The Tortoise Hustle

by Sankofa

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51

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1.	The Bottom Line 03:39	lyrics	buy track
You don’t exist to make music, you live to make a profit Selling your advertising space but I know it’s never thought of I wish you best of luck in all your demographic research But when you follow the trends you’ll end up leaving feet first Who are the people making money at radio stations? Inot the disc jockeys, the ones who live shoddy It’s the people selling all the advertising slots The fraternizing jocks with their status climbing flock Who have got expense accounts in dense amounts Mileage from driving the cars that are stylish Benefits, got to have the pearly white gates gleam Backroom deals are done dirty and they stay clean Hedging bets putting chick’s drinks on my tab Write it off to corporate slush funds, thinking to stab Blink and it’s grabbed, another ass another day passes Thankful I’m a shark in a world content to stay passive My reign’s acid it isn't about to cease quick So spin another clone trying to rap when the beat kicks My reign’s acid and it isn't about to cease quick So spin another clone trying to rap when the beat kicks Now park the CD that you bought from me inside your deck and catch a dose of dialect to redefine direct keep in mind that best is basically a biased call most of my favorites you couldn't find inside of malls or even on the radio unless it's colleges and 9/10ths of that is junior major politics freebies for students with spins, but who acknowledges anything to break an act with backing, got me balling fists your tastemaker's a CMJ columnist so i say goodbye to it all with a solemn kiss greenhorn PDs trying to strongarm DJ for playing what they like instead of charting another replay the payoff comes at annual convention, fab come visit fillintheblank on fillintheotherblank's tab higher learning, a great chance to breed consumers thinking they're thinking for themselves, they're in league with rumors kids who need computers to download the next song while they complain their favorite rapper’s getting slept on so props to cats still playing what they like and the few PDs not buying all the hype
2.	Speaking in Tongues 03:24	lyrics	buy track
Dwyane Wade, what the hell's he doing rocking Converse? If he stays healthy, he's a certified monster. They must have offered him the company to sign the dotted line. Their profit margin the past 8 years, not a dime. Nike bought them out of bankruptcy, but please it's been years since granmama dunked with creaky knees. I don't floss, but use a toothbrush to keep my shoes fresh 30 buck clearance rack or ebay with a new set. Double crosstrainers signed by Judas. It seems kind of strange, shoes provide my muses. I'm speaking in tongues, a bum from the cuffs up. No holy spirit, my sole appearance is the shoes sold on clearance. I'm old and bearded with a dash of polar bear. Too cold to care that I'm now chilling on a folding chair. Got soul to spare and change is imminent in foam cups. All kicks were dope, but now it seems I've grown up. It's the A to the D-I-D-A-S When it comes to sports, straight EA fresh shell toes to the a-cubed create wreck the sole truth, no he say-she say mess Duncan and KG-two of the greatest to ever play the game molestering opponents like that song from Dana Dane. They're both rocking the number 21, it's mathematics The digits add up to the stripes on their apparatus adidas-not the only kicks I own but when I'm rocking another pair, I miss my ROMs I walk with a bop in the summer and a stroll in the fall triple threat position when I'm on court holding the ball. I never had a jumper no matter how much I practiced so I put in some work with Feet You Wear tactics. SRVs with adi-cells in the heel cats don't believe me, but I tell them it's real. G-Units and S. Carters are nothing but Rod Lavers with a Pro-Ked stripe on the side, right. Did you hear how Reebok's been sucking for years now riding a trend until the buyout blend. It's the A to the D-I-D-A-S When it comes to sports, straight EA fresh shell toes to the a-cubed create wreck the sole truth, no he say-she say mess No diss to Maya Angelou it's all about my adidas when I handle flows No doubt and it'll go Sala 2s to the Bromium 3s a pair of white and red ROMs, homie you're weak Listen, I've been living in an adidas oasis since DMC walked down the steps with no laces navy PRO MODELS with blocked out letters PR MODE so now I rock crowds better I lock down, shred them, then I change from the basics my white Kobe2s, my Sta-Puft spaceships They split, but that's kosher to me because Joe Dumars is the true OG Torsion, Clima Cool, ADIprene, ADIplus plus NIMH, ADIsave dope, what?, add it up It's the A to the D-I-D-A-S When it comes to sports, straight EA fresh shell toes to the a-cubed create wreck the sole truth, no he say she say mess
