Seize the moment

Time keeps ticking, tick tocking away

Memories passing me by, all of my days

Step back to see what I've accomplished

Fell short of my promise, I am astonished

Disgusted with the lack of enthusiasm, lack there of pride

Took my life for granted, feeling empty inside

Mentors have mental distaste for what I've become

Molded into a genius, but perceived to be dumb

Greatness in my grasp, still chose a different path

Ridiculed by my subconscious, which constantly laughs

Fallen from grace, viewed as a disgrace

Always in character; mask on my face

Man in the mirror says I'm better than you

To switch places with him, what I wouldn't do

Truth spoken in jest, a joker amongst peers

Appealing to the masses, while disguising my fears

Still I yearn to converse with an open book such as I

One as transparent as me, with no need to lie

Do you ever feel empty? Even cold at times?

Feel like you're down in the pits, with no desire to climb?

Satisfied with the outcome of the choices you've made?

Or scared to sleep at night, scared that your life may fade?

Educated to the degree you were destined to be?

Satisfied being paid hourly rather than salary?

Is this what your Parents, Grandparents, and Guardians expected?

Or were you hard headed, refused to learn, and help was neglected?

Will your children look up or down on past generations?

Are they destined to fail or have you set expectations?

Time moves fast, waits for no man

Plan for failure is the result of a failure to plan

Simply put...

