[Intro]
I always felt I was misunderstood, I would die for my mother, I would shoot for my hoods
I would starve for my sons, eat with the wolves
Even though I strive for greatest it's all to the good
And I love my niggas like I love my fam
And I'm turning atheist but it's just God's plan
And I'm probably just a mortal, but not just a man
I'm a spirit, I'm a will, impossible force fam
Psssh
[Verse 1]
And I swam with a tail coming from my dad's nuts
Call it sperm but a nigga made it fuck it I have guts
'Cause I beat ninety million potential people to the clutch
So I'm here on Earth and I only deserve such
And I decided at age eight, growing up in Watts
Purposely losing my glasses
So mom would buy [?]
Short kid, but big homie saw my heart
'Cause I did what it took respect my one-man march
A then I went to public school, really saw hate
Whites blacks and Mexicans didn't affiliate
Some us grew better, when niggas started getting the next door neighbor's daughters preggers
Little half black and Filipino babies popping up
Worked at McDonald's for a week (quit), I don't do mopping up
Some blew us, some got redder
Some of us just specialised and got cheddar
And everybody went to college I was in the studio
Had a deal with Delicious Vinyl Paul Stewart put me on
[?] San Fran introduced him to Paul
Brought him upstairs then did ya mama a capella no song
Crashed my shit drunk driving juvenile hall, now we gone
Pharcyde got that deal, shooting "They Keep Running Away" video when I got home
Yeah, true
Hey, but that's called a missed opportunity
Now I'm in the cypher slaying niggas in unity
First show ever, wow crowd not booing me
Think if he paid me, on the low I would do this for free
Then I dropped my first record, 'bout to do the second (Teedra gets pregnant)
[Verse 2]
Execs pressuring me to release "Ghetto Fabulous"
Dr. Dre produced it that's to they advantages
Garnett sabotaged me, so scandalous
Label moved on, don't give a fuck about my damages
Not returning my calls, one way to handle this
Money getting low, so goodbye Los Angeles
C-c-c-c-'cause in LA if you broke, the streets start talking you a crackhead you smoke
Gave all my material wealth away
Baby mama got the Lexus I hopped on the plane
Nowhere to stay getting saved by a female
Thanks to DJ Scrap hooked up with C.L
Saw Russell Simmons said "I heard you moved to NY
Coulda at least got ya gold did they even try?"
Damn, I gotta start over get hot
Took a year, but thanks a case laying doo-wop
[Verse 3]
David Banner was with me when I told [?], "That's enough dog release me out this production deal"
One down, one clown to go
Get rid of Priority so a nigga can grow
In psychology class they teach you life as steps
Though I accomplished the first mentally can't get to the next
So after Soul On Ice, did Rasassination
1998 fighting a bad situation
Ran into Doc, chilling with big bro
Listen to final mixes of The Eminem Show
[?], then he gave me a bar
Said "If you stay on that label you will never be a star"
Five album contract, fuck three mo'
Y2K, too slow, they killed Van Gogh
A year later the label come with the absurd
The Dre song my single, but they ain't never heard it
Fuck that verdict
Coke and a smile, said "If you ain't do it first we ain't putting you out"
[Verse 4]
And that's how the Goldyn Chyld got aborted
Snatched my masters moved to New York kid
Made a hunnid grand, won't do another bid
State time nigga but it is what it is
And I got out on parole, fuck-fucked up again
Did the BET Awards [?] and went back in
Not my first rodeo, feeling like it's corny yo
[?] the only people there for me though
And I'm thinking how to get to the next chapter
Well my career's been shitty
But I'm the best rapper
'Cause I ain't taking minimum wage
Fellas can't be lawyers, no military I'm overage
Nowadays only garbage rappers get paid
But I'm most happy in the booth and onstage
Think of my favourite hip-hop moments, like Rhyme & Reason movie premiere and I was on it
Chilling with Nas the day he dropped "Ether", for D&D, same night I saw Jay Z
When Big L took me to After-Hours in Harlem
With Big Pun who at the time who I'm loving the bardom
When The Lox and Canibus rhymed at Maria Davis
Anger management took my twins backstage
Just literally had 'em onstage while [?] performing
All-access passes, Snoop was like "Oh cuz you got two Ras Kass'"
Then Xzibit made a beat, banging on the wall to Ras and Tash spitting star-studded crowd
My lil niggas ripped it to say the least
Then Jeff from [?] pulled out a twenty apiece
Said "Freestyles is dope but youngsters get paid for what you do"
You will never hear words spoken more true
Watch how my niggas grew now they taller than you
I just pray they a better father than you Ras
[Verse 5]
And the story begins where it ends, 'cause I lost a lot of fam that's why I don't have a lot of friends
And now I understand got to finish what I started
Much more to a T than being a rap artist
Cathartic but the fathers from executing [?]
Y'all respect the hottest and reward what's retarded
But I'ma play the game get the fame and win regardless
Make my final album say "Fuck y'all corny ass niggas" and retire for trill with like five hunnid mill
Create some schools like Oprah, 'cause I'm trying to build
And that's when I'm in my sixties trying to chill
Become a archeologist, 'cause I am the reel
Hahaha
Yo, Cee Cee, fuck this song man, let's move on
And Then... was produced by Soul Professa.
Ras Kass released And Then... on Fri Sep 09 2016.