1. |
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I’d like to buy some vowels and consonants and keep on listening even when it gets dissonant
Squinting when it gets too dark to see just where the vision went
Thinking about the future
Calculations only as accurate as the back of this envelope
Wrote a list of assumptions and then the pencil broke
I wonder what it means whether it does or doesn’t swing
Keep the bright colors hidden like an underwing
Keep the mouth shut no mumbling
Hold tight no fumbling
Until it’s time to drop it like an argument
Let’s just say I’m on some shit
Whatever it is I got no time for it
I promise you this I mean truly who’s got the time?
I’m grandfather clocking you my rap moniker is not the greatest
But I’ll stick with that and keep hooking these phonics up
In full color on the hd monitor
Behind the curtain more curtains
And raw feelings the paint peeling the mind reeling divine dealings between trips to buy the grocery list
I climb the walls beyond the ceiling I’m up on the roof
You can see everything from here
Chorus:
It’s the sea, brother, that we hover over
Bearing the weight of the world on our shoulders
It’s the sea, brother, that we hover over
Nothing’s wrong, everything is working how it’s supposed to
Born alone, die alone, browse alone, buy alone
On the phone, hold all my calls, watch the throne
Become increasingly irrelevant, every last niche inhabited
No crown, but heavy is the head
With that existential dread
One of the benefits of getting out of bed
Is you can get some effing bread and also get out of your head
Maybe hear some birds chirping
Take in some light from the sun that the earth’s circling
Instead of speaking for the trees try to listen to ‘em
And maybe even get some tips to be a better human
Who knows?
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2. |
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Say what you will I stay intrigued by the drums, chopped and looped
Searching for the perfect beat, stay in hot pursuit
If it exists probably Image got the proof
It hits hard like you got socked in the tooth
There’s no particular message that I’ve got to get through
Making this movie but I’m watching it too
Editing’s the real trick
The rest is just spaghetti at the wall, trying to make it stick
Much harder to peel it off and scrape the surface clean
Break it down and search for an emerging theme in the wreckage
Add special effects, roll the credits
Get rid of the body leaving just an outline, it’s like a murder scene
Detective work to discover just what the words could mean
Hard to earn it seems, got to get it by any means
Probably just a riddle if it’s anything at all
No reason to ever walk to the store
Digital wallet full of bitcoin
Searching for the perfect time to make my next move and
Keep on finding excuses, staying on my bullshit
Still putting the plane together as it takes off
Day seven arrived, but I couldn’t take a day off
Juggling schedules, adjusting to the evil that men do (myself included)
Keep my hands at ten and two
This place is a pile of shit but has some good bones, some real potential
Drawing up some plans, sharpening my pencil
According to the methods of David Rees
Life’s a beach, it just happens to be twenty thousand leagues beneath
The coral’s bleached
And all around it’s bright lights and big teeth
I’m running around this submarine plugging the leaks
It’s high pressure, it’s just a figure of speech
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3. |
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Time is a terrible thing to waste but it’s so convenient
I’m climbing with no intention to reach the zenith
All about that process
Money is very literally no object
This is the creation of art it’s not content
Constantly discontent with this nonsense we’re presented with
It’s a farce
We all gotta play our part
Wide awake in the dark
Dissect the data, make a beautiful chart
Startling
Pardon me, I’m excited by the art of the thing
Learning how to deal
It’s a flat circle, might as well take your hands off of the wheel
Fishtailing
Everything that glitters doesn’t need to be revealed
Still, that light of creation, what a steal
Got to learn to keep my mouth shut but you can understand the appeal
Don’t know how to fish but I still need a meal
That daily bread
Buying life insurance or putting a price on your head?