I simplify my songs for you simpletons so you can simply see

The sacrifices for simplicity signify my sympathy

So complicated is the common consumer conscious

Caught up in the chaos and commotion, converting to nonsense

Seems I'm simultaneously sensible and yet cynical

Concentrated concepts claim casualties; condition's critical

Behold a being beyond barriers brainstorming out the box

Latch on and listen to lyrics that eleviate the locks

Breathing life into bodies battle tested and broken down

Done garnered recognition now I'm looking at gaining ground

Appalled at all the poor adolescents accomplishments unacknowledged

Corrupted by the crooked critics that keep 'em from going to college

Character Defined

Guess I'm a racist cuz I hate the black cloud hanging over me

They say you overcompensate & overthink, therefore you're overly

Under rated and underestimated, guess they don't understand it

Can't get over being under a microscope, but yet I'm still demanded

An overachiever with an underhanded demeanor

Climbed over to the other side, understood that their grass was greener

Pastures that surpassing the passion that I had for the path I chose

Honestly it'd be an honor if I wasn't the only one who knows

Sniffles from the nose, need a tissue so I can blow

Losing my composure with this music that I compose

My proposition is that my competition shouldn't oppose

The anger and the frustration that I impose

Get under my umbrella while we reign in champagne

Overindulging in this critical campaign

Sparking the mind of the people so I walk with a box of matches

Headphones attached to the youths while laying on a mattress

Unconventional and unique no one can match this

In a league all my own, so they calling me classless

Picture still ain't clear to them, they're in need of glasses

Timid student since childhood, so he never asks

For the roars of the applause although he leaves them in awe

Fundamental Young Intellect seemingly without flaw

Tongue lashing with the verbal yet lyrical onslaught

Superior vocabulary skills, untaught

Taunting the spectators who question my creator

Why speculate ghostwriting, question why I'm greater

Not illiterate but literally never been a fan of literature

Singled it out as insignificant, until I supplied My signature

My titanic penmanship seems to never sink

Pen and pad commands the conversation leaving me to think

Clear conscious creates the most complex of concepts

But I'm not a Character quickly taken out of context

To fit the demograph or rather the public perception

No dots or broken lines, untraceable therefore no connection

Notice Me

my vivid lyrics are a result of an intuituve mind

self educated not falling for the lies of mankind

man made diseases but they refuse to administer the cure

preying on those with misfortune to see how long they can endure

leaders in our community tell us to be patient and be still

but I can't do that cause our God gave us a free will

free from oppression, depression, and this concocted recession

but send them a message or expression of our aggression

give those that dictate the rules and regulations a reason to pay attention

forcing those reporting the news to give us honorable mention

Reminder

aggravated with the complexities, the hurdles , and the struggle

sick of the complacency, the hustle, and the not so subtle

racisit impressions pressed so hard piercing that which my spirit embodies

oppressed and pigeon-holed constant targets of their prejudicial hobbies

closed fists in the air symbolizing unity

yet they perceive it as a threat, one of mutiny

inserted the boys in blue into our hoods to serve & protect

yet their crooked with their wicked schemes, undeserving of our respect

41 shots, Diallo, and Louima, and Sean Bell

they're designed to keep us under, if you can't tell

racial profiling incorporated to cause much plight

an attempt to derail the dream, to keep us from the real fight

so we fall victims to the underhanded I can't understand it

we must stay focused get reparations for all that we demanded

liquor stores numb the pain, and the drugs kill our minds

scared to follow leaders yet our causes are all intertwined

lost sight of Dr. Kings dream so our current condition is that of the blind

maybe all that we're in need of is a reminder of what we're searching to find

Reality Check

I say poisonous people in power prepare for complications

Overlooking our obstacles on countless occassions

Signifying society's cynical skepticism

Rationale realized when rebels revolt against racism

Agitated and anxious by our approach and alarming actions

Considerably concocting the kind of plans to cause distractions

Killing our leaders leaves us in limbo with little to lean on

Fighting for our survival, forcing us to get our feen on

Dingy drapes on the doorway define the devastation

Internally infected by the inception of their innovations

Drawn to the drugs designed to deviate our desires

Our future forced into fostercare fervently facing the fires

Mentally manipulated and misguided by the Man's malicious motivation

Hoping to hinder and hurt our havens, however hit with hesitation

Trapped in...

Thoughts trapped in a bubble my mind's trapped in a cage

Time passing by quickly, getting no younger in age

I want to advance but stuck on minimum wage

They treat us like animals when we lash out in our rage

Drugs, murders, and rapes it's all one in the same

This doesn't seem normal, that's why we're going insane

Who developed these projects? I call them castles of pain

No clean water to use, so we boil the rain

No heat in the winter, however still we sustain

Police harassing us daily, cuff's substituted with chains

Don't want us to sell drugs, just put it into our veins

All of this plus slavery embedded into our brains

Sabotaging the young giving them no chance for a life

Treating Women likes trash, calling them ho's and not Wives

See it's the downfall of Man, hood swallowed in sin

We need to get out, but where to begin

Scared of making a change cause of what they did to Our people

Killed Malcolm and Martin, it's clear we ain't equal

Even Lincoln and Kennedy wounded up being victims

Fighting for the same cause but overcome by the system

Prisons close in proximity, always an ominous threat

Police brutality helps us to never forget

School system corrupted, no books and no teachers

Sports seems like the way out so we sit on the bleachers

Rooting for our children hoping for better days

Hoping the violence in our streets don't take them away

Working hard everyday, you could tell by the sweat on our brow

Holding firm to religion praying for God's will to allow

Allow us to escape from this place full of darkness

Although we're very religious, the devil's creeping regardless

Only a few seem to make it, the majority fail to get out

Take a look at statistics, you'll see what I'm talking about

Love Taken From Me

feels like a punch to the gut taking my every breathe away
tried to say something about it but there's nothin' left to say
she's the one that got away but I can't seem to except that fact
because the fact of the matter is if I never had her why do I want her back?
you see in the back of my mind is where she stays, day dreaming constantly
constantly I find myself thinking the world is ours, it's just her and me
her and me? I meant her and I, you know what I meant
"we were meant to be thoughts" is how my time is always spent
spent the whole day thinking of you now I mentally exhausted
exhausted all my options and now seemingly I've lost it
lost what? I have lost my mind, lost my mind to love
cuz when I think of love it seems that you're the only one I'm thinking of...
thinking of all the things that could've, would've, & should've been
should've been you and me forever, now look at the predicament I'm in
I'm in a rut now I'm stuck with the choices that I've made
made myself look like the perfect man, but the image now just fades

