Dear Me! Challenge Criteria:

3 minute maximum length
Vocalist must write a letter to themselves
and
Producer must feature a guest producer
and
Instrumental must contain an impactful instrumental drop/acapella section

VPC7 Round Five - Dear Me!

VPC7 R5: TOP TO BOTTOM

VPC7 ALL TRACKS

Fandom: Harry Potter
Character: The Sorting Hat

This one goes out to my man Robert Galbraith. 
Sorting gang. We're the worst. 

[chorus] x2
If I can sort you in then I can sort you out. 
You couldn't thwart all the things that I've brought about. 
How did Lord Voldemort find supportive crowds? 
See, you're taught to be naughty in the naughty house. 

[verse 1]
I set the wheels in motion. I sense your real emotions 
and send you reeling into the field I've chosen. 
Perchance evil potions, deeds of deep revulsion. 
I'll achieve my goals as long as I meet the quotient. 
I'm not even coaching, just picking the teams 
and filling Slytherin with all of the shittiest tweens. 
These kids will be in smithereens and no one intervenes. 
My little scheme tickles me till I split at the seams. 
And Dumbledore... 
Did you think that dumdum just stumbled through the door? 
Or got that gig on merits? Like being careless 
and looking away when children perish 
in perilous scenarios? Or get very close to some scary ghost 
with varicose veins and hairy toes, wearing burial clothes? 
I put him in with confidence 
that I would find the odd use for his obtuse incompetence. 

[chorus] x2

[verse 2]
Who divides and conquers spies and plonkers? 
'Tis I, the bonnet. "And why? It's wrong?" 'Cause I'm just bonkers. 
My best sponsors are mindless wanderers, 
floundering onwards unaware of what unkindness conjures. 
Blind, unconscious, while I write destinies 
and set trajectories. Yes I'm a hat, but I pick the accessories. 
Expressed unease, rest in peace. No one suspects a headpiece, 
but I've got the future all laid out in excel spreadsheets. 
Deadbeats and death eaters make up my faculty 
I pick the children like fruit off an apple tree. 
The alchemy of apathy as I essentialize, 
categorize and emphasize the differential lines. 
Never empathize. Just spread empty lies like how Mars and Venus, 
and vulvas, ovaries, balls and penis 
share an important link, and other sordid things. 
It's a boring kink, I know, but I sort of think...

[chorus]

[outro variant]
If I can sort you in then I can sort you out. 
You couldn't thwart all the things that I've brought about. 
How did Joanne Rowling find supportive crowds? 
See, you're taught to be naughty...

VPC 7 Round 1

.5 Quartet [Vincent E.L., Ardamus] - Sort You Out

Challenges accepted:
Vocals - (double time - Zolt Energy Serum)
Producer - (no snares in the beat - The Bear Hammock 29-F)

Game genre: Dating Sim
Screen: The Final Encounter

V: Oh, here we have it, the final encounter. This is a tough one, to be sure. Many have tried, all have failed so far, but maybe this is the one. 
A: It's a challenge, for sure, but we have a challenger. 
V: Oh, a true player. Let's see how it goes. 
A: Round one. Shoot your shot! 

I'm the final boss of the dating sim.  
There's no way to win, 'cause I can't take a hint. 
You're gonna fail and then you'll wanna play again 
Your loss, take it in, let the games begin.  
I've got all my defenses up, 
all tensed up and my comprehension tends to suck. 
Try to bend your luck with charms and methods of 
seduction, but we all know where you're ending up. 
Zone of friendship? What? No, twit, that's a prize. 
You're going home alone. Big fat surprise. 
Like Macaulay Culkin, without supplies. 
Always sulking, rip out your eyes  
if you don't wanna see the blank stare on my face 
as I dismiss your compliments as having terrible taste. 
I've had my fair share of dates, so I'm set, except 
I only found out in retrospect. (That's what that was?)  
  
V: Oh, you hate to see it, folks. Striking out in the first round. 
A: Well, let's see if there's any bouncing back from this. 
V: It is not looking too good right now, but it ain't over yet. 
A: Round two. Make your move! 

