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My hero wore a blowout on the cover of Slam
Not even 6 foot tall yet he feared no man
Took a hobby and perfected it; used it to feed his fam
Got dragged through the mud so players today could stand
Ever since the night mike switched hands on the Lakers
We been on the move like bank robbers that’s pulling capers
Before I was staying up late grading papers
Momma said to cut the noise so I ain’t wake Up the neighbors, yeah
I remember it all,
Summer 95, 3 years after the Sixers had traded Charles
We would pray to the Gods for some favor to fall
Maybe alter the direction of that lottery ball
On Point, feeding off these emotions
Heart rate thumping and bumping just like Barkley and Moses
I’m David Stern when I'm approaching the podium,
A silence falls over the crowd at the moment they notice him
I’m from where they hold toast,
And argue all day about who’s the goat
MJ Bron or Kob’
But we rebuild, a process, new beginning
Been a Couple struggle seasons, but now my dudes is winning
Gotta power forward, but my Guards in the center
A stand up dude, that take a charge like defenders
Hooping at the park till the street lights flicker,
Timed the route to make it home so I could eat my dinner
mama celeste pizza for one, microwaveable
Couldn’t touch the stove, though I was probably capable
We ain’t have money for skates, rackets or pads,
But a basketball was only 20 dollars on the ave
We would split it -No hoop no net, no problem,
we grab an empty milk crate and hammer out the bottom,
Stock life, nobody in my neighborhood was balling
Best friends prolly a game boy and that Spalding
Scuffed up knees from glass on the court
But we’d still rock religiously for the love of the sport
Copping instrumental tape from the African stand
Nothing to gain but we were so passionate man
It Infiltrated the hood like - liquor on closed campuses
Bouncing basketballs off my living room oak paneling
Life happens, just handle it, no panicking
5 kids just two beds, that’s load management
Struggling to make it like high pressure free throws
Couldn’t ask a soul for assistance, man that’s the ego
My upbringing was gun slinging, intense living
Only cat in Philly that didn’t shoot was Ben Simmons
If you know what's up, you know I never sold a drug
But Do I know the plug?
I give that Jordan shoulder shrug,
It’s me
Ex sinner, Guinness award winner,
Balling repeatedly, highlights on sports center
What's up
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It’s like, Grandmama with the cons on,
wig blowin in the wind, gold tooth getting its shine on,
I’m from where legends are forged in the dirt, not born
You gone wanna see this, now hold on to your popcorn
I used to have a handle on life but then it broke off
Went from being busy and booked, to getting no calls
I been sitting up in the house what seems like so long
Now Me and DN3 back, sorry we had to prolong
But we gone make it worth it
Thank you for the purchase,
Or stream, cause we, keep it hot just like a thermos
I Should be facing fines for What I do to mics
Kevin Harlan would say I had no regard for human life
Man We too precise, pushing limits further and further
Even Kevin Durant gotta spread the word on his burner
Training Camp was murder almost thought I couldn’t hack it,
From the bench to
Jacking starters in a starter jackets
Yes I been booed and I been cheered
Yes I been loved and I been feared
Yes I been down but yes I’m still here
Guess I’m the comeback player of the year
Down thirty
It’s still early
Clear the way I close deficits in a hurry
Down but not out, and that be a fact
That I’m the
I’m the equivalent of being undrafted,
And playing overseas,
Averaging 30 and never making it to the league,
Still Traveling first class like I was part of the team
Even Getting my own sneaks, like still living the dream
Not quite broke Though the salaries ain’t close
But ask anybody who’s anybody , I bet hey know
I'm a triple double threat, DJ, Produce and I rap
Basically the less athletic and shorter version of Shaq
Outstanding,
So clear the lane and watch me take off
Without landing
We Quarantined but still no days off
Without planning,
who else could write a song about a Knicks Player
And then be rapping at the Garden a few years later?
Sheer favor, hard work and discipline
Black socks and baggy shorts like I’m at Michigan
Rap fans stay stressing me out
Spitting game like Marv Albert; yes and it counts!
Yes I been booed and I been cheered
Yes I been loved and I been feared
Yes I been down but yes I’m still here
Guess I’m the comeback player of the year
Down thirty...
It’s still early
Clear the way I close deficits in a hurry
Down but not out, and that be a fact
That I’m the comeback player of the year
I'm like Tracy McGrady cause I--
nah, just kidding y'all
do we still fade out?
do we still fade out?
