Moving Forward Looking Back

Mac Miller - Right (LoFi Xtended)

YDKM (feat. LENS) prod. TENEN)

Been a while since I've done much on here. I've been in a creative rough patch lately so I decided to go back through all my old beats that I haven't listened to for a long time. Here's one of 'em. I think I'll post some more

(i) alteration

(ii) chromatic

// Gold Canvas by Silent Mind \\

another night inside my head
somebody let me out
the only thing that's clear is a shadow of a doubt

written & performed by lens
produced by zadams
artwork by the wonderfully talented Elijah Klauder (@eklauds on insta)

Gold Canvas

2000 Classic from Typical Cats off the debut self-titled LP. 

88.5 Chicago. Yeah. 
I shoot the gift on the radio station 
88.5 WHPK was the only station that would fuck with rap 
88.5 Chicago. On the radio station. 
Takin' a train [repeat/fade] 

The thin red line is the thin spine 
I roll down the back of a city overgrown and overtaxed 
The wack stands of the rich pick a thin 
pockets bare and scatter, the skeletons of cultures with no rent control 
Pattering feet of prostitutes and penny brown 
children trades glass glades sweet for someone to pay or to listen 
I glisten like the question in the shorty's eyes 
sleeping in the train-car at the Lawrence stop when I get in 
Making pillows out of bare arms while I'm posturing poems 
but I can't name these eyes or the idea of less than home 
Home be unfinished it that fate hasn't sown 
in the skirt of an evening over mornings waste blown 
I see the moon I see the go going by on stilts 
as mouths wilt and turn blinded to girls' eyes 
Fate's hands have holes, we hold hope by the collar 
color red the closed eyes shut tight on the dollar 
Wills rock-heads to sleep, my eyes peal all the way 
to memorize a sleeping girl's face and bring it to PK 

Oh, shit I'm late I got a bus to make to take the 35th and State 
Get on the Dan Ryan red line and head downtown 
With head down experience life in surround sound 
Rhythematic speech occurs when the crowd's around 
Besides I'm still waiting on the train, plus I'm late already 
and how the fuck am I gonna get downtown and back to WHPK 
Man its already 8:40, too much thinkin 
I gotta keep this freestyle steady, now freestyles over things 
like this point to the fact that I'm sober 
I need weed, yo fuck the mission to the record store 
to put CD's on consignment just for fickle fans to not buy it, 
I thought they liked violence but anyway skip downtown 
I turn around I hear the train coming, head out now 
Train stop, hop in the backseat like a fuckin' taxi 
and I heard that DJ Nat be having fat sacs a weed 
Get off and catch the 55th and Garfield to University 
Hyde Park chill, I feel a dark chill when I hit the building 
Here with the intention to kill it 
Finally made it now where the hell is Qwel and Denizen? 

Reasons run thin by the end of the line 
but the signs can be read if you learn them in time [x2] 

Yo it's already Wednesday night, time for HPK's rap show 
but waitin' on sacs yo makes me late 
Fuck it gotta hit this open mic 
hopin' to leave stress at the rest so I can flow tonight 
I grab my rhyme book and hit the elevator 
lighter square freestyle the tale I'ma tell later 
Hike to the thin red line that's Sheridan 
by the time my name dries waitin' for the train here it is 
Amongst the chatter of workdays and old dreams 
The thin red line holds me to window seats 
The wind blows beats with sin don't sleep 
but neither can I with open mics on my mind 
My pen and pad describe 65-minute lifetimes 
from Sheridan to Hyde Park provides spark tight lines 
Who's these Typical Cats flexin' insane 
"It's the Q-W-A", "Denizen Kane" 

Good to see yall cats late again some typical shit 
For sure don't sweat it Denizen, yo it's cool that you made it in 
Yo my bad Denizen I had to catch some medicine 
Oh I feel the pharmacology, cats were just guessin' when 
we three breath these free prophecies 
Catch me settin' outer limits to these than HP 
to MC's that hate me probably cause they take themselves too seriously 
My fear is not being there you see to hear'em speak 
fo sho you know these flea-bitten felines is found 
And the loose tooth get left in the booth 
that's my man Dan in a fine fickle fix of fellowship and fools frontin' 
Fact remains Benneton ads on crack make you move something 
Similar to Hi-Tek and Talib only at hi-speed, fools frontin' 
but the fact remains they still won't do nothing 
Who's bluffin', fuck that, I'm all concerned with whose cuttin' 
Yo fuck who's cuttin', yo it's cool if you two dudes is puffin', huh skid? 
Not to crush this fat rap oh shit check out this Typical Cat Nat scratch 

[DJ Natural cuts it up] 


Thin Red Line

Heaven is a Bitch (Nas vs. Led Zepplin vs. Gramatik Edit) FINAL

The Heart Part 4 - Kendrick Lamar - IV

Felt  20 Answers

Intro:
Ultimately, martial art means honestly expressing yourself...
it is easy for me to put on a show and be cocky, 
or I could show you some really fancy movement...
But to express oneself honestly, not lying to oneself, 
and to express myslef honestly...
Now that, my friend is very hard to do.

