Self Exam

[Intro: Akin]
Yeah, yeah. Yeah, yeah. “Self Exam.” Check it out, y’all. Life story like this. Check it

[Verse 1: Akin]
I was born at the end of the disco era when
The b-boy was the life of the party
Then in [?] Benin Republic, West Africa
I started out ‘til eight years old—then we bought it out
Looking for a job abroad, daddy found one
He was intellectual and mamma was too
A match made in heaven or the curse of voodoo?
Well, we got situated in the Sunshine State
‘Cause I was adapting to change and tryna assimilate
Thoughts ran through my head. Kids couldn’t relate (Why?)
‘Cause I got [aches?] on my fingers and my dinner was late
Yo, I had no toys, was forced to be creative
I wrote scripts with sticks, pretending they were people
Made a movie called War. Went and made a sequel
My parents were traditional—they loved discipline
My sisters were good, but I was bad at listening

[Hook: Akin]
Knock, knock. Who’s there?
Is it my childhood unraveling? Nah, it’s my adolescence babbling
I guess I better let him in
Hello drugs, family, God, depression, and music

[Verse 2: Akin]
Coming of age in the mid-90s. That was me
Poetic juvenile into hip hop—an emcee
Perfecting my craft of when days were darker than [Shaft’s?]
Black, leather jacket. I sat and weathered the wrath
With some paper and a pen, my thoughts my medicine like
“I’mma be [?], so fuck Excedrin”
Yo, mom and dad arguing. That shit is old
A battle of words—the nerds may win [?]
Guess that love was lost and war found a home ‘cause
Mom had the couch and dad slept alone
Not naïve to the fact—I was well aware
That the bond that was love was no longer there
That shit ran with the wind and [?] turned to sand and
They got divorced and I was caught between
A tug of war. The legal system at the door like
“Did your daddy beat you and who do you love more?

[Hook: Akin]
So, knock, knock. Who’s there?
Is it my adolescence unraveling? Nah, it’s my manhood babbling
I guess I better let him in
Hello past, present, future, life, and understanding

[Verse 3: Akin]
Accepting manhood is a challenge I’m willing to face
Take your time. Said, “Mom, I’m willing to pace
Myself ‘cause I gotta be twice the man that my father was [?]”
I gotta make it whether slaying crack from 9-to-5
Releasing stress over beats just to stay alive
It’s all a hustle—nowadays, I just maintain
And let the good times roll, then embrace change
I’m kind of glad that I made it up thus far
See, knowledge of self is bigger than a rock star
Now, understand the wisdom here
And let Speck drop the beat—shit is crystal-clear
We let ‘em know that

[Hook: Akin] (x2)
Knock, knock. Who’s there?
With those, my thoughts unraveling—yeah, that was Akin babbling
I guess y’all better let him in
Hello world, family, music, life, and understanding