - A.J. Throwback) Grew accustomed to the Extravaganzas, boy shorts, private dancers Making vixens outta chicks who often shied from cameras After 12, before 6, trysts with lighted candles Liv Pope ain't need to fix it, this my type of scandal Blame the vids full of skin and bright thongs Class act who wanted Damita to come and play with my frog Quite a long line of brainwashing, trained to chase the same option Game to rarely make a dame dash, dreamed of chain rocking But when the diamonds were forever, lofty aims were toxic Whenever sex became the object, tried to change the topic In analyzing and uncovering my feelings Started wondering was I tainted from my slummin' in the village You taste too many apples, hard to get hungry How I got a torso? Too many took a rib from me Am I simply baited 'cause it's from a different lure Middle name Lawrence, could it be I've been an F-boy, insecure And faux pas of Mitch and Jackie never factored in my patterning Weaved my own dreams with cheaper thread and lesser craftsmanship Heart of gold was really glass, Blondie sledge hammered it Trying to paint a perfect love, but don't know where the canvas is Bearer of my name deserves a cheery me 'Stead of being leery, often teary over the weary me Thought I had an air-tight love theory 'Til God tested it and proved I ain't as smart as I appear to be (Chorus - KimA Michelle) Life is what you make it Your faith should not be shaken So hard you try Open your eyes Push through the tears, face your fears It will be alright

(Verse 1) Bless my momma's heart tryna caution How when called as an artist, steak is forsaken My skull and bones patient at paintings, waiting for platings The pain in the slaving, tryna hook 'em with minutia The payments are greater when you're pushing up petunias So Nina with young, gifted Blackening, but masculine Art of tying shoes, but barely mastered it But scanned every magazine and front page passage they ever handed him Irony: everybody's drawing up the plans for him, sans him Talent, blessings, selections in abundance Love buses? Designing's the direction of the funding Or a published pundit with perspective out the wazoo With exclamated points, but he's not your average Yahoo Problem with having these massive imaginings Bammas cough, sneeze, hack at my path like pathogens So when I get exact in the facts of what passion is Support is like food in a bomb shelter: they rationing Dry, package him, chill... (Chorus) Saying I should do this, do that Whole time, they really saying, screw this, pursue that But I ain't goin' through that (Why not?) 'cause if I do that I'm looking at myself in the mirror like, "Who dat?" (I'ont know you, bruh) Saying I should do that, do this Telling me forget about it, move past the music But when I try to lose it (What happens?), man, it's useless I'm already rich, so you can have back your two cents (Verse 2) Maybe it's the Jones in my Bones, I ain't talkin' Brown Sugar I mean chalk, number twos and hangin' round boogers Momma's disposition, admired it so much, became the heart of me But for the forty millionth time, teaching's not for me Probably would make me hate my favorite color forever Critiquing people's thoughts, making papers dumb endeavors Over-testing, the greatest of culprits in killing dreams Got 'em catching more Zs than boarding at Silver Spring "Well, how 'bout the law? Got a PoliSci degree--" Eh, how 'bout the nah, court is Double Dare, people talking slime to me Needing to bathe in holy waters of the Nazareth I'll leave it to Kevin Lomax to play the advocate Two words don't go together: Joe and depression But possible with hopeless objections, motion suppressions Besides, there's a reason why lawyers always demanding more Two cents is nothing when Sallie Mae knocking at your door Front me? GoFundMe? I thought so... (Chorus) Saying I should do this, do that Whole time, they really saying, screw this, pursue that But I ain't goin' through that (Why not?) 'cause if I do that I'm looking at myself in the mirror like, "Who dat?" (I'ont know you, bruh) Saying I should do that, do this Telling me forget about it, move past the music But when I try to lose it (What happens?), man, it's useless I'm already rich, so you can have back your two cents (Verse 3) Politics could've been the move Something in being the megaphone for the voiceless Empowering the powerless with choices But even with my leadership anointed, can I avoid it? To go from street appointed to the points in disappointment I've seen the fine line between favored and favors Bargaining at tables in a chambers full of imaginary players Politicking is nothing but classy pimpin' Wanting pieces of me, but I am not Ashlee Simpson Rare essence for sure Pure, the music, allure without the handsome-looking carcass It's always coming back like Boomerangs I took from Marcus Difference is love brought me back in time And when it comes to keys, I don't shy away from hammer time But when I tell 'em my destiny's always been an artist My pitches get met with a Noah like a Syndergaard and Side eyeing me, sighing like, "Who you tryna be?" Exhausted from their muffling, who died and made you Meineke Whole time, I'm flattered by the gestures But zealots turn professors when I've done my four years worth in lectures Endeavors which appear as fig trees instead of cheering the big dreams Rather call on Phil Jackson for the pyramid schemes (so) Unless we're talking beats, save your breath Couldn't knock my hustle with a ram from the ATF Call it being defensive, sensitive or maybe getting frank But two cents is better off in fountains, wishing wells and Jay's piggy bank Even he's got a twenty tucked away, feel me... (Chorus) Saying I should do this, do that Whole time, they really saying, screw this, pursue that But I ain't goin' through that (Why not?) 