3.	They All Die 03:54	lyrics	buy track
Metal pressing to his skull, it’s come down to this Screaming any god’s name in vain, a polytheistic twitch A wrist with tendons tense, ready to clench vengeance Wreaking havoc in the tattered fabric of another victim Sickened, a country falling apart, this answer is a trigger Cancerous, crisis, price paid it the handsomest Panic attack, a hand with hate to fuel the bonfires Corpses all around, eyes black, palms skyward A calm fighter gone beyond the call of random kills heart’s weighed on the scale against the blood that a hand has spilled Soldiers in ragged fatigues patrol the dirt roads The jungle swallows them whole, some saw the earth close The crossroads where the bad and worse met to fight Tunnels under the warpath, traps set tonight A slack weapon glides, silent as the reaper steps Defiant trying to find them hiding in a secret breath Regiments, police chiefs, grief and pestilence Friends, omens, countrymen kill for the testament What’s a victory without a little death in it? Uncertain future but the present is a definite Trading his soul for a sense of quiet in the typhoon The violent eye of his storm, as the flies swoon Deprived wombs thicken with invader’s orphans Delayed abortions, made to hate them and they raise a portion Wives, sisters, mothers, cork and a razorblade Forced hands…from apathetic to engage and slay A maze of prey, impossible to breakaway from Throbbing temple mere inches from a raised gun Brigades run in green berets through the thickened brush Ducking ricochets, napalm ash, stricken dust Another sacrifice, kids are never quick enough choppers swooping down to try and swiftly pick them up A dash of agent orange, newborns without limbs Blown away by claymores, the brown ground’s grim From rice paddies to the distant hills, the count’s in And the bodies keep piling up… Regiments, police chiefs, grief and pestilence Friends, omens, countrymen kill for the testament What’s a victory without a little death in it? Uncertain future but the present is a definite A brand new Job for God and Satan’s bored wager Truth mixed with fiction in a vivid war stranger A draft underneath the door is bringing cold chills families try to hold on, but they can’t hold still Chaotic-turf battles in a maze of jungle A main opponent, name of Charlie, and his aim is morbid Some made a fortune selling the planes and choppers Guns and ammunition, from a nation made to conquer, sons in camo listen Skin slick with perspiration, body bag and hearse awaiting A brand new cause worth debating A percolating pressure cooker where the heat never lacks Evacuate with medivacs, then send them back Chamber spins, pelvic thrust of the firing pin A camera clicks, the moment frozen, it’s time to win people back home keep on and try to grin But the quicksand just gets thicker Regiments, police chiefs, grief and pestilence Friends, omens, countrymen kill for the testament What’s a victory without a little death in it? Uncertain future but the present is a definite And they all die…
4.	Tale of a Cartoon Snake 04:19	lyrics	buy track
He’s a sleaze bag and a slime ball A cartoon snake in his ride with the white walls Biding his time until the night falls Then he’s finding a line into your thighs, doll When a sucker’s born a minute, why stall? He walks slow, wearing shoes a size small He's pulling out your secret to use as he sees fit 3 piece suit, no soul beneath it Weighing his options, he's looking for a way in Any advantage, he’s got a fan in the basement He spends nights liquored up at a Day’s Inn Got so many ways, interrupting’s his favorite Ask too much, he’ll find a replacement When he said hello, it was silent amazement He dressed nice, you’re his special occasion But look up in his book, there's not a legible name in He's going to be the one that you need most Getting close enough to get his…then he’s ghost Your hero, a shoulder to cry on, the silent type Been around since the trilobite 'cause sin seared his heart, but he’s sincere to you Anything to get a little closer-true You won’t see his lies until it’s over ma’am Rental Range Rover but he rode the tram you’re opening up, he’s memorizing the way there A smooth operator with a toy at your day care Making moves on your neighbor, the one with no kids So you do what he wants, hoping it sticks He’ll call you the wrong name and then play it off Velvet with the game and who pays the cost? Stayed a pawn, he gained power and you did stuff 100 here, 20 there, getting mixed up Hinted at futures, maybe marriage A package in the park, hidden in the baby carriage You ever get the feeling that you’re watched when he’s not there? He laughed when you asked, that’s when you got scared quick to reassure you with a pat to the head He'll make you feel safe like a kid in its bed With the covers pulled high so the monster can’t find you You’re blind baby, you’re blind to his sly moves Once he gets his hooks in, watch out He’ll take what he wants and he’s not proud Wonder why he has a cell and not a phone at home, huh? Through his teeth leaks a powerful aroma Smells familiar but you’re scared to put a finger on it A nervous thought is only going to bring the vomit courage to bring it up is sadly never mustered A fox in a henhouse with a feather duster Crocodile’s smile, but his eyes are stone and this is something that you might have known His number disconnected when you try to phone And now it’s over and so you cry alone And now it’s over and so you cry alone And now it’s over and so you cry alone And now it’s over and so you cry alone And now it’s over and so you cry alone