Alright, fade me out.
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3. |
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I remember the first pair that I seen up close
On the foot of a local hustler who would be on post
Right by the bodega on ogontz and Chelten ave
Turned the heads of everybody who happened to walk past,
$100 bucks or more but it was worth it
Cause that kind of attention justified a purchase
As you know I was an only child
Any thing I ever wanted was copped, momma would hold me down..
But when I asked for the Jordan’s
She didn’t say she couldn’t afford them
She told me they weren’t important
Cause Dude makes a fortune
And targets minorities who
Kill each other for them
I thought that was a little bit harsh
She aint know what it was like on the yard
Getting no love for something you had no control of
Making up for that everyday as a grown up
She said it’s unimportant to front
When you get a job, buy all the Jordan’s you want…
Yup
So that’s just what I did
And now they can’t fit in my closet
but I take flight
Mom I know it just ain’t right
I wish I could just take flight
The bills past due gotta put something down on the lights
But ya boy wanna take flight
The envy and stares, the attention
That’s what I like
And that’s why I wanna take flight
40 years old and I still wanna be like Mike
I wish I could just take flight
(Tina Estes)
Sometimes I dream
That he is me
You've got to see that's how I dream to be
I dream I move, I dream I groove
Like Mike
If I could Be Like Mike
*Mike said Republicans buy sneakers too
Lebron took his fortune and built the Promise school >
When they ask who’s the GOAT it ain’t hard to tell who
But I just wish Bron made cooler shoes, dude
I read a quote that says nostalgia’s undefeated
And we must know our history or be doomed to repeat it
Believe it
I just spent 200 bucks on this
Just to be like homey you ain’t up on this
Proud hypocrite l don’t regret it…
I guess if you could help it, it probably wouldn’t be described as a fetish
The Alarms I’m setting, Saturdays at 6:59
Just to hop inside a virtual line
Pay ridiculous amounts for a simple design
Just cause they told me itd be there for a limited time
It’s in the front of my mind
Did he really say “eff them kids”
And would it change my opinion it did?
Well,
I’m afraid that it’s not that simple
My accessories grew to a global status symbols
To the point most brothers got a box of dunks
They keep on ice, haven’t even rocked em once
Slip my self esteem on one foot at time,
Just to hope a stranger gimme the nod
What a life,
Step on mine expect to get in a fight
All because ya boy wanna take flight
Let’s Take flight
Mom I know it just ain’t right
I wish I could just take flight
The bills past due gotta put something down on the lights
But ya boy wanna take flight
The envy and stares, the attention
That’s what I like
And that’s why I wanna take flight
40 years old and I still wanna be like Mike
I wish I could just take flight
(Tina Estes)
Sometimes I dream
That he is me
You've got to see that's how I dream to be
I dream I move, I dream I groove
Like Mike
If I could Be Like Mike
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4. |
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It’s dangerous like Running with bulls
The lessons that I give you they don’t come in the schools
Then I hit the gym and Shoot the lights out
In a dashiki at the White House
Like I’m Craig Hodges
Fist up
They don’t like it when I’m honest.. yea
Said I was dope, somebody thought I was trafficking
Put on a Kente cloth, They thought that i was African
Cats on my old block be like Random’s back again
Cops pull me over I’m reminded that I’m black again
I used to take the long way to get to school
Risking my life avoid gangsters from different crews
Did every assignment in every textbook,
Couldn’t change a tire and couldn’t balance a checkbook
They told me that college would be the best look
I Put the up numbers I’m disrespected like Westbrook
No matter how different the outfit,
Or how many ways they try to flip it and bounce it
This country so divisive, throw stones then play victim
Tell you pointing out racism is racism
Guess Theres always another layer
Like We wouldn’t know George Floyd
If it weren’t for Darnella Frazier
Even though we had the Proof,
just knew that they would find an excuse.
But it hit different when it’s truth so um
It’s dangerous like Running with bulls
The lessons that I give you they don’t come in the schools
Then I hit the gym and Shoot the lights out
Rock a dashiki in the White House
Like I’m
Craig Hodges
Fist up
They don’t like it when I’m honest..
