Soft Spoken-

I see a lot of people living their lives under umbrellas
in the summer time giving vibes of jealousness
finding relevance at a desk 9-5ing settling
but when they retreat home they get to revel in everything
and we build a little soapbox
so we can try to teach the so called know-nots how the boat rocks
but when it tips we go back to the same shit
it's all "don't stop now, you're on your way to famous"
and we play into it, like self-puppeting puppets
stuck under this glass ceiling, wondering what's above it
but if we took a look up we'd see even the sky is on fire
so we'll keep fighting 'til all false messiahs retire
higher than clouds we can't touch like beauty
knew she was out of reach but I figured my feet would move me
"Who's he?" the man who wants to make the planet rock
that showed up to the party late but still demanded props
the second hand it talks 'til the minute hand is ticked off
and who knew all this hip hop could fit on a wristwatch
our lips lock before the eyes overly mesmerized
and then you're so jaded from it you can't even pretend to cry

(Back then)
Hip Hop was my route of escape,
just trying to find my sanity and stay true to the breaks
(These days)
Hip Hop is an overcrowded prison
you sit in spittin' bars to people that don't know how to listen
(Back then)
Hip Hop was a one way ticket
for when your life was on the run no need to complain just kick it
(These days)
Hip Hop is just a cop out
an ever-fading memory it seems like everyone forgot about

It's always drama, it's never stable
because nowadays everybody and their mama owns a record label (guilty)
I feel filthy, willfully trying to kill these wack rappers when I could be one and not know it
a lost poet walking through walls but the door isn't locked at all
I could just turn the knob and fall into a routine
pick a new dream to follow,
swallow what little pride I have left and quit acting like I'll be dead tomorrow
but I don't know what to do, because I've put to much energy
into becoming something that I'll potentially never be
Clever me, picking a life long career
in a field that might not even be here in a year
and it's weird watching everything I loved collapse
walking around the rubble, petty, looking for bugs to zap
maybe I just need a hug and a nap
embrace me and wake me up when the tires finally run flat

(Back then)
Hip Hop was my route of escape,
just trying to find my sanity and stay true to the breaks
(These days)
Hip Hop is an overcrowded prison
you sit in spittin' bars to people that don't know how to listen
(Back then)
Hip Hop was a one way ticket
for when your life was on the run no need to complain just kick it
(These days)
Hip Hop is just a cop out
an ever-fading memory it seems like everyone forgot about

I got no problem with change or doing something new and strange
and I don't blame you for trying to gain fame
I'm doing the same thing, that independent grind
and they way it's progressing I'm gonna be stressing 'til the end of time
see I know we're making strides and shit
but the problem with music is that nobody's buying it
and there's conspiracies throughout the industry to drown the real beliefs
cover up the history, it's not what it appears to be
so here is me, the world revolves around it sounding selfish
because I laugh at my own jokes even if nobody else is
it's hip hop, I do it mostly for my own amusement
to make other people loosen and get the crowd moving as a unit
in tune with the influences of the past
I keep my feet on the ground with my head up my ass
so if you like me then you'll probably like the songs
and if you like me more than I'm comfortable with then you can sing along

(Back then)
Hip Hop was my route of escape,
just trying to find my sanity and stay true to the breaks
(These days)
Hip Hop is an overcrowded prison
you sit in spittin' bars to people that don't know how to listen
(Back then)
Hip Hop was a one way ticket
for when your life was on the run no need to complain just kick it
(These days)
Hip Hop is just a cop out
an ever-fading memory it seems like everyone forgot about