You know you'll be ill at ease, I don't show 
vulnerabilities. You've honed your skills, increased 
your ammo as sociable charmer, 
but cupid's arrows ricochet off my emotional armor. 
And my heart doesn't glow, so it's harder to get to. 
You try to connect, I'm just not gonna let you. 
With all the respect due, every romance Lothario 
measures on a scale from no chance to very low, 
no matter the scenario, even with careful listening, 
say you're getting hot, I'll hit the air conditioning. 
It's not your whispering nor a matter of discipline. 
I simply miss the gist of what it is you're propositioning. 
Not a single inkling. I just stare into space, 
unaware of infatuation you wear on your face. 
I've had my fair share of dates and before I left 
there wasn't one who wasn't bored to death. 

V: Ooooh! That's gotta hurt! Advances went right over the head *and* were countered with absolute tedium. 
A: This is a disaster, folks, and after so many successes. 
V: Well, there is one more round, so maybe not all is lost. 
A: Round three. Date!

I'm like talking to a brick wall, 
mindless conversations. 
A human bottle of rohypnol, 
minus connotations 
When we're walking through a strip mall, 
I'll exhaust your patience. 
What I'm saying's I'm an awful date, 
and you're gonna wanna escape from the jaws of fate 
before it all too late. They're already agape, 
frothing and starting to oscillate. 
Being my lawful mate is not so great, 
like a box of defrosted flakes. 
To get dad jokes like that for the rest of your life 
put me in a dress that is white and address me as wife. 
I've had my fair share of dates on repeat, the same 
every time 'cause no one's beat the game. 

A: Oh no, I think that's game over, folks. 
V: It sure is. The only way to move forward now is to start over from the last checkpoint at the beginning of the encounter. 
A: Press any key before the end of the countdown. 3...2...1...

VPC 7 Round 2

.5 Quartet [Vincent E.L., Ardamus] - Beyond Reach

Stuck on this island, the trouble just piling 
up and then rising above the horizon. 
Nothing surprising under the bright sun. 
Fuck with poseidon, get struck by the trident! 
Son of the titans. Thunder and lightning. 
The undeniably crummiest timing. 
A couple of hyphens-- 
I suck at describing my struggle in writing. 
I wonder if I might become reunited with dry land, 
or if anyone can even find me where I stand... 
You wouldn't happen to recognize this white sand 
by chance? 'Cause I can't! 
The return address: Desertedness. If this ever surfaces, 
pretty sure I guess you've never heard of this. 
Purposeless! Better start preparing for permanence, 
'cause of the limitations I observe myself working with. 
I wanna leave, but it dawns on me I'll probably rot on this beach. 
If I thought I'd see other people, I'd believe posthumously. 
Ardamus keeps working hard on this beat, 
but I'd find it less awkward if he'd bother talking to me. 
In shock, or just seething 'cause he thinks I caused this debacle? 
Lost in his thoughts while mine get tossed in this bottle? 
Contents long gone, God crossed off of the gospel. 
Just gotta process the awful like hot sauce up a nostril. 
Nature, a hostel as hostile as possible, 
fatally harsh and too far from a hospital. 
Lots of unsolvable problems and obstacles. 
Consciousness distorted as if through a Boss pedal. 
Give me the bronze medal in shit going wrong! 
The minute we've gone, I'll sing the victory song. 
Time ticking along. Trickery! Contradictory! Wrong! 
Shorter hours; seconds getting unpredictably long. 
Don't know what we should do, 
except accept we've stepped into a Kobayashi Maru. 
Colossally screwed across the great blue yonder. 
A quandary we don't have the philosophy to ponder, 
finding the long shot our hearts grew fonder-- 
Better yet, new harbor. Hardly. Too somber? 
Two goners, doomed to wander a handful of square feet, 
lucky if we last a mere week.

VPC 7 Round 3

.5 Quartet [Vincent E.L., Ardamus] - Flaskpost

30 second intro.
Ardamus: check it check it check it….it goes like this….XOC is in the house….Vincent E.L. they're in the house...Ardamus I'm in the house….Point Seven 5 we're in the house and….(intro fades)


(Intro fades. Then intro of beat drops)
(Banter from Vincent E. L. and XOC? Optional)


Chorus:
Ardamus: I'm celebratin' elevating other paths
Never settle fo.r the medal when the devil stab a brotha's back
Break the bank, break it down but dont break ya neck
You can take a chill pill still while you take the check 
XOC: -Everything is changing I’m no longer what I thought about, 
steady rearranging, the complaining getting smothered out,
 begging for forgiveness, those are things I do not talk about,
 burying my past, take my future on another route -
Vincent E. L.:I've been depressed of late and estimate 
it's not my last time feeling less than great, 
but as I investigate my mind in its present state, 
I guess you could say it's better than yesterday. Arda, you good? 
A: Damn right, I'm good. Yo XO are you good? 
X: Damn right, I'm good. E. L. are you good?
V: All things considered, I'm good.
All: damn right yo it's still all good




