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1. |
Clicksonmyphone
03:14
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I heard clicks on my phone
Saw a helicopter
My friend told me I'm fakakta
I said I'm precocious
Now if I catch a L
That shit would be catastrophic
I gotta keep it cryptic
Keep a shelter in the tropics
I want what's right, damn the optics
And y'all looking ostrich
I see it too often
All walks of life wanna turn their brains off
Damn that would be nice
Try it with a bottle
Do it with a pipe
Munching on stems on a Tuesday night
I wash it down with a something and Sprite
Legs up on the desk
I'm done with the lectures and tests
And ya know I only talk what I type
Hey, forget invisible ink
I know I'm not as in the pink as I used to be
But that don't bother me
You either grow the mind or you choose lobotomies
Skipping to the homily
Laughing if it's drama or it's comedy
Are you on that fire water or the ayahuasca?
Are you feeling short of breath and should I call the doctor?
Just wanna do you proper
Just wanna do you proper
Hey it's all friends here and we don't call the coppers
x 2
Smiling at my enemies
Don't wanna give them energy
That they could use to punish me
For letting them live rent free
Waiting for epiphany
Wait to long and your history
We can bond over misery
Start there
Inside my head, inside my head
Is a TV and a bed
And a jar with some tree
And a fridge with some meh
Get me to the next week
Love a good memory
But living ain't free and I could really use the bread
It's a trap, it's a trap
Even if you got a map
You can't walk the same path and have someone trace it back
Hands on my back and I need a little scratch
Are you on that fire water or the ayahuasca?
Are you feeling short of breath and should I call the doctor?
Just wanna do you proper
Just wanna do you proper
Hey it's all friends here and we don't call the coppers
x 2
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2. |
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Cheap seats but the sight lines decent
What's the beef? Talking past or recent?
I'm checking out, damn yeah I'm checking out
Haha, fuck this shit yeah I'm checking out
(Mykele)
A bad ambassador but fine connoisseur of truths
My daily pursuits get tangled in the booth mix
The blueprints be air tight
Yeah bruh I’m there tonight
but let me smoke this pre roll
just let me get my head right
Don’t roll but I write joints
at high points in my life
I stay shaded like Mary J. In 95
Don’t go outside tho
cause 5 0
They ride slow
And ready to spark reactors like Chernobyl
Cooperate? But I don’t know you
And I don’t owe you spit
So back up and pull up yo mask before I flip the script
Like what’s yo badge number
And why come to harass me fast
While I’m on my way to buy some groceries
I’m flowing oh so openly on this track
Just pass the proceeds back
To the activist keeping us in tact
Cause ya know we all gotta eat
We standing for better that’s why staying in street sustain the energy fight
Me max and rich be like
Pass and assist for life, We all spices
I’m eating good, my girl smile is priceless
Strictly essential, spit facts but make em sound enticing
Never drop that poison, like Walt & Jesse with the Ricin
Can’t stay concise on a diet of beans rice I’m rambling
Fill every shopping cart in the hood and reverse some damage move the cameras
And move some brothas on the campus
Redefining the curriculum,
eat my wheaties and stay the champion
Cheap seats but the sight lines decent
What's the beef? Talking past or recent?
I'm checking out, damn yeah I'm checking out
Haha, fuck this shit yeah I'm checking out
(Rich)
Good grief, no nothing good about it
Feel's like I'm locked in and the world's on auto pilot
Every night sirens, don't get too much silence
I'm listening to the sounds of a mind misfiring
Petite problem from the onset
Living offsides, haven't been flagged yet
How to live right and still get the bag
May not be doable, I'm thinking it's a bad bet
So what's next?
I cradle the bottle neck
Tobacco leaf getting stretched until there ain't none left
I need time, I'm, I'm, I need time
You don't get to ignore arms outstretched
For so long, before long
They'll think damn I gotta mine
I gotta get mine
Cheap seats but the sight lines decent
What's the beef? Talking past or recent?
I'm checking out, damn yeah I'm checking out
Haha, fuck this shit yeah I'm checking out
2x
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3. |
Shifts
02:52
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You sleep 1st
We'll take shifts
And if we drift into dreams
Pray that no 1 comes to catch us unaware
Uh huh
I lived a few summers scared
None with such subterfuge
Never thought that I'd lose
Pray that no one comes up my stairs
Maybe more for me than them
Pray I never have to kill
Wishing I had squares right now
Wishing I could just drown out all these sounds
Maybe things will be alright
Pray I never have to kill
Wishing I had squares right now
Wishing I had squares right now
Shit
No more memory lane
Seen what unchecked nostalgia can do to the brain
Better clear some space
Uh huh
No more playing these games
Seen what unbothered people do and it's lame
Taking up space
Uh huh
If you don't see this as life or death
Check your head
I squared my debts
So I'm not weighed down when I dive to depths
Not yet reached
Pray for me to make it back to the beach
Whatever pothole my blood first leaped from
Leave me there if I don't make it
Reprisals allowed if I was taken too soon
I don't predict or assume
I just wonder is all as I sit in my room
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4. |
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I been hiding low key high up in the rafters
I've been shouting out, I don't want applause after
Too many opps in the audience
A lotta dead kills the ambience don't you think?
