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The Decalogue

by Affinity Drive

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1.
The Thesis 02:36
From a head full of pressure rests the senses that I clutch The message on the pavement forms the fences that I jump I got touched by a desire for God to ignite a change Caught a rush of zeal from the life in my veins This was written with two toothpicks in wet cement This new script is a blueprint for all the tall tenements I got told, "cut the music, dude," and “simply let it vent” Little did they know, though, I'm the Rubik's Cube President So, represent! It’s evident the more you give to Jehovah: the bigger the gain So, go figure my aim should be to trigger the brain like any singer in pain Yet my life ain't nothin' but sunshine - no dumb punchline I run by, thus my Love sighs, I must fly come crunch-time As I rode along I told my God, "here I am, send me!" "I can break the chains of fear of man and get set free!" See, I’ll walk the longest road, talk the strongest code, flock with honest folk Spot the blossoms’ growth, God had brought this ode He taught us to dodge the odd pothole and block a bomb thrown Sought to watch for lost souls, trot atop hot coals I know that God knows, he saw those who got gold And I got platinum without a song sold No mistake, this mixtape did bake for ten years This lengthy tenure was spent here like the six days Creatin’ sick waves ‘till my wrist ached and the pen seared the notebook And with that said dear, if kids praise, “oh look, you did great…” Well, it’d all be worth it But I’m uncertain and nervous And hey, before we learn, the page of the story turns Will the rage and blame and pain make any glory earned? Well, what a sorry nerd Please ignore these words… But listen: From a head full of pressure rests the senses that I clutch The message on the pavement forms the fences that I jump I got touched by a desire to ensure what’s golden glows I promise I'll smile, even when the cold wind blows
2.
But look! A purple sky (a purple sky) An orange moon (an orange moon) Days of future past present what I was soarin’ through Nostalgia hits walkin’ further down the dusty, dirty road Murmurs drown the brain - must be thirty fold All I wanted from the day was to pick apart the pieces Put 'em together my way 'til the beat of the heart ceases Extinguish the fires that lit these wild woods Glean scraps of laughter to relive my childhood I walked to the pier Searched for shells in sheer commotion Insert shells of life in my ear to hear the ocean I need to hear the ocean I need to hear the ocean I steer my notions through my smeared emotions We'd all go and hide from all the baseless shoving We'd wallow and cry We all hate this cussing I'd follow your stride and I ain’t mistrusting I'd swallow my pride but it tastes disgusting Maybe I’ll catch fire You can lay me in black attire Let’s say we can acquire gas and blast wire Baby, maybe I’ll catch fire Save me from man’s desire The purple was gone (it was gone) Red eyes on orange horizons Circles were drawn Deaf mind pourin’ lies in Not even sixteen, ruckus is the local chatter Rock ripped jeans with fiends Stuck up social ladders Jumped fence to make sense of if God’s myth or fact Dumped bunk beds to nod with the pack Gave the blue sky true lies when I shouted to divinity "You said I could count on you and I've counted to infinity" My heart denies it Somehow my brain knows Cuttin’ down trees and all I see are cane toads All I see are cane toads All I see are cane toads The pain grows until I find rainbows My heart gently weeps Shards mark every beat There's no sparks left in me Cheap scars kept me weak Arcs carve plenty deep The sharks charge lest we flee Many large pesky beasts sent me in a dark, heavy sleep Maybe I’ll catch fire You can place me in a sad satire My fate is to conspire for cash and sapphire Crazy, maybe I’ll catch fire It’s what the planet requires Ha! The sun rose They dropped Agent Orange Extraneous measures to ensure I paint the door hinge It hangs off-balance like the pictures in my head Slippin' off the sidewalk in the scriptures that I bled Never made a date with Mary Jane or sipped the moon’s shine Life made it very plain I’m a kid of a doomed kind I may as well play hangman with my soul tonight, right? Until the darkness erodes in the glow of the bright light I see my father and friends I see God’s open hand I could no longer pretend I got hope in man Am I able to carry on and keep free from old ways? Not very strong, weak knees, goals stray on cold days I’ve thought for some time, rolled every pair of dice I saw the Son's signs I know I could bear the fight I got the sunshine No toll can impair my life I’m off to the front lines I'll stroll right into paradise Maybe I’ll catch fire There’s a way we can match the choir Let’s pray we can inspire dance and staff hires Lately, maybe I’ll catch fire You can extract all of the glass fibres I climbed the mountain top I swear from here I can see it all ‘til the countin’ stops I see the future past I see why heaven cries I see why his Son said to forgive seventy-seven times I need twice that… if not a lot more This is the right path Truths I shoulda fought for So Father, I approach thee cause a pardon I’m needin' Man's heart is receedin' since the Garden of Eden How long, how long will I slide? Now on a bitter ride to kill the vibe instilled inside As the road winds I try to keep my head straight Even in better times that head of mine is dead weight Thus I pray to you, beggin' for forgiveness Help me when my brain concludes I could never live this Negative thoughts only keep me down when I tire This war we wage always has some friendly fire Ha, that's a funny term, kinda like "civil war" Only so much less and oh so little more Now I’ve lost all my breath, I gasp to stand firm Still struggle to juggle and get past my last words While they play the laugh track backwards I always seem to act like I lack standards Facts gathered that Satan’s soldiers claim the game is over With rainy eyes I call on your name, Jehovah Emergence from the alley as it seeps through my breath 'Cause I'm walking through the valley of the shadow of death Sustain me; spare me from the world's time bomb Forgive me of my sins and with that, I'm gone Amen
3.
"Just be yourself" is my straight-faced strict motto Thus I make plain no stage name I'm just Nick Rocco With the flick of the wrist I jot notes as slick as I hit potholes Let's switch quick 'n' change pace to dip in a ditch not oft known I'm a white witless witness who wishes to spit hot flows! What a cringe shock though - at least my chick thought so I probably should of stuck to the strings Which brings up a couple of things Like yes, these ain't Kingdom Melodies But fine rhymes and sweet beats don't mean I'm gonna sing some felonies Yet they don't shrink from telling me How rap ain't clever but crummy And I get it, how could this ever not be funny? Least I never wanted money 'Cause babe, we ain't seeing a cent Between eating and rent my knees will be bent with a need to repent 'Cause if I speak to a friend and say I know guitar They say "play me a song!" You claim you rap They say, "hey, your brain is gone" So to cold and old crickets who don't like rap Behold: y'all're acquitted We don't bite back at critics But might ask your soul: Can I kick it? I write drafts of intricate physics that define the delicate cycle I pride to ride And listen, if I wish to spit like a slick whiz kid Ripping sick kick-flips with riffs that hit quick like an elegant elephant rifle Who cares? It all felt a bit trifle I die inside like I tried cyanide when fellas get spiteful with rude glares But hold up - who just stepped in the place? Writing rhymes like this kind without a second to waste? Ripping the mic Liftin' the night Spitting despite not paid stacks Straight facts Laidback, living the life Flavor of a spice rack Cooler than an ice pack It's like that, so tell me where the mic's at (where's it at?) Sound is vibration Rap's surrounding your nation Even the renowned haven has been found and taken In silence we mourn the ones who lost the battles Shots rattled - dropped mantles got caught baffled Music is a war zone with torn homes, all fighting for bones It's why I write in morse code, in case the storm grows I'm bored though Score goals just to earn my keep Thus words aren't hurting me The fire burned the trees for certainty Emergency! Your turn to see the Affinity Drive when engaged With no venom or rage the pen and the page will set the stage… Yo Yo, yo, yo Wu-Tang is for the children As a youngin thugging was in the new slang I was building Of course I shed that once I got out the flytrap and caught the fire But a bit before, I said that crime raps are not my desire How many classic pop songs are about makin' love? How many songs by the Beatles are about takin' drugs? Every genre is packed with the things our God hates! Whether rock, pop, punk, funk, a blues groove or Broadway So do we give up since every genre has toxic fungus? No, of course not, you got to let the conscience be the compass But it's bupkis to lump this whole genre as the Devil's music Give me some minutes and maybe you'll get used to it Or table the choice and label it noise But this is Bob Dylan to me So you got to stop killin' the awesome feelin' we see In paradise I'll meet Eyedea, DOOM, Phife and Guru With no worldly influences we can write some new tunes I'll learn to play the