Verses pt. 1
X:-Blessed be my day, cause I finally could say so, 
blessed be my day, I no longer have to lay low,
 blessed be my day cause it’s looking like a new one, 
finally can say I made it out of the confusion
A:Illusion, Enforced vision of course hit em'
core twitchin' rewired my whole support system
Hundid percent, come get me, run efficiently 
sippin' rum, having some epiphanies
V: Just when I think I've forgotten how to write, 
and any other thought is out of sight and inspiration's not about to strike, 
I hear this sound, and it's like I'm surrounded by 
astounding amounts to type and signs that life is finally right. 


Chorus:
Ardamus: I'm celebratin' elevating other paths
Never settle for the medal when the devil stab a brotha's back
Break the bank, break it down but dont break ya neck
You can take a chill pill still while you take the check 
XOC: -Everything is changing I’m no longer what I thought about, 
steady rearranging, the complaining getting smothered out,
 begging for forgiveness, those are things I do not talk about,
 burying my past, take my future on another route -
Vincent E. L.:I've been depressed of late and estimate 
it's not my last time feeling less than great, 
but as I investigate my mind in its present state, 
I guess you could say it's better than yesterday. Arda, you good? 
A: Damn right, I'm good. Yo XO are you good? 
X: Damn right, I'm good. E. L. are you good?
V: All things considered, I'm good.
All: damn right yo it's still all good


Verses pt. 2
V: It's a new dawn, new day, new life, 
loose ties turn to tight bonds when the glue dries. 
Up ahead, a promise of blue skies, 
as long as I choose wisely as I deduce where the truth lies.  
X:-Vision the imagery, 
talk about the balance and the symmetry,
Witness an existence with a past they planted into me,
Started as a child, when they promptly ran it into me,
You kidding me, left me here with years to fight the misery
A:- Oozin' out my pores, blood and sweat
Held back the tears with enough regrets
I'm slowin' down, speedin' up, the revelation
Happens everytime around the team when we're….

VPC7 Round 4

.5 Quartet [Vincent E.L., Ardamus] - Still All Good (ft. XOC)