Removal of Fear

insignificant thoughts constantly haunt my mind
visualizing scenarios w/o you's hard to find
the fear of an end the death of a king
and this seems to be the story that I bring
but sing me a song to bring me back to reality
escaping all the tragedy and have me 'round friends & family
cuz nowadays I need those close to me to lean on
the reapers always haunting me, stay with me til he's gone
but why's my heart racing?, what is it that has me trembling?
Convinced God's on my side, but still have trouble remembering.
This is crazy cuz I shouldn't fear the coming day
escape is futile so why bother running away?
face it and embrace it that's the true character of a man
whether today or tomorrow it's all part of My God's plan
put the armor of God on, tight grip on my sword
be diligent, do good works, keeping Faith in My Lord
and when darkness approaches shed light on it
swing ya sword and like the Red Sea the dark clouds'll split
an over comer, a conqueror, all that and much more
Abraham's inheritance is what you should aim for
keep praying, keep Faith, keep reading up on your Word
applying that which you've read and none of what you've heard

Lost

Friends & Family say I lost it
'cause of Who my path has crossed with
everytime that they see me they say I'm looking so exhausted
got distracted, got derailed, then it seems I got destructive
now I lash out, 'cause their criticism doesn't seem constructive
see time and time and time again I feel just like the victim
feel like a one man army it's just me against the system
everyone is against me, they take my words and then they twist them
but they never take a moment or even take the time to listen
see I'm crying out for help 'cause I'm drowning in my struggles
but closed doors is all I get from them & "We don't want no trouble"
were with me when my life was good, but turned their backs once I stumbled
sat back and watched, did nothing as my World began to crumble
no words of encouragement not even a helping hand
My life is in shambles and I don't seem to understand
blamed God for all my problems, asked "why is it that I've been damned?"
surprisingly he responded and said "this isn't what I planned"
"I gave you a free will so you could do what you wanted to"
"your life's a result of poor choices, so these storms you must go through"
"in order to enter my Kingdom your mind must be renewed"
then the enemy crept in my mind and said "but wait what if you refused?"
"if you choose to worship me you will never ever feel abused"
& there I stood perplexed and feeling completely confused
say what you want about it, I know you have your opinions and your views
it's easy to say what you'd do while sitting in the pews

Things would've been so different...

Things would've been so different if I had stayed with you
If I had stayed in your arms and held unto you.
So many questions still remain; stuck inside my brain
hoping for some answers, searching for someone to explain
why you left me behind and never turned back
got on the right train but on the wrong track
are you the one to blame for all that I lack?
these are just questions, not meant to attack
your chararcter or lifestyle; I just want the facts
cause over the years the stories have gotten real wack
first they said you ran away, then they say you gave us up
said you'd give up all your rights, and you wouldn't look us up
a new life, a new house, maybe a new beginning
thought we was stretching, but you ain't return for the 8th inning
thought the move was temporary, thought it wouldn't last
always told myself she'd be back and I didn't have to ask
did she call? is she here yet? when will she come and get us?
my mommy loves all of us, she can never forget us.
but there I stood waiting and waiting all the time
bottled up emotions had me feeling like a mime
so I told myself she must be dead thats all that would've stopped her
me and my youngest got adopted but the oldest they didn't adopt her
And with that came the name change, and now I don't carry your surname
And I wonder if she's gotten married and possibly changed her name

You & I

you know the climate of our chemistry changes constantly
think of leaving, but still staying, you f*** with me consciously
they say the truth hurts, but you're unaffected by my honesty
remained humble through my trials, exerted modesty
but probably, could the problem be, that you ain't proud of me?
I was the hottest thing going, the biggest commodity
comically, I sit back and watch as the cookie crumbles
can't cry over spilled milk so make no sense to bitch and mumble
but still we tussle, scuffle, rumble, then I get into trouble
cause you done called the cops, continuously I just struggle
and so I stumble, unto the fact that you ain't worthy
no not at all missy, cause now I see you don't deserve me
clear vision helps remove me from ongoing controversy
but indecisiveness always keeps me at your mercy
firmly, I standby waiting for my chance to leave
and all our peers can't comprehend, or rather can't conceive
how someone who seems to always wear their heart upon their sleeve
would stick around so long, when there's nothing to achieve
but I believe, you're a work in progress, an eventuality
the give and take, the back and forth, twisted reality
girl of my dreams, became a nightmare, it ends in tragedy
but I can mold you, shape you up, and although they badger me
Imma be, the man you need, the man you've always dreamed
be patient with you, even though it seldom seems
the two of us were meant to be rivals on seperate teams
your insecurities erased when I boost your self-esteem
and the theme, it seems, is always ongoing
the up and down, the run around, the never really knowing
accountability never shown, so you're never owning
up to the tantrums you constantly be throwing

