Falling - Intellectual

[Intro: Denzel Washington]

I’m sure people have told you, to make sure you have something to fall back on

Make sure you have something to fall back on honey..

But I never understood that concept, having something to fall back on. If I’m going to fall, I don’t want to fall back on anything, except my faith, I wanna fall forward..

I figure this way at least I’ll see what I’m going to hit

Fall Forward

[Sample]

I don’t know about my dreams, I don’t know about my dreaming anymore..

All that I know is

[Verse 1: D. Ciano]

D. Ciano in Savannah's like Lebron out in Cleveland

I had to leave to be someone my city can believe in

I refuse to be another youngin' out here dreaming

I push it like Salt-n-Peppa, but here for more than a Season

Relevance is the reason, longevity's my fuel

And the process gets me heated, but my fans keep me cool

With or without a monarchy, my plan is to rule

And a back up plan is the reason that I'm in school

Seems cool, but some can't seem to understand me

Such as my peers, my friends, and all my Family

And Music is my way out, I don't have a Plan B

So why work for a college degree, when I want a Grammy

It can't be, too far from where I'm at

I worked too hard to stay in back

And I'm a star and that's a fact

No need to say I'm back, because I never left

And this food for thought shows I'm a better chef

But better yet

[Chorus]

I don’t know about my dreams, I don’t know about my dreaming anymore..

All that I know is, I'm Falling, Falling, Falling, Falling

Might as well Fall in

[Denzel Washington Talking]

Thomas Edison conducted 1,000 failed experiments

Did you know that? I didn’t know that

Because the 1,001st was the lightbulb

Fall Forward

[Verse 2: D. Ciano]

Taking classes for granted cause I'm way too advanced

And I have questions that can't be answered by raising my hand

No bowl of cereal when I say I've been raising my brand

Reaching for clout, deep in the south, without.. making a dance

But what now? should I craft singles just to get cheese?

Or should I make the good music that the youth needs?

Correcting errors from my era like I proofread

Cause I'm too clever my endeavors are what fuel me

I'm tryna measure success but wheres the right ruler

Can someone from a dark past have a bright future?

I'm just a product of the streets who put my heart into rap

Who was smart enough to get the cheese and not get caught in the trap

Just take a listen you'll see art in my rap

And listen forward I'll have you falling right back

I was disguised as the norm to form your referral

Went from cyphers in dorms to now taking over the world

[Chorus]

I don’t know about my dreams, I don’t know about my dreaming anymore..

All that I know is, I'm Falling, Falling, Falling, Falling

Might as well Fall in

[Denzel Washington Talking]

Reggie Jackson struck out 2600 times in his career

The most in the history of baseball

But you don’t hear about the strike outs, people remember the home runs

Fall Forward

[Verse 3: D. Ciano]

Mixed emotions on right or wrong, write a paper, write a song

Living up to the hype but ain't nothing like when my mic is on

Like when I see em listening whenever I perform

No longer Clark or in the dark cause now the lights are on

And since a dream like this isn't for certain

Society only respects a student unless I'm working

Figured I'd work 4 years for my bachelors

Just cause my ancestors worked 400 for their masters

Then I went casper, but I was far from friendly

D' Evil was out to get me, thank god that heaven sent me

I was tired of being broke and no job could ever fix me

Working hard but still proud like Oscar for every Penny

Living in new beginnings yet steady trying to make ends

It's hard in this real life filled with fake friends

So I go in, just set the date and set the bets

Until I reach my highest peak I don't think I can ever rest

[Outro: Denzel Washington]

So the question is, what are you going to do with what you have?

I’m not talking about how much you have

Some of you are business majors, some of you are theologians, nurses, sociologists

Some of you have money, some of you have patience, some of you have kindness

Some of you have love, some of you have the gift long suffering

Whatever it is, whatever your gift is

What are you going to do with what you have?

As far as content, It’s tough excelling in music in Atlanta, Ga without having a club hit record, or a dance of some sort.

But from a creative writing perspective, this is the last line of the rhyme scheme. By now listeners were so used to the sound of the rhymes “Raising my Brand, Raising my Hand, etc” so I threw in a new rhyme “Reaching for Clout, Deep in the South” before hitting them with the last one of what they were used to “Making a Dance”

I’ve been working to better my brand as an artist.. I’ve been Raising(Raisin) my Brand (Bran).. Great cereal by the way lol

Casper is a ghost, Casper the friendly Ghost. The phrase “you got/went ghost” is slang for you went missing, you disappeared etc. Something people say to you when they haven’t seen you in a while. So I was low key for a while, but not too friendly like Capser was due to everything that was going on

I never wanted to be a product of my environment, because a lot of the people from the streets face a lot of hardships, like complacency, a life in the fast lane, or prison (both mentally & physically). I chose to put my all in to what I write, in to music. I was smart enough to find income without the need to live that trap life. With a light play on words about mice/rats, who go for cheese and get caught in the trap.

A lot was going on, I always refer to D'Evils, I’m a Jay-Z fan. So the bad and evil of the world were taking a toll on me, but it didn’t become me, because I believe I’m here for a greater purpose, a positive purpose.

I refuse to be just another dreamer, I’m going to actually push for this dream to be my reality.
“Push it” was a hit song from Salt-n-Peppa in the late 80s. Probably their most famous song. So I’m saying I push it like them but I’m here for more than a season. I’m here for more in Hip-Hop than they were, and also I’m here for more than just a season. I’m not a seasonal artist who will be here in the Winter and irrelevant come the Fall. Also Salt & Pepper are used to season food.

There are so many up and coming rappers out, that it’s almost laughable when you tell strangers you rap. It’s not respected. Society respects students, and people in the workforce, but people who only have big dreams and haven’t achieved fame yet usually get a big “Good luck with that” type of vibe from people they mention it to.

I have to think of a name for this type of bar I do. It’s like a slight variation of a double entendre. I do this often, It hits listeners as hard as a nice punchline, but it’s more subtle and witty. Basically I’ll set up a big line with context clues so that when they hear the homophone I use as the punch, both interpretations are instantly understood. Masters (Masters Degree)/Masters (Slave Masters)

Continuing from the last 2 bars, I figured I should go to College since just rapping isn’t respected too highly. Plus I began looking at more positive aspects of school, like I could use school to help push the music, and people before me fought for years just so people my complexion could have higher learning. My ancestors worked a lot of years for their masters. (for their slave masters) (and for the right to even obtain a masters degree)

I was confused about what was more important, writing a paper for school, or writing a song and working towards my dream

I was handling both pretty well, but there’s no feeling that compares to being on stage performing in front of an audience. I no longer feel like Clark Kent at that moment, on stage I feel like Superman, the lights are on me and I know that my voice, my message can’t help the world. (If Clark can’t change the world, Superman can).

Until I reach my full potential I can’t stop going. I don’t have time for rest or boredom, there’s always something I can do to work towards the dream. Also the witty meaning is a reference to the tallest mountain in the world (My Highest Peak) Mount. Everest. (Ever Rest)

I was living in and embracing new beginnings, yet I was trying to end a few of the bad things, and I was trying to make ends meet. To make ends meet is slang for just being able to live comfortably without going in debt. Also it’s tough when people you thought were on your side show their true colors. Also a light play on words using opposites as well. Beginning/End and Real/Fake.

I didn’t feel challenged enough a lot in school, and that led to me taking it all for granted, missing classes, and not doing a lot of assignments. Plus I had questions about things they weren’t teaching in classrooms

Continuing from the previous line, I ask.. what now? Should I just do what they do? and try to make a catchy club record, or a new dance for the masses to attach to or should I just continue making this music I feel could help the youth?

I expressed my honest question in a subtle but witty way. I said… Should I craft(create) singles(songs), just to get cheese(money) while referencing Kraft Singles, a brand of cheese.

I didn’t have a “real job” and was tired of my funds being low, but a job with consistent pay wasn’t the answer for me. I used a light play on words with broke and fix. I was working hard everyday, but the work I was putting in with this dream doesn’t pay as quickly as the typical 9-5. People in this profession work hard for years for close to nothing but progress, but in the end they wind up rich for the rest of their lives. Tho I didn’t have much to show from working so hard, I was proud and thankful for everything I did have, every penny. The play on words references The “Proud” Family. Oscar & Penny. (Penny Proud) (Penny -1 cent)