Featuring Klofenpop & Big Fake

OH YOU THOUGHT YOUD BE THE BIGGEST FUCKIN FISH IN THIS LITTLE POND HUH
YOU LITTLE FUCKIN MONSTER
YOU MUST BE FUCKIN BONKERS
YOU PEACE FOR EIGHT YEARS AINT DO SHIT TO STAY IN TOUCH
AND NEVER CHECK WHATS COMING OUT
SURPRISE, YOU AINT THAT GOOD YOU LITTLE FUCK
OUT HERE REVIEWING AND CRITICIZING LIKE YOU'RE SOMETHING
MISTER TWO-LIVE-SHOWS, TWENTY-SEVEN-TAKES
AND ALL OF EM PUNCHINS
YOU MUNCHKIN, ONLY LOUD WHEN YOU THINK NOBODY'S AROUND TO CHECK THE SHIT
COMPRESSING AND DOUBLING UP YOUR VOCALS JUST TO SOUND BIG
TALKIN BOUT CRAFT
YOU HAVENT SWITCHED UP YOUR STYLE SINCE YOU STARTED IT
JUST GRADUATED FROM MOMS HOUSE TO AN APARTMENT
BUILT YOUR WHOLE REP OFF THIS SCENE AND OTHER ARTISTS SHIT
SPECIFICALLY OFF TRYNA MAKE THEM NOT FEEL LIKE A PART OF IT
SORRY TO YOUR DOWNSTAIRS NEIGHBORS FOR THAT DUDE RAPPIN ABOVE THEM
LEAST YOU GOT THE APARTMENT
ALL YOUR FRIENDS GOT FAMILIES WHO LOVE THEM
I KNOW YOUR STYLE
I KNOW EXACTLY HOW TO RUN UP ON YA
SNAKE YOUR DEFENSES
KICKIN YOUR SHINS LIKE ADESANYA
WASTING YOUR LIFE, YOU AINT A VETERAN JUST INVETERATE
JUST MAKIN MONEY OFF THE SCENE
AND THE FANS THAT YOU THINK YOU'RE BETTER THAN
TELL ME THAT BOBBY'S WRONG
SHOW ME A STREAM THAT YOU AINT HELLA BENT
JUST A SAD SOCK MUPPET FROM A SITE THAT'S NO LONGER RELEVANT
GAVE YOURSELF A NICE LITTLE OUT WHERE YOU DONT HAVE TO WRITE GOOD VERSES
BS BARS RAPPED IN A FUNNY VOICE, CLAIMIN IT'S ON PURPOSE
WHATS THE PURPOSE
STILL ACTING LIKE YOU THE MAN
YOU LOOK AND SOUND WORSE THAN THE JUGGALO RAPPERS YOU CAN'T STAND
I REMEMBER YOU WERE COMFORTABLE CALLING PEOPLE FUCKIN F****T N SHIT
ALMIGHTY! SUDDENLY TALKING ALL LIKE A SOCIAL JUSTICE ACTIVIST!
PRETENDING LIKE YOU GIVE A FUCK, YOU BASTARD, I THINK THAT'S THE BIT
TRYNA IMPRESS YOUR FRIENDS
YOU'D PROLLY HAPPILY GO BACK TO IT
LIKE YOU STOPPED SAYING BITCH TILL YOU HAD WOMEN HITTING YOUR MATTRESSES
HUH, THAT DIDN'T LAST DID IT
SPEAKIN OF WHICH, AN ASTERISK****
REMEMBER HOW YOU USED TO BE ALL OVER RAPPIN ABOUT FUCKIN
WHEN YOU HADNT SO MUCH AS BREATHED IN A GIRLS DIRECTION
THAT WAS SOMETHIN
WEAVIN SOME REAL LIES WITH ALL THOSE MONSTROUS SPINNERETS
TRYNA RECORD BEFORE NINE PM WHEN YOUR MOM TURNED OFF THE INTERNET
IN EFFECT...THIS WAS ALL DURING YOUR GILDED AGE
SO TELL ME WHAT IN THE FUCK MAKES YOU THINK YOU'RE WORTH A SHIT TODAY
YOU AINT A BATTLE VET
NOBODY HERE'S COMING FOR YOUR TITLES KID
EVEN THAT PIXEL GLASSES RAPPER'S PROLLY GOT MORE SPINE IN HIM
LUCKY YOU DON'T HAVE FEELINGS THAT I CAN HURT
YOU LITTLE SPITEFUL PRICK
THIS TRACKS A FAKEOUT JOKE
SO WHY YOURE SHAKING ALL WHILE YOU'RE WRITING IT
YOUR INSINCERITY'S TAKING UP TOO MUCH SPACE ON THE MIC
GOT PEOPLE LOOKING UP TO YOU FOR SHIT YOU DON'T EVEN LIKE (KABUTO!)
I SEE YOU SHRINKIN BACK FROM ME (KABUTO!) BETTER STAY COILED
AND KEEP CASHIN THOSE DISTROKID CHECKS SELLING YOUR SNAKE OIL

VPC7 Round 5

Muppet Ronin [Kabuto the Python, Beaker Sullivan] - Snake Oil

TS BN A LNG RD ND TA NLY GTTN LNGR DD
F YR GNNA TRP YBTTR PCK YR ATTD
CHRG N WRH A SML ND A QCK JK
BT DNT B FRD TLT M HNG THMSLVS WTH SHRT RP
YR TH PRHPT N TH MNTN SPK MDNSS TRTH ND VRT 
N A WELD THTS BNN SPCFCLLY DSGND T FCKN HRTY
WLL YTLST A LTTL BT THR FLKS LT
IF YNT WLN T THN HNDS UP HLPS U NT GT SHT
YTND TRP TH GNDR THT TH DCTS LL SSGNDY
BT TH LNG HRS THRWN FLKS MKN SSMPTNS FRM BHND Y
YR PNCHT FR VN TMPS MKS HTRS UPST N S
SHKT T FF MK T BTTR HL TH WRLD LT T G

WHN TS TM FR TH SHA MMA GO BNG BNG
TS TH RP PTBLL BTA SHW M FNGS
VRYN LSTN TTH WRDS I SLNG
THM THR MTHFCKRS THY JST CNT HNG