Neither one’s negotiable
I’m choking on the price
Hard to believe the way we value life
But still, if I’m gone then send a check to my wife
The system sucks but we can still have some things that are nice
[Joshua Virtue second verse]
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4. |
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It doesn’t serve you, sure as hell doesn’t serve me
Maybe it’s war but I would still like to believe that we can learn peace
The problem quickly becomes one of maintaining
Got more than was bargained for
Bad technique in the art of war
Painting with overly broad brushstrokes
Made a couple omelettes with the crushed yolks
Bridges burned, guess it’s just the only way the kid’ll learn
Look but leap first
Try to keep one foot in the green earth all the while
No man is an island but I’m an isthmus
Hanging on, always listening
Looking for solutions in the body of the text
Searching for solutions in the body
Searching for solutions in the body
The circulation, delicate exchange of poison in the veins and the capillaries
But the poison remains
Play the game
Stick a black square from instagram on Sal’s wall of fame
It’s all about how it’s framed
Call it part of an initiative for diversity equity and inclusion
Scratch that off the list and then get back to what you’ve been doing
It’s a movement but we need to be patient
Time is a terrible thing to waste and yet…
In this great future you can’t forget your past
But we’re trying by any means necessary
I’m sure those chickens won’t come home to roost, no need to worry
Had a dream
Wonder what it means
Saw a statue of Radio Raheem
It burned down, police didn’t even approach the scene
Just watched the ashes scatter in the wind
Laughing, hey it’s happening again
Watch the S1Ws play the body doubles for the panthers
Da Mayor won’t provide any answers
Apocalypse 91 but the many sequels are worth seeing
No justice but the people do need something to believe in
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5. |
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Doing more with less, the most with the least
Humble ingredients make the feast
Ain’t shit changed but the chickpeas got crispy
Dig deep, write another think piece
The ink drips
Looking for a pattern in the ink blot
Breathe deep, aiming to think not
Step in the right direction
So many people trying to play lead guitar, stairway to heaven
Amp at eleven
I’d rather play the rhythm with integrity
Hand in glove, down here on the ground same as above
The walls are bugged but no one’s listening
Both of these eyelids twitching
Feel something in the blood as it floods the system
Circular breath, familiar rhythms
Never the same river
I pledge allegiance to my cosmic god, new translation of the scripture
Rapture
Step into the now instead of the hereafter
Going nowhere pedaling backwards
Medical grade laughter
I got like this close to giving up
And then decided I’m supposed to give a fuck
No way to really know if you did enough
So just keep going
It’s all brand new in each moment for better or worse
Keep it in drive and never reverse
Fight the urge to park here
It’s dark, yeah, but that could mean the dawn’s coming
With the king in check, the pawns running like they stole something
Don’t be asking stupid questions, I know nothing
About the bright light that’s oncoming
But I’m curious
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6. |
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Rocking shit on any beat
Turn it into chocolate chips, semi-sweet
Bitter notes make it complete
Rounding out the flavor
Write it down and sound it out, catch the meaning later
Dance on the drums like no one’s watching
Land on the one, I hope but if not then
Catch the loop when it comes back around again
Spending time I wish that it was counterfeit
Or at the very least fungible
But sand just keeps running through the hourglass
Bad ones, you’re bound to catch one or two
But no need for alarm, just keep calm and get comfortable
Catch an L, take solace that someone got the W
Probably no one’s aiming at your bubble goose
But do you really want to risk it?
Metaphoric chess board laid out and every move’s exquisite
But there’s collateral damage from the attack and you lose a bishop
In a few moves the shift is obvious
Never know when the ball you’re dropping is the keystone
That held it all together
Lot of moving parts
Lot of truth in art
That’s why I shoot these darts
Not a fool but start to question that conclusion when the movie starts
And I don’t know how to act
Line please
I’m watching Netflix but not chilling
Thoughts just keep spilling over, my cup runneth
Ain’t nothing funny so who’s laughing?
Still don’t nothing move but electrons across these synapses
It’s constant practice, I’m on that shit
I don’t tolerate half wits
It’s just regular space time fabric but make it fashion
|
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7. |
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[Defcee]
Broken record skip til it warp
Chip off the brick that they fit in the fort
As a line of defense, I kick science with a hitch.
