[Intro]
(radio station searching sound effects)
[Verse 1]
They say life is a journey that must be traveled
But we'll be fighting uphill battles on the way to that castle
There are many lessons to learn, but some lessons are forced
On the path to righteousness, we're often lead off course
What I see in the media leaves me in disgust
I shake my head and turn off my TV in a rush
You wanna know why I'm acting so hostile?
Because today's society has a serious lack of role models
From the 'burbs to the slums with the small apartments
I've seen these children grow up alone and heartless
This generation has nothing to show for
Cause the media convinced them there was nothing to hope for
But you don't need to throw your life away
Cause after the darkest night, there's always a brighter day
I'm here to carry on the message, so you can feel empowered
Cause Slick Rick told us that the world could be ours
That means there's nothing you can't do, nothing you can't say
So tell the ones who doubt you to get out of your damn way!
But life ain't always a bowl of cherries, it's cold and scary
And will blindside you in an instant, with no preparing
So never think you have it all figured out
Just take your head out the clouds and keep your feet on the ground
Now all the problems you'll soon face might be stressing
But you can get the right impression with these life lessons
[Hook]
Take a look around
There's so much beauty to be found
Don't let problems get you down
Or stop your progression
Make the most of what you're handed
Don't ever take it for granted
Cause in a moment, it could all vanish
These are life's lessons
[Verse 2]
Now it's time for some exposition
So what's important to you, fortune and fame or personal recognition?
There's nothing wrong with striving for the highest luxury
But when its out of hand, greed can turn a man bloodthirsty
Not everything that glitters is golden
They say life's a gamble, so I grab my pair of dice and keep it rolling
You get nowhere without hard work, and you might struggle
But if you keep that mental muscle, you won't get lost in the shuffle
Knowledge is power, but take it beyond the classroom
Show the world you're not just here to pass through
Nowadays we altercate over the stupidest reasons
So if you must fight, do it for what you truly believe in
It's easy to get caught up in jealousy
But to have what the next man has, are you willing to catch a felony?
Don't live your life parallel to that of a nere-do-well
Cause what goes around comes back around like a carousel
And I don't care to dwell on past mistakes
I just try to learn from them and focus on where I'm at today
Don't stay stuck on the past
If you drive towards the future gazing into the rear view mirror, you're gonna crash
And I know I'll be neglected by the general collective
My record won't sell if I'm conscious or introspective
But even though my words might only reach a chosen few
Its worth it to see the kind of people they'll grow into
[Hook]
[Verse 3]
When I was twenty-one, folks said that I was too young
To make this song, I thought they were dead wrong
But they couldn't have been more right, I lacked the foresight
I was a mess, so who was I to tell you how to live your life?
And six years later, I still don't have it all figured out
If anything, the problems in my life are even bigger now
So how can I try to criticize what the rest do?
Its cause I want to set an example for my baby nephew
Advice from the perspective of your years is called wisdom
When you're grown, you do away with all childish mannerisms
And you'll keep learning lessons, but not all of them are sacred
Always listen to advice, even if you don't take it
And even if the idea doesn't seem palpable
Always respect your elders but don't think they're infallible
The truth is often manipulated, that's why it is critical
To think for yourself as an individual
I've always looked at music as a spiritual enhancer
But the truth is Hip-Hop doesn't have all the answers
I'm just trying to find my place in life, and who's to blame
If I can hope to inspire others to do the same?
So as you look back on your life when all said and done
Will you be proud or ashamed of what you've become?
Only you will know for sure, so I say in closing
Walk straight, master your high - now let's hear the globe sing
[Hook]
[Outro]
The answer to the question of how can I criticize the way others are living when I’m going through problems as well: because I want to set an example for my nephew Michael. When this album came out, he was three years old. I dedicated this song, and the album as a whole, to him.
These next few lines are fairly straightforward: you need to work hard and keep a strong work ethic, and even if you go through hard times, as long as you keep a clear head, filled with knowledge, you’ll be able to rise above the hard times.
I wrote this song as a modern-day version of Slick Rick’s song “Hey Young World,” which tells us in the chorus “Hey young world, the world is yours.”
I used these sound effects to signify that this kind of positive, uplifting Hip-Hop won’t be found on the radio.
To close the song, I bring it back to the initial inspiriation; a quote from Slick Rick’s “Hey Young World”:
Hey kid, walk straight, master your high
As the the annotation on that song says, there’s nothin wrong with gettin your head up – AS LONG AS you can keep your shit together.
While the first line is restating a well-known idiom (“all that glitters is not gold”), it leads into a nice play on words. The second line is a reference to any gambling game involving the rolling of dice, such as craps and cee-lo. But in another sense, I also mean attaining what I believe is a perfect life (“my paradise”) but still working hard after I’ve attained it (“and keep it rolling”).
“When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things.”
- 1 Corinthians 13:11
I eventually wrote the song I wanted to six years later, at the age of 27 (the song itself was released when I was 28). But even though I was six years older and more knowledgeable about life situations, I was dealing with more problems then ever before.
This is also a callback to the first verse: “never think you have it all figured out.”
I tried to write this song before, at age 21, but I didn’t finish it. A lot of people were telling me I was too young to make this kind of “grown man rap” because of my lack of life experience. It turns out they were right, but mainly because my life was in such a bad place. How could I tell people how to improve their lives when I couldn’t improve mine at the time?
Basically stating what my I want to do with my music as a whole.
The sample is from the song “Appreciation” by Supastition.