5.	And it Goes 03:12	lyrics	buy track
From socially conscious to a comatose hideaway Some might have a rime to say, but what’s the time today? Homeless cat in new sneaks leans back, a fly beret Crime cats with a bribe to pay, let the vinyl play The warrior dies, ironically his rival stays Not ready to fight today, let him slide inside the grave Sun bums sit on benches soaking up the brightest rays Bikers raise pedals, testing mettle in a type of race Unanswered letters gather dust from a Riker stay The broke propose a type of trade, succumbing to a hype brigade Mumbling for lights and glazed eyes with a pipe array Practicing apologies, the things they’d like to say Overripe, in the library for a cyber date The truth spoken, veined hands holding a bible shake Maybe take a walk by the lake, no need to violate Foolish gold standard might appraise soon, the righteous ways They lie awake and try to state their purpose in a fight today Some sigh and ache, wishing for the days that they’d hire eight Strippers…to leap out of giant cakes Street sounds and iron grates, peep round the side and spray Eastbound tonight’s parade, deep down the pride remains Each found a vital rage to keep grounded by the way A vial breaks and the argument begins A dog’s hunger barking in the skin, bargaining for wins In a Parka, thin, shaking like a fallen leaf Making life a stall of grief, naked eyes, guys can all agree They patronize kabbalah speak Acknowledging, they fall asleep her plate provides them all treat, from gator types to wallabies Her labor’s life an olive tree branch from a dove’s beak Trying to make enough for her tough lease, plus eat Some nights, the pus leaks and her wounds weep Another pushed underneath the rug with a broom sweep Goons creep through the bruised streets with some new needs Blinds getting drawn to subdued screams...true fiends Crews accrue cream, bringing truth to gruesome dreams Lucid themes, soon growing loose at the seams Boosted boots and her jeans, singing the blues with a queen Name of Lucille, betrayed by the gauge of the steel A page is then peeled, surreal, trying to make an appeal The patient is healed, pacing in an apron, revealed The way the kids worked the words was quite amazing but they couldn’t quite believe it A cipher type of place to hide the secret The white adidas, three stripes were type prestigious No mic elitists, cop lights flash and then it’s time to beat it A dash down the side street, moving wisely fire escape, cooling down with iced tea Wires and jakes, reviving to make the most dire of straits Mind of minor replaced, dry cleaners minus a safe Pining away The kind of mind that might of betrayed for midas to save the loosest of clothes and the tightest of braids blinded with pay suicidal brigades
6.	Hoping 04:02	lyrics	buy track
A vivid blend of Francis Ford Copolla's lens and the ink from my promotional disposable pens I lost count of all the scrap paper scribbled on and tossed out from bitter bonds, I spit it strong on songs to quash doubt dues paid, contagious crusades of worth a solitary ivory tower sat rapping a verse somewhere after his birth, the final passing calls molitov cocktails for the plastic dolls placid thralls with a death mask for the set backs I did what i could with what I had, won't regret that let it be stressed stat with box scores or your tools selected I'm almost done with the game, considering rules are wretched let the little league fools overrun the courts and have the prizes it's hard to fight the passive tripping on a path that's righteous whatever tidbits appetize become the trap for flies 45 bent truth, five blank and half are lies Hoping to be somewhere closer to home Tear stained cheeks, a melancholy one soaked to the bone Prone to grope for the phone when life was a bit much But in front of sons it was upper lip zipped up Spon said, pretty packages help to sell garbage we want success stories just to see who fell hardest make us feel better, we won't exhibit any effort first comes success then comes a trendy leper sitting on the sideline, watching fangs sharpen TV dinner sweepstake winner slang sargeant hunger pangs harden resolve, start to embark on new tracks the once fly hanglide, hoping to swoop back the noose catches cats wracked