guitar again Take part in art with friends Then brave hearts will make scars mend But that's hard when we ain't there yet So before despair sets I glare ahead with my semi-suitable two eyes To view the beautiful blue sky A vivid way to remind me what a fine life we're living We see signs, shine light, read lines of divine might Remember: one crown won from the Roman lashes The contender's come 'round but found no hope in badges We stroll the longest road and have broken binding ties We hold the strongest code and say "nope" to blinding lies It's the sign of the times And the shine in the prize in the eyes and the mind That the blind will never find With a soldier's composure we fight for Jehovah Praying fervently because the nights almost over The words don't fit the pictures and make the frames burst It's the way the flame works - make sure you aim first Least that's what I was told was gold I like to write metaphors And typically they just meddle more than they settle scores Time slipped I've gripped so tight this pitchfork I got sore thumbs And in this war I'll never have what I wished for But I found more crumbs And in this gameshow my name ain't known But I scored love I lay low makin' shapes in playdough to form war drums to warn one Never had the blue blood and live by the will of scripture But I'm spitting 'til my lips hurt just to kill a hipster I love Hip Hop Now how romantic is that? The broken antics of rap Perhaps what I lack is made up by fast attacks on the wax? How many words rhyme with "love"? They all seem forced How long 'till my time is done? I struggle to keep course Follow the leader on the racetrack Find the needle in a haystack We break backs and pay tax 'til the episode fades to black Ever since my birth 'till the day that the Kingdom reigns I wonder where that flood is, hey, bring the rain! "Another verse?" "How long will this song last?" "You tryin' to do an original psalm for the Broadcast?" Get off that, you wombat! I feel no shame for the truth I'm tryin' to preach on beats and heal pain from my youth 'Cause you can't, you won't, you don't stop 'Till we prove that evil came to lose and if people blame the tunes We'll change the groove 'till we get those steel chains removed Real names be proof What!?
4.
Sometimes (sometimes) I sit and pray for rainbows Dumb mind lost in the place where the strain grows Brain froze Wheezin' to say "it ain't so" Even came close to strayin' from the paved road I'm caught in streamed replays of the same shows All I ever wanted was to stay home and gain hope I can't get no satisfaction when I play notes Wait for the day the techno fascist fashion became broke So I can take hold this retro passive passion And the faint glow of a "let's go!" plan of action I wrote a prose to expose the massive cached sins And maybe just ask, "what happened?" 'Cause when the sun's gone (When the sun's gone) You can see the chalk outline lyin' on my front lawn There's a tombstone whose home is in my backyard Below a telescope honed right at the last star Mom had heart But role models changed Bad scars emerge for every whole bottle drained The family tree was badly beat and torn violently And that day something died inside of me I wore a gas mask since birth What's it worth? Why'd the risks hurt? Didn't the fix work? I felt the flame I saw it churn and spark I dealt the pain It pelts my brain and burns my heart So many minor things in my past make me melt with shame But everything is everything - it's even spelt the same Everything is everything - it's even spelt the same Everything is everything Hey, let's take it back to the pencil and paper days A safer age where shaving was the sole use for razor blades (a change of pace) Ricky and Lucy slept in separate beds The further back we go the better it gets Back when apathy was immune to the gravity latched to me Now there's no fruit and I won't chew an apple tree (what a tragedy) Look at me Dad, I'm so much like you Good and the bad, but you let the sun shine through I'm sorry for the nameplates that burnt your namesake You and the dogs ate from the same plate (my shame's great) I've outgrown the old but I walk down the road Roam the zone Ditched schoolyard kids for a crown of gold I knew the call of duty but lost my angel's halo So many stupid scapegoats - too painful to say, "no" I met vanity haphazardly in middle school A wishful fool Thinkin' no effect would ripple pools Tried escaping the pain at home by going backwards But I never was brave enough to end up chokin' on my last words Hated the poison Loved the taste Every attempt to go up in the world was a waste It took many years to fully climb back down At least I finally feel like I'm on track now Funny... my conscience always thought it was odd I never knew my arms were too short to box with God So, instead of holding on to a doubt-drenched plan I grabbed Jehovah's out-stretched hand I love it when the snow falls Lands amongst the roll calls Rests upon the stone walls The ones that grow tall to guard our self-esteem To tear it down doesn't mean you have to sell the dream I love it when the rain falls Floods the main halls so the memoirs can't contain all… All the passion spent and all the tears dropped When the laughing wept and when the fear stopped I know Jehovah's behind me I can feel the Holy Spirit Even though he's so high, when he calls the lowly hear it I'm tired of brawling with the American Uncle's sins I'm tired of crawling through this embarrassin' jungle gym So, forget the present and forget the past Forget the lies that bind the mind and forget the trash (forget it!) Forget pride, picket signs and dead presidents (forget it!) Forget snide wicked lines that spread negligence (forget it!) Forget this ghastly system and purebred thugs Jah, just pass me wisdom so I can cure bed bugs I'm a sharpshooter, yeah, I'm a deadeye Will dark humour rectify the large tumour my head hides? (nah!) Then all odds stack up as I circle past zero When false gods gallop I'll be a working class hero It's a wild world and it stole your light Stop actin' like a child girl You know what's right! (you know!) Give me a reason for why I glow so bright Give me a reason And I'mma be alright And you're gonna be alright You ain't gotta hold my hand Just walk with me tonight And I'mma be alright And you're gonna be alright You ain't gotta hold my hand Just walk with me tonight And I'mma be alright And you're gonna be alright You ain't gotta hold my hand Just walk with me tonight I'mma be alright I know I'll be okay Maybe you'll be okay one day too I watched it all pass by as the cold wind blew
5.
(Many hurt mentally) It's a 21st century rash WE CRASH! Remember the clash? The bold strain cold vein drains the December rain splash The time to take back what's lost has come and gone so run along IT'S STRUNG ON COSTS! (We all sung the song of guns and gods) Intakin' the lemon juice since the venom boosts the veins Re-route the brain to now include the pain and lose the strains of sane BUT WHO'S TO BLAME?!? Fingers painting pictures point silently They linger, they're stingers Quick, erase the scriptures and big words (Dive and hide the keys) KIDS, TRY AND FLEE! This is more productive! Scores of violet beams construct the beat for the violent seeds whom must crush those who try to breathe AY, LONG LIVE LIKE KINGS! (We never miss the wrong right thing) Glidin' on white wings with no logos DON'T GO! I'm shook (This song might sting) This ain't no city of the future, it's as present as it's ever been For every lesser sin there's a clever grin LET US IN Everything Everything in it's right place Everything Everything in its right place How many angles must bust and break before a souls first craving? (Not many) How many angels does it take to find a soul worth saving? (Now ready) The future ain't what it used to be Very few agree but the movie scenes drew our dreams beautifully If only you could see the concept of "loser" ain't nothin' new to me (true indeed) You can't take five paces with tied laces, you fall down FACE FIRST! Then the king of space and land brings his grace in hand but he got on a small crown VASE BURSTS! You're unimpressed (Time escapes) The clock's heart has broken hands The rock star is chokin' fans that change shirts (Our lives are caged) Dying isn't a feasible option Keep me boxed in with those who hope in man I woke up from my haunting dreams taunting screams only to find I was never asleep Try to pry my doubt from dried eyes but the lies spout and sprout 'till the rental date And I hear "let us in" from those outside the temple gates The resulting actions coincide with our mental states I wrote a poem for nine planets and only got seven replies MY MIND PANICKED! "Where's my heavenly ties?" Now, I reckon I'd find frantic the crime of a blind bandit who left the time stranded Not to mention if the grind got her manic With that fact as granite, I granted my eyes to glance at replies They told me Pluto is no longer a planet They revoked its voice Denote the poise, who really rewrote its choice? I KNOW IT'S YOU Earth made that decision and ignored my poem too But they show honor to gadgets! (So, it's true) You tell the Father to catch sins as you dance with the daughters of madness If anyone snuck backstage they'd find from the past age to the last page you never raised the gas gauge (But love is a battlefield) Yes, apparently so Thus that'll heal the black plague and numbness we keep inheriting, no? So we can live burden