Story:
I wrote this song on my first plane trip to New York City after September 11. Though it was a few years after 2001, the emotion was raw as though the disastrous events just happened. I reflected on that day and how race, color, class, and political affiliations didn’t matter. We were all Americans. I was (and still am) proud of the service women and men who are fighting and dying for the U.S.
Those events put us in check that life as we knew it would never be the same. This sense of security we had as a country was to be gone forever. The attacks were a reminder that you don’t know when the last time might be that you’ll step out of your house and not return. I was compelled to create a song to motivate myself and others to start doing something with your life and live each day like your last.
 
This song was originally going to be on the Below Tha Surface album with C-Rel. His spoken word at the end added a nice element to the message of the song. The beat was created by Vision, who presented me with several rock-inspired beats after watching 28 Days Later. I loved this beat the best. After hearing it, I got with a local musician to play live guitar on the song.  It came out amazing!
Lyrics:
LYRICS
 
As the smoke clears from the Twin Towers, we’re waking up to Red Dawn final hours
With these cowards.
Got trouble in the U.S. , trouble in Iraq,
More hostages taken, and more heads decapped.
Now we’re too deep in the moat just to turn back now,
How am I supposed to start off my day with a smile?
My heart goes to the soldiers in the zone,
Make us proud to be American and keep your faith strong.
Everyday I can’t imagine how it is,
Laying down your life for the future of our kids.
That’s what real is, and that’s some real inspiration,
Got me thinking about myself and how to be a better person.
Now I’m reaching out my hand when I normally wouldn’t,
Telling myself I can when I normally couldn’t.
‘Cause ain’t no way that I’ll ever let my freedom get stripped,
So today I’m stepping out the house like this is it.
Kiss my kid in case I don’t see him again,
Hug him tight, let him know what a dad’s love is.
 
Chorus:
My heart is on my fam, my mind is on the cash, living everyday like it’s my very last.
I’m looking to the future, not living in the past, living everyday like it’s my very last.
My hand is on the wheel, my foot is on the gas, living everyday like it’s my very last.
I can’t slow down, I’m moving too fast, living everyday like it’s my very last.
 
Waking up in the morning, stretching, yawning,
Would like to stay in bed, but the day is calling.
Man, what I gotta do to make ends meet,
Get up off the couch and get on my feet.
About to do something for real, soon you will see,
The vision like the cat that laid down this beat.
This goes out to everybody who knows how it feels,
Not to make enough money to cover your bills.
In a tight squeeze in a rut or just bad luck,
Coming home from work dirty with your shirt untucked.
Don’t get stuck with less when there’s so much more,
Yeah, I’m registered to vote, but never done it before.
And that’s the first thing I gotta change, how can I talk,
About doing something big if my walk is soft?
I’m stomping on the ground trying to leave deep prints,
Looking at God’s plan like this all make sense.
 
Chorus
 
Being controlled by fear, having all believing the end is here.
So be it if it’s the time, for I have the holy grail and the key to King Solomon’s mine.
With the treasure box unlocked and the secret now revealed.
Blue or Red pill is the choice, looking for a voice of reason in these days of Revelation.
At this substation called Earth on the way to our final destination.
Get past the external and look below tha surface.
For what is seen is only temporary, for what is unseen is eternal.  
 
Chorus

Everyday Like It's My Last

Story:

This is the song that really set the tone for my solo project. C-Rel and I needed to get our song “New War” mixed for a Below Tha Surface video shoot. My homeboy Vision’s business partner, Ced Solo, had a good studio set up and talent to mix songs. When I went to Ced’s studio, he let me check out some of his beats. After his recent success with Anthony Hamilton, I wanted to hear some other soulful tracks because I was going to begin piecing together my solo album and I wanted a different sound.
 
The soul and bluesy funk of this beat really hooked me. The instrumental told the story that “Can’t Give Up” became. I ended up writing “Can’t Give Up” in about an hour. I was at a point of questioning whether to walk away from music because I needed to provide for my son and music wasn’t making money. It’s a hard choice that so many musicians have to make at one point or another of their lives. I felt I had so much more to say and hoped that maybe I could even inspire some lives on some level.
 