with goosebumps for new chumps stardom fleeting...stars do stunts the truth runs scar collectors move funds making their pain a public matter all in the name of pride while their chests puff and shatter zooming up the ladder, the next incidental pimps and winsome instrumental spins tend to rinse the gentle expecting their share whenever the earth's inherited in all fairness, they weren't told that it was perilious Hoping to be somewhere closer to home Tear stained cheeks, a melancholy one soaked to the bone Prone to grope for the phone when life was a bit much But in front of sons it was upper lip zipped up life-I was taught to live it by a brave woman with two kids who moved overseas the eldest was barely a teen Preparing her team to move forth and follow their dreams Wherever they’d lie, now my brother’s in Oregon and I Call Fort Wayne home in damn near every song Cause when you’re following your heart you can never be wrong She suggested when I can’t make that decision To consider the weight of regret and I listened The man she loved died twenty years ago But they share sons who carry on the legacy that’s clear so They do what they can in different states It seems Time has now Hidden the aches 1948, the year she was born Now she sees my brother and I are clear of the storm SDSB appears in her form The initials of a mother I see but still miss Hoping to be somewhere closer to home Tear stained cheeks, a melancholy one soaked to the bone Prone to grope for the phone when life was a bit much But in front of sons it was upper lip zipped up I’d get embarrassed when she was dancing to her 45s Coming home from school, getting mortified She was having fun in the way that she knew how Cats in the cradle, breaking new ground The day I learned she didn’t have every answer Was devastating, she was invincible, the dancer she was strong so the outside couldn’t hurt us Watching every cent spent, on every purchase Hoping to be somewhere closer to home Tear stained cheeks, a melancholy one soaked to the bone Prone to grope for the phone when life was a bit much But in front of sons it was upper lip zipped up
7.	Sharper Than Knives 04:21	lyrics	buy track
I’m here to speak volumes past decibel measures you won’t hear me shouting about the lessers and stressors But this situation needs be properly addressed Zip code, ripped shows instead of property of rep Got to be in step, making music, friends then having fun Or Watch conflict ramp up until a stabbing comes Look, None of us here are raking in the monster bucks So why do we do it? Love of the music, trust Different paths to the same goal but some cast stones A green eyed bandit standing in the blast zone And that gnome is making a mess at the midwive’s Trying to give birth to a scene, but then the fists fly The baby’s dropped on its head as the parents argue Too busy pointing fingers to watch the kid starve, blue Now that little skeleton's paraded by one side And some guys are left tongue tied, and I ask "why?" They’ll wish you well until you succeed And then the winds change, seems strange but it’s truth indeed Used to be supportive, before your tracks got props And now it’s bickering, everyday non stop Grudges are getting mistaken for collector’s items Bereft of guidance, left awaiting on a stress reliance An edifying set of blinders Bust a war parading in the festive guidance must abort the wretched test of tyrants Never mind the best advice is free, everything is paid for Incestuous rape occurs and hate scores I pace floors, wearing crooked ovals into the carpets The happy stay quiet, malcontents spit in the darkness A bitter bit of the carcass, hearkening back to golden ages But now everybody raps, some patrol the stages Old and gray with soul to spray or young and upcoming Bystanders fester, envy is their pus running Backhanded compliments their stock and trade, locked away What got props a week back is getting mocked today I’ve got to say those anchors grow rusty and then the boats drift sliding scales of short term memory making dopeness They’ll wish you well until you succeed And then the winds change, seems strange but it’s truth indeed Used to be supportive, before your tracks got props And now it’s bickering, everyday non stop Shreds of old beef displayed in the butcher windows Proof of their existence, sitting in the grim rows the meat attracts flies, grows moldy and stays there No need to rap wise, go on selling those hate wares Perpetuating a rotten corpse for a reason without reason Time for the cleansing, devout season heads seeking nutrients find the food and eat it up Infected by maggots a'turning in their weakened guts A neat elitist club, accidental flea freezes, they beat it up Freestyles never free enough, so better leagues erupt Pedigree is such, befriending me for what? Imagining their enemies adjust instead of making dope tracks Booking shows that are so packed new kids mingle with old cats I’m talking soul claps, no prozac, low and high budget clothed cats both flow, packed with a passion They’ll wish you well until you succeed And then the winds change, seems strange but it’s truth indeed Used to be supportive, before your tracks got props And now it’s bickering, everyday non stop