free, work with glee, learn the seas and earn degrees with impassioned zeal? It takes more than mass appeal, a pre-meditated catchphrase and a medicated cast leg to bless tough surroundings Inspiration stems from stress and love compounding And it lets us dream on like a sweet song That one day we'll save lost flocks and see the war-scene in our nest be gone If the great cost drops and we could pay off cops would we keep strong? Does it seem wrong? Is the story far-fetched? It's why my glory scars bled with pores burstin' But one thing's for certain: we always respond to the call of your curtain Oh, and I need dawn I go to bed late, yes, but when I sit in bed I live in debt to absurd realities that resent and tempt fate Like I swear I heard balance scream... “LET'S WAIT AND SEE HOW A MAN FEELS WHEN HE MENSTRUATES!" Perhaps you've earned the calloused plea through your worthless words and shallow foul deeds Pitchfork 'n' torch tactics burn the church's fallacies EVERYONE PANICKED! Be merciful and salvage me It's a beautiful dream (But it's nothing but a dream) A scrutable scheme to keep people glued to the screen So whose world is this? Soon, A.I.'s Do you feel that haughtiness in the air, in the grey skies? The one that makes us so certain our talents gleam What if the docs dropped a report before the board and swore to disordered courts we had terminal calloused genes? How would we react to these acts? Cold corporates closed curtains on gallant deeds Their right of way may bury our rights to stay Now night 'n' day we carry burdens on balance beams Work a ten hour day then jet, set to trek home Let the tech make us vanish in virtual realities And every space ship that makes trips only found blackness in the searchable galaxies
6.
Hey there girl (hey!) You must need some company (sure) Come and jump with glee I can be your cup of tea (okay) I just turned eighteen yet I ain't seen a girl like you (yeah right) "Hate the bait, wait to date" Yet it's what I might do Feel free to place bets, that'll seal these strained steps Err, well, maybe let's wait' y'know, get a rain check (what?) So, without a shrug I'm out of love like the Shadrach rap track But I got the last laugh 'cause I don't need no girl, yeah, scratch that (whatever you say...) If only I believed that statement Some days patience don't make sense so I take ten from chasin' hens I sit in cellars flippin' scripts wishin' I could split and tell her This dame's so tame with those hips like Cinderella's (excuse me?) Um, that's not my openin' line I was hopin' in time I could get to knowin' your mind Thus I'm showin' my spine It was awkward… (yeah) but I got word you didn't care Now I'm sittin' there givin' stares tryin' to pick a chair It's just… (just what?) The one I got ain't workin' out I can see my friends squirm with doubt They see me with an uneasy look and I heard 'em shout (what are you doing?) I still talk it down and walk around without clues! But enough about me Let's here some more about you, girl (well...) Tell me that story of yours The glory of wars you won I'll get the evidence that cements this precipice as true love I know it's a lot to show but we can let our thoughts grow Actually, you know what girl, I gotta go (seriously!?) Where's the emergency exit? She ain't a bird to be messed with I don't wanna hurt or depress chicks Just it were to seem desperate My thoughts are sporadic No longer mathematic Them girls got that black magic rabbit-in-a-hat trick and they said I can't have it It's madness I do backflips Now my brain's a mess and they know it Plus I'm a poet and anything but stoic I'm a loser, baby The jazz and blues made me The colors and hues paint scenes and lately I'm tryin' to choose a lady Some days my dumb ways make me reel and grown More often than not I feel alone (this is just sad) Here I am again Repeatin' the cycle I must seem like a psycho who's in "seekin' a wife" mode (yeah, kinda) A mission that'll bruise moods that I'm doomed to lose It's all proven true Am I in the bloom of youth? (yes) And she's on a mission for a man who'll listen to the plan But she won't fall for any glisten in a pan Fair enough I hope I'm squarin' up with that tone From now on I'll leave my personal demons at home She says, "get your act together, you've got a life to give Forget a wife and kids, go earn your right to live," And now - just now - I can hear the drummer She's so ugly but I'm so in love with her I love that drum beat like a fat kid loves lunch meats And that's it - I don't need a girl to love me (Wow, it sounds like he's actually made emotional progress) I don't (Wow!) But will you smile, girl? (oh no, nevermind) Will you light up my world? Yeah, c'mon girl (oh yeah, this has gone back to sad again) C'mon girl I can be your cup of tea
7.
You can bet we got a scapegoat, so take note Now, who filled these pot holes with these hot coals? It's the tattoos The bad news The fast food The gas fumes The devil made me do it so I sing a sad tune It's the apathy The tragedy The vanity The man in me The devil made me do it, it's a part of his strategy It's dead-again Christians It's the chapel's lies The medicine prescriptions and the apple pies The healthcare system Lazin' in recliner chairs Bein' a welfare victim while cravin' designer wear It's gettin' caught often gazin' at forbidden fruit Siftin' through toxic waste dumps for dumb "hidden truths" It's the podcasts Porn sites Laws passed Scorned sights What God asks vs. your rights Long chats on warm nights My nights consist of two toothpicks in eyelids Tuned in, transcribin' the blueprints of violence It's slapstick It's classic It defines the music It's the magic and we had it and I'm dyin' to use it It's the static in the attic and a flyin' broomstick It's the antics in the fabric with divine acoustics They serve as the backdrop to the perfect pipe dream It's dirt and crack rock that we serve with ice cream Diluted light beams make life seem like a slow dance But there's no romance and we have absolutely no chance Of makin' the finite infinite The skylight inhibits Making the brain think and makin' the eyesight intricate Yes, I'm a skeptic of ethics I've kept medics breathless He said it's a deathwish Let it rest, I get it Hendrix Castles made of sand? Well I beg to differ I'm an expert of life holdin' on to these kegs of liquor So stop, pause for the cat scan It seems Batman the problem is you were just dealt a bad hand So go on vigilante you can try to kill the ante But keep that mask on 'cause your face is filled with acne We say "you can't catch me" but looks like God has And this ain't just the odd class where we might not pass This is life This is life in a paradise But that's what happens when we play like we don't care the price You can bet we got a scapegoat, so take note Now, who filled these pot holes with these hot coals? Yeah, you know we got a scapegoat, take note What's up with the hot coals in the pot holes, huh? I'm missing my friends They're twisting what's penned No fixing No mends All risking their sense I say raps as placemats for lost dogs and stray cats I pray that you'll embrace facts of God's laws and make your way back You once tried to earn stripes Ain't it our God-given birthright to burn bright? To work night and day for our faith and fellowships? And the architects who place every single yellow brick? So why leave this speech and jump in the deep-end? We'd preach mid-week Now you're drunk on the weekend I know you're unique Just like everyone else But why look everywhere but up if you want to better yourself? We ain't gonna repent except on our own accord We have to grow for ourselves and fight our own wars We can't blame anyone but us, no one Though some go run and some grow numb we know what Consume the rations we find Can't keep our actions in line Left God's compassion behind What happened to our lives? And what's to become of the way we live? Change it The door is wide open Please come back home
8.
Whose dope prose flows coast to coast and sparks a match? Showin' known old pros that boast the most the art of rap If the czar is back to start from scratch and scar the craft Go stow foes, clones 'n' posers close and don't toast the host or bark at cats Who froze the hope of mopes who starved for scraps? Molten tones slow roast rodents whole Broken bones'll char to ash Those prone to roam the zone he own get heart attacks sharp and fast No part'll last No pardoned brats Garbage cans for bargain trash Satisfied? 