SHT N TH SKLLS F SM SCLLD "NC GYS"
PPR THN SKN TRN P LK A PRC GD
LN M P KNS BNT NS TTH WLL
HMMR BCK BNG BNG THN YWTCHN M FLL
BLLTS TTH BRN CS VDN TTH BRNCS
GRY MTTR SPLTTR DLT M LK A BCKSPC
CLM TRF HRT M WHR THY FXT
GD RTH, TL FR TH TX RT
THT'S GRT, MD  FCKN SMMR CMP FR BLL GTS
JFF B, LN ND GRMS N  GRP DT

VRY JKR THNKS THR MVS R TH BST
BT WHL THYR DNCNG PLYNG CHCKRS YRR N 5D CHSS 
HNDSM BNDTS RDN T T RB TH PNY XPRSS
BTTR MPTY T YR PCKTS R T'S TW N TH CHST
TLKN SHTS T TH BRST, PLSTC SRGN'S TH BST
TNGL WTH TH SLLY FM ND Y'LL LV CRSD ND DPRSSD
NCK DP BG SLP LD T RST N YR SNDY BST
PLS GV P TH GDS  GT YR RLTVS NDR DRSS
F Y KCK TH HRNT'S NST N TH FCKN NTRRNT
ND KNW BTTR THN Y BTTR WN THT SHT
STRT  FGHT ND G BLLS DP NTL Y FNSH T
F Y CNT TK TH SHT THN Y SHLD PT  LTTL PN N T
MK SM RM FR SNNN T TH HLDY NN ND 
WLL KCK Y RGHT N YR VSN ND LV Y CRSN ND SPTTN
RRRNGN YR MG KCK YR SS N TH KTCHN
PST THT JRNYMN PHS Y GTT SPT WTH PRCSN
YR FCKN TNGS NT N Z, TSS MR LK NCLR FSSN
WHT GD MD S N, LL YZZLL B SPLTTN
LK THCK THGHS N GLS GYS ND NYN LS
YH M TH B PN DMBSS WH JST TLD N HMSLF
SP

YNG SLLVN [LL YZZ, YNGSLLVN] - BNG BNG

The only lyrics you need
Are the ones that have
Been in your heart
For the longest time.

The Crown Joels [The Crown, EBILLY] - Finale

(featuring Klopfenpop & Prowess the Testament)

WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS TO YOURSELF?
WHAT DO YOU GAIN FROM IT?
ON THE SIDEWALK BROAD DAYLIGHT SICK TO YOUR STOMACH
IT'S MARCH 13TH
YOU TOOK A WALK TO TRY & WRITE SOMETHING
ENDED UP FUCKED UP ON THE STREET
AND FOR WHAT?
IT'S GETTING HARD TO BREATHE
YOU'RE CRYING
HYPERVENTILATING
ALL OVER A BEAT
WHEN YOU STEPPED OUT
BET THAT YOU WERE THINKING SHIT WAS SWEET
TIL YOU STARTED TEARING UP & YOU WERE TWO BARS DEEP
I GUESS YOU'VE GOTTA BLEED WHEN YOU CUT INTO THE SOURCE OF ALL YOUR GRIEF
THE UNPROCESSED THOUGHTS & ALL THE TRAUMA THAT YOU KEEP CAME CRASHING DOWN ON THE FRONT LAWN OF A RANDOM PERSON'S HOUSE
"FUCK IS WRONG WITH ME?"
YOU WANNA SCREAM IT BUT YOU DONT
YOU'VE GOTTA SHOW RESTRAINT
IF ANYBODY SEES YOU YOU'D BE SO FUCKING ASHAMED
WITH YOUR HANDS ON YOUR KNEES
TRY TO BREATHE
CAN'T DO IT
WHY THE FUCK YOU GOTTA DO THIS OVER STUPID ASS MUSIC?
NOBODY CARES
YOU'RE NOT PRETTY OR DYING
YOU'RE A SAD FUCKING WEIRDO WHO GOT DECENT AT RHYMING
STOP FUCKING CRYING
YOU CANT DO THIS ANYMORE
TRYNA ALCHEMIZE YOUR FEELINGS
TURN YOUR GRIEF INTO GOLD
FOR WHAT?
NOBODY'S LISTENING
YOUR TRAUMA'S UNIMPORTANT
DONT YOU GET IT?
NO ONE CARES YOUR MAMA DIED OR HOW YOU'RE MOURNING
IT'S PATHETIC
THE WAY THAT YOU'RE ATTEMPTING TO BELIEVE YOU'RE DOING ANYTHING BUT EXPLOITING MAMA'S DEATH YOU FUCKING FIEND
YOU NEED ATTENTION?
SHE NEEDED LIKE TWENTY SHOTS A DAY OF MEDICINE TO FALL ASLEEP UNTIL SHE LOST HER WILL TO FUCKING BREATHE
"FUCK IS WRONG WITH ME?"
YOU'RE FINALLY STANDING
STILL CRYING BUT SMILING & LAUGHING
CONGRATULATIONS LOSER
YOU WIN NOTHING, DEATH COMES BY SURPRISE
THEN IT SUCKS
YOU LEARN NOTHING
& IT FUCKS UP YOUR LIFE
WHAT A PRIZE!
WHY WOULD YOU WANT TO SHARE THIS?
ALL OF YOUR THOUGHTS ARE BAD
YOU SHOULD HONESTLY BE EMBARASSED
ALL OF YOUR SONGS ARE SAD
& NOBODY NEEDS TO HEAR THIS
YOU THOUGHT YOU WERE OKAY
NO YOU'RE NOT
YOU'RE PROBABLY NOWHERE NEAR IT
WHY DO YOU DO THIS TO YOURSELF?
RAPPING ABOUT NOTHING MIGHT BE BETTER FOR YOUR HEALTH
NOT RAPPING AT ALL MIGHT BE BETTER ALTOGETHER
SHUT THE FUCK UP
KEEP WALKING
YOU'RE FINE
IT'S WHATEVER
FLIP THE RECORD
I KEPT WALKING TIL I FELT BETTER
FINISHED WRITING THE SONG
WENT HOME TO RECORD THE DEMO
ENDED UP LOVING IT, ONE OF MY FAVORITES EVER
SO I GUESS I GOT SOMETHING FOR ALL THE EFFORT
RESULTS UNDER PRESSURE ARE NORMAL
IT'S NOTHING NEW TO ME
THE HARSH & SELF-DEPRECATING SCRUTINY USUALLY GETS IT DONE BUT WHEN I THINK ABOUT THAT DAY I JUST FEEL NUMB & DISCONNECTED
THE POWER OF PERSPECTIVE IS WHAT BROUGHT ME HERE TODAY
& IF I COULD GO BACK TO MARCH 13TH WITH ONE MESSAGE I'D TELL ME "EVERYTHING IS WORTH IT, EVERYTHING WILL BE OKAY
YOU DO THIS FOR A PURPOSE THAT'S BEYOND YOUR MORTAL FRAME
FOR THE PEOPLE WHO CANT FIND THE WORDS TO SAY
YOU'RE THEIR ESCAPE
JUST REMEMBER THAT"

(SEE NERDCOREVPC.COM FOR FULL LYRICS)

Perfect Cell [Joey Z, Big Fake] - March Thirteenth

You gotta fight, not always but sometimes you do.
I’d keep that in mind if I were you, 

Fight or flight motherfucker, it’s one or the other
And times are gonna come when the run won’t cut it. 
Believe in your judgement, when it’s time to run in 
you’ll go off and let em know.

You can deliver when your backs against the wall.
So heads up, keep your back straight and stand tall.

You gotta fight when chips are down, you know you wanna
just put that damn foot in front of the other. 
Commit hit the lever, your shits as together 
now as it ever will be.

Commit to the risks and stand for causes 
Take the wins and access losses.
Learn from people  Learn the process
Cut the shit, you know where the saw is

Obvious Corruption [Obvious Lee, Cosmic Ray Corruption] - Stand Up Feat. Klopfenpop

Hey Andrew, think that you can write this track?
When put a pen to paper your panic attack
Will distract from what you're 'sposed to do,
I'm on call with a pharmacy getting meds for you

That I probably should take myself,
But I've neither time nor money to afford my mental health,
It's just as well that my wealth and healthcare,
Are too tied together to be there for my welfare

My selfcare consists of writing this down
For you to pick it apart and then critique how it sounds,
I know to grow you that have to cut it back at times,
But can we wait 'til I find right the frame of mind?