8.	The Tortoise Hustle 04:23	lyrics	buy track
Cause they’re prone to say things which I don’t believe And I’m known to say things that they won’t repeat So I guess we’re even in a childish kind of way Both deaf with conviction-listen There's a stack of looseleaf with batches of thoughts A couple lines here, a half verse there and I’m lost It’s another day, I'm just combing through the pieces The tortoise hustle continues Loving the shirt but they hate the struggle Faking a couple scrapes, maybe even graze a knuckle Quick to praise the maze of rubble left behind Investing in both sides, the death deaf and blind with a dose of dumb keeping Tweedle Dee satisfied The boy grows up, pat on the back, ‘attaguy’ Rebellion with a trust fund and a pair of Birkenstocks Cause Doc Martens got played out, a circus plot Rolling smokes in the way of the hepster Urban Outfitters gift bag cause it’s fresher Nonchalantly playing with a zippo, until you notice And then nothing but mumbled nothings about its dopeness Telling its backstory like David Mamet made it Name dropping galore, the notes are annotated I can’t say "that’s cool" pretending to play the game They stay the same like the Ruler's voice and Dana Dane’s There's a stack of looseleaf with batches of thoughts A couple lines here, a half verse there and I’m lost It’s another day, I'm just combing through the pieces The tortoise hustle continues I’m waiting to win the lotto with that ticket I never purchase Bringing heart to the beat, speak stronger than a stack of curses The laughter urges me to work harder, writing to beats Empty 40s on the side of the street All kinds of disease, better believe Psychiatrists eat Homeless shelter cats in the library stay warm From the guy who says hello twice like his record stays skipped To the other smokers through the ashtrays they sift traces of the virus, plasma clinic donors Methadone clinic visitors, thin in skin that’s older Whose rich veins get adose of homeless man’s blood? Probably not that guy getting taken away in handcuffs It’s flood season and soon enough the dams bust I walk around aimless, wonder who I can trust Hearing another big timer and his plans rust Too much sitting around, it’s high time to stand up There's a stack of looseleaf with batches of thoughts A couple lines here, a half verse there and I’m lost It’s another day, I'm just combing through the pieces The tortoise hustle continues I’m not looking to be a rainman-king of a counterculture I’ll drop a toothpick reference and spit a round of sulfer Giving props to those who motivated me the best I can Standing my ground while the rest just ran Reckless, consecutive messages set adrift quick Text perfectionist, verses merge in a mission superb words weighed against the heart of an angel Startled betrayal, layered with an partisan art that is fatal Tales spun, planes crash, lungs weigh a ton, train tracks Carry freight in 95 cars, brains wracked Cause I counted them while sitting in park Glorious stories from explorers who didn’t embark Omnipotent art of the storyline, incessant and stark Listeners run with their heads afire, I fed them a spark Regiments, scarred, it's never been hard to sever several But the path of least resistance's often less than ethical There's a stack of looseleaf with batches of thoughts A couple lines here, a half verse there and I’m lost It’s another day, I'm just combing through the pieces The tortoise hustle continues
9.	32106 03:33	lyrics	buy track
That night at C-Street I rocked a show and we were introduced You don’t remember it though, it could have been a ruse And now in interviews your name comes up in random places A plan unstated, they say San is whipped, but I can’t escape it Screw it, I’m happy for the first time in I can’t remember Tell you this much, I'm glad I didn’t see your plan to enter Just watching you sleep and hearing the way that you breathe Is amazing to me, so now over beats I make the decree Your laughter’s medicine, now I’m more prone to laugh Not to mention actually smile when in a photograph Last night, watching you sitting on the couch Thinking this is the woman for the rest of my life, now A testament I found, no resting on high ground, there’s more to discover I can’t record with stutter, I’ve got to make it clear I LOVE YOU Thinking about us has my happy eyes catching major tears…because It’s the plans we make that someday we’re going to get to Knowing they’ll happen in due time and yes you Deserve respect due for infinite patience The time you closed in for a kiss and I was thinking evasive Walking home feeling like a damn fool a man who was too afraid to reach out and connect, but