Caged Birds

[Intro]
Man I dont know what I thought
But thats how it is
Haha
Yeah
From time to time
You try to find direction you know what I mean?
And usually
The path to where you need to go is right there in front of you
But you gotta open your eyes and pay attention
Yeah, The Left

[Verse 1 - Journalist 103]
This the song of a caged bird
Cause when I go out and search for something else
Every time I find myself
Right back on the stage; back in the booth
Back in that notebook to continue writing the truth
Even when my paper's low and my wife start fussin'
I go straight to the lab like she ain't said nothin'
I tried going back to school (but it didn't work)
I even pursued a different career (that was even worse)
? stated at first but Jay was quite clear
Man you are who you are 'fore you got here
That's part of destiny a bond you can never sever
It gotta be carried out no matter the weather
So if my lord decreed this for me
Then I submit in totality til the death of me
Every man was born with his own legacy
Rather international or a local celebrity

[Hook]
Cause I'm an emcee
A title that became a part of me like it was my anatomy
It's my reality story of an artist starving
Or the story of an artist on his way to stardom
I'm an emcee
A title that became a part of me like it was my anatomy
It's my reality story of an artist starving
Or the story of an artist on his way to stardom

[Verse 2 - Finale]
Yeah
I live in a ? like ?
?
After school who wanna grab you
Swift dollars attract a few who recruit distracted youth
I refuse to ? I moved out
That ain't cool I guess
I know my home, I ain't mad at you
Too much of my time I coulda spent tryna get my momma livin' in a life of luxury
See that attractive view, we imagined ? double digits
Succeed or keep runnin' at it til I can't fuckin breathe on my ?
They call it Statistics
Street shit is addictive he wanted ?
If he didn't end up in the cemetery he woulda been a defendant

[Hook]
Cause I'm an emcee
A title that became a part of me like it was my anatomy
It's my reality story of an artist starving
Or the story of an artist on his way to stardom
I'm an emcee
A title that became a part of me like it was my anatomy
It's my reality story of an artist starving
Or the story of an artist on his way to stardom

[Verse 3 - Journalist 103]
From the second the beat drops you can feel the adrenaline rush just as soon as the head knocks
Rappin' for the real when they step to the center stage
The nucleus of the rap game will never fade
Will never change for the corporate
If they never endorse us they
They gotta mission that's more important
Reestablishing what the game has lost
The theme music of life something that never costs

[Verse 4 - Finale]
Aight
Pimp listen - I'ma be Jim Henson
You muckers stuck on that tough shit
If you look up, you see X on the set of strings
I'm never neck and neck with the next team
You ? you better respect ?
Threaten the flesh better than best
Ten steps ahead I never rest
I write and go to war don't never want the Vet status
Since I heard a veteran don't gotta fight no more
Crack doors open I go in

[Hook]
Cause I'm an emcee
A title that became a part of me like it was my anatomy
It's my reality story of an artist starving
Or the story of an artist on his way to stardom
I'm an emcee
A title that became a part of me like it was my anatomy
It's my reality story of an artist starving
Or the story of an artist on his way to stardom