Back in the building but it’s a new building Dipped my toe in the water and caught a new feeling Angular momentum keeps the mind reeling I move from alpha to omega, floor to ceiling I’m sort of chilling, and keep it moving, lord willing Expand the territorial borders, the edge of the earth, the water spilling over The intrepid explorer going nowhere, getting closer Do it for the culture but which one? Do it for the culture but which one? Sorta on some new shit, ignoring the blueprints Forward is the movement, got the gall to be useless If y’all know the tune then you can sing along and raise your voice Not the flavor of the month but still the taster’s choice I keep on hock-spitting, but feel free to not listen I’m singing the same song but the time signature’s different Just riffing The intuition does the heavy lifting Tapping into the inner vision, it’s so efficient Tapping out the rhythm, blacking out with a quickness It’s mostly personal with just a little bit of business Took the other path it made very little difference In the grand scheme of things

I don’t want it, I just want to acquire it Whatever it is I got no time for it Sheryl Sandberg said to lean in, but fuck y’all Apparently I’m not ready for that trust fall Even the clean version grooves filled with dust, aww How you feeling man? Spill your guts like hari-kari A different type of violence Sitting at the party trying to dip into the silence In a place of privilege but applying for asylum Watch as I jump across the synapse Brain waves will oscillate to remember where I’ve been at Six million ways to can skin cats But you’ve got to choose Win or lose it’s not the shoes Been on top but still got the blues Boss is trying to figure out how much rope to use Better get yours, being broke is no excuse The story is told with no conclusion Dance routine with no movement I’m handling things but don’t do shit It’s all in the plans but no signature on the blueprints I keep it quiet, making moves but stay clandestine Despite what they tell you it’s plenty of stupid questions Aiming for peace, still striving but craving violence Smiling like I know what the time is In America, under god we pledge allegiance Then get back to shooting each other, various reasons I don’t care if it’s period blood long as it’s bleeding All roads leading to the same place and yet these motherfuckers want to run the stop signs Everybody screaming “I got mine” Get the cream, first thought is I need more Second thought, what’s it all for? That’s rhetorical An unimaginable point of view Impossible to think that you could ever get enough If I ain’t studying war I guess I’ve given up on non fiction stuff Get rich and die trying, you can have it all Find yourself slipping, aim for the upward fall

[First verse, Infinate] Well I'm circling, cleared for landing Back of the napkin holds the blueprints for expansion I’ll tell no lies cause I’m not even answering I’m on the ceiling dancing Probably off-beat but that’s not the point I got no problem choosing between people and poems Forget a little bit every day, I seek the unknown Searching for belief, I’m peeking underneath every stone If you want it done right you’ve got to leave it alone This body isn’t mine, I’d rather lease it than own Without reason I’m keeping it going Love it or leave it alone I said I’m all about the people in a speech from the throne They ate it up Just recall, it’s mostly the voice when you say this stuff Few who could do it, even fewer who can sell the shit Tear down the trees in the name of preservation, call it development Shit, call it the next stage of human evolution, it’s a branding exercise Closed my eyes and only then realized I was tired To keep it moving the whole village is required Feeling inspired, wrote the code hoping that it would be deciphered but it’s out of my hands Out of my hands now [Third verse, Primacy]

The house is guaranteed a piece of the action The invisible hand smashing and grabbing If I ask you how you’re doing I’m actually asking I’m not much for small talk I’m trying to hold onto a moment without a camera flashing I'm not reading the manual I’m button mashing Arms extended grasping at passion Staring at something off in the distance you can’t even fathom Alone in my room staring at the wall and I’m fresh out of fantasies to indulge in Looking at the world, eyes bulging Like I’d seen a ghost, who am I gonna call then? Bluffing when I pushed the chips all in Ante up Anybody got any advice for manning up Or alternatively for standing down Stressed out, my back hurts Fight the whole fight just to get in the last word It’s absurd The gun’s warm now that’s happiness But me I’m unarmed, I’m a pacifist Rather be hated than hateful If you make it there you know they won’t say so Keep pushing No rest for the weary Chorus: The gun’s warm now that’s happiness I’m unarmed, I’m a pacifist [second verse, Chef Bac]