Like sands through the hourglass, so are the days of our lives
And for that live moment we thrive
Awakenings, as we make the dead come alive
Rise and walk my son
Come into the light
Inside the dark we illuminate mics
Give knowledge to mediocre
The will to neanderthal
Filter to the the small
Digital to analog
We steady advancin'
Rhyme enhancin'
Civil minds can't keep up with this

Senim Silla:
Dig - I'ma put it on the table
I ain't a thug nigga and playa, I ain't playful
I'm just Senim Silla, man without label
Standin' on my own to you tryin' to stay stable
Speakin' what I know to only what I'm able
I ain't the kinda guy who carry on for dough
The material cat who walk around for show
I'm just your everyday, merry way joe on the go
While others go with the flow
I ain't never been the one to follow trend, I do my own bit
Can't keep up with the joneses, I'm on my own shit
I don't care what you drink
What you stress, how you dress, or where you got the link
I ain't impressed
These lames run around like mice in a maze
Tryin' to get up on cheese, its just a rat race
Wanna change times' schemes to make man worship things
Over the supreme being, or stop, fill up?
Should I join the hypocrites?
Or side with the suckas by choice
It makes no difference that y'all product of environment
It's just coincidence
The world's a violent place baby, there ain't no more innocence
Or civil men or penatence, just
Ignorance cast on the right from wrong 
They mimic shit they see on TV or hear in a song
What that tell you they on?
A sucka act up every minute
The righteous live on but the the niggas are infinite

OneManArmy:
I ain't hardcore, I don't pack a 9 millimeter
Most of y'all gangster rappers ain't hardcore neither
Whoever get mad then I'm talkin 'bout you
Claim you fear no man but never walk without crew
[ From: http://www.elyrics.net/read/b/binary-star-lyrics/honest-expression-lyrics.html]
Where I'm from, your reputation don't mean jack
So what you pack gats and you sell fiend's crack
You ain't big time, my man
You ain't no different from the next cat in my neigberhood who did time
Rhyme after rhyme it's the same topic
What make you think you hardcore cuz you was raised in the projects
Broke ass finally got a hundred in your pocket
Now you on the mic spittin' money's no object
What you say is bullcrap
If you wasn't with your crew and wasn't drunk off the brew
Would you still pull gats?
You need to stop frontin'
Or you're headed for self destruction
Yeah, today's topic is self-destruction
I ain't talkin 'bout the KRS-One discussion
I'm talkin 'bout the one too many ignorant suckas
Lyin' on the mic to my sistas and brothas
Everytime you listen to the radio, all you hear is nonsense
They never play the bomb shit
Everything that glitters ain't gold
And every gold record don't glitter that's for damn sure

(scratching break)

(discussion)

OneManArmy:
How many cats you know speak the illegit rhyme after rhyme diligent?
85 percent represent ignorant
Either you innocent or guilty
Some of my favorite emcees fell off
It damn near killed me
Lookin' at the kids that was true hip-hop
Nowadays them cats don't even do hip-hop
Rap got 'em brainwashed with cats that don't last
And five minutes of fame 
That's when it's a shame
Seein real emcees tryin' to imitate rappers
If you ask me they goin' out ass backwards
Tradin' in respect to push a fat Lex
Puff rhymin' on the remix, what's next?
It hurts so bad I wanna smack 'em
My favorite crew members break up turn around and join wack ones
This is dedicated to you hip-hop hypocrites
Drivin wack songs like you don't give a shit
I ain't got nothin' against nobody tryin' to make a decent living
It ain't the money that's the issue
Only if that's the reason why these cats are makin' decent music
That's when I got beef with you
And I'ma break it you like never
Go ahead, call me player hater if it make you feel better
Try to jump my crew if you cats feel foggy
You need to wake up and smell the damn coffee

Grown Up

clae

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