Intro:
It's not often a person gets a chance to reflect
In reflecting, my life has been one big paradox
But I prefer paradoxes over prejudice
I'm not blameless
But I'm most certainly not to blame
Verse 1:
My life's motto on the right Serato
Sound just like Malcom when I hit full throttle
El Hajj Malik on these rhymes on beats
But more Malcom Little when I hit these streets
I put pen on sheets
Put beef to bed
Keep the burner tucked
Put Heart to Head
I put mind to thing
And then do that sh**
How many other muthaf**s flow do like this
Ask who dat is
That's A.S.H.E.S
This tabernacle
These ma**es
These beats that ASH go spas on
That pa**ion
Bout action
I spit life to hoods
I speak truth to burbs
I give hope to plenty with these nouns and verbs
I give meaning to struggle
Hopin' all my n***as bubble
In this concrete jungle
Til they all say “WORD!”
Chorus:
*I'm not to blame
*For lovin' you (3x)
*I'm not to blame baby
*For lovin' you (3x)
Verse 2:
I'm back baby
That black baby
That my mama had
I was my daddy's maybe
Was my nana's favorite
Was Seattle's gypsy
Was the most hated when the VICE came to get me
Held back tears when I kissed moms
Ate the whole thing
Licked the whole dish off
With no network
Just effort
First 48 got the whole 36 off
Had the OG n***as all pissed off
But hell... I ain't care
sh**, I ain't scared
Told em like they once told me
Cash rule everything around me muthaf**a
Life ain't fair
I grew up watchin' yall from park bench
Watching n***as like DS spark sh**
Am I really to blame?
For simply playing the game?
I was born here
n***a I ain't start this
I was raised here n***a
No Clark Kent
No White Jesus gone save your soul
Say money can't buy happiness
Well happiness ain't paying for no gooddam dinner rolls
Not justifying
Just identifying
What takes a kid from a cub to lion
What makes a kid go and grab the iron
To Triumph
I am…
A.S.H.E.S!