I do?
Don't you think?
I do?
Well it's still legal ain't it?
But legal these days needs a bit of explaining
Maybe always did, just got hip to the changes
The schemers and players
The crooks and their favors
Was it cash or for labor?
Focaccia offers got the rest of us sittingg in squalor
Your life or the guala
What they do for a dollar makes your skin crawl
If your skins in the game at all
Name the court
I'll bring the ball
Winner take all
How do you sleep at night?
How do you sleep at night?
The days haunt me
In a manner that I can't move
Night terrors on a joy cruise
Who's that? That's the boys in blue
And I don't have no love
And no it isn't cool
And no it isn't sweet
I want retribution
In a manner undeniable
That anyone could see the difference
Miles carved from inches
Curtains for the henchmen
Gallows for collaborators
Shame for the silent and compliant
Hello operator
Connect me, I'm feeling heavy
Rightfully so
Counting all my blessings with a lump in my throat
I got too many questions about which way this could go
Sleep with one eye open and I'm turning my home
Into something out of Home Alone
No tours, no peaks
No justice, no peace
Never thought I'd want a piece
Nazis in the streets
Take the safety off release
I'm a lover, pray I don't gotta squeeze
How do you sleep at night?
How do you sleep at night?
How do you sleep at night?
How do you sleep at night?
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5. |
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How to stay mad without burning out?
The things we gotta say is best by word of mouth
I don't know who's listening
I don't know who's watching
I don't know who their listing as causing problem
But I can't be scared of that, no
So good night to the good guys
The efforts they support
You ask who they serve, they won't even retort
When they get paid overtime to hunt people for sport
In the name of broken windows and curfews
Confused
Property over people ain't the math I subscribe to
Like TK said, you're all being lied to
Who wants to wake up?
Who goes back to bed?
Or worse, who ends up dead?
Friend or foe
Friend of Fed
I'm a call away from grabbing twenty cartons of Reds
And going for it
I meant it
My home, for all of it's life and demeanor
Deserves much better, a life more sweeter
You can tell me it's a Caddy
But I know that it's a beater with some nice features
No future with these leaders
Like these, likely,
It's the end, that's a wrap
And I don't wanna get wiped off the map
If saying goodbye
Sounds easier, I gotta ask why
Some days I wouldn't mind
But that would just prove everyone right
Joked about Canada and about Uruguay
Thought about Europe, but that's more of the same
It's potent strains, the roots of what we face today
Hey, they started it
But who will end it?
I'm no pretender or false lender
But I've read a little
And the spender's agenda?
We're second fiddle
Money over people ain't a riddle
It's obvious
Timeless
And they want us helpless to fight it
Survival absolves all sins
If the opposite is six feet
A funeral ain't a win unless it's there side
Catch me getting snacks up around the half time
Hot dogs and popcorn and land mines
Sink or swim
Land sharks out prowling for a feast
Rather die with the freaks
Than cut myself clean just to be a puzzle piece
Now pass the wreath
If saying goodbye
Sounds easier, I gotta ask why
Some days I wouldn't mind
But that would just prove everyone right
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6. |
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(Rich)
I'm living in the trees until further notice
Until I've made my opus or catch an obit
Doing as I go since '06
I ain't rich but I make rent
Thinking maybe I should hold that back
B-R-B
Reading up on solidarity won't cut it
I don't care about the budget
I'll just do it
And see who wanna parallel my pirouette
I got secrets socked away
Save it for a holiday
Hey, remember those?
Now I just stay at home barely clothed
Hazy, feeling too behaved like
Was I crazy before?
Must of been out of head
Waking up on the floor
Wanna share flowers?
Call up the florist
Hello?
A dozen
Thanks
It's cash only?
I'll hit the bank, slide out like a zamboni
I'll pay in dank, otherwise could ya loan me?