Forbidden apple holds the poison in the seed It’s not a choice when it’s what you need How you breathe, how you cry, sweat, and bleed How the eye learns to see Stumbling around, trying to find what’s the key There’s a lot going on you’ve got to try not to see Getting wild for the evening Walk a couple miles with my feet in these diamond-studded soles Panning for untold gold, buttoned up against the cold But maybe it’s too late though, I see what I see and know what I know You nah’mean? It’s mostly obscene but there’s times when I feel like a million bucks No need to call em how you see em, go head and fill her up I’m trying to decide amongst marry, kill, or fuck for the mind, spirit, and body Feeling kind of oddly like my train of thought was moving sideways I’m most productive on my off days I toe the line between contemplative and vacant stare Not sure where I am, the map just says there’s dragons here Well not a single thing is fair but just keep playing the game unless you’ve got some other options I’m gathering ingredients and mixing up some new concoctions Thank god for art, the rest can be defunded and abolished The rest is work Chorus: But life doesn’t frighten me at all No, life doesn’t frighten me Searching for the god in me Created in that image so that self love is idolatry I guess you’re damned if you do, damned if you don’t Not making plans but I do plan to keep going Trying to stand on my own Even if it takes a village just to stay upright, let alone expand or move forward Find me in the basement chanting these poems Like incantations against whatever’s testing my strength and/or my patience Seems like every other day I wonder where the day went It’s buried next to William Faulkner My mother is a fish I’m a stowaway on the mothership And if it isn’t one thing it’s some other shit It’s some other shit Guess that’s just the way that I spun this web Always swinging swords didn’t know that shit was double edged Got to keep a level head Here’s a little something that my daughter said Would you rather be the lamp or the light switch?

In this mad world there’s no way to pinpoint the culprit So many straws littered around the camel’s carcass I stare at the darkness Muttering either prayers or nonsense Depending on your point of view Outlined the general concept, I don’t know what’s inside It’s a combination of carrots and sticks in the mix Broken Overton window policing policy Sometimes I think that my anxieties are overblown But then the garden goes untended for one season, it’s overgrown It’s just a metaphor but it’s real weeds in the dirt Overly self absorbed but I still don’t want to see people get hurt Here’s the challenge: say peace when you’re hanging up the phone and really mean it Say peace when you’re hanging up the phone and really mean it Standing still but covering ground, wall to wall carpet Shoot the breeze we’re all targets Bunch of toddlers bragging about who crawls farthest Big fish in a small market I want it all, I demand supply Every fish going to have a chance to fry Idle hands, idle chatter Ideals matter, ideas splatter the pristine canvas Picture frame with twenty four carats Remove the duct tape from the banana before consuming [second verse, Old Grape God]

Let the dust settle, shed the old skin for new growth Where the hell I been? Man, who knows Probably chasing fool’s gold, the national pastime I assume the real cash comes at halftime Stay tuned, it’s Doctor Dre for concert piano Followed by reactions on a million YouTube channels New spots to vandal Multi-platinum rap song about the teapot dome scandal That’s how to do it Play the long game, just got to get used to it In a classroom of confused students, who’s responsible? Art imitates life so well we forget the genuine article Inside the sea we’re all particles We’re all waves, no need to be dualistic Flip the coin, heads and tails coexistent, timeline twisted Nuthin but a g thang video with Martha Stewart in it (Just a tasteful one-piece, nothing too revealing) The mission statement is a blank page Feeling some kind of way then write it down This place is not for me I’m in the basement world-building in these headphones Sun Ra even got dead-named on his headstone I’m not getting overly attached to this flesh and bone Lest the seat at the table become the devil’s throne Mind is feeling extra blown Scrolling through this damned device whenever left alone Almost felt like real life, but got some of the textures wrong All these simul-imul-acrum children Driving me wild, I’m trying to catch a feeling While the fan spin I’m here to do my damned thing then be out Welcome never overstayed Bad hand never overplayed Mush mouthed, don’t know what I’m supposed to say Look out through my periscope Rain keeps falling on my head like the umbrella broke But we’ve got to stay hydrated It’s cliché, but it’s all sacred Without reason I made it Without reason I made it

A photocopy of an iPhone photo of a painting of an apple A metaphor for the distance traveled From the source material Long ago somebody ate the fruit The miracle is the seed reproduced With all the necessary imperfections Flesh blemishes It’s not as if I haven’t got what I wanted Record is well over five hundred But that doesn’t mean no L’s Take it on the chin like oh, well Another day another spell to write Lately I haven’t really felt alright but the data’s still coming in I’m crunching the numbers It says here we’re surrounded by wonders And yet somehow the way it’s going down we’re going under Peace to the clock punchers I don’t hunt for the kill, I’m a skilled hunter Not the run of the mill, the still water I’m trying to watch this pot bubble knowing you cannot rush it Easy has not done it Staring at the gum line of the gift horse I unwind with this discourse Tried in vain, the hate will not stay confined to the game Still trying though I’m not a rocket man but I’mma rock it, Man, woman and child trying to escape from how the clock ticks But oh, no, said the cheetah to the crow, death becomes the best of us I reached out to get help, trying to be my best self Stay in a constant state of becoming, that’s the aim Dealing with emotion and game I’m on the ocean in a boat with no name Working on a painting? Make it valuable, put some gold in the frame Temperature rising but I’m cold just the same It’s nothing I could really hope to explain Different day, I know it’s not the same but I didn’t notice the change Hate the game but I’m still trying to field a dream team Cup of coffee curdled the cream Got a couple thoughts on what it might mean But not everything is a symbol Nonetheless I do prefer a well-sharpened pencil