'Cause anyone can play guitar And I'm tired of the way we are I used to say that, "if I find mics I shine bright Then when the time's right I'll step into the limelight to crime fight" I can still rhyme like lickety-split Spit wickedly quick like shiftin' the stick into sixth Is Nick atypically sick with this gift? Rippin' swift gritty riffs so hippity-hip But hey, any fool can rap faster and badder than me Or grab a masters degree in smashin' the beat fashionably Who's a true rapper indeed? Do you have to be crashin' the scene, rancid and mean? Batterin' and hammerin' MC's no matter or manner the means? It's a passionate plea It happened to be I let my day dream pass It may seem sad but mainstream rap had made me mad The game seemed whack when fake 'n' lame teens spat Had to break free fast Can't change these facts Lost the rook in a comic book ray-beam trap Paused and took an honest look at my whole motivation I'd grown so impatient of hatin' those who sold their soul to Satan Let the record show sex 'n' hoes, Tec's 'n' clothes, cheques 'n' blow Get the most clicks 'n' views But I wanna get it known Hip Hop's among the most beautiful music one could ever listen to So if chicks and dudes give mixed reviews of a whole genre No drama It's fair play The airwaves share space with thugs that load glock clips and scrubs that quote stock tips And me? Oh sweet, another freak indie rap backpacker set Too weak to snap a whack rapper's neck and too cheap to at last cash a fatter cheque I'm a vocalist coated with hopelessness Holdin' this the mic tight with broken fists Sole motive to coexist Aiyyo, I'm the type actively battling hype's vanity Rattling lifes path for me Baffling strife's apathy Standing despite gravity Brandishing might radically That's the thing, write frantically Ask my wife, she'll happily bat for me My sanity is latched to these rabid rap fantasies And that's a travesty So does a song like this make me a big deal? Or am I the slop that gets tossed in a pig's meal? Talk to me, is this humble or haughty? If I stumble off beat, tumble with lost sheep or crumble don't drop me Is it chorus time? I'll form a line of boring rhymes to warm the mind Now, I probably shouldn't have said my name in the third person That's for certain the worst version of tryin' to sound dope through proud boasts So is this a poorly rehearsed sermon or a clown's joke? I won't brownnose the townsfolk or drown hope Although I now know tryin' to MC with true humility is doomed futility So why do it? This music This music is a verbal therapy chair Apparently I can't bear to breathe without it there Too often I'm sober and sociable but talkin' as if overemotional I want to jot something quotable Though that's not how closure's supposed to go Tryin' to be a man, save a nest egg and evade the best laid's that change team's scoreboards Bravely he board shore of a brain beat 'n' war-torn Seen my inner screenplays splinter each day Now became sleek and straightforward And they say teenage dreams fade When I reflected on deep pain and the bleak way my perspective was bleedin' I found life sounds right but rarely goes how I expected it It's electric and seems to leave scenes heated It even exceedin' my best wish Thus at day break take spray paint and ink pens But the scariest feeling is pondering what they'll think then I'm not sure if I can carry this ceiling Whether I faced a crowd's claps or a soundtrack of loud laughs I'd fall into the mouse trap with the sceptics of motives simply rejectin' the notions Here I was, expectin' to grown into it I got eager to rock the 'phone 'till my mind caught fever and I bought shot speakers I've quit the hypocrite skit of Bob Seger So I'll be the mocked preacher Off to trot with distraught lost leaders, spot stealers and the Apostle Peter Not a dollar to my name Not a scholar in the game No taller than my shame The fault is in my aim So I know I'm crazy to followthrough But baby, all I wanna do is put the "art" in artist The heart in the heartless The dart in the target and the spark in the darkness So don't throw your hands in the air But if you smile back, there's a chance that I'll care
9.
A snare and a racket Unbearable badness They wear the jackets in an arrogant fashion They eat the weak and fleece the sheep Cease the feast Jah, defeat the beast Keep note, these angels have broken wings And that's just one of the oh so many unspoken things The beast is in your midst with slits on his wrist Bleeds faith 'till it don't exist - now kiss his fist Priests change shape The sheep they date raped They're creeps and great apes They preach to save face The flock's in a comatose state They don’t own your faith So sober souls shape to place hope in both names It’s zero dark thirty The heroes aren’t early They’re too late The due date for doomsday was shoe-laced What must we do to swim, sever lips and limbs? But even then can't say we'll never slip or sin Hollow costs paid by those who tote the nations All the holocausts shed true motivations We follow fraught men in the middle of the mix We all lost when we coveted a little of the fix Cold chills spill from the tongues spewing lies We try to view the sky but very few will find The answers to all the questions under the sun And if we wondered too hard, well, another would come And another would come And another would come And another would come And another And another And another And another And another... Private eyes tried to establish biases We’d been climatized to true madness through wild riots and savage violence No one managed to keep quiet Gouge blind eyes Bandage eyelids Despite what transpires, this is the tragedy: We had to see the gravity of bein' Adam's seed But no; blank stares, shoulder shrugs and apathy Now it's blasphemy to sober up from fantasy The smart man decreed an end to religion and division The problem? Every single thing is a religion Thus division won’t decrease in the least The internet's our holy book The celebrity our priest Circus clowns run circles ‘round the fire pit Cynical liar’s spit drown hardwired kids Since the fattened blackbird was captured Plastered actors have been factors in our standards Protestors’ fists shake ‘till their hands hurt It’s as effective as playin’ bad words backwards Let cash burn observed by crowds of passive grins Who can stand firm surrounded by captive kin? It’s crashin’ in Massive sins leave us battered at dusk Ashes and rust pass throught the dust Plastic limbs snap Static skin buzzes The battles of whims within budges no man Now how could the whole fam ever hold hands? Are promised expressions gone with the dead men? The accomplice was leaven But God isn’t deafened So with North American states of mind We can grab on to fate Find a nice place to die or wait ‘till the fall of Babylon the Great But the sacred's undone Take it in blood, son - run! Don't stop 'till the Ancient has come Pray for His love Proclaim no more dead ones The shape of the sun looms overhead - run! The sacred's undone Take it in blood, son - run! Don't stop 'till the Ancient has come Pray for His love Proclaim no more dead ones The shape of the sun looms overhead - run! Run!
10.
It looks like it's gon' rain again And I ain't complainin', friend It came and went five times 'fore the day was spent So let it pour away Who needs the sun's gorgeous rays? I'm busy savin' cents to pay the rent so I can afford to stay Got a one bedroom box that I slave away for Maybe I can get new socks if I save up way more and refrain from remainin' poor And avoid brand names and chain stores Man, the stress can test the heartbeat You can't even hardly park free The meter charge fees harshly But I gotta admit the art speaks smartly From the large trees to the dim light at midnight in dark streets I'm even told the stars sleep above a smoggy sky The sun beams got me wry Thawin' my groggy eyes I thought I'd walk but forgot my fob and my lobby's locked A man I often spot softly talks, "got change, please, man?" Yeah, he wants free pot God save the Queen fast from snobby moms in coffee shops The blonde gave a mean glance to the cashier before she snapped like a hockey shot I'm glad I clean glass even if people stop and watch with lots of obnoxious gawks I see past the greased handprints and glimpse green grass and the mountain's rocky tops It cannot be topped But to be honest I'm probably off to Edmonton when it's all said and done We went from being nickel and dime'd To being ripped from our vines with a sickle and knife I gotta get what I'm missin' from life Make the plan smoother It's not simple or nice But it looks like the right maneuver So, goodnight, Vancouver
11.
For your consideration: When will people tire of my treacle pyre rhymes? When will they bust the bluffs and snuff the gleeful fire in my eyes? Been known no end-zone will contain these flows laced in soul Let's trot atop rattling step ladders and drop the radio Then ask, "who scattered messed matter? Who blew the flames?" Probably some grammatically-correct rapper who never grew a brain Or maybe I'm too insane but lookin' back I shouldn't ask, "who's to blame?" Claim full responsibility for all the times I failed to act with God's agility Got too many thoughts killing me When life ain't been half as dramatic as the songs say Ain't been stabbed or attacked with blades But react the wrong way after laughter of a long day Retract the fact The back has been stabbed but never fatally I was made to bleed ever patiently Melodrama again But melt the commas I spend It's all in my head when falling in bed in a sheep sleep Tell my momma I'm dead and weep heaps How do I now drown when the water's knee deep? Why do I grieve streets and let down sounds on these beats? The questions I ask represent the mask I left in the past the last few years ago When I died as a superhero and tried to choose the zeros and knew the fears flow The losers here, yo Yo, yo Attempted to pen gems in a tent when my best friends slept near Ten years I've kept them and the West End dear Yet when men said "let's get beer", I declined If my mind stays sober I may gain closure or composure Besides, I'm permanently drunk And it's my turn to get crunk The time drains slower Left my burdens in the trunk Hence entrusted talents must crush balance and meddle with fate A robust gallant's measuring tape won't settle for 'great' It's why I ain't embarrassed to be paired with parrots Can't be scared stiff if every square inch will bear this Nor can I sit tight I hitchhike