The stuff these dudes spit in a rhyme
It’s like a, strategy guide to committing a crime
Cats Lack honor, then wonder why they attract drama
Cause now Black Trauma’s a movie and rap genre
The country got hype over Biden
But now the White House is so silent, dog,
where is you hiding
If I get jammed up dragged out a show in some handcuffs,
I gotta wonder who gone stand up
I’m paranoid they gone come for me
Short Trial, Hung Jury,
2020s is looking like the 40s
We made in God’s image
So why is that so hard to envision,
A tradition as old as white privilege
It’s Poison like Mike Bivins,
I make it my life’s mission
To put you in position
Like goggles with Night vision
Rich folks is trying to make it to outer space
While my people trying not to get kicked out of their place
And not everything that's faced can be changed,
But it’s a fact nothing can be changed until it is faced, yeah
It’s dangerous like running with bulls
The lessons that I give you they don’t come in the schools
Then I hit the gym and Shoot the lights out
In a dashiki at the White House
Like I’m Craig Hodges
Fist up
They don’t like it when I’m honest.. yea
Then I hit the gym and Shoot the lights out
In a dashiki at the White House
Like I’m Craig Hodges
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5. |
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(Mega Ran)
I'm the Shawn Michaels of the song cycle
The Paul Bearer of the Small Era
Bout to start a reign of terror
Like Trips in 02, crossing me is something ya just don’t do
Taking overdue respect
Whenever these 2 connect
Float over beats like Barry Wyndham on the superplex - who’s next
Independent we did it without a gimmick
You critics can’t diminish energy you never invented
(STD)
I'm a bad man, head full of fire like I'm Bam Bam
I mug the Kickboxer star, I rob Van Damme
Vengeance in a cape and a mask like I'm the Batman
Only off the roster if I cross the McMahon clan
(Mega Ran)
Somebody tell 'em come with better devotion,
They know my hood slam just like it was developed in Oakland
You jealous I’m coasting,
I Come of age, Alundra Blayze
I take your belt to a better promotion
(STD)
Blood gush, leave you cut like you were Lio Rush
Beat you with your crutch, kick and punch you a whole bunch
Concussed like CM Punk losing his lunch
Even Ax and Smash had to add in a Crush
(Mega Ran)
Better bow to your leaders, Who can see us
When we hit the arenas, it’s hectic as the Collision in Korea
Michaels and Diesel, two dudes with attitude
Like created players we done maxed out the attributes
(STD)
Face it, I hold the glory y'all are chasing
I watch a superstar fall in a Blue Blaze, and
I take it, I've been waiting since way back in the days when
The guys in the southeast promotions were still blading
Put you over? Naw, jobber, I put you under
Survive Thanksgiving and then Slam you in the Summer
Chuckle at a youngster trying to drop a Diamond Cutter
When they Stone Cold land on their ass and call it a Stunner
(Mega Ran)
Yo... I heard that They been Raven about my even flow
Holler if ya hear me, guess it’s time we let the people know
We front row you recline on a sofa
Been a legend like Manami Toyota
One time for the culture
(STD)
Who's that new cat with the badly bruised back?
You knew that a death match with New Jack would do that
Your new mask leaves a crimson stamp on the blue mat
Now move back up north where the dungeon built by Stu's at
(Mega Ran)
Throughout my pro career I never hit a lower gear
The real MVP you aint hurting business over here
Hit the gym and the performance center, go prepare,
Worse than a boo is silence, cuz that means no one cares
(STD)
Your act's glamorous, pyro and extravagance
But what's inside my burlap sack is hazardous
Go take a peek and good luck with your paralysis
A victim of your greed, wallow in the muck of avarice
(Mega Ran)
Rappers is timid, we like Barbarian and Meng
All hands on deck like we Burying a king
Who off the IR looking better than before
Hold the ring ropes whenever I'm stepping through the door
(STD)
Your act's glamorous, pyro and extravagance
But what's inside my burlap sack is hazardous
Go take a peek and good luck with your paralysis
A victim of your greed, wallow in the muck of avarice
(Mega Ran)
Yo... Brock Lesnar used to the pressure
Mega leaving amateurs future endeavored
Greg the Hammer meets Tito Santana
Rancid, got em leaking like they Mass Transit
Just Another sports tragedy
I’m chillin my hands in pocket like orange Cassidy