My logic’s like survivalism flipped,
In the middle of a bearhug, dyin in the clinch.
Acceptance is a burden and denial is a cinch.
Warhol was right…I’m goin viral in a bit,
Heard you’ll only like me when it’s lit. Sick.
Pappy Mason plug price. Larry David love life
Their crew? Trash heap, dirtballs, dustmites.
Roundhouse kick knock a flat earther upright.
Rappers so annoying that their blood type’s bug bite.
Icing on the bundt slice, cash in advance.
You can tell I rhyme how I chat with my hands.
Seventh-round pick in the draft, I’m the man.
Delusion is a drug, lemme snap up a gram.
Live from Planet Rap Game, take me to your budget.
Scrollin down the timeline, skate across the sufferin.
Peace in a lockbox, grief in a bank vault.
Hurtin feelings cuz ya feelings hurt…I hate y’all.
Twenty-twenty-one jumped the shark, built an ark up.
Winds of change came, rearranged with a HARP gun.
Defconzip, rippin light from the wormhole.
Yeah it’s random but that’s just how the verse goes.
What!
[garfunkle]
Thoughts churning like a steam engine
Rockets red glare, knee bending
Bad dreams, couldn’t seem to change the channel
So I just went back to playing the piano
This place isn’t big enough for the both of us but maybe it’s expandable
The world’s always got some brand new demands for you
The best players might improvise but still they got a plan or two
Building space they might expand into
Old ideas abandoned to the highest bidder
Going once, twice, three times
If this doesn’t blow your mind go ahead and press rewind
If that doesn’t work then maybe turn it up
If that doesn’t work then maybe turn it off, you probably heard enough
Appetite for destruction I worked it up
Brothers gonna work it out
Spread the good news, word of mouth
Or else leverage a social media presence
Build the brand’s essence
Came up with a plan and then jetted
If it works out I’ll claim credit
If not I wasn’t even there
|
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8. |
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The sky was gray with a light breeze
I saw the clock freeze
From behind me, on my left shoulder I felt a light squeeze
Wonder who that might be
Despite my better judgement I turned around to see...
|
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9. |
oat milk
02:04
|
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I can’t recall whether Work is a song by Gang Starr or Thelonious Monk
I’m putting in work I’ve got to let ‘em know
Felt it so I’ve got to let it go
Progression is ever so slight
Never know what it might be
It’s always something I can’t quite see
Don’t know the tune, I’m trying to sight read
Sing along whether you know the words or not
Might say the key was b minor
Doing fine but yeah, things could be finer
Nothing’s final, it’s a work in progress, only time will tell
Only way to go is up but still you’ve got to climb that hill
My mind sharp as a diamond drill
Objection, that’s not material
Decide where the ones and zeros go
It’s real life but it’s oat milk on your cereal
And it’s fine
The world is brave and new
The images are not graven, it’s digital
Designed by AI, the machines learning to stay low and keep churning until the final curtain
It’s working the lines are blurring
There’s eight million stories this is my version
|
||||
10. |
topspin
02:56
|
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Chorus:
I see no other option
Keep on moving forward Pete Sampras with the topspin
Do it for the love, dancing like nobody’s watching
Dancing like Elaine Benes, the game’s tennis
I do it for the love, it’s all for nothing
Half of what I say is meaningless
The rest is open to interpretation
A couple well-placed phrases will have the tension on the surface breaking
With every syllable I’m trying to find the perfect placement
Life ain’t shit but I don’t know if I’d run a damned thing different
Body is both a wonder land and a prison
In the hourglass that sand keeps sifting
I’m trying to make it and that plan ain’t shifted
SpongeBob the whole operation underwater
Only one god, e pluribus
In this novus ordo seclorum
Feeling awesome but often overtaken by boredom
Well I just play it to play it
Trying to get that Elon Musk paper, buy my own fucking spaceship
Piles of cash in the dresser drawer next to the clenched fist of the monkey’s paw
There’s always something more
Can’t recall what I’m running from, what I’m running for
Running on a mixture of caffeine and muscle memory