I'll pay you back, on that you can quote
Wish I could say the same for the people that nearly broke
No point in naming names
I left that with the old me
Stuck for a minute and I didn't lift a finger
Rather be a lover and rap singer
And that's word, and that's word
And that's word
(Davis)
When you overthrow tyranny
You loot it of it’s riches
For those spoils were necessities long overdue
Catch me rockin one gold front tooth like Fannie Lou
Tell em keep they eyes on the prize
But they view askew
Pupils on the ragu
No more bread to spread cause the rents long overdue
bell hooks eviction notice in all lower case
Ain’t you tired of this paper chase rat race?
In this life of sin, all i need is my pen and one dusty mic to grace
Keep a can of mace just in case for the snakes and jakes
In this wild city my birthplace
Imagery random access and will crash your database
Rich jones and Dirty D by a landslide
Always in first place
Bring us our flowers and don’t forget the vases
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7. |
Outta My Head
01:27
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8. |
Smokey Mirrors
03:00
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Don't bring an umbrella to a gunfight
It ends poorly
Unless it's Batman II, your shit ain't bullet proof
Prepare accordingly
If this machine kills fascists, do so expeditiously
Angry parent counts to 3 don't cut it
Bread loaves and mustard are for closers not capos
Careful what you covet
Lotta budget covens out there for my taste buds
I'm nonplussed
It's too sus
That's my 2 bucks
Vagabondish
Hit me with a glass of suds and a bag of buds
Poor coping skills 101 since the fucking jump
Still here somehow
Survivors guilt followed
Made space in my marrow
Lifelines narrow
You the hero or nero?
The sauce or the gyro?
Some peaks, lotta B-roll
Downing scotch at the bistro
It's all a peep show
Casualties of cheap shots and weak blow
Watch the leaves go
Damn
Looking bleak man
Uh huh
Watch the leaves go on by
Andy day now
Goodbye
I'm a big dope, smoking big dope
Listening to this big dope's mirrors and smoke
Hey, hey, hey
It could be more than this, there's gotta be more than this
Cool world, what's the twist?
I'm a big dope, smoking big dope
Listening to this big dope's mirrors and smoke
Hey, hey, hey
It could be more than this, it's gotta be more than this
Cool world, what's the twist?
On a fool's mission
Wouldn't do different if you get my inference
I got my True North
And if I lose that I'll hop back on the Newports
Or Kools
Whichever gets me across the finish line big sleeping
My soul refuses all appeasement
No reaches or leeches
It's called a tear down for a reason
It's rotten with roaches
A single tear, I bleed clear
Camouflaging my emotions
Survive bombardment
Impossible to not con carne
Until our wars are all our fathers battles reincarnate
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9. |
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I'm taking it out of bounds
Getting a tech foul
Foul moves getting life, wow
Good deeds getting death now
Finding the source of the switch around
Switch around
Source of the switch around
It's around
(Rich)
Lemme know and it's in and out
Call me back in an hour
Vega skins with the sour
Sweet dreams a fleeting thing
If anything, I could use a shower
If anything, I could lose the cowards
Take the reins the world is ours
Give it back!
It wasn't mine, I didn't know
But now I do
Can't be unlearned
Can't be unheard
Can't be unlearned
Give it back!
Every key to every door
Kill the myth then mop the floor
Professional in the finest form
Have more fun with the blinders on
Don't mean your missing the shit show
Stalling the renaissance
Privilege by the zip code
Street knowledge or bank rolls
Won't save you when the tanks roll
Shark week on the schedule
Every week on the schedule
Sacrifices are scheduled
Won't tell you that in the manual
All these rules are malleable
They're bendable and they're breakable
They're 2 systems that are applied and answered to
To reset gotta pull it up right from the roots
I'm taking it out of bounds
Getting a tech foul
Foul moves getting life, wow
Good deeds getting death now
Finding the source of the switch around
Switch around
Source of the switch around
It's around
2 x
No time to mess about
It's all ending soon
No time to mess about
It's all ending soon
(A.M.)
Switch around
Go around
Like it's Talladega
Monopoly, Boardwalk
High, get the paper
Every acre, wanna Tesla
You can keep the mule
Neighbors staring at me
Got my chains on by the pool
Ran laps, working on the cardio
Back and forth but it ain't Atari yo
When I'm winning
They sabotage the whole game
Worked a hundred years
Racial shit still the same
Saw 5 cops coming, put ya hands up
Create the culture
Then they try m ban us
Man up, baby, take responsibility
Too many excuses
Ain't believing what you giving me
I just gotta live
Teach my baby right
Mama call my phone, 11:30 every night
I'm alright
Thankful so I gotta pray
But we begging for a change fighting every day
Morning...