Now we got em all moving back
IRS on the books, Scott Steiner do the math,
what
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6. |
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I never say never unless
It’s bout something I will never forget
But nevertheless,
I will never suggest
You do something you will ever regret,
Or its something I would ever object, to
So Give my respect to
Anyone goin against the grain,
Tell them that Mega feels your pain
Cause back in the beginning I was doing the same
My focus was games,
Everybody told me it’s lame
Prince changed his name adorn his face with Slave
Now Paisley Park's open for visitors
It’s a shame
How wishes ain't acknowledged
So I’ll just say it now, anybody I ain’t rock with,
Don’t put them on my projects,
Posthumous, ain’t the wave
Gimme the flowers now,
Not on top of a grave cause everything fades
Promises are made and people gotta be paid,
It’s Just another day huh
And
I guess it’s in the game
Keep your mental strong and focus clear
And Believe half of what you see and none of what you hear,
And I heard life is like a mountain
but the goal is not the top
It’s to find your path and never ever stop
(Ain't nothing else to say man, I guess it's in the game)
(EDI Mean)
I'm a 5 star fella, certified big stepper
Could teach a class with these bars I lecture
Got a certain standing and principles that I follow
Ain't trying to be a role model
I just go after the goal and follow the code
That was handed down to me,
Standing on the shoulders of giants
A living legend, Edi
Repping this legacy till they bury me
And even when I'm gone they gone remember me
(Young Noble)
Speaking of the clowns, yo the game's quite full of them
Climbing up the ladder, old friends start to pull on you
Trying to stop your progress, scared you gone leave them behind
Worldwide, got us teaching through rhymes
Feed my listeners with substance, wisdom in abundance
Turn off the garbage, find alternatives to the nonsense
We all searching for love, peace and happiness
We Outlawz staying focused through this madness
It's in the game
Keep your mental strong and focus clear
And Believe half of what you see and none of what you hear,
And I heard life is like a mountain
but the goal is not the top
It’s to find your path and never ever stop
(Ain't nothing else to say man, I guess it's in the game)
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7. |
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I shall, proceed and continue to rock the mic
I shall, proceed and continue to rock the mic
I shall, proceed and continue to rock the mic
I shall, proceed and continue to rock the mic
Fab 5 mad live blow up the spot
Get the paper take the shot
But we still get the props
(Mickey Factz)
Guess who it is, none other than mickey from the bronx
Who steady put it down in this pretty renaissance
I been jiggy from the start, like select screens, mc’s
Know the pen bleeds on the paper when i just breathe
Pet peeve is haters who wanna test these
So they act nuts like testes, im wesley
Snipe competition while sprinting on top of 10 speeds
That's excitebike for you fresh dweebs, i been leagues
Ahead of the talent, you fine wine im pepsi
Mixed with jack minus the dempsey, i kept these
Lyrics on display for the next G’s, impress me
Until then catch me on jet skis
It’s Mickey, Factz
(Alfred Banks)
Aye yo Ran
I cut to the chase and that made em all ran
Ironically I’m headed to the bank when I land
Out in Phoenix I got booked at
Shine like a sun so They had to Devin book that
Never ever look back First round pick
Made it to Zion riding on a pelican
That feeling is setting in I’m about to get it in
Cuz I gotta represent so you know I’ll never sit
Ima stand up guy like I’m going for the block
Then rock the fastbreak no candy when I jot
And I’m from a great city And they not
NO, LA, Alfred Banks all day
What’s up
I shall, proceed and continue to rock the mic
I shall, proceed and continue to rock the mic
I shall, proceed and continue to rock the mic
I shall, proceed and continue to rock the mic
Fab 5 mad live blow up the spot
Get the paper take the shot
But we still get the props
(MedafORACLE)
Son’s tearin all the mics up
So peep the book of rhymes like Devin in a cypher
They comparing us to Right Stuff
I simply laugh and flip the script like
IG telling you to swipe up
Aight listen, they ask who’s the best
I stare in the mirror and
Point forward like Pippen
(what?)