now that you’re next It’s ancient history, I’m found at your rest And that place with a willy wonka paintjob is now home A proud zone of disbelief, a bed that we both bought No more futons and sore necks which we both caught I can’t help but think when I had to get my daily dose You with no makeup, so beautiful in a way we chose And that time downtown, upon the granite circle Just across from the Dash In, I was a man unnervous To feel at peace with someone I was so attracted to Just hoping you'd feel the same, as the plans expand anew…because Days shift, experiences bleed into each other Seeking who, each other, recent moves, reach approved, a shudder A broken breath, sometimes overslept, closer kept One line on a path of no regrets Used to be enough to be think, but now I’ve got to be around A new addiction, my muse of living seen aloud Don’t need the ground for much more than long walks Raindrops gather on your glasses, our moms talk A song wrought from your carefully laid plans That seemed like random occurances wherever you’d stand One of the benefits of being an actress, you never blushed I say hello to the memory of your crush You went to 6 stores to find my brand of toothpicks A beautiful and determined woman, so let the truth stick I didn’t really miss you that much 'til you came back Then life felt better…back on a sane track
10.	Shiny 04:44	lyrics	buy track
Vindictive, the sickness it hits with the quickness And it’s just disgusting this lusting of riches Which is an apt welcome, welcome to this world, come on down Now this is Obese America, where more is never enough FHM, Maxim, maximum busts, and Stuff Duff, no longer a beer, but an underage fantasy Britney’s over the hill, don’t get panicky man if we put this little manatee on a diet plan She’ll be the next firebrand, type messiah scam Ruling a secret pedophile land with an iron hand Leon the professional, say you won’t, I bet you will Find her attractive, gold digging minor and actress With the mind of a mattress, fresh as spring, all innocent Pushing products with Lolita the synonym Lindsey Lohan, a flimsy coke habit from a broke plan It’s the cyclical nature making the sick smarter Who cares about Alicia Silverstone when puberty hit harder? A nixed artist, varnished, underaged vargas, Wispy Disney starlet, risky business with a prissy little smarm it’s harmless fun and games, child’s play with grown up customers Trusted perks and thus disgust is blurred, you must’ve heard The Olsen twins, talking about centerfolds and such When they’re old enough, barely legal, evil rolling up Who sold the smut, the same who profit, you got it And you wonder how some young girls get neurotic Vomit on the toilet seat, Hubba Bubba mixed with bile And the best word to apply is denial It’s the latest style, fashion, fad and must have Keeping up with the joneses, eyeliner like a musk rat And all the good news, I wouldn’t trust that You wonder what she did when she cut class, just ask Catholic school girls, Asian fetishes and drive thrus Businessmen with brochures, trips flying Sky Blue Tummy tucks, thighs bruised, crows feet fly true Don’t speak, glide through From a nation that is proud to devour its young I finger paint hearts in hues of a Howard alum I’m not trying to be negative, just saying what I notice And most kids are attacked to buy and it’s ferocious Don’t just sit there, transfixed as your kid is raised By the TV set, set minute limits in the days it’s not my business, but my tongue is scarred enough No more holding back, time for truth, start it up Scalpels carving up skin to try and rediscover youth Strung out on botox shots, another ruse And what a move, sayshaying to her last night in hell Chasing dollar dreams giving birth to the clientele
11.	Needful Things 01:08	lyrics	buy track
The river driven rhythm I'm delivering will rivet them defense is stifling, disciple with the discipline laundry's undone, I've got to run catch up to thoughts on the tip of my tongue rapping is raw, wicked vivid, you're numb tapping your jaw, scissor kick of the gum come get within the span of my soundwave smackdown act out fantasies, all panicky, you're wack now fat sounds thinning every thug dream blood stream cash cow, bleed it to the bank, what it must mean plus we must be better than the average at a higher standard when the banter is established Pabst Blue Ribbon and a tattoo'd kitten with a snafu hidden in the back, stat ask who hit it with a fast food gimmick and a mask, true fitted is it fact, that guy with a one of a kind mind designed this vibes with the wonderous hi-fi surprises hide in a number of tie dyes, you're spineless defining divine intertwined with a crisis I'm standing here on my own two rime cannon, fear in a phone booth no need to change, I proceed deranged for foes meet the grave and don't speak for days provoke beef and blaze with no teeth, amazed nosebleed parades for Bo Peep brigades I'm grazing Grey's Anatomy and making it red from day to day I'm made at me with vacant regret flavor tasted is death so now I'm looking for the mouthwash done everything I can here but count off 1, 2, 3 it's a song Fort Wayne Hip-Hop representing a bond