The evolution of white supremacy from burning crosses To yard signs for your favorite school board candidate but of course it’s Still the same, picket fences and wide porches Neighborhood red-line is self-enforcing It’s a victory for diversity when one of the four horsemen is gender non-conforming When the cop who shot the suspect is a woman it’s a victory for equity and inclusion Hashtag be part of the movement Self proclaimed freedom fighters are fascist Turning the clock backwards to a time they only imagine Uncle Remus singing Zip-a-dee-doo These same people say the good book is literally true No reason they can’t believe the police reports too The suspect moving furtively reaching for the service weapon From thirty feet away with their back turned, that sounds right, no further questions Just another malfunctioning body cam And pay no mind to those untested rape kits On dusty shelves in the police station basement It’s hell in a hand basket unless that thin blue line can save us Are you saved yet? Have you heard the good news? All is absolved you just got to pay these dudes All things considered it’s a fair price, a great way to get through Majority view while unironically identifying as the chosen few That blood of Christ can be a heady brew Whole world in his hand, you better get a clue Nothing new, dark ages part two Consciousness is either miraculous or some type of biochemical accident Maybe both, the lord works in mysterious ways In the name of peace, war is waged Wages of sin washed clean in that collection plate, keep them coming We’re here to protect your freedom unless you’re a woman Or poor, or gay, or trans, or got some idea of what you’re worth The meek shall inherit the earth And in the meantime sit the fuck down Amen (Amen)

Faith can move mountains but only a few inches You want some real change, it might get expensive And of course that work’s got to be permitted Plenty of greased palms Best to just keep calm and make yourself comfortable It’s all upside potential for the well-adjusted among you Discard that faith and make a bundle Mind set on abundance it’ll all work out wonderful King Midas turning everything he touch non-fungible The value fluctuates according to the wisdom of the crowd Operators standing by for anyone with a fear of missing out Might as well get it right here and now, That mountain’s not moving

Picking battles Doesn’t mean we’re choosing wisely Flip the channel but it’s just more of the same Trying to get through life with emotion and game to spare The world is a sphere but only when it’s seen from out there Down here in the weeds it’s all types of textures Everyone and everything just fighting for whatever We can get our grubby hands on (Ayo peace man, peace) never say never But that’s twice right there Probably got to define it better Absence of tension until it pops off Negative peace, imaginary numbers for reparations No I in team, the ghost of Dr. King continues to urge patience In the form of a carefully chosen quote They want to get free Of context, but the truth is indeed self-evident They just wanted to get back to hating in peace Chorus: When they show you what it is don’t question it The truth is indeed self-evident Eat the fruit, spit out the seeds Ten years later it’s a whole forest of trees (And more fruit) No time to rest in the shade of the green leaves Rest when the sun rests But the sun just keeps shining in all seasons Feeling thirsty get some lemons and start squeezing Leave the seeds in, that’s generational wealth You want a sip, help yourself Salud, here’s to your health Clink the glasses it rings out like a bell There’s no moral at the end of the tale There’s no end, just adjust the time scale Watch the earth inherit the meek and the frail Eat the fruit and spit out the seeds Want to see the forest better got to get out of the weeds

I was up half of the night trying to decide which battles to fight, Which problems to solve but not the mathematical type Something isn’t adding up right Trying to make it all stop but more gradual than crashing a bike Got the fuse lit, I’m glad to ignite When it all blows up I’ll sit back casually grabbing a bite Big belly laugh full of spite I know the feeling won’t last, it’s alright though Sure it’s dark, that’s just how the night go Wait for the sunrise, it’s a light show The color combinations made my eyes glow Sometimes I rhyme slow, sometimes I drive in a fast car As a kid I wanted to be a rap star Now I just want to rap, get some shit off of my chest Losing my mind, maybe it was all for the best Bright lights flashing I am not so impressed I’m trying to get some things done and I've got every intention of doing less Trying to decide which battles to fight