I knew this brother that was almost a genius
True brilliance would meet him at the zenith
But in the downside my man would get depressed
Negative thoughts destroyed what he did best
Native creative, illmatic artist
Focused all his energy and show through a sharp piece
Prodigy performer, musically divine
Cla**ical composer, innovative each time
Gifted individual, say no more
Going through the motions feeling sad on tour
Scared of the fame, pressure on the brain
Rhyming backstage when they introduce his name
House lights go down, everybody claps
f** it, the show goes on and that'll be that
Smile for the camera, running down the cla**ics
Close out the show climactic with backflips
Thunderous applause for the audience that amazes
Inside the mind, though, he's going through changes
Suicidal thoughts while the audience is loving
Their source of amusement, he feels disillusioned
[Outro]
He gives the show of his life, though he's breaking down
Although you'd never know it
But there's something different about him now
He's painted his smile on upside down