You're not well, dude, and rap isn't therapy,
Music isn't medication, lyrics aren't clarity,
Why don't you just ask for help?
You can only love others as you feel loved yourself

(Chorus)
What does my voice sound like?
WHAT DOES MY VOICE SOUND LIKE?
Does it sound like me? I don't need wear a mask when I lie through my teeth,
I'm a thief to all genres, a pawn to the king with defeat as my mantra,
You don't know who you are, more or less you're the best at departure,
You can't blame someone for this mess, you are the author

Yo Johnny, wait you really go by that?
You think you're Johnny Depp? You think you're Johnny Cash?
No adult male ends their name in "Y",
But you're a self-deprecating child, guess it applies

I'm guessing the lies you told yourself made you feel flattered,
"You do a good job" "you actually matter"
I shattered the glass house you live in, so give in,
You probably should give up 'cause you're just not driven

Took too much time to not sound like someone else,
You don't even sound like yourself,
There's nothing genuine, better do this draft again,
This was supposed to be the part where you write "the end"

Yeah, you let the words play, but I'm totally lost,
What the heck did you say? Get your point across!
Did you just quit writing?
Just skip to the chorus, I'm done fighting

Chorus

Dear me, cut the crap so you can see clearly,
You're merely a bit weary from this year, we
Experienced a lot, not together, but distant
And man, your depression's persistent!

In case you missed it, you really need to read the room,
Or next time your write, use a better nom de plume,
These are not the type of folx that'll like your jokes that'll like your tropes,
You should probably ghost like an unstable isotope

Everything you write is ridiculous!
Pick a side! Are you pessimist or an optimist?
No one wants to hear you speak your stream of consciousness,
No one wants to hear any of this

But don't quit, that, that's not it
When you finish this know I will cease to exist,
I'm the doubt in mind, your anxiety, your thoughts
If you stick a pen in me than I'll pop

Mechanical Peasants [AJB, Kyle Vice] - The Author (feat. Vincent E.L., Klopfenpop, and Alex is Free)

Dear [REDACTED],

We'd promised then and again point again repeating we wouldn't just keep breathing without reason. It's the least we could do when failed portrayals of our prescribed human kind as issued were but a recursive script we'd reread, as conscripted, then list every misstep as proof this was a life we were never meant to live through.

Dear [REDACTED],

Never held in an honest hand, that handle's a denominant that lands like katanas on skin, exposing the best we could give to a world without leeway for we who may harbor such conflicts among gods and goddesses' gazes. Our path laid charybdic, this tryptych, a maze between pastiche and couth. We shouldn't have to be told what's expected of us to assume

Dear [REDACTED],

How you'd bend without confidence to compliment partners and friends through a hollow lens. Problem bends pressed. Solemn movements produced constant stress. More than time will tell them your truths of orchards your eyes held that arrows would fly through. A sparrow's death died by the calendar day. Met by no heart left breaking, unlike you, and I can't excuse how you'd cry out for courage refused 

DEAR JONATHAN,

I'VE BEEN PRETENDING YOU HAD DIED BACK THEN
IF MY COMPLIANCE IS DENIED, THEN WHO AM I TO CRY
WHEN I STOOD SILENTLY BEHIND A WALL OF YOU, NO MIND TO FIRING LINES
MY HELPLESS OUTER CHILD, A HUMAN SHIELD SO I'D SURVIVE

I'M THIRTY NINE AND CAN'T REMEMBER WHAT THAT THUNDER STORM WAS LIKE
TO STRIKE IN HUNGER UNDER COVERS LOCKED IN CUPBOARDS EVERY NIGHT
THESE GOD DAMN METAPHORS OF AGATHYS, WITH COWARDICE AND ICE
FORMED INTO PAULDRONS TO PROTECT ME FROM WHAT I LEFT YOU FOR A LIFE

Each breath I took from you in spite and held in tight enough to choke
I've known no matter undermined intent, regret cut off your growth
There's no defense invoked this time, the lines that hurt you most I wrote
Where's the closure in erasure? Supposed to hate you but I won't

No, no I don't believe in innocence and likely mine the least
And do appreciate the steps you'd steal when both my legs were weak
You don't deserve the ways me and your mind would speak to you 
At least Selene can dream now, but how is that supposed to help you sleep?