They think I wanna fist fight The author was wrong This night the popular songs fit right So a big shout out to clenched fists on bent wrists Tent pins in spent whims and melodies that mend limbs And aforementioned questions that lack a sense of tension Half of them are senseless The past is dense with lessons Here's one: do I wanna know if the feeling flows both ways? Most days ghosts say, "keep the healing slow and hold fate" I've retired from the ire as the vile looks beckon my sold grace Remember when driving miles took seconds? The show changed, the times of childhood legends grow haste I feel out of place like a monkey in the arctic - unharnessed I can't get funky in the darkness Let the light glow great Run free from the heartless at a bold pace If your soul aches, contemplate, what goals make a man? What goals make a man? Yo Why is the clown crying? He tried to save the slaves from the flood and almost drowned trying Too many he found dying Saw his Ma wash away in the waves And watches thoughts of mistakes make quakes in the graves Hey, break a leg Hobble to the set Even the apostles bled The insecurity is burning me fervently with awful threats Battered arms and battle scar Observe me lacking heart, ha I claim I play the game of life to stay focused but wonder if they noticed And I can't live up to the titles of the late poets The problem is that though I'm talkin' to you with these rap flows that crash slow I'm lost in the zoo The only option I knew was to write like the night might strike with frights bite Despite reassurance of a positive future where I might get to breathe And I'm a positive man But when I pause with my paws in the sand I gnaw on the cost of the plan in composite humor I wish I saw it a bit sooner I get on the mic and get negative and beg the sins to emerge for the limelight And lie like it's all I live in but I can't stop spitting this rhythm and I don't know why But I could die tonight and find it right All I want to hear from the wide-eyed sidelines was a heartfelt, "oh my" So then when the stars melt I can pelt, "no woman no cry" Pathetic And to me, the fact that love can cause the most harm is the worst crime Even if the charm is in the third time But tell that to those charged to live with cursed lives Blurred lines hurt time so I doubt the odds I could live in the house of God and feel ground and raw Oh...
12.
Hey... I've had too much to think tonight I'm sad I'm touched Oh, it's alright I've had too much to think tonight I'm sad I'm touched Oh, it's alright Don't play maitre'd with me Go take the adjacent seat you see The brain seems to be in need of agency Playin' "wait-and-see" to fill the vacancy My birth was a mishap I'm a kid of this craft No curses or dis raps Stick jabs in gift wrap Came to make jokes in the lame hope the chicks laugh So take notes and place votes I'll just sit back Write quips with ice picks so my lyrics might prick Stick my spirit in a vice grip Judges bite lips Everyone and their dog can pen a rap song Maybe I should focus more on why my head can't stand calm I want a diagnosis I want an excuse I want to try and focus I want to let loose I want a prescription I want a distraction I want a revision I want to quit laughin' I just want control Yeah, I just want control I just want control Yeah, I just want control Dizzy, dazed and dazzled I miss the age of rascals I'd sift the sand of castles and drift to lands of battle Edit the sad parts Regretted the bad sparks Who set it to that dark? Indebted but have heart Oh, if it could all be so simple Spoke wishful The hole in the soul ripples Drew blueprints of doomed stints in gruesome detail The clueless foolish pursuit of the elusive female For every tooth loose there's a few screws to match My whole body may collapse if moved soon, in fact But hey, what's a new bruise but a notch in the belt? Zoom to the newsroom and watch if they wanna help Wash it off with a shot of a scotch to let the brain relax "No, cut the obnoxious talk and state the facts" I'm strapped to my bed Bolts attached to my head The Doc is tapping his pen and I'm laughing instead He's frustrated, must hate it, but makes do Takes two, I lay awake awaitin' the breakthrough I've been chasin' the same truth since I was in grade school This internal war of my enduring joy and shame's rule I want a diagnosis I want to try and focus I want an excuse Nah, I want to let loose I want a prescription I want a revision I want a distraction I just want to quit laughin' I just want control Yeah, I just want control I just want control Yeah, I just want control I've had too much to think tonight I'm sad I'm touched Oh, it's alright I've had too much to think tonight I'm sad I'm touched Oh, it's alright Oh, it's alright Oh, it's alright Oh, it's alright Oh, it's alright Oh, it's alright I've had too much to... I've had.. Oh, it's alright
13.
Alina 03:40
Oh Alina, do you know what you mean to me? Oh Alina, you're the gold among the greenery Oh Alina, you stole my heart like thievery Oh Alina, your beau is what I need to be You're hypnotic, with eyes fierce and a bold glow You're honest and modest You pierce my soul slow You are the new star Melodic True art to optics You are the logic that got caught in my thoughts quick You're gracious I'm jaded You're blameless I'm tainted Can a raven can be sacred? Abigail loved David I recall I felt certain back when your thoughts stayed nervous I'd call you perfect but you'd scoff and say, “worthless” You know I too never felt serene beneath the surface We both lacked self-esteem, to be earnest I'm learning it don’t come easy, sweetie, but we’ll be free And I held the dream seldom seen since that first kiss Muriel, you’re my purpose and I love you You keep the blood flowing through my circuits when I’m subdued So now I whittle nerves and scribble a simple verse You chisel my thistled quirks with a fistful of little words I'm in love with the secret person of your pure heart You keep the beat burning and seared a sure mark So turn on the bright lights, baby Let's live life like the Christ might save me Oh Alina, do you know what you mean to me? Oh Alina, you're the gold among the greenery Oh Alina, you stole my heart like thievery Oh Alina, your glow is what I need to breathe Even the way you smile makes me a child And the day you became my wife was the first day of my life So bein' as in love with you as I am Bein' as in love with you as I am The timestamps fly past I try to grasp 6 years have gone by fast It's an established fact When you're next to me I'm placed in a state of ecstasy You'd best believe the chemistry is heavenly Mentally, emotionally, I earnestly yearn for eternity together Fervency forever A life we'll actually see You've already helped me reconnect my family tree I can only imagine the scene when we live happily free I'm sorry it took long for me to express my thoughts audibly Besides God's sovereignty, you're all I want, honestly It's a long odyssey So darlin', take my hand We'll make our stand and win the race at last In a sound mind my heart was vowed and signed And to this day I feel like I'm on cloud nine You're Solomon's imperial splendor and material treasures I love you Muriel, forever Oh Alina, do you know what you mean to me? Oh Alina, you're the gold among the greenery Oh Alina, you stole my heart like thievery So Alina, I hope you feel seen by me Oh Alina, oh, oh Alina Oh Alina, oh, oh Alina Oh Alina, oh, oh Alina Oh Alina, oh, oh
14.
One two, one two I was yearning for the wind like it was Chrono Trigger Let's grow no bigger and catch this in a glass Though we grow old in slow-mo and chokehold vigor Somehow it all happens in a flash The tow truck shows up yanking lifelines In the right mind might show love like I learned in my nest “Forgive’ ‘n’ forget or forever live in regret” Give respect Earn respect Work with the rest The yearnings of the wind call time and time again The burnings of the sins fall in line with the pen The corridors of time collapse on the rhymes The smorgasbord of lies will laugh at the mind The orators lines have attached to my spine When I find I'm fine trapped in time I just want to be a good man off the platform Is that too much to ask for? Lost my passport Name erased itself off the blackboard Failed the crash course but killed greed Build these love-filled schemes and still dream One day I will win my war One day I will win my war One day
15.