This song became the cornerstone, foundation, and my own inspiration to complete my solo project. Whenever I was faced with self-doubt, I would play this song and remember all I sacrificed by leaving home (in Oklahoma) by moving to Atlanta and the talent I felt God blessed me with. That was all the push I needed to continue this project and keep moving.  
Lyrics:
LYRICS
 
CHORUS
I can’t give up (no, no), Lord knows I try, that’s all I really could do.
I just keep my head high and make it all come true.
 
It’s the first morning (of my life) I woke up,
Worked all night, now I’m packed up.
Got a dream that will never hold up,
Now it’s only forward motion never back up.
Then I said goodbye to the OK,
Headed east and fixed my sites onto GA.
Can’t believe I just left my fam at home,
The boy becomes a man, set out on my own.
 
CHORUS
 
In this music biz you stand or fall,
Our first show in the A and we won it all.
So we decide to stay, see what we could make,
I finished school, didn’t hesistate.
Burning both ends of the candle light,
Four hours of sleep, yeah that’s a good night.
Now see we just might, see the pay off,
Until I do, I ain’t taking no days off.
 
CHORUS
 
I miss my mother, I miss my father.
I miss my stepmother (and stepfather), I miss my Goddaughter.
I miss my brothers, I miss my sisters.
I got a son now and he’s getting bigger.
The industry is changing, but the politics aint,
I got laid off and the music don’t pay.
I funded the first album, but the team fell apart,
Didn’t promote it as planned now I’m back at the start.
Now my responsibilities are catching up to me.
Should I stay in the music? Or should I leave?
But if I leave, that means a part of me dies,
And I got something to say, so I’m still gonna try.
 
CHORUS

Can't Give Up

Story:
Keeping in line with transparency on this album, I strived to create music and songs that exposed my thoughts, soul, heart, spirituality, and character. That said, I had been sitting on the beat for Scrap Book for about 3 years, but wasn’t sure what type of lyrics would accompany it. Relationships have a way of inspiring though. I came up with the chorus for Scrap Book, then the verses just poured onto the paper.
The song is really about meeting somebody new that moves from a perfect stranger to becoming such a central, important part of your life. It’s a love song about finding that person you can settle down with. You go through that infatuation phase where everything they do is beautiful, even eating and sleeping. The relationship matures and you’re committed to that person. You forget about the relationships of the past and create new memories with the new love of your life. You do things that your friends would call you a “sucka” for doing, like creating scrap books and referring to them as ridiculous made up pet names.
Lyrics:
LYRICS
 
Chorus:
I went from a blackbook to a scrapbook.
Used to live that single life, until I found the one.

When we first met, it was something fantastic,
You knew all the hip-hop classics.
Black lights in a smoky room,
Everybody dancing to the DJ’s tunes.
Not exactly the perfect place,
To find your soul mate, but the perfect place.
Is where I found you, remember?
It was a Friday night, last days of Winter.
In the flashing lights and disco balls,
I was with my friends and you with yours.
I couldn’t pass up, I had to speak,
Something about your class that attracted me.
We began a dialogue, but it was hard to hear.
Yelling over the music in each others ear.
Still, we kept talking ‘til the music stopped
And the lights came on, the night we were born.

CHORUS

I used to look for a misses,
Now I’m looking at pictures.
Of you and me,
Our first anniversary.
And it feels so right, funny how someone new can affect your life.
Taking pictures of everything,
Of us eating and sleeping, and doing nothing.
Got ‘em all housed in one book,
So when we get lost we can take a look.
What’s next? Turn the page,
That was our first trip, remember the rain?
Plane got delayed 8 hours,
Oh, here’s a picture of a vase and flowers.
And everything’s still fresh,
Girl, you the best and I feel so blessed.

CHORUS

Scrap Book

Story:
This is another instrumental I got from Ced Solo that night in the studio. The way this music starts reminds me of the beginning of a cinematic dream sequence when someone is falling asleep or into hypnosis. I thought to myself, “what would my ultimate dream be?” If the world could be perfect and free of sin, what would I want that to look like? I imagined a perfect world enriched with joy and absent of pain. I picture going back into the Garden of Eden, and aborting the birth of original sin, setting off a chain of events that created a different future for mankind.
Lyrics:
LYRICS
 
Follow the watch with your eyes…
You are getting sleepy…..sleepy……sleepy
 
CHORUS:
Welcome to my dream, where we can feel free, we can feel so free.
Welcome to my dream, where we can go be, we can just go be.
 
