Verse 1 (A.L. Laureate) It seems the beginning was just the other day Introduced to the system with division blocking the way I swayed the melancholy parted ways with the party I try to forget but thoughts begin to stalk me// Glam rappers become actors On wax or on screen they become they own personal benefactors We could close the lid and case closed But backpackers and trappers bypass looking for scapegoats// Rappers portray g's to make g's Emcees rip mics to move crowds beyond what you perceive Think about rappers when they first came out Debut album was classic but money altered the route// We choose to keep it real dedication never ends The people call our rhyme scheme a tired old trend If its Jay-Z and Nas or Manchild and me We all had the same start its time for you to see//
Chorus (A.L. Laureate) Open up dismiss any preconceived notions We send a prayer for the culture to stay focused Money changes perception of creativity It’s shown through records today and its killing me// We know it won’t be like it was before But we still got the future it could be rewrote And restore rappers and emcees to original state Starting at the same time on the same page//
Verse 2 (ManChild of Mars ILL) Now let me start, by saying my part, for the paying patron on the waiting line Odd sharks say take your time Wait for, lying, on laid on the train line They start shining, on a playground paying mine// Forward to the next class session till it breaks up No static, automatic, hang on to your pay stub Radio is wrecking y’all, when they refuse to play us Living in a dream world, the corruption’s made up// Hey love; it ain’t nothing but music and poetry Everybody run the line from half track to totally blacked out Below the scene, out of state or locally Domestic to overseas, Ten bucks and your holding me close// God made me I’m supposed to be dope Already next to nothing, but still we going for broke Choking on the contact, tell me where the songs at Steady running on track, and showing you hope//
Chorus (A.L. Laureate) Open up dismiss any preconceived notions We send a prayer for the culture to stay focused Money changes perception of creativity It’s shown through records today and its killing me// We know it won’t be like it was before But we still got the future it could be rewrote And restore rappers and emcees to original state Starting at the same time on the same page//
Verse 3 (Praverb the Wyse) Same start, same race, different finishes Same scars, different skin, hidden blemishes Underground, commercial, spitting sentences Same goal, 20/20, vision limitless// Nowadays, a lot of rappers babble on it feels like false religion in Ancient Babylon I’m the judge, without a place to slam the gavel on Sleeping on emcees, they style I put a mattress on// It’s sad when the radio defines us, the media defines us Now nobody will sign us Nobody will sign us, we all majors We Indy-pendent but we treated like minors// Searching for gems, we get treated like miners Whored out to millions like a prostitute vagina Too blunt I had to speak the truth for once This one trick pony will not perform new stunts//
Chorus (A.L. Laureate) Open up dismiss any preconceived notions We send a prayer for the culture to stay focused Money changes perception of creativity It’s shown through records today and its killing me// We know it won’t be like it was before But we still got the future it could be rewrote And restore rappers and emcees to original state Starting at the same time on the same page//
Verse 4 (Cayoz Da Beast) Rappers pump your breaks and slow your pace, cease the gas Cause we all started out at the bottom in the past When I look around now it’s funny how y’all seem to act Like since we ain’t in the limelight there’s something that we lack// We started out looking fly i