I used to use Hip Hop to show my pain And I guess in some ways to know I'm sane I've grown up today and I won't complain Or claim I'm held above an open flame And I don't hope in vain But what will I write about when there's no more pain? Nice sights and sounds? The life around? It psyches me out I'm the type to strike the ground The pain tells us that we weren't born numb Though we feel worn and scorn our sore thumbs Like, "how am I to use these to beat the war drum?" But ain't it worth it for when the Lord comes? So I don't write much these days Blow off the mic's dust Tight clutch to seem brave The right touch might crush what makes dreams fade But dreams fade… I don't mean to repaint the scene grey It's a bleak phrase for a weak phase For one moment though can we please speak straight? The world beats slaves We heave and breathe pain On our knees pray Life's tough We keep pace Can't leave the race or deploy the speed-brakes Even if we feel steel wheels shake the feet stay Even if the weed's came we can feed a seed placed Even in a heat wave we have free shade Even if a sheep strays we can keep the team safe We can behave We can be great They'll see the face gleam beams from deep space That mean the dream seem as sweet as cheesecake We preach each day and we always sleep late Can't be a cheapskate or we'd never reap grain The harvest's at a peak rate People need a clean slate Angels watch with popcorn God warns, "please brace" "You must go through a lot more, you need faith" Let's say something real... Yo We choose shrewd and true phrases to use Through slews of due praise to say something real Before the lamb we humbly kneel So even if we grew grey or abruptly keeled If our fate remained to fade away to dust the fields Who can complain to change the ways Jah justly deals? He raised the new days and made the love we feel The world worsens and he gave the work of prophets And a certain promise to reverse the curse the people channel The excursion's got us on the path reprieval travels We're witnesses in a universal legal battle To you the depths of deep shadow seem shallow You've deemed hallow the plain and lame names but shamed scholars You're the great potter We'll take the offer Jehovah, to you belong the glory, praise and honor You remain our Father Um, just one question, uh, faith, what is it? A solid or a liquid? Tell me what I'm missing and I promise I'll listen It's a Hutu saving a Tutsi from genocide It breathes life into a man that's dead inside A purple triangle stitched to a martyr's chest It consoles the soul of a heart depressed It's facing the lions and bracing for violence Not chasing the diamonds or waiting in silence It's patient and vibrant The shape of refinement It makes us migrant in a change of assignment Yo, it's alive and speaking but not blind or a feeling Faith is not instilled through divine revealings It knows signs and meaning and starts applying it It's gained through the brain and heart of a scientist Faith is the evidence of all that is hoped for The assurance of what's behind the closed door It may not know more But sees the bigger picture It brings the scriptures C'mon, dig the mixture Since faith is based on evidence vs. blind belief We can change our frame of reference to find relief In time our chief will redesign society And we will actually become the people we try to be For the young boy who wouldn't worship a nation For the unjustly jailed who found a purpose in patience For those trying to breathe through those sighs and heaves Faith is why we believe
16.
Now this was gonna be another bad dub on self-hate But I felt great Telling Earth that hell's safe She said, “don't worry, they might go hurry to chase sights” Old dirty slaves fight a whole thirty days and nights And we know the game ain't played right but still the wind blows So when I chill with kinfolk to kill the mis-quotes I show them turntables just to watch them spin 'round See, we lost on thin ground Chin down This crown fell from the kings into the hands of the peasants The often broke common folk now dance with the essence With the flames in our eyes we'll spark fireworks So loud it scars tired jerks with hardwired smirks I no longer feel like a deaf man in dead last I left that I kept fast dancing ‘till my neck snapped Watch my head collapse I chest-strapped a jetpack like, "can y'all hold it down ‘till I get back?" I may be a while Save me a smile and your best laughs When we change the dial I’ll replace the pile of “get better soon” cards on tombstones with clipped rose petals And consolation prizes with slick gold medals Aim the missile Take the chisel to the brick road’s yellow Make crowns for kids who kick and throw pebbles Change frowns Clean streets ‘till there’s no conflicts No rebels Maybe take you by the hand to the place where the thick snow settles There’s faith and love in each individual soul They shape and change even our principal goals If we can keep our spirits inspired with zeal The fires we feel will blaze higher and heal There’s faith and love in each individual soul They shape and change even our principal goals If we can keep our spirits inspired with zeal The fires we feel will blaze higher and heal There's faith and love... Yeah, I wrote a lot of songs But I was granted the freedom to sing them When I was handed the keys to the kingdom
17.
I always thought I'd face death with dignity at least As what's left of the rest of my breath clings to these clefts I'd sleep with ease Pressed against the chest of this big city I'd be at peace I slept 'till I leapt and set my eyes to see to a sea of the freed that will sing with me What a thing to dream I know God will bring us back soon enough But on late nights I lay awake and face my gaze right to the moon above I meditate on heaven's gates Look down Another's dust Say prayers for a better day for the sake of every crushed mother's love Their despair resonates but I contemplate I must have become numb I mean, I see more and more seats are becoming empty as we're breaking bread Although the courage can't be mustered up or found or bred to look straight ahead Every single time it's a hefty swept scene that wrecks dreams Yet I've somehow kept straight faced And I've seen plenty that gently wept heaps Maybe since the names in the book of life were never too close to me The grim grisly grasp of the grave never gave me nightmares openly Or I took the night and dim risky laughs simply as deep poetry I do hope to see the dead rise and hear them speak vocally But am I scared of caring totally while flesh can still fade to ashes? At any moment anyone I know and love can be laid in a casket I pray when it happens I don't remain in a state of passive But embrace the hands of God and brace for the fate He granted He'll erase the static change the fabric and crumble death And although I'm not a jumbled mess I deeply miss my Uncle Chess But I'll see you soon This reality is a fallacy Not all who fall deep asleep must remain that way for eternity Though the journey seems like merely searching dreams It's a promise sealed with an oath of blood Shown in love True hope has come Jehovah, please notice my Mum And please keep in your memory if ever these faithful servants face death By the results of their faiths tests they earned this great crest But what if I never see the garden or the King's steeds marching? What if my heart beat is hardened and I'm not freed or pardoned? Father, if you can forgive me of all the burns of my wrongs Please don't forget me or the words of my songs
18.
Isabella 03:24
When I was young I fell off my loft bed A metal shelf pierced my back I thought I'd drop dead Back badly bleeding Black blood seeping Mom's frantic screaming Dad's hand cleaving My heart rapidly beating and I hear you weeping You cry, "I'm sorry for everything, believe me" I did, Isabella And I recall it clear I've thought of your falling tears all these years But it's my time to make amends I wasn't the brother who loved to bug her or became a friend I'm sorry our ideals clashed and sparked fights On dark nights I think of you and Mom and our life We never had a close relationship But I understand why you feel I chose to chase the wind Now our lives are the opposite Split dreams and accomplishments Yet I love you and miss you so much Isabella, wait! I miss the sweller phase before the thick cellar grates befell our place They withheld our fate Now we've gone our separate ways It's the better days in which with this sis of mine I celebrate A ring on a dog's collar - in this we felt her grace A wish seldom made came true But in our case very quick the relics break Everything is everything It's even spelt the same To tell it plain it took our Uncle's death to get us in the same room Under our breaths we hoped the other changed tunes But we stayed true to clashed ideals and pride The past is sealed inside the cracked wheels of time Sometimes I feel I can't conceal my mind and fear I'll embark on a rather rash spiel in kind But I got so nervous I barely spoke I didn't want to stir this I got wary and croaked What a joke I'm as dumb as can be I'm linguistic on the beats Yet in life, I bit lips and run up the trees Like the water switched quick to a hundred degrees So I know this is all a bit rich comin' from me I can't express any of this outside song form I'm hoping this will pry open the strong door for a lot more communication Yet had I stopped for some rumination maybe I would've reached out sooner Can we speak about the future? One day I'll leave Vancouver and that may decrease the physical gap Either way can we at least attempt an atypical chat? Without deep biblical facts or bleak cynical jabs I want to get to know you Frankly I have no clue what your life is like And my wife is right - you're my only sister So despite the fights and lonely blisters It only seems correct that we reconnect
19.
Rowan 01:27
Rowan Even though I don’t see our mother Do you consider me to be your brother? It’s been, what, four or five years? I fear I don’t recall the time clear I love you Although that must seem fake I’d judge too But know that I’d love to see your face Am I just a cheap disgrace? Look, life is complex I hoped the right context might offset the disappointment But there ain't no way to twist avoidance It's nigh-comical how I let my own nerves conquer my logical choices As the time pass they grow worse with the mass of the whole earth It seems I've cast my own curse Rowan, I’m sorry Do you think I’m in a deranged cult? Or at least a very strange adult? Do you think I hate you and mom? Does it even matter what I wanted to do in thought? I didn’t make time to see you because of feeling ashamed Without realizing I was sealing my fate I’m sorry I love you and I always will