Now that I got you under,
Let me tell about my dream and all these things that I wonder.
It started out in the garden of Eden,
Looking at the core of the fruit already eaten.
Then I took it back to few moments before,
Picked the fruit before Eve and threw it in the water.
Now we’re set free and sin free,
Can you imagine how life would be? Now let’s see.
Maybe, we could all be a stranger to pain,
Nobody would have to struggle ever again.
And heaven would be the only thing that compares,
But we’re living on earth and still sending up prayers.
And most of ‘em do get answered,
Everybody has food nobody has cancer.
Everybody in good health, nobody has AIDS,
And everybody lives ‘til they die from old age.
 
CHORUS
 
In my dream love lasted forever,
There’d be no break ups and we would last together.
In my dream, we always had gas in the car,
The prices stayed cheap ‘cause there’d be more.
In my dream, there was no such thing as poverty,
We all had money and a piece of property.
And in my dream, the youth had more fathers
Who made men out of their sons, queens out of their daughters.
There was no such thing as war,
We could travel the world without needing passports.
Everybody had a job that they love, no one strung out on drugs,
And doing right with their life just because.
Nobody diseased or teen pregnancy,
Domestic violence was non-existing.
And in my dreams, I couldn’t see my loved ones that passed,
But I could hear ‘em talk and laugh. In my dream.
 
CHORUS
 
In my dream they never bombed my city,
Those 168 were still living still giving (giving love).
They didn’t attack my country up North,
Those families didn’t mourn and we still felt secure (like before).
And in the South, the floods never came,
Nobody uprooted ‘cause the levees didn’t break.
And man, nobody tripped on what your race was,
There was so much peace and love (I saw it).
People looked you in the eyes, never told lies,
And we never took for granted a sunrise.
We gave thanks for the new day and bread we break,
Wish I could stay here for ever, but I must awake.
 
CHORUS

Welcome To My Dream

Story:
The last pew is a metaphor for being close, yet far from God. It’s about being in church, wanting to receive his word, but having feelings of guilt due to sin or imperfection that act as a spiritual barrier.
The first verse displays a spiritual warfare that many can relate to. It’s about knowing and trusting God, yet still allowing free will to control aspects of life. The second verse is a true story about events surrounding my mother’s aneurysm. The third verse is a more introspective look at self and recognizing how God can utilize our imperfections to impact the lives of others.
Lyrics:
LYRICS
 
Chorus:
Now, I’m sitting on the last pew, with a clear view
Still I’m near you, I’m near you
I’m sitting on the last pew, with tears too
Lord I hear you, I hear you.
 
I never really struggled with my spiritual,
‘Cause I seen first hand real miracles.
I never understood when they said God speaks,
It was hard to believe until he spoke to me.
I didn’t hear words, He just showed me visions,
I was wrapped up in guilt, it became my prison.
Ignored what he taught, made my own decisions,
Lived life based off of my own predictions.
And it left me in predicaments, my sentences
Spoke positive, but I wasn’t living this.
Overall, mostly doing Godly things,
But the King firsthand saw my shortcomings.
Attended church and prayed, gave my money to the plate,
Hoping to get the favor also compensate
For the things that I hid, drop in another 10,
I’ll keep this between me and him
 
CHORUS
 
I remember very clear when she almost died,
My brother called with the news but I could not cry.
Too much in shock, never saw this,
Sometimes you see the present, but you miss the gift.
I never knew what an aneurysm was, just a medical term,
It never occurred that it would be her.
Not prepared to feel the hurt,
Doc says she only got 20% and is getting worse.
She slipping to a coma and not waking up,
Doc says in 30 minutes they’re pulling the plug.
Same time, different place, several miles away,
A group comes together, bow their heads and pray.
Same time, in that hospital room she awakes,
You can’t tell me that was anything but God’s grace.
Whose praise is owed, she’s on the road to recover,
His face was shown when he saved my mother.
 