Call that a hustle if you’re feeling generously
I expected that the winter might end eventually
But not just yet
First you got to truly understand the nature of the cold
It’s more than just the absence of heat, it’s a presence
Buried deep in the bones, expanding through every crevice
Bird in hand gets poisoned then we pull out all the feathers
Two in the bush won’t fare any better
If you disagree with the tactics spare me the lecture
I’m in the kitchen with the heat but couldn’t handle the pressure
Can’t count the number of times that I wrote but didn’t send my resignation letter
Thanks for the opportunity but it’s just not for me
Chorus
|
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11. |
||||
We come rumbling through the function
One take, no punch-in
Drumbreaks stay crunchy
Image on the ones and twos, got it how you want it and stay hungry
Kobayashi at the competition
These sounds will have you seeing visions
Feel like you’re getting lifted on some little kid shit
Might not want to operate any heavy equipment
If you’re a day and a dollar late there’s probably no forgiveness
And no forgetting
Not sure why I’m still here I came for the refreshments and stuck around
Made a couple bad bets and doubled down
Can’t identify just what the trouble is
Middle path is a labyrinth
Found a happy place, trying to inhabit it
I’m down the hole where the rabbit went
Every shiny object got me trying to grab it like I got to have it
Didn’t need it after all, should’ve seen it coming
But kept on running
Looking for a technique to touch something
|
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12. |
||||
No time to sleep, I’m trying to get up and then do some things
Don’t want to score points and then end up on the losing team
I let the music breathe like Bill Evans on blue in green
How I do my thing is using loops like hula hoops
Moving through the scene like Gene Kelly up the walls
But no camera trickery I thought the goal was getting moola, oops
Wrong target entirely
I’m Pino Palladino how I’m sliding in behind the beat
Bullseye
If it’s beef, it’s already deaded
I’m killing sacred cows and if I pay for that I’m paying on credit
Low interest but I’m paying attention
Eyes wide open, I stay sentient
You’re already behind if you don’t act quickly
Pace myself through this marathon but sprint through the last fifty
Just stand here in the back with me, watch the wolves act friendly
But those teeth can flash quickly
Look at all these people hurting
All beasts are beasts of burden
It’s only human
Yeah it’s broken but you’ve got to keep it working
Made in that image but go ahead and take a peek beneath the curtain
See what’s lurking
Disease everyplace
Good reason to stay masked up just in case like Mach Hommy or metal face
Absorb the shock calmly at first and feel the impact later
Settle down, make a home right here in the impact crater
The invisible hand just stacks paper
Let them eat cake even if it lacks flavor
Causes cancer and costs an arm and a leg
The world wants omelettes, got to keep cracking these eggs
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13. |
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When it comes to god I’m not a yes man but I’ll never know
I am bothered by the cold, can’t seem to let it go
You say we’re going to get there, but then you pedal slow
But then again who knows
Maybe the differences are undetectable
This is not the same place I’d been before
The grass used to be greener here
Lot of folks don’t seem to be aware
Or else don’t share my sensibilities
I breathe the air exhaled by a million trees
And even the humble weeds, bitter dandelion greens and thistles
This work is both essential and invisible
Just looking for some nooks and crannies I could dig into
Always new but it’s a ritual
I’m on edge, hoping that the center holds
Only accidentally cynical
Cold, but I’m wearing my winter coat
It’s for protection from the elements
Correct answer is all of the above if you question my intelligence
Tend to get caught up in the details even if they’re not relevant
But I can breathe deep in the weeds
But I can breathe deep in the weeds
|
Garfunkle Chapel Hill, North Carolina
A keyboard player, mc, and producer raised on hip-hop with a love of jazz. Working at it, infatuated with the music and the process since learning how to record to a cassette.
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