12.	Taken 04:01	lyrics	buy track
Ill-the definition of, it’s twisted sick and rough Wicked with enough guff to rip an insipid grip of schmucks Plus busting up the guts of ducks swearing that their man’s fresher Expensive gear but open mouths and it’s all Fran Drescher Congratulations, to the latest greatest next to be forgotten man better spend that high interest loan wisely my microphone timing might condone your bone breakage I'm not content to pose mean a styrofoam sadist I'm wild in zones made with breakbeats that grace streets the abrasive breed breathes a masterpiece to slay creeps pretend to wager but you know that's money down the drain mumble mouth mush macks on the dial all sound the same my reign's police brutality-it'll never cease to pour the megatron conquistador beast in a feast of war wreaks havoc from eastern shore boards to westerly spots hot now, but you're next to be dropped, stop when I started rapping, I did so as a dark assassin taking a carcass, carve it marvelous with heart and passion, patched in coming out of the sound booth with Kashal-Tee flipping vowing to keep ripping the wack rappers while the beat's kicking My heart was starving but my craftsmanship was sorely lacking so I locked the pen in solitary, core reaction the more music made the less I enjoy rap and I still wish the DOC would get his voice back Indiana Jones in the tomb, I've seen enough snakes and enough people claiming roughness with a tough face I'm here to touch base, moving onward trust fate no PR bust acting up on the such date I don’t have record advances to pay for legal costs I make songs as life preservers for the people, lost Shouting out the heads fiending for the needle’s drop Bound a take an L the day a donut goes and eats a cop back when I was 8 years old, the rain started falling so I told God to make it stop with the darkness calling sure enough, the clouds parted and I kept playing a child with a king's arrogance, but less patient the gestation of powertrip magnified resulting in the vagabond-minded bragging guy fish and chip shop, bag of fries, sated face potato cakes, 808s in a state of grace back in '86, I first heard the songs play Morris Minor & the Majors' Stutter Rap my entree walked to K-Mart and bought the 7" with my allowance I spun the record forever, just watching time devoured Head nodding, before my soul and mind had soured looking back, it prolly was my finest hour It used to be about dope, but now it’s rife with cowards Got me thinking about the rifle scopes and Eifel towers I make loose leaf lose sleep daily Writing to the sound of a thousand trees wailing I couldn't figure out how records made that strange sound I'd put the speakers next to my ears and just lay down Music was my therapy of sorts, alienated Call me slightly nuts, maybe escapist The kid with his trachea traded for an insane machine That would spit raps at the wick wack in their Mabelline The Flavor Unit, before Channel Live became wack Black Sheep number nine, goosebumps, the train track what's success? I asked myself the definition is it enough to have fun if they never listen? or is it sheep using my words for their repetition and it's enough to have fun, let them never listen I’m back to win with the certified authentic El Keter banging out the track, it’s the raw blended The stupendous lieutenant with two tenants, subdued Lenin The tomb’s spinning, with doom grinning in blue denim
13.	Sing it Backwards (feat. RhymeWise37) 03:21	lyrics	buy track
Sankofa Broadcasting live from the hi-fi burning heaven I’m Sankofa, and I’m RhymeWise37 Step into the arena, tibia fibula snap, pity the wack Take your little pride, yeah man I‘ll fiddle with that Giving it back similar to Glide and Pringlz I’d rather not be a focal point, but I’ll try to mingle Wing Council meetings to the beatings weaklings are receiving Grieving fanbases, bleeding pamphlets, retreating Speeding away from the epicenter, away from the next contenders rep wrenchers, steel trap minds, stretched tempers So best remember, your next adventure better be far away Before you spark a case of instant heart decay Welcome to your darkest day, sing with the ghost of Marvin Gaye Bring your best boast and get roasted you and your mark brigade I’m blessing flows to carve the beat the F the O the R the T I’m blessing the flow to be carving the beat For The F and the O and the R and the T The F, the W, H-H next to trouble you, may day Who? Wise37 What? Mic Wrecking Who? Sankofa What? Game over RhymeWise37 On this mic, I'm a wizard wordplay warlock what have you with a Medusa stare that's turning grown men to statues You stiff necked MCs better break or get Krush Grooved my Wild Style warfare beