Shelf Life

By Diesel Clockwork

Released on August 29, 2025

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[Verse 1]

I like my drums raw, dirty and dusty

Said, I pray my time comes before I’m thirty and rusty

Because, rap never waits, don’t plan your escape

Aim to cultivate some buzz, long before it’s too late

The next great one, won’t look like the last

Showing them that I’m him, proved too tall of a task

The aura around rap, ain’t a genre to match

And the way the greats snapped, makes me honored to rap

The rap renaissance, the return of lyricism

All these rappers arе my sons, don’t call it some nepotism

Get back to work, staying privy to my shеlf life

Wait too long, they put you back, didn’t smell right

Down bad, smoking roaches out the ashtrays

It’s one life, there’s no motherfucking backspace

Lot of rappers chasing after the bread

But me? I’ll do my best to leave a lasting effect


[Verse 2]

Wanna be the greatest, but I’ll always be a fan first

Will I ever make it? I may never get the answer

Every second counts, so they never wanna let loose

You can run, but it's always gonna catch you

Tread lightly, rappers can’t escape the corny claims

To put a bullet in his head, would be more humane

A fresh find, fuck a best-by-date

Gave my music to the world, just to test my fate

Hard to gain respect but it’s easy to lose it

Ambition, alarm clock, you either get up or snooze it

Underrated can’t begin to suffice

Overlooked, glossed over, I rescind my advise

To those who choose me, I admire your taste

Told em, when my time comes, it's not a moment too late

Cause everything is by design, out of control

Find a bit of sunshine, to lead me out of the hole