On Tour

(Yeah)
(Huh)
(Okay)
(Huh)

Now, see when I'm on tour, I'm never insecure
Signing notebooks, girls screaming premature
And I ain't even known, barely stepping in the door
Still traveling alone, expanding my repertoire
They say maybe down the road, what I'm making may just soar, so
Will you sign my poem, cuz you'll never be too sure
Everybody blown, buying me Coronas
Another time zone, somebody bringing me Folgers

On the college circuit, no, nothing's ever perfect
Sometimes there's no crowd, sometimes you can't work it
So when it goes dead, I just focus on the perks, shit
Still got my bread and my hotels purchased
And in the morning you back on that JetBlue
To the next audience you need to accept you
Buy a CD, bring you to they venue
Trying to make friends cuz thats what friends can do

(Huh)

Some fans been following me for ages
Saw me on HBO, and call me famous
Grabbed my download, subscribing to all my pages
Caught my video on her phone, she bootlegged it
And I'm collecting every poster that my face on
To celebrate the fact that I ain't had to go and make one
Taking all these photos, next day they up on Facebook
Tagging me and saying how my show was so amazing

"Oh my God, I loved it, it was so good"

(Huh, yeah)

But when I go home, home to settle
Local folks speak like they grown and on my level
Telling me they rock shows, when I know they throw pebbles
But I don't even mind, I just leave them behind
See, they made the grapes, but I make the wine
And he claims he great, but can't escape the vine
Wanna make what I make, but ain't even got the time
So he runs his mouth then travels down south

Fine. Follow me online
Where I can read letters 'bout how I'm better
Where people tell me, "Rafa, you should do a record,"
But the Bay gets no love, so there's so much pressure
Jet setter, stacking up my frequent flyers
Cuz I am the header on these frequent fliers
No savings, but a frequent buyer
Collecting ice creams like Breyer

Yes, I make about two stacks when performing
Do about six quick tracks then relax
Means I'm making over three bills every poem
Each piece three minutes, that's a bill every 60 seconds
I'm going. It ain't like I'm balling
I'm'a call that my blessing, that people keep calling
And women keep sweating on me every so often
Fall in love in Texas, get some head out in Boston

Loving the applause when it comes right by me
Oakland fitted, wanna know if I get hyphy
I say "I might be". Plus, I get hippie
Tripping on shrooms till I'm back in the 60s
Past of an MC, future producer
Presently in a frenzy, somebody gimme "woosah"
I must be a paratrooper, the daring way I maneuver
Cuz I don't get played, just blown like a tuba, I'm smoother

Two to the face when I touch down
'Round where my folks pound, don't hang around
Next flight. At SFO, shed my excess hoe
Baby won't let go. "You'll be home soon, right?"
No, sweetie, I got arrangements
And don't try and check me, you don't make my payments
I'm headed to Milwaukee, so unless you're gonna walk me
Please let go of my arm be, because these planes I can't miss

Kiss, and I'm gone. This is how I lose every lady
The price you pay for the life I play
It ain't right making her wait every night and day
But I can't not take a mic they hand my way
So I tell her to replace me, my best weapon
But when checkin' in on my ex-women
Part of me dies when I see that men stepped in
The ones who could mend the mess I left them in

But many young men stuck working retail
So I can't compromise nothin' for no female
I'm on the road alone, I manage every detail
One day I'll have a chick who laughs when I tell her these tales
'Bout how spent my 20s traveling the globe
Just paying my tuition off some shit that I wrote
Which goes against the intuition of those who listen
To rap music and think that it's a bunch of dumb folks

And this be it, bruh, the artist hustle
Don't envy it, it is the hardest hustle
Many of us brag about the stars and the women
But what we keep hidden are the scars and stumbles
Pick up and zip up my bag again
Cuz I'm back to somewhere else on the map again
Break another heart for the making of my art
So I savor every part of my travelin'

Yeah, dropped the monster. Proof I'm beast
And of the best while I get my degree out east
In the midwest, where the west coast MCs get
Very little respect, but they respect your number one rep
Yes, me. Cuz I advanced the whole skill set
Make beats, rap sing with a live quartet
At this point and time I think I penned a fine portrait
So I'm out slow, leave you with me humming on this outro

[hums]