It was the come up my beginning suspended in deeper sentence I believe this moment captured between us now let me witness ask forgiveness to a dark night that never replied I'm committed to every soldier who died I make it ride, come on we get live and I get mine decompress and I rise blinding lights that I shine burn and freeze like dry ice pouring rain in sunlight my broken wings still take flight visions of a past life illuminating timelines reading palms and lifelines patterns born in passed time speak to where my path lies follow me, compare my love and pain for this grind the truth opposed to your lies exposed within our lifetime the music is our tour guide It took place while you were sleeping deeply dreaming, discovering meaning, believing beneath it, something more is emerging -- you feel it, I've come to reveal it, after years of deception and secrets revisit visions: broken hearts in the wake of redemption I'm breathing, softly on a path of incredible distance, where friends and family sold dope, disrespected their women -- spent most their lives confined to time, in a cell of a prison -- committed suicide by tightening their grip on a pistol. I'm standing strong and independent despite heartless opinions, standing mainly for the people who live it. Revolving rooms continue spinning, without exit or entrance, our voices blended lost in pain and persistence numb existence push relentless toward this bright light believing all my own hype haters hate and doubt me while I freestyle what they can't write. South side 'til I pass I keep it moving fast I keep on keeping on until y'all know just what it sound like 'Cause it's the come up my beginning suspended in deeper sentence I believe this moment captured between us now let me witness ask forgiveness to a dark night that never replied I'm committed to every soldier who died I make it ride, come on we get live and I get mine decompress and I rise blinding lights that I shine burn and freeze like dry ice pouring rain in sunlight my broken wings still take flight visions of a past life illuminating timelines reading palms and lifelines patterns born in passed time speak to where my path lies follow me, compare my love and pain for this grind the truth opposed to your lies exposed within our lifetime the music here is your guide Seven years ago on the night I almost died I would fail to see the signs for what it meant to be alive in a fight my jaw would shatter be replaced by metal plates the cold alloy in my face still feels heavy when it rains I push the pain away to feel again from hate to say I'd kill for it they said, I'd never sing again watch me, bro, I live for this contemplate the consequence of broken hope and confidence through competence and common sense to rise above and conquer this I skip the flood of compliments the shallowness and cockiness jewelry and accomplishments that disconnect our consciousness I come up while you copy this collabos across continents shaping vowels and consonants collective mind reconnaissance continue with my heart in this constantly my all in this cop it, become part of this this artist keeps his promises South side 'til I pass I keep it moving fast I keep on, keeping on Until y'all know just what it sounds like It was the come up my beginning suspended in deeper sentence I believe this moment captured between us now let me witness ask forgiveness to a dark night that never replied I'm committed to every soldier who died I make it ride, come on we get live and I get mine decompress and I rise blinding lights that I shine burn and freeze like dry ice pouring rain in sunlight my broken wings still take flight visions of a past life illuminating timelines reading palms and lifelines patterns born in passed time speak to where my path lies follow me, compare my love and pain for this grind the truth opposed to your lies exposed within our lifetime my music here is your guide

Verse 1, Chuckie Campbell They said I'd never see the light, that people like me never rise I'd end up dead or doing time, lost or even left behind My mother looked me in my eyes, asked me what I'd make my life My answer was I'd make her proud, can't help but think about that now I put it down so many ways -- for love and music, to get paid, to free my voice and bury hate, but most of all reiterate to dream a dream is something great To live it, though, is different, yo let'em know and set it straight Impoverished, battered, and broken abundant, found in an omen, so destined to push it forward listen close and I can show you the heartache of subtle moments, burning sofas on the street corners dead ends that feel open -- dealers and the hustlers, break dancers still posing, summer nights under the street lights, remembered but out of focus, boxing in the streets, Koolaid and government cheese, I feel it like it was yesterday Brothers, rest in peace Verse 2, Chuckie Campbell It's probably spinning you backward I'm not your average rapper, no bullet holes or bandannas, contradicting your standards, established through years of practice, elaborate rites of passage, can't play a part in your pageant, but I'll tell you this, if I haven't I want to sing, I want to dance under every circumstance I want to be myself, nobody else no time to ask for another's breath, another's sweat another's life that is not mine I love myself like no one else I have no time to lie I'm no one's man, no one's slave no one's now, no yesterday I'm the way I choose to be -- not you or him or them, you see? I fought through the adversity with faith alone my currency purposely, saw an imperfect person, perfectly I went from down and out to colleges, earning athletic scholarships to three degrees, a Ph.D., people doubted through all of it Yo, I remember all of it, the negatives and positives If you're hating on the music well, let me just state the obvious Verse 3, Chuckie Campbell Throughout the years I put in effort to make an honest impression Ignored the money, fame, and hype most often labelled impressive I put away the corny punchlines put my heart on the record You want the real? I got the real Check me out, I'll explain it It's often said a simple song is likely true to its message, but to simplify experience reduces its credit Life is beautiful and complex, messy and complicated, lest music with any truth to it is true to deception To walk this line of truth and fiction is to make a decision Just because something's explicit doesn't make it realistic, and although it probably could and most likely it should, just because something is popular doesn't mean that it's good Common sense is thus defined by what's commonly understood, not the best or right answer or probable likelihood -- which is likely why you rappers sound completely the same and my music stays fresh, in so many ways

(This goes out to my one unborn child) I sit beneath the city lights contemplating city life caught between the lows and highs dreaming from a distance my existence was a tranquil sky electric blue, streaks of white blending bright and beautiful (wondering if) trapped in thought remaining thoughtful of what dreamers seem to dream thinking thoughts of thoughtful thinkers, thoughtful of what thinkers think, thinking thoughts into the deep, thoughtful of what thinking means lost in thought and often thinking what "thinking's" s'posed to be do you ever think of me? 'cause you're always on my mind with a little bit here and a little bit there I literally know the signs it's the simplest kind consider it born of the sentiment centering senses synergy intimate seeming to think of it seriously, dream of it all the time...I I fall behind it's all, so undefined I just, I want to hide I was selfish, wanted mine sometimes, I close my eyes and I see another me, unafraid of fatherhood, love and honesty I was shy and under pressure when I first met your mother she was older, I was younger her presence seemed to hover moved from lover to lover between the sheets and under covers we made love to one another, always (wondering if) love would take us there hurt beyond repair what we could not reconcile we almost always compared it was friendship caught on fire, wonder who struck the match come to hatch within her heart and leave it all up to chance now come back we hid it all from the world so when I found out she was preggo she wasn't even my girl is it a boy or girl? the very thought would make me earl got me sick to my stomach I'm really bugging, got me (wondering if) did it really have to happen? I'm a child having children such an alien feeling I imagine the fetus all the similar features all its toes and its fingers to think that we conceived it I could hardly believe it I made comments didn't mean it, partly being facetious too immature to understand it or completely redeem it when she asked if we should keep it I said: not my decision she got mad and started flipping, left me (wondering if) by saying nothing an agreement occurred something unarticulated, never stated in words I would never see your birth development was arrested at 12 weeks and at times, there's no speech ayo, I can't speak all I really do is think wonder what if it was different if you came into the world under certain conditions, could I care for you, would you have brothers or sisters spent my nights drifting, simply just (wondering if) writing letters to my unborn children a strange feeling, bending time and precision to events in extension wishing....