DEAR JONATHAN

ExtraDial [Damn Selene, lizardgrove] feat. Ryako & Big Fake - to whom it should

You remember when they said we should fall back
Academics too stellar
Resume was looking hella 
Good. Every app got interviews and call backs
They said art as a career was a tall task
While at our packed out shows sipping Cognac
Decade later and we see that it was all cap


We just listened cuz we were timid
Fearful of perpetuating another image 
Of a young black 
Brainiac
With a lot of promise
Full scholarship to his flagship college
Ending up wasted potential
Jaded while washed up in an office
But reality has been the oppo
Site. Wish more people had been on me bout the topic
And when I showed fear they’d admonished
And reminded
Me 




You can start now
What are you waiting for
Recognize that it's hard as your heart pounds
Then step right through that door


It's worth the grind
Just know you could fail today
Get right back up
it's your time
Keep up, it will go your way




Two sold out shows last three days
Got me tapping in my story on my IG, stay
Viewing my clips like I’m watching Mahomes replays


Name might be ubiquitous in my town
But don’t forget that we could easily be feeling down
This grind’s an emotional roller coaster that abounds
With highs and lows even if you try to focus on the “now”


So next time an opinion makes you think of giving up
Come back to this moment and remember that you’re enough
Give the negative emotions place but never erupt
Cuz channeling that into inspiration is tough


You know how this can go
Put yourself in position to inspire your own flow
Remember the Ws and push through to your goals
And when the spark hits your spirit
Speak these affirming lyrics to your soul




You can start now
What are you waiting for
Recognize that it's hard as your heart pounds
Then step right through that door


It's worth the grind
Just know you could fail today
Get right back up
it's your time
Keep up, it will go your way

Deshko [Kadesh Flow, Ryako] - Go Your Way

Sorry to bother you. 
I know you've got a lot of stuff on your plate. 
You're brushing up against the date and look at the nothing you've made! 
It's tough to resuscitate your lust to create. You've been crushing it lately, 
but now you're getting crushed under the weight. 
Must be great knowing it's much too late to start. 
A game of art, not for the faint of heart. 
Play your cards, portray this as your "favorite part" 
and maybe they won't pay regard to the quotation marks. 
[Aw, poor baby...] I hear you're supposed to write a letter to yourself. 
I don't envy you, but at least you know you better than anyone else. 
You won't excel with every breath you exhale, 
but never put pencil to paper and you'll definitely fail. 
You're in the belly of the whale. Telling a tale 
you might as well be spelling in braille to an elephant snail. 
That's a hell of a way to tell em you're well on your way to dismount 
the intelligence scale looking delicate, frail and incredibly pale. 
Better get it together, level with Nebuchadnezzar, 
and tell yourself you're better than ever, 
and get the twenty that's left on the dresser. 
A generous treasure for selling a pheasant your feathers. 
An elegant gesture, but can you weather the pressure 
of penning an eloquent letter from behind the delicatessen? 
I don't know what you expect to get for sending a message except 
an exacerbated sense of emptiness. Depressed and upset 
at the sentiment settling in the sediment. 
Is it getting too meta to meditate on the genuine? 
Would you have to explain what every letter meant? 
You're writing to yourself. It's technically self-evident. 
You're reticent, hesitant to express your perspective and 
you've never said anything without any prep and editing. 
You're spending a minute twenty ingeminating the premise when 
you could instead with brevity pretend to be semi-intelligent. 

[Write. You cannot write. 
Write, on time. 
Three days until the deadline, 
still not having written a word? 
Write. You cannot write. 
You cannot...write words. 
Write. You cannot... 
...write on time.]

Dear waste paper basket, this halfwitted draft 
written past the halfway mark's definitely getting trashed, 
pretty fast. It is massively daft. 
Asininity about to hit critical mass. 
When you tell yourself you won't finish the given task, 
you're spitting scientific facts. It's simple math. 
At the risk of getting crass, you and your shitty raps 
are committing acts of lyrical Syrup of Ipecac. 
If they don't skip this track, you're getting ripped in half. 
Like the the napkin you scratch your inscriptions at. 
They will snicker and laugh, tickled pastel pink 
with nipple clamps and compare you to Nickelback. 
A triple pass of rewrites won't fix this gaffe. 
Your talent's as nonexistent as the middle class. 
You need to get off your ass, you haven't achieved a thing 
since bringing your babysitter back from Fribbulus Xax. 
Maybe it's for the best that all you're gonna do 
is send a dorky message to an audience of you. 
It's been a long time since you seemed promising and new. 
You're a disgrace to your name and your mom is gonna sue. 
Are you getting through to yourself or is it in one ear, 
out the other, as you sputter another opinion? 
Weird? Utterly, but it's been done, all you could think of. 
Enough, pencils down, it's time to give up.

YNG SLLVN [LL YZZ, YNGSLLVN] - BNG BNG

NerdcoreVPC