I'm Seeking

I'M...SEEKING...
MILLIONS RATHER THAN PENNIES FOR MY THOUGHTS
THEY SPEAK OF 5TH AMENDEMENT BUT FREEDOM'S WHAT I SOUGHT
FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION, AS A MEANS TO FREE MY MIND
FREEDOM'S ALWAYS SPOKEN OF, BUT NOT CLEARLY DEFINED
VOICE OF THE PEOPLE, LISTEN, I'M LEADING THE BLIND
SHADES OF GREY, THE WAY THAT THEY'VE DESIGNED
FREEDOM, SUPPOSEDLY SUPPOSED TO BE FREE TO MANKIND
YOU CAN LOOK, YOU CAN SEARCH, BUT FREEDOM YOU'LL NEVER FIND
BUT WHEN MY VOICE BELTS IT OUT, GOVERNMENT CALLS IT BLASPHEMY
LABEL ME A PROBLEM AND THEY'RE QUICKLY OUTCASTING ME
KILL THE LEADER, KILL THE MOVEMENT, THE MIND STATE THEY'VE ALWAYS HAD
HISTORY REPEATS ITSELF. X AND KING AND MAY I ADD?
REMEMBER JFK? DAMN SHAME! SINGLE BULLET THEORY?
NO WONDER ALL THE LEADERS, TEND TO BE SO WEARY
BUT I'M ON A DIFFERENT LEVEL, ON A DIFFERENT PLATEAU
IN THIS DOG EAT DOG WORLD, WHERE DO ALL THE CATS GO?
SPARKING THE MIND OF THE YOUNG, MOTIVATING THE OLD
BRAINWASHED BY THE GARBAGE THEY'VE BEEN FED AND BEEN SOLD
NICKEL AND DIMING, HOPING THEY'LL MAKE CENTS
HOPING FOR CHANGE AND WAITING IN SUSPENSE
SICK AND TWISTED MENTALITY FRUSTRATION TURNS TO BRUTALITY
FRIENDS AND FAMILY TAKEN FROM US, UNFORTUNATE CASUALTIES
MAMA DOWN ON HER KNEES PRAYING FOR BETTER DAYS
RUNNING THE NEVER ENDING WHEEL OR, STUCK IN A MAZE
AND STILL I'M AMAZED, THEY AIN'T REACHING FOR FREEDOM
WAITING IN VAIN HOPING SOMEONE WILL FREE THEM
COMMUNITY LEADERS LIMITED IN THEIR ABILITY
QUESTION THE PROJECTS, THEY SAY BE THANKFUL FOR STABILITY
LIQUOR STORES ESTABLISHED, PRODUCING THE TRANQUILITY
THEY NEED US TO DISPLAY TO DERAIL OUR MOBILITY
YOU SEE THEY PUT US IN PROJECTS, SUBJECTED TO POVERTY
LETTING YOU BUY THE HOUSES, BUT BANKS TAKING YOUR PROPERTY
EQUAL OPPORTUNITY? WELL TELL ME WHERE'S THE EQUALITY
WHILE THE RICH ARE GETTING RICHER, WE STILL SUFFERING WITH THE ECONOMY
EVERYTHING ON THE RISE, EXCEPT OUR PAY
STILL THEY TELL US BE PATIENT, AND WAIT FOR THE DAY
WHEN THINGS'LL GET BETTER, BUT HERE'S WHAT I SAY
WE WEREN'T MEANT TO EVER LIVE IN THIS WAY
FREEDOM IS RINGING...SO LET FREEDOM RING
KUM BUM YA'S WHAT THE PEOPLE, GATHER TO SING
WE DESERVE BETTER WAGES, BETTER WORKING CONDITIONS
FREEDOM TO PURCHASE OUR HOUSES, WITH NO OTHER REMISSIONS
THREE LITTLE WORDS YES WE CAN
I HAVE A DREAM DIDN'T DIE WITH THE MAN
A DREAM COME TRUE FOR ME AND YOU
IF FIGHTING FOR FREEDOM'S WHAT WE MUST DO.