CHORUS
 
When I look at myself here’s what I see,
A man trying to do right, but consumed with greed.
Find the silliest things to complain about,
My mortgage went up, but I got a house.
Gas prices elevated, but I got a car.
Man, I hate this cube, but I got a job.
These student loans killing me, but I’m educated.
Big mountain of debt, but good credit rating.
I’m saying, that helps put it in perspective,
Take the focus off me, how can I use these blessings?
What can I do to contribute to mankind?
Make a difference in some lives, it’s been past time.
Guess I was waiting ‘til I felt like I was all complete,
But it’s my incomplete that give me empathy.
Simply put, I know I got some life affecting,
Can you please point me in the right direction?
 
CHORUS

Last Pew

Story:
This beat was originally for an R&B artist and at a much slower tempo. I wrote a song to it, but didn’t like how it came out. I decided to scrap the original concept and lyrics, speed the beat up and try again. The melody of the music seemed to be saying “I won’t think about you no more.” I decided to run with that concept, channeling a good relationship gone bad. The idea didn't stem from any relationship in particular, but generally derived from personal relationships (mine and others) and my relationship with music. I wanted this song to be more of a poetic piece, evoking imagery that related to nature. I guess that was the Sade influence 
Interesting fact about this song: I was in the studio recording this song and something freaked out Cali (the dog) and she barked. When I played the song back, she actually barked on beat, so I kept it and added it throughout the song. To me, it added another interesting element of a man sulking over a broken relationship with only his dog as his companion now. The classic tale of man and his best friend! 
Lyrics:
LYRICS
 
What if happiness was not forever after? It’s a love story, Or an end of love story. The fairytale is over.
 
You were the sunrise, gave birth to day added light to my life.
And I was the tree, stood tall but was stronger when you shined on me.
You helped me grow; reached heights far beyond what I’d ever known.
I could count on you; when you left I knew you missed me ‘cause you lit the moon.
To let me know you were there; you know all this tree needs is a breeze of air.
And we knew it would rain; promised not to let the elements get in the way.
But when the storm came; you never came back and my branches decayed.
And now I can see; guess I needed you a little bit more than you needed me.
 
Chorus:
I won’t think about you no more. (4 times)
 
You were the sea; gave birth to the waves that carried me.
And I was the boat; was strong by myself but you made me float.
Guided me to shore; saw places of this world I’ve never seen before.
I could count on you; when I woke you were there, plus you gave me food.
You attracted me; persona so vast, mysterious, and deep.
We knew it would storm; thought you’d never leave me or do me any harm.
But then the winds changed; by surprise, capsized, and I drown in your veins.
And now I can see; guess I needed you a little bit more than you needed me.
 
Chorus
 
I’m exfoliating, it’s you I’m secreting,
I’m detoxifying energizing, and releasing
The pain that resided and resentment that followed,
I tried to keep smiling but contentment was hollow.
Although, my cognitive processes return to you,
I need to let go and be through.
But the irony is I think about you every time I hear this.
 
Chorus

I Won't Think About You

Story:
When I was in the process of creating “Hip-Hop for the Soul,” I narrowed it down to about 20 instrumentals that would serve as the backdrop for the album songs. This instrumental came one night in my car during a long drive home. It was raining outside and I had a lot on my mind. The music understood my day and I started freestyling to it, recording it into my phone. The chorus and much of the last verse came as a result of the freestyle.
When I sat down to finish the song, I thought about some stories in my life of other people I came across who were carrying burdens. The first verse is a true story about a guy I met one day while I was getting lunch in downtown Atlanta. He shared his story, we ate, then went our separate ways. You never know what people are really going through until you take a moment to connect with them!
Lyrics:
LYRICS
 
(Looking out my window, Looking out my window
Looking out my window, Looking out my window)
 
Chorus:
Driving down the road, trying to stay awake.
It’s been a long night, it’s been a long day.
Driving down the road, trying to get away,
It’s been a long night, it’s been a long day. (repeat)
 
I met a man today he stepped off the Greyhound,
Said he’s new in town and could I help him out.
I told him, “I’m not going to give you money,
But I’m headed to get food if you’re feeling hungry.”
He replied, “God Bless,” then we walked downtown,
Hit up the food court at The Underground.
I got the chicken with rice and asked what he wanted,
He said he’d have the noodles ‘cause it’ll stick to his stomach.
Then we sat and we ate, I asked what brought him this way,
He said he just had to get away.
“Get away from what?” “Get away from life.”
He’s from South Carolina, no kids or wife.
He said his family life was never really the best,
So he moved to Atlanta, so he could start out fresh.
I listened to every word, he was almost in tears,
He just needed someone to hear.
 