That’s why nobody’s running fades
Like a barber who claims he left his Clippers like Griffin
I’m quite gifted, I’m type different on tight writtens
I like spittin’ flows, untouchable like white privilege
Listen… y’all better stop, I’m nice
Jordan hooked on crack, I simply rock the mic
(Esoteric)
lines 95 Live and Eso never switch
shooting like Drazen Petrovic with the extra clips listen
Your legacy is very brittle, like the knees on Kerry Kittles
What you're doing that amounts to very little
Rappers read every tweet but can't read the room
Lest we assume they outta pocket about to meet their doom
like FF #5 or Latverian tour guides
or the Gas Face feature straight ether how I trash they're speakers
(tell 'em) shit is real while you fake or fictional like Vincent Vega
yes it's in my nature to blaze mics like Craig Sager in a blazer
not a Drexler one (no)
symbiotic how we rock it, weapon is a tongue
I shall, proceed and continue to rock the mic
I shall, proceed and continue to rock the mic
I shall, proceed and continue to rock the mic
I shall, proceed and continue to rock the mic
Fab 5 mad live blow up the spot
Get the paper take the shot
But we still get the props
(Mega Ran)
I ain’t never selling my soul for airtime
So I keep it sharp, like Jalen Rose hairline
My style is, unpredictability personified
when they said it couldn’t be done, I said imma try
I was plotting on Pixels and polygons
Way before the first time i stepped into a comic con,
When it’s my time to rhyme I morph to Mega Oppenheim,
turning stages in mushroom clouds like Atomic bombs
I spent 30 years tryna blend in
Always been chubby so I never had thin skin,
Philly cats been the hardest things since Ben Grimm
I picked up a comic and knew that I was different since then
Now we step over like Iverson did Ty Lue
Running thru your city like a Kaiju
My crew
Itchin to set it, opposition getting instantly shredded,
Back in the game it’s like ya boy got infinite credits
what
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8. |
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Back in 95… when I rapped
I used to start it off like
The R is up in the building
All arms is to the ceiling
Next album imma hit Kickstarter for a million
I coached eighth grade basketball, and wish I could say that was the last time that I was in an argument with children
But alas I’m tryna rise above it
Rolling with the punches that’s how a true fighter does it
I touch a mic in public
Fans fall down like Michael Douglass
Rent just going up I gotta make a tighter budget
2 choices like or love it
In 95 I was rhyming on a 4 track
Laid away for 5 months before I could afford that
Wrote more raps, in sharp contrast of the format
No place to perform at, I’d be labeled a doormat
Now I’m on a warpath, Before I was invisible
like Kuroko, reppin the generation of miracles
First cut, so disappointed that I ain’t make the team
Grew up in the crack era, my block was a crazy scene
Barely making green, scraping for our daily needs
Pure innocent never been touched like AC Green
Fast forward I’m on campus, midterms about to start,
Trailways ticket to the Million Man March
But my professor was a hater, he said go, be my guest
But it’ll be a shame if you miss this test
So I stayed. One my sole regrets, my fear was gross neglect
Of the college education I nearly sold my soul to get
Now he got the coldest set, live shows is surgical
Hit the stage with an aggression he took it personal
Crash man stage, My scrolling was strictly vertical
I know it’s irking you, we So universally versatile
Since I was catching the 55 bus to willow grove
I ain’t ever need the glory just happy to fill a role
Come back to the block and nostalgia fills the soul
And just for a second, I wish that I was still at home
When we used to gather at moms house on Monday nights
Watching raw without a care in the world just loving life
No dirt sheets, so everything surprised me
Now I’m in the garden, and Okada recognized me
Diesel held it all year, haters say he didn’t draw,
It’s kinda funny how the viewpoints different
when it isn’t y’all
Step outside see cats plotting on robberies,
Moms playing the lottery
Thinking man there’s gotta be
A better way then then this, sent me for hire learning
But seeing the inner workings only kept my fire burning
Like Miami heat, glen rice to Rony Seikaly
My fathers psyche, made insanity highly likely
Playing pool at Temple not a minute from his clinic
But my stubbornness would never let me take the time to visit
Now he’s gone, and I’ve had the hardest time letting go
Though I found it hard to cry for someone I ain’t never know
Handled funeral arrangements, and procedures like a pro
Slowly getting better day by day only through setting goals
So I took the slower lane and learned from all the growing pains
Hard work is Right up my alley like bowling lanes
Now I watch them go insane, like the Magic in the finals,
Shaq chasing dream In the form of a first title
My transition was vital, cause it was time to mature
Most improved player who finally set to score,
Tracy McGrady, hitting shots stretching the floor
A hybrid unlike anything you ever before
Had witnessed, with your own eyes
Guess it was time to ride...