'cause if I do that I'm looking at myself in the mirror like, "Who dat?" (I'ont know you, bruh) Saying I should do that, do this Telling me forget about it, move past the music But when I try to lose it (What happens?), man, it's useless I'm already rich, so you can have back your two cents

(Intro) Yeah If you're listening to this right now And I didn't reach out consistently enough Please accept this as my apology Indulge me (Verse 1) If I had the choice of warm welcomes as the life of the party And the shadows as an introvert I'd pray to God Chuck Noland come strolling with a volleyball in tow See the shortest strand and pick it first Pictured my whole class pressed to flood my momma house for ice cream and cake So they could chill and know I'm really dope But aspirations as the Mitchell Goings sequel was a silly hope I was so shy as a cub, thought my curse was from a Billy Goat Acting out, couldn't comprehend my parents splitting up Gave my mom a hard time for giving up Add the ridicule of when a brother cried Cruel kids forced my hand like having twelve and praying a Jack ain't on the other side Honor roll, but in Swagger 101, hella dumb Kindness kills? (Pish) Whatever bruh, I had a pellet gun Another torn Achilles of naïveté Got so used to riding pine, in time, felt no need to play (Chorus) Trying to develop in these dark rooms But I made it hard for folks to picture me Harshness of the world left my heart bruised But a life in solitude wasn't meant for me Island to myself's the most comfortable resort Was homeless as a loner, now I'm living with remorse Yeah I was homeless as a loner, now I'm living with remorse (Verse 2) Went from Oxon Hill to Oxon Run where kids were sitting ducks Them Ward 8 streets were critical So before I fell asleep at night, I was reinvented through pretending More intrepid and invincible Didn't have the cash for canvases, so my imaginings were magnified Through the massive stacks of printer paper Give me a ruler, pencils, mailing tape and markers, had a young Black MacGyver All the makings of an innovator "So Ma, I'll eat my dinner later," a constant hogwashing of my options 5 o'clock, not on the block, was nonchalant in my responses And poor Mike, people often thought he was an only child So it’s either kids and concrete or be a lonely child He admired me beyond what I could comprehend But when he tried to infiltrate, I shoved him off again Faulting him as if he's all the causes of my awkwardness All my withdrawals didn't add up to a lot of sense (Chorus) Trying to develop in these dark rooms But I made it hard for folks to picture me Harshness of the world left my heart bruised But a life in solitude wasn't meant for me Island to myself's the most comfortable resort Was homeless as a loner, now I'm living with remorse Yeah I was homeless as a loner, now I'm living with remorse (Verse 3) Since I could talk, the thing I love best has dual edges in its weaponry Find deserted islands through the messages and the melodies Meticulous, amazed with nuances For days, happy feelings, found a maze to get lost in Escaped through the options: trains, glued to Walkmen Syncing up my gear 'till they're the same, grooves locked in But as the soundscape matured, so did people Problem was got hard trusting folks would not expose their evil Either that or disappoint me Used the tunes to drown their claims of enjoying me Bammas avoided me so long, I got defensive, put a fence up like I'm Herculean Missed a slew of barbecues, birthdays, perfect evenings All the "hit me ups" and "keep in touches" Turned to families as we watched a hundred months leave our clutches Disgusted, the barb which hurt the most, so profound Best buddy told his momma, "Nah, that dude don't come around", dang Maybe that's why I was voted boy who's out of tune Had my head up in the clouds, but life is not balloons Though I thrive from this energy within God responded to my pleas, swapped my frenemies with kin So forgive me if my hugs might come across as ji invasive The undisputed truth: I come alive with smiling faces So what I must remember in my sessions for perfections The wire's less effective when I've severed my connections Blessings (Chorus) Trying to develop in these dark rooms But I made it hard for folks to picture me Harshness of the world left my heart bruised But a life in solitude wasn't meant for me Island to myself's the most comfortable resort Was homeless as a loner, now I'm living with remorse Yeah I was homeless as a loner, now I'm living with remorse