20.
With a right hook to the jaw life shook the see-saw It’s alright Look at me, Ma Look at my accomplishments I often wish my oculus saw you sit amongst the audience And if I thought I caught a glimpse it got my confidence lost within But I learnt and built upon the consequence when I hopped the fence Then I dropped the lens and discovered: I could see The rain is gone The sun blazes Love changes Best friends become strangers As my mother and I would be "Blood makes the blade holy" That's what the dame told me as she scraped slowly across my spine I thought the tightest grip might've slipped but she's drawn the line And love makes the pain cozy I learned that too I heard bad news I burned gas fumes I served Dad clues I worked back though my memory to remember these penalties It ain’t our first rodeo At this point, mentally, the worst knows my soul So I go off to stroll slow and curse those that crow and won’t atone Got to pose this though: how many roads must a man walk down? I can’t talk now It’s too dim and dreary, clearly It sincerely turned out nothing like I had hoped Some days it’s a fight I can't cope Life’s a bad joke and Jehovah can’t hear me Until his hands steer me So one could try to blame your sociopathic father who’d snort white lines His insane ways made the day break never make it through your night time And yet, go ahead girl and let your light shine Unless, maybe there ain’t none It’s why I write rhymes I’m the same son with great love It's just aimed up So none could truly blame the past they came from Sure, when you’ve never been moved, how do you move on? But you’ve chased smoke signals for far too long and I believe that notion Now your heart grew strong Heels dug in so you can’t feel nothin’ Pretend you can delete the moments But it seeps through, don’t it? It’s what keeps me hoping And he will wonder too when he's old enough, "where's the oldest one?" But he ain't the one that has to start growing up So throw it up to the sky and put it under the lens 'cause this ain't where my wondering ends And ain't no color paint can cover the bends Ever since the womb ‘till the day your slumber ends I've pondered if I pass what my tomb will say, 'another slept?'" Who’d eye the sorrow of when my mother wept? Could that move you to pray? The blues still play in a beautiful way In these crucial days deep pain maim a weak brain Mean I strain to stay focused and not let the fear grow Became a man in ‘06 at eleven years old Since then climbed from the lowest and the coldest to the highest and the finest But time has proven to only depart from us and divide us So I decided I should drag my baggage but I need a larger truck Now, if you start me up If you start me up If you start me up I'll never stop Striving for some better thoughts so I forever remember Mom See, I’m a rolling stone Mama, I’m a rolling stone And I’m going home You can tell Bella that I’m going home 'Cause I’m a rolling stone Mom, I’m just a rolling stone And I’m going home Please let Rowan know that I’m going home And so it goes And so it goes And so it goes Listen As a matriarch, my mother more than played the part Regardless of circumstance she rose above the call of the worker ants She may not believe it but this how I prove loyalty Although the bruises foil me She treated me like true royalty These things I write I write them because I miss you And not a day goes by where I don't pray I'm with you And still sometimes I find my mind is in conflict I contradict logic with passion and get lost in the imagined fashion of a line of chronic fractions Bare boned baritone is all that ensures my slumber Until I'm stirred and disturbed by the thunder Burdened to wonder "where's home?" and rupture comfort I never stuck to the structure but punctured the bumper This rug-burned love learned not to run with the numbers I'm the son of a blunder but she decided to keep me It's no surprise that they try to teach teens cause and effect So it's not odd to expect betrayal will spawn a loss of respect If we take the offer we get Sign the terms But refuse to honor the debt Then the agreed upon penalties have to take place Now, Jehovah's great grace lets us save face and change pace So please drop the weapons and explain in plain honest expressions 'Cause here I am Thinkin' of you on the bus Sullen smirk “New Slang” Stomach hurts Ran up the summit to plummet first Again, what’s this worth? Falling internally Processing the whispers Shared as earnest deeds Your blessings all withered You heard whispers too Do you know my blisters grew? If you saw every scrap Every whimper my sister knew I wanna see the score’s sum and a smile with teeth The files are brief May take a while to compile the grief If candor truly stands for something I thought you’d be back What’s keeping you? For every cheap laugh There’s a glimmer of hope dying inside each month I’m not bitter or broke but tired of lying to feed love This scene seems dumb but you can’t be replaced And when James Mercer sings your outline is retraced I want to make you proud But our standards differ And don’t that make all the answers shiver It’s not that simple and it’s not that complex You aren’t crippled but nonetheless the conquest Your hunger pangs made you the hunter’s aim And so passes another day And a day becomes a decade Perhaps things will never get set straight Yet let's go through the cycle one last time I’mma keep on polishing ‘till all the busted hubcaps shine Or the smug grins come back crying Jah, just give me the ability to stand behind my ideals And a mind that yields Before I hit the pavement hard Lock my statements in the basement in a mason jar as I take it far Farther than necessary? Maybe, but check this: I wear my scars like a fresh necklace A symbol of remembrance, pride and good fashion Thus my temperance resides with understood passion Caught a glimpse of a stiff lip adrift as you crowd surfed off a cliff Cross ‘get lost’ off the list The checklist is getting shorter and shorter these days How about the orders He made? You locked them in that important briefcase with the rebates and keepsakes Well, wherever you go, be safe But watch out! Knives don’t have your back Nonetheless be gone Our lives will travel paths all day Someone get me out to this dimly lit hallway ‘Cause love changes Best friends become strangers The West End’s in danger The rest set their wagers and you say, “let’s get the paper blowing in the wind burning” Me? I’d rather give the world away I’d rather give the world away You hear me? I’d rather give the world away I’d rather give the world away I’d rather... Jonathan Richman bemoaned the magical eyes I have a rational mind and know all about the capital crimes But my mum once was my national pride Despite being a fallible guy and all my tangible ties I had to cancel the line But listen: I'd rather give the world away I stand in the valley with these gold statues Built in honor of warriors with these bold tattoos All I got is a pair of jeans and these old black shoes And a shirt so thin it lets all of the cold pass through I advance down the line 'till I see the temple gates An entire lifetime trying to free my mental state In this mysterious land is its grand climax From the cradle to the grave My hands I grasp I've waited so long Now I'm so close I can't talk I've always wondered how many roads a must a man walk And since the womb I've wanted to cure my mothers tears It seems like the journeys done after a hundred years I walk up the steps The stairway to the mountain top As the altitude climbs, the air breaks, the counting stops The water of the fountain drops The scene is serene As I enter into the most holy place of my dreams Reality grabs me and pulls me straight to the ground Unable to move from the shock I wait for the sound My butterfly net full of dreams then gets snapped in half I start to rise to my feet while the monsters laugh and laugh Holy spirit fuels me Scriptures inspire me Enabling me to see clearly and paint the pictures entirely I know what makes a man Being able to break the band Take off the chains of fear of death and take God's hand And walk with him Straight down the longest road And the further he walks, well, the larger God's promise grows These are what dreams are made of in a pressure filled mind Inscribing the message on the street when pleasures steals lives Build up the fences to divide the sides and tile the floor And in the end all I really want to do is smile some more There’s faith and love in each individual soul They shape and change even our principal goals If we can keep our spirits inspired with zeal The fires we feel will blaze higher and heal Head Pressure Senses Clutch Message Pavement Fences Jump Touched Desire God Change Rush Zeal Life Veins Head Pressure Senses Clutch Message Pavement Fences Jump Touched Desire God Change Rush Zeal Life Veins From a head full of pressure rests the senses that I clutch The message on the pavement forms the fences that I jump I got touched by a desire for God to ignite a change Caught a rush of zeal from the life in my veins From a head full of pressure rests the senses that I clutch The message on the pavement forms the fences that I jump I got touched by a desire for God to ignite a change Caught a rush of zeal from the life in my veins