CHORUS
 
The rain’s coming down hard, but I’m still cruising,
My problems are real, but the world an illusion.
All these happy songs on the radio,
But people are broke and got no place to go.
The picture ain’t perfect and it’s going downhill,
To little take action, keep throwing up shields,
To dodge what’s real and get lost in addiction,
Then Jake got your body and your mind, no fixing.
We’re losing faith when we need it the most.
This journey ain’t over, no not even close.
So you can take my health, my house, my job,
Take what you want, but I still have my God.
I know I got issues that need worked out,
I can go from confident to being filled with doubt,
But you can take my family, my life, my car,
Take what you want, but I still have my God!


Long Night, Long Day

Story:
This is a love story, based loosely on real people. Only the names and details have been changed to protect the innocent. So, the first verse is all about the ambitious, talented, loved, stubborn, and overlooked character called “He Was.” The second verse is about an intelligent, resilient, beautiful, fragile, and strong willed character “She Was.”
He Was and She Was came from different worlds, but had many similarities and personality traits that eventually allowed them to cross paths. They realized that the voids each had in their lives were fulfilled by the other. The end. 
Lyrics:
LYRICS
 
He was a product of divorce, vowed to live his life different,
A wife and a life filled with joy from his children.
Childhood dreams to do big things,
Make a milly off of something, hit the front of magazines.
He was a focused ambitious, lil’ quiet kinda fella,
The type that inspires and could write a best seller.
Poetic as it is, his life is like a movie,
With drama, suspense, and plots that were moving.
He was misunderstood and ahead of his time,
Challenged minds to shift the paradigm.
He was a broken up display of worldly imperfection,
But strived for the best, still he came up less than.
He was surrounded by love but with few means,
Had a few keys to unlock a few dreams.
Still it seems every door he got burnt,
But he kept on pushing visualizing his turn.
 
Chorus:
He was an underdog, she was so beautiful and
They wanted more, they wanted more they wanted more.
He was a big dreamer, she was a big thinker and
They wanted more, they wanted more, they wanted more.
He was a bit different, she was so independent and
They wanted more, they wanted more, they wanted more.
He was a little broken, she was so outspoken and
They wanted more, they wanted more, they wanted more.
 
She was a product of a broken up home,
Parents used to argue, daddy never at home.
Used to hit the bottle at night, then come home bent,
Until it turned into a fight one night, then he dipped.
She was so broken up, so insecure
So self conscious, yet so pure.
She was so loved, yet so empty,
Never trusted men, ‘cause where she’s been she
Was so smart, wish her daddy knew,
Kept her head in the books good attitude
She was strong hearted, and strong willed,
Only few get to know her, got a strong shield.
And got a sharp tongue, drive to get better,
She would take over the world if you let her.
Those she’s got issues, you would never know,
She’s so focused, so clever, so beautiful.
 
Chorus
 
As it turns out, he was and she was crossed paths,
He was the man she always needed, she was the dream he always had.
He and she fell in love, for 2 is better than 1.
Broken pieces pieced together,
She was the “will you leave?”, He was the “Never.
She was the happy home, he was the rock,
She was the motivation and inspired thought.
He was the metal, she was the metal,
Sharpening one another, no contentment would settle.
They formed one dream, not be achieved separately but together,
Even if they had to wager forever.
And if it is to be forever, he was glad it was she,
And she was glad it was he.
For who better that He Was and She Was?
They were meant to be.
 