It's just another night in 1995
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9. |
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10. |
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I say Mega - the mayor, I get busy with my constituents
Spit limitless, residue carcinogens
long sufferers get that soul food like southerners
(Del)
Rap governor, pulling the rug up under ya
tumble dry your tumbler roll up
who summoned ya?
shot caller, all actions absolve my squadron
only take responsibility for my involvement
particle solvent, abominable stomping Gollum
Crossword solving, the crossroads is calling
He jovial and like to joust,
He'll need chromium after I strike his mouth
Toucan Sam, too nosy, shoot that man
Fruity Loops couldn't make his band
Roody Poo, I dominate that class, dead ass
Once I bomb explode on his dome like meth labs
(Kaboom)
(Mega Ran)
Guess who stepped in the room, we
SWV left troubled MCs
All weak in the knees
Minus 32 degrees,ice cold
Meets Hollywood cole, we cut a promo and then it’s go mode
Face lock stepover toehold,
Who is this, Never been new to this
Dr Bombay
explode like Vesuvius
cover Pompeii
You've Outlived your usefulness
One armed fugitive ,
Slash Rap pugilist -
The movement is to move against the stupid-ness
Sweet chin music in stereo Super kicks
Every match is a squash no butternut
Buckle up we Upper crust
Never runner-ups
(Del)
Uppercut, sucker punch the succubus
Shuch the fuss, can't muffle the blunderbuss
Dance around the camp of clowns
Up under the tent, the big top
And let it live on TikTok
Short form, video imagery teleport from
Abort with blunt force, leaving his retort numb
Force that butt over the hump, Bootsy Collins
Named me player of the year, with more to come
(Mega Ran)
Meanwhile I’m at the hater ball, next to buck nasty,
None pass me, Need directions just ask me
Curb server lay it flat with no curvature
3 TVs, 2 PCs and no furniture
Servers in the basement, pinky finger big charms
Running till it’s Looking like a Spotify click farm
Roll it down the hill till it’s Gigantic,
Writing the 4th law of thermodynamics - why panic?
All the things you like to give
And all the things you like to steal
All the things I like to share
And all the things that you don't care about
All the things you like to give
And all the things you like to steal
All the things I like to share
And all the things that you don't care about
Drink all the booze, hack all the things
Drink all the booze, hack all the things
Drink all the booze, hack all the things
Drink all the booze, hack all the things
Drink all the booze, hack all the things
Drink all the booze, hack all the things
Drink all the booze, hack all the things
Drink all the booze, hack all the things
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11. |
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I wish that it never happened….
I wish that I could rewind, its on the front of my mind
and i’m backtracking
My foundation is crackin’
Seconds away from a shatter
And Losing the only thing that I know that matters
While everyone's looking at me so proud
Like I’m the greatest
Meanwhile I got complacent,
And honestly, i hate it
I paid the cost to be the boss
Yet I never prepared for such a loss
So im taking it hard
I wish i never known,
Or that i never grown
Can;t make sense of it like i might need a Rosetta stone
So unforgettable,
One day I’ll be heading home
It's darker when a light goes out
Than if it never shone
So..
(Keep rising to the top)
Im trying to
But everywhere that I turn
I’m being lied to
forced to play this hand that they Provide you
Tryna get out of this box that I’m confined to
What should I do
What should I do?
Man if ain’t one thing it’s 5, sakes alive
Same thing that makes ya smile can make ya cry,
don’t want this to end cause I hate goodbyes
What goes up eventually takes a dive
Just hopin the pools deep enough,
Last place in the rat race, but I never cared about keeping up
Just wondering when will I be enough
I’ve taken every blow I could I’m so beaten up
On the floor Figure four tryna break a joint
See how far I gotta go just a make a point
Done Had all I could stand with no plan
No chance I would make it without reaching my breaking point
If Bad things happen to good people
Then I Guess all men aren’t created equal
Too many folks deceitful,
But I stay peaceful
And hope for better luck
Maybe in the sequel
(Keep rising to the top)
Im trying to
But everywhere that I turn
I’m being Lied to
forced to play this hand that they Provide you
Tryna get out of this box that I’m confined to
What should I do
What should I do?