But we begging for a change fighting every day
Begging for a change fighting every day
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10. |
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(Matt Muse)
Damn,
Rich I'm glad we got a track
But it's still fuck 12
Tell em bring our n***as back
I'm off Henny
She off Jack
Bumping "Bounce & Break Yo Back"
I be like "aye aye oh"
When she bob that,
Bob that back down
Do or Die in the background
Got the plug like I drive a Tesla
So they on the line, bill collector
If they white then I tax em extra
Reparations
Hit the 40s on every acre
Let the whole hood ride the mule
Like damn PETA just hear me out
I'm tryina teach black folks to save fuel
Go from never how being safe feel
To 50gs in our safes feel
Spooky shit, Statesville
My hair down, my care's free
My city Chi and we proud to be
If you out South come fuck with me
(Defcee)
Macks built the beat
I laced it tighter than a skaters van
We grew organically while the labels were raising plants
So it's no respect if you pay for fans
Quit complaining fam
A rumble pack wouldn't shake your hand
Saving money instead of spending it on a game of chance
Change of plans
Traded hitting stages for fixin paper jams
Happy I'd tried and failed
Than If I'd never played and ran
So I'm more at peace than Tibetan monks
Blendin painted sand
They throwing shots
But I can trace where the casings land
Celebrating when cake's in hand, son,
But making baby bands
SkighMob, Future Cult, Grand Total, defprez
And Rich Jones
Pressin lines for us like a left end
(Skech185)
"When are you coming back?" she asked.
We lost her six weeks later
As my Summer sat
Behind shadow painted smiles and blockades
Lost days to fearful coughing
Absence Illustrated, seen the bottom
Seen some coffins
Seen The abyss blink back first
Seen it often
The slight sprint between last chance cars on the green
And last laughs at bars forgotten is flashbacks to Van Buren subs
And we lived that 5 A.M. shit as a practice
And half that carried me home most nights
It's abstract if you wasn't there.
Thats right, "Food,Sports, and Violence"
My mind lives between scenes when we see humans to be humans
And you made it because who knows who's gonna make it
And so we keep moving
(Psalm One)
We all gonna die and we know it
But how you living?
Got you dying inside admit it
The sky is falling
Temp is risin homie
Ain’t shit surprising
I got my pie up
Walther ppq it just
for the light up
My one desire
Grow for centuries from what I write up
My two desire
Roast my enemies down by the fire
Hoe
Lotta smoke
Politicians speaking in kaleidoscope
Nevertheless I continue to step in my power,
Enemy, vamanos!
I ain’t scared of ya
Covid ain’t no barrier
I’ll throw a mask and throw these hands
You bitches so embarrassing
Crooked cop to Karem nem
The barrel what we starin in
But I’ll reverse and put in work
And burn it all to raise again
Hybrids in the lobby
Call me
Psalmie no apology
Jones been tapping in, I had to rap,
It’s been an honor, G
And baby if this is my very last time breathing
I hope I gave y’all something to believe in,
Peace, man
(Jovan Landry)
Umm, Straight from The Go
Or uhh, straight from the The Chi
From Wacker down below, or from the South and West Sides
I...
I can be cocky with it, and diverse with the flow
Steadily fresh from our head our toes,
Where everything is matching
You know we never lacking,
We just be Cadillac-ing
Be dripping saucy mild,
Shout out to the Wild Wild
Where I stay everyday,
Repping so hard you know we don’t play
Like anywhere we have our good and bad days,
And Chi-Town be in my heart always
You know we got that culture though,
The weather hot, but then it’s cold
So frozen like Italian Ice, but blazing heat like Vocalo
J-O to the V-A-N, representing Aboriginal…
J-O to the V-A-N, representing Aboriginal…
(Rich Jones)
10 Years I finally turned this into something
If I'da cracked then right now I'd be dead or done
Rest in peace to who we lost
You're not forgotten
Rest in peace the vibes we lost
Developers stomped
No more geese to lay golden eggs
No more leases
Where the roofs for heads?
Free all those on reefer charges
Free those who got stuck by Burges
For the birds that they're sitting rotting
When I say Chicago
Move with caution
Say Chi---
Keep it moving
Lotta love, not a lotta options
Feel the ops
Sayonara
Talking big
Bring the commas
Moving wrong
Think of the karma
Polish fried, forget the carbs
Mustard brown
Onions carameled
Highs are high
I can't handle
Lows are lows
Change the channel
Peace
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Rich Jones Chicago, Illinois
Rich Jones is a prolific Chicago artist, community figure, and veteran of the cultural scene. Known for his versatile and evolving style, his latest album How do you sleep at night? finds him returning to his Hip Hop roots as he tackles class complacency, complicity under American authoritarianism and the value of human life vs. what’s profitable. ... more
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