“Icarus” is the Ari Lennox assisted opener to Bas’ third solo album Milky Way.
The song’s title references the Greek legend of Icarus, as Bas’ success, liberation and current position parallels the blind sense of ambition that led to Icarus’ early demise. Whilst Bas ruminated over his struggles wit...
[Intro: The Hics]
Since I've let go of you and I
Lately I've been feeling too alive
Flying too close to the sun, yeah
Flying too close to the sun, yeah
[Chorus: Ari Lennox]
Oh yeah
Trees that grew between us
Tears that drip between us
Years have blew between us just to throw away
Might've lost our glory, but I love our story
Yeah I lock the door just to store it away
[Bridge: The Hics]
They say love don't cost a thing
Yeah right that's a underbid
They say love don't cost a thing
Oh yeah right that's a underbid
That's a underbid
That's a underbid
They say love don't cost a thing
[Verse 1: Bas]
And you know they be lying like Kellyanne Conway
I just get my thoughts off, I just take the top off
When the cauldron bubble, we come from the back block
So they call us trouble, we can never slouch nor stop off
Weekend on the couch with the socks off
Nah, we can make it count, run the clock off
We can count lives on the block lost
Cautionary tape, that we can never block off
All I see is hate, how many memories can a million make?
Opinionated, young nigga seen the whole world with my own two
What they gon' do with this young nigga?
Whole squad workin' on the same page like we one nigga
Like we one
I can't get jiggy with you clowns
I'm busy I've been giving New York City a whole new sound
Who really gon' hold this down? Who? Me, funny
I catch niggas gettin' sore when I do me
I still wish them niggas more than they do me
Gotta live up to the blessings of my Umi
Bring myself, couple steps closer to my God above
Never read the "Art of War" but it's hard to love
Never know when you go rollercoaster
All your highs got a low, rollercoaster
Bring myself, couple steps closer to my God above
Never read the "Art of War" but I could write the Art of Love
[Chorus: Ari Lennox]
Oh yeah
Trees that grew between us
Tears that drip between us
Years have blew between us just throw away
Might've lost our glory, but I love our story
Yeah I lock the door just to store it away
[Verse 2: Bas]
The inner me is tellin' me, "I gotta pace it"
The winner in me is tellin', "I got a bottle of Ace"
Cole gave me at the Garden from the case Hov sent him
Looked him in the face
Told 'em I can't pop it til sell it on my own occassion, bold claim
Told my momma I'd be back and I make it, both came true
Thought I was escapin', just to find myself right back in the Matrix, both pills blue
I thought I'd be fulfilled
I came from not a dollar in my momma basement
I came from baggin' product in my momma basement
Almost caught some shells tryna bust a couple sales
They went and caught a collar in my momma basement
I've been tryna keep her proud since, nigga way back
Got some niggas, keep me grounded, that's some way back
But I gotta take flights sometimes
These are fightin' times, I'm my only opponent
Somedays I'm betrayin' my holiest moments
I don't know who could control 'em
I don't know who could control 'em
I ain't living for me, I'm the youngest of five
And if I don't survive, I don't know who could console 'em
I don't know who could console 'em
[Outro: Bas]
Since I've let go of you and I
Lately I've been feeling too alive
Icarus was written by Ari Lennox & Joshua Morgan & Ron Gilmore & J. Cole & Bas.
Icarus was produced by J. Cole & Meez & Ron Gilmore.
This is the first time that Ari Lennox has been officially featured on a Bas track. However, she provided vocals on “Night Job” and “Miles and Miles,” both tracks from Bas' sophomore album, Too High to Riot.