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12. |
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If I had a tractor Beam
I would use it to
bring you right back to me
And I’d fix everything
Unsatisfactory
so let me just get
One more try
(One more try)
For One Step forward,
There’s 2 steps backward
Our love was so solid
And now it’s fractured
We Stuck together
We like some magnets
Lost our Attraction
Don’t know what happened
I hear every word you say
I won’t let this go away
I don’t know how I’ll get through the day..
But I know this love is strong
And I know I was so so wrong
Don’t know what ya got till it’s gone
If I had a tractor Beam
I would use it to
bring you right back to me
And I’d fix everything
Unsatisfactory
so let me just get
One more try
(One more try)
Now I don’t play no baseball
So when I’m at the plate no I don’t play it safe y’all
I’m Tryna knock it out the park
Take a walk
Make my mark
Grabbed my amigos and now we bout Take off
I’m off set like once a blue
I don’t get no idle time
I got Something to do
Everyday check one to the two
Try to bring home something for you
Can’t run from the truth
That - things just aint the same for gangsters
Or entertainers mayne this games just thankless
Day ones can turn to stranger danger
Now you telling me GHETTOUT straight changing faces
Yeah I used to run from the fact,
That, as a youngster I thought love was just wack,
Took my eye off the ball, didn’t just fall
But Somehow I fumbled the pack
Come back
If I had a tractor Beam
I would use it to
bring you right back to me
And I’d fix everything
Unsatisfactory
so let me just get
One more try
(One more try)
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13. |
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Before the million dollar pots, we would do it for free
Goldeneye, late nights almost blew my degree
I can’t quite pinpoint what make me feel this way
Deontay - still playing games till this day
before that, you would know where Ra be at
Down the block at the bodega or laundromat
Putting quarters on the cab, to claim I had next
Street Fighter 2, NBA Jam we catch wreck
Round the same time, bit by the radioactive bug
hip hop had me cutting and actin tough
started dabbling writing some raps and stuff
but money wasn’t coming in fast enough
But I did it for the love not the pay check
Just to hear my voice coming out the tape deck
Safe bet that if I never made a dollar wit it
I’d still bother with it, you know the steez
World health Org had the nerve to call it a disease,
Pandemic hits, then they say its all that you need
To get by,
If now for games and hip hop
my heart woulda been stopped
For the love of the game
If the papes come yo yo I won’t riff
If they don’t come no no I won’t trip
If its one thing you can take from me…
That’s..
Run from your fears and chase your dreams
Come on
(DN3)
For the love of this thing
I cant get enough of this thing
It don't matter about the ruckus it bring
See, I be up in this thing
The feeling when i spin that platter
All of a sudden, my life troubles just don't matter
A matter of fact, i like to rhyme to shatter a track
But even more...I like to put the beats to the raps
I love the feeling. Mr Murdock is a witness to that
We don't do this for the dollars
And for counting our stacks. That's right.
Spinning jams for the people at night
Somebody even told me I saved their life last night
Aight...I be connecting with the people at jams
House parties, street fests, and even rocking with Ran
You think I like bumming cheese from K??
Nah, that's my brother, ok!
We make the joints and it'll stay that way
See I appreciate the love of my fans
Aint nothing risky....
World tour with my mans touching the city.
If the papes come yo yo I won’t riff
If they don’t come no no I won’t trip
If its one thing you can take from me…
That’s..
Run from your fears and chase your dreams
Come on
(Mega Ran)
On some days I wanna quit
Most days I’m in love with it
It used to feel like a punishment,
Not as fun it - used to seem
Now everyday is like a lucid dream
Same feeling back when Stan brought his PlayStation over
Final Fantasy 7 summons blew me off the sofa
Dusted myself off and picked up the controller
This wasn’t a game it was Culture
Cause back in 95, we were influenced
By, only built for Cuban Linx and Infamous, and
Zane used to play them on the stoop so loud
Mr Sunny yelling at the boys to turn that down
So we put up a basketball hoop on a tree
Had to pause every 5 mins, for the cars coming down the street
But it was lit, the whole neighborhood would come around
Mr Brewster threaten to shut it down
Chuck was ambidextrous, big fundamentals,
6 foot 4 he always played in the middle,
He was Alonzo mourning and I was Larry Johnson
Skins was Tim Hardaway, Todd was John Stockton,
Running out of options
Most went to work,
Some went to the block and some went to church
Me I went to the pad, starting writing a verse
Practice made perfect climbed out of the dirt
Made a little paper, shook off the haters
And I’m still doing 20 years later
Even when it brought me nothing but pain
Thank God for the love of the game
Thank God...