He Was She Was

Story:
The title pretty much says it all.  I was inspired by the Christian rock song of the same title. I wanted to make a Hip-Hop version and inject my own testimonial in it.
The first verse points to struggle, but also keeping faith through trials. Though burdens are difficult to carry, some more so than others, they make us stronger individuals if we persevere. Verse 2 celebrates God and reminds us that he’s in control and has never left us. This song helps keep me motivated and grounded. 
Lyrics:
LYRICS
 
I’ve been broken down, I’ve been torn apart,
I’ve been stretched so thin, I’ve had a broken heart. 
I’ve lost everything, or that’s what I thought,
But see everything, ain’t always what you bought.
Outta touch with friends, I’m to low to call ‘em,
Struggling to meet ends, I’m trying to stretch twenty dollars.
I’ve been sinning so much, I’ve been losing touch.
And though I’m down and out,
I know he’ll never count me out, so I sing
 
CHORUS:
Glory to God to G-O-D,
With him I’m everything, without him, nothing.
He gave his only son that died for me,
So glory to Got to G-OD. (repeat)
 
I got everything and everything I got is from the man up top,
I give him all I got.
Beause he gave me life plus he gave his son,
He’s the way and the light, and he shed his blood.
So I will not complain, I will live in faith,
I will trust in him, I’ll continue to pray.
May he do what he may,
Let me hear him talk and all that he has to say.
Let me recognize my blessings, turn over my stresses,
Get my life together, clean up my messes.
I can’ t do it alone so work through me,
Take these burdens away and sooth me.
Only you can renew and restore,
So forgive me for being who I was before.
That was then, this is now, wanna make you so proud,
So I’m lifting my voice and I’m singing out loud…
 
CHORUS

Glory To God

Story:
This song has gone through MANY transformations from it’s original version. If you’ve known me personally, then you may have known this song was in my catalog for many many years. This solo project finally allowed me the avenue to bring it out.
Let’s start with the music. James Bryant, my early music production mentor created this instrumental. The first time he played it for me, I literally got chills. We must’ve listened to it in his studio on repeat for about an hour and a half. From the first time I heard it, the book for Revelations stood at the foreground of this musical canvas. The winds of Armageddon, the sorrow and drama of the strings, the battle of the horn blasts, the fury of the guitar run, and the rumbling thunder of the bass. The biggest pressure was for me to put the right lyrics to it that would be as captivating as the music. It had to be as important and powerful song.
The first and second verses gives an eye witness account literally as the world begins its ending. It explores inner dialogue, the events depicted in Revelations, why the world ended, and questions about where my destiny may lie.
The last verse was mostly written (and originally recorded) by Sev-Leven. If you bought the Below Tha Surface album, then you already know about his creativity. This verse has me landing in a place that I’m not sure is heaven or hell. I end up being interrogated by God about my misdeeds. I begin arguing with him to prove that he’s wrongly accusing me. Listen to the song to find out how it ends! Note to the reader: You’ll never win an argument with God. 
Lyrics:
LYRICS
 
I lift the shades from my window, man I shouldn’t have looked,
I saw this devilish crook as the ground cracked and shook.
I took a deep breath and it hit me (uh) I guess I got no time left,
Because the world is on fire and I see evil resurrected.
I took a second to pray “Lord help me through my dismay,
I wanna get to heaven and today’s my final day
So forgive me because I’ve made some mistakes,
So much deception around me, I’m trying hard not to break.”
The revelation is completed life is cheated by death,
The Seventh Sign means completion, the earth is put to rest.
I’m hearing screams like bad dreams or nightmares, but dare say this is  reality,
My blank stares reflect I’m a living casualty.
Sound asleep, the world agenda’s got me hypnotized,
But now I open my eyes and I begin to realize
That we the people are the main reason the world is at its end,
We live in seven sins while conglomerate businesses
Keep controlling what we see, what we hear, what we think,
Now we’ve become desensitized and over time we’ve reached the brink
Of destruction, no it’s too late to get baptized,
See I knew this day was coming, so I ain’t really surprised.
 