about

Affinity Drive's debut double album.

credits

released January 23, 2024

Visit linktr.ee/affinitydrive for streaming & socials.

All songs written, performed, arranged and mixed by Nicholas Rocco.

This album features 340 samples from looperman.com, freesound.org, libravox.org, various public domain films & educational videos and a couple home video recordings from my childhood. The fact that these resources exist was the only way this project was possible. Thank you to all the many people who painstakingly created these samples and chose to upload them for free.

The album art features the painting "Jeremiah on the ruins of Jerusalem" by French painter Horace Vernet. The cover was arranged and produced by Muriel Lewis (she's also the backing vocals on track 6). She's also been the main proof-listener and has put up with this being recorded in our one bedroom apartment.

Special thanks to:

Ken Beunaventura, Raj Bhullar, Stevan & Symone Chavan, Wes Crawford, Haylan Cross, Kian & Sam Dowedoff, Mirasol Hailar, Kostas & Lisa Karpetis, Kalvin & Mattea Kozoroski, Spencer Schmidt, Carmen Singh, Taylor & Velissa Stone, Rob & Joanna Welch.

Without your feedback and support, this project would have never been completed.

Additionally, thanks to the following for providing samples:

Coronet Films & the Library of Congress
Gowler Music
J A Carter from libravox.org

The following users from looperman.com:

093cave, 12phantxm, 8thdiamond, abelouis, acidpro, adisonlucau, Alchemyloops, AllyGold, alyson66, AmirMofrat, amtothepm, Amusan, Amva, AndrewStem, Aston2k, Auver, Ayerdhal, BabakBeatz, Beatsinthebackyard, BlackForestBeats1, bobv2, BoodyBeats, Boogieman0307, bornanti, BradoSanz, Buffalonugaluss, burkobeats, Byngsies, CACOtherapper, CalebG, CESSIR, Cg5music, Charlie Danso, cozethegoat, dakotalocals, Dan95363, dani1991, Danke, DannyRoyce, DarkyProduction, DartJeremih, DesertBeatsMusic, diamondwavcom, DillzeddProd, DJ_Fred_Val, DJDempy, DJKillens, DopelordMike, Drisss, DRyabchenkoMusic, Esvence, fakestarstudios, Fanto8BC, fincw, FJX, flask, frankiejazzit, Fratricide, Genamusic, Giddyteddy, GoodSan, Grapemaster, Hartsi, hbsamples, Hellceaser, HoldUpAnti, iamroofa, iisaii, itstracytray, JaggedSun, jayxy7, JetFly, JJIreland, JJMODEREA, Jjstiano, johnny808, jordanivey, Josee1969, JuLeeBeats, Jupiter Wave, kanpun, KarmaKaze, KevWest, Keycash, kkrolak9, Kyotomadeit, LankFrampard, lendy, LenoxBeatmaker, ljdealba, lowsociety, LuCianoBeatz, Makalo, Marchesani, MarloweDK, Martintser, MashaU, mayrln, Megapaul, menace2society, michiel555, MikeySimpson, milesatdenver, MisterVibes, mmilka, MrRivus, MsgxStudios, MusEquencyFrequency, NastysTaken, Negusfirst, NestiBeatz, Nightingale, NNAudio, NVBeat, noluvmusic, notJP, OG7even, onlineforever, OrenFisher, Owkeson, Ozzz, PmkBeats, ProdbyJBS, prodLK11, Prodphoenix, ProdThomasW, prodtiptoe, producerspotPsychorium, Rafhype, randyrandomson, ramont1no, realkorens, Rasputin, RayzCooks, RealNorth, Redkillerr, ripvanwillow, SAMWICZ, SantLuyzdj, sbw, SemiTex96, silencekills, SINExWAVE, skyrider, slitface, Snoogazi, SohunnidSoulprano, SousakOnTheTrack, Stefanccino, sushilbawa, synderax, TapeLoops, TheAttic, Thechokehold, themusicvii, thenatiboi, TheTHCLovesMe, Tinnaloops1, TonTieVandewalle, Tristu, Tumbleweed, turbobeats1, TyWayne, valenciabeatz, veezybaby, VladEisch, wattersonthebeat, Whisped, Xndy333, xyilent, YAVANE, yannibeats, younggreek, Yungky968, yxngsxnbeats

The following users from freesound.org:

abihisheky948, Cinetony, craigsmith, deleted_user_7020630, Ecfike, Elliotlp, geoneo0, houbi-game, izzytherobloxgamer09, Joao_Janz, Kalibrk, lezaarth, Makkaydani, Minimumlabryinth, qubodup, saintsamael

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Affinity Drive Vancouver, British Columbia

Indie Hip-Hop

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