(Intro) Yeah There are certain parts of life That you wish you could just Do over...especially when you're young And you have no idea That certain moments They aren't just lost They've been stolen from you… (Verse 1) Picture a friday in the summertime, circa 7:25, sun's about to punch the clock Kids race, the faster gives the slower one a running start Girls double-dutching, but their fun is at a sudden stop Once they hear that Mr. Softee jingle coming up the block “Momma, momma, can I have a chocolate and vanilla cone?" “Not until you eat some real food! You know your dinner's cold!" Everything appears copacetic But for one little boy, his swollen head is so pathetic, check it Someone diminished innocence, ain't replenish it Looking at these kids like, "Who took it? One of you ninjas did! Your laughter is a clanging in my ears!" But my anger's misdirected by haranguing all my peers ‘Cause i saw the dude who took it, he looked a tad suspicious Black hoodie when it's hot enough to fry a batch of chicken Picked the pocket of a child, must be missing his morality Robbed me of my youth and replaced it with mortality... (Chorus) Unh, I wish that I could run it back But I was never fast, we've already covered that The young way I looked at life is never coming back But dang homie, can't a brother get his summer back? I want my summer back I want my summer back The young way I looked at life is never coming back But dang homie, can't a brother get his summer back? (Verse 2) The vendetta stretches back several years prior '86 when the astronauts and Bias died getting higher Thought that taking Uncle Daryl in that accident Was sure to have the bul imagining, frantic panicking '89, kids were dying over Pumps and Jordans Young, black and bloody, only way they'd come report us Carbon monoxide poisoning, plane crashes Threw it all at me, wasn't phased, I remained emphatic But when he came again, showed his ugly face of hazard Eyes of never-ending fire, skin stained with maggots Played his ace of spade, knew he would create the habit In my brain, sane got replaced with 60 days of sadness Elated camping, at the pool, laying, basking At the court, making fadeaway baskets, he erased the planning Surprised I didn't piss my pants half the time Hard to grasp being alive when you think of death to pass the time... (Chorus) Unh, I wish that I could run it back But I was never fast, we've already covered that The young way I looked at life is never coming back But dang homie, can't a brother get his summer back? I want my summer back I want my summer back The young way I looked at life is never coming back But dang homie, can't a brother get his summer back? (Verse 3) Tryna figure this enigma, dying has such a stigma Finality within fatalities, your body's zipped up Your memories are ripped up like Terrell Owens You even conscious of the fact you met your moment? You may never know it Does the afterlife exist within astounding madness? Optimistic? Not exactly with these sounds of blackness The fact is I don't know just what the facts are All these pressing questions, then I thought, "Why don't I ask God?" "Lord, when I pass away, what's the feeling like? Do I simply close my eyes and You reveal the light? Is Saint Peter really keeper of the gates With a zillion people waiting for the speaker of your fate? If I'm nice to Mike, listen to my mom, eat my veggies Do my homework, stay awake in church, will You let me See Your mansion I've imagined, maybe stay there for a while? I'll even draw You pictures every day to make You smile..." His response, "Well Joe, I can understand your worry The deepest: will you leave your mother's hand in a hurry? But fret not, I promise it's painless What that thief came to steal, I'll make sure it's stainless You know I have an older Son, and when He had to face death Wasn't worried or concerned about the day I'd take His breath He loved as commanded and healed when it was needed And preached to everybody ‘bout His Father He believed in, so Be His friend, heed His lead and leave the rest to Me And you won't have to wait to die for you to rest in peace But your life, you gotta let it be You don't have to fear, every task is left to Me to dead the dreaded beast Tried to steal, but he really caught a loss Main reason that he ran, in your eyes, he saw the cross..." And with that, I screamed out, "YEAH FOOL, YOU BETTA RUN!” YOU CAN HAVE THAT SUMMER, GOD WILL GIVE ME EVEN BETTER ONES!” (Chorus) Unh, I wish that I could run it back But I was never fast, we've already covered that The young way I looked at life is never coming back But dang homie, can't a brother get his summer back? I want my summer back I want my summer back The young way I looked at life is never coming back But dang homie, can't a brother get his summer back? (Outro) Yeah But should I even want it back? It's gone now I couldn't get it back if I wanted to Three months full of beautiful days Lost forever...but... I fear death a lot less now So you can keep that little summer, Jack...