It’s over, it’s the end, send me to New Jerusalem,
Because the hell I’m in has got me trapped once again.
The Sixth Seal was revealed, then the sun turns black,
The moon blood red, soon the judgement of the dead.
The wind is powerful and these roaring thunders make me wonder why
God sent hail and fire fall from the sky,
And why’d the water turn to blood? Suddenly these luxuries mean nothing to me,
Yet they were everything. 
I see these horsemen coming, maybe they can help,
But as they got closer, I hid myself.
It seemed like evil, especially the pale one,
The rider was the reaper, you can tell how death smells.
Oh, how did I get tricked? Not prepared for this,
Saw the writing on the wall, but ignored the script.
It’s all these things that I took for granted,
Always prayed for everything, not realizing that I had it.
Now I’m crying and my eyes are burning salty tears,
Looking back on how ungrateful I’ve appeared through the years
From God’s eyes, while I destroyed his temple,
Disrespected his name when my actions strayed.
Yet, I display the nerve to ask for his hand,
See I never lost faith, hope my place is still planned by his side
Let me float to the sky, goodbye Earth,
My soul still has value, but what is it worth?
 
I don’t realize where I’m at, got these bright light in my eyes,
Don’t recognize the voices, taken in by surprise.
In his custody pleading the fifth, trying to stall,
Is this heaven or hell? I can’t tell at all.
But he starts with interrogation, and got me guessing,
The come the accusations as he proceeds with his questions.
“What have you done with my fossil fuels? Why’d you knowingly spread AIDS?
What is your role in genocide? Why’d you blow up the World Trade?
Why’d you shoot your classmates? And let the less fortunate go hungry?
Why’d you get caught up in your possessions and only concern yourself with money?
What was the point in your life? Why’d you poison your body?
Why’d you stop listening to me when I was speaking to you loudly?
And the water you contaminated, what was the reason for the scheme?”
I don’t have a rebuttle, see I didn’t do these things. 
I was raised in the church, and studied your word,
And I don’t mean to be outta line, but this whole thing is obsurd.
Man, I’m being set up or this is a case of mistaken identity,
He said “You represent my people, and my people have forsaken me, my son.”
Share This!

The End

In Hip-Hop, a freestyle is traditionally defined as an MC coming up with rhymes on the spot, off the top of the head. As Hip-Hop has evolved, the style is no longer free, but mostly held captive to low risk formulas and predictable radio songs. There are few exceptions to this standard. The music used to inspire, captivate, teach, and motivate, but currently a void exists that once allowed the music to stir the listener’s soul.

Enter Jermo H, an Oklahoma City native and Atlanta resident. You’ve probably never heard of him…yet. Why would you? It’s not popular for an artist to create music, giving the listener a sense of who the artist really is on a personal level by the raw emotions that spill out through their recordings. An artist that you, the listener, can connect with and understand because you’ve shared the same experience and walked the same walk. An artist that regular folks with regular problems can appreciate.

Jermo H is self contained in that he writes, produces, mixes, and records almost all his own music in his home studio. Wearing many hats, he also runs his music production company that has gotten his entire catalog licensed to MTV for their reality TV shows. In addition, Jermo has appeared on Showtime at the Apollo and a reality TV show on the now defunct Spike TV cable network. Further, his song “Sooner Girl” that he created under his group, Below Tha Surface, cracked the nationwide Top 100 CHR Radio Charts.

Highly active in the Atlanta music scene, Jermo is a member of the Producers & Engineers Committee and the Education Committee with the Atlanta Chapter of the National Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences (NARAS). He’s served as a panelist and performer at multiple NARAS events. An advocate for recording artists, Jermo possesses a genuine passion to improve the art.

Though he’s released albums and singles as co-member of Below Tha Surface, Jermo is set to launch his first solo effort,“Hip-Hop for the Soul.” This project is submerged in very musical, soulful, and heartfelt elements. Jermo states “this album draws much inspiration from Marvin Gaye’s ‘What’s Going On,’ Outkast’s ‘ATLiens,’ and the poetic love content of Sade. I want this album to open minds, move hearts, and inspire lives.”

Jermo’s appeal lies in his genuine love for the art, sincere and relatable lyrical content, and general song production talent. The next time someone complains that Hip-Hop all sounds the same, introduce them to Jermo H and “Hip-Hop for the Soul.”

Jermo H

Popular tracks