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14. |
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I been overlooked, undervalued, underrated
Overruled in court,
Understated with every statement
Overburdened at school, understood what I was told
but got overconfident
Caught up in the undertow,
I would overindulge, couldn’t weather the storm
Work would then overflow, then I would underperform
Start over making beats didn’t know what do to do
The underground cats called my tracks overproduced
So many layers underneath, they would overreact
Overconfident, I just knew that they would be back
Underestimated the moments I had with my friends
Overwhelmed with joy when i do I see 'em again
Overworked for years at tons of underpaying jobs
Underdeveloped skills made changing vocations hard
I didn’t understand, my girl was so overdramatic
Wanted me to undergo some changes, she had had it
I had oversold a dream that was highly underfunded
Overcompensated for skills I lacked because i wanted
Her to entertain it, I was so underestimated
Then she explained it, hip hop is
Oversaturated
You gotta be different, that’s when I underwent a change
Focused on an underserved segment of the rap game
Now we overjoyed, under scrutiny of the culture
Like undertaker at mania I’m going over
When it’s too high to get over
And it’s too low to get under
You gotta find that middle ground
Cause we ain’t getting no younger
Yo Duke, you're dead wrong
You'll never have the skills like mine
I write the ill type rhymes
Now I'm reaching my prime
360 dunk in your face
You can't compete, you're just a basketcase
Let's separate the men from the boys
And put your money where your mouth is
No time for toys
Your game is weak, you geek, so don't sleep
Cuz I'll be checking and wrecking ya
When I start to creep
Through the backdoor
I know I caught you out there
You got no clout here
And I doubt there
Is anyway that you can stop the beatdown
You better play the background
And sit back down
Chumps like you, I gotta keep'em in line
So prepare to suffer boy, cuz now you're mine
I'll fake you left and go right
Straight down the lane
Here's one in your eye
You feel pain, you strain
To put together some strategy
But you're raggedy, and i'll be glad to see
The frown on your grill when i drill and thrill
Set out my offense, commence to kill
I'll be leading from beginning to end
And after I pound ya
You're gonna wanna make friends
And make amends for the silly trash you were talking
Take a walk and your shots I'm swatting
With ease, and the ladies are swooning
Clocking my swiftness, why you drooling?
You oughtta practice up and get your game refined
I been waiting to dog you, and now you're mine
Hurry up, sucker
Go ahead and pick your squad
Try to play hard, but I'ma rob
You of your crazy notions to defeat me
You're weak see, I'm rough hardcore
And even get down to give you a rematch
After I wax and tax y'all rap stars
I slam the alley-oop
You can rally troops
But I play the awesome defense
I'll pick your pocket
And send you to the bench
With tears in your eyes as you realize
The prize is for me
Yes all the money
Son, my form is too nice
My handle's precise
I'll take you right or go left
Because my game's so def, and now you're mine
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Mega Ran's 11th solo full length album release explores the intrinsic relationship between hip-hop, basketball and the inner city cultures that have allowed each to thrive.
"90's hoops were just as influential as any video game or comic book I picked up," Ran says. "Now I get to give back."
Through tracks interspersed with words of wisdom from several Hall-Of-Fame level former NBA talents and analysts, the Philadelphia born MC weaves playful innocence with the storytelling and hopefulness that have made his fans proud over the past ten years. The album shines a light on many of the traits required to be a champion... from coaching to hard work, and even a little luck.
Now is the time to suit up and bring it home.
released October 22, 2021
Written by Raheem Jarbo
Recorded at HKS Studios, Phoenix, AZ
Recorded by Michael “Bag Of Tricks Cat” Gamarano
Additional Recording "Tractor Beam" by Luis Perez and Mixed by Matthew Weiss
"Godly Dreams (Keep Risin')" mixed by Michael Gamarano
Assistant Engineer Brian Gigerich
Assistant Engineer Vernon Coleman
Mastered by Matthew Weiss
EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS:
Raheem Jarbo
Jeff Moses
SPECIAL KICKSTARTER EXECUTIVE VIPS:
Zero Serenity
Brooks Ray
Kevin Lockleer
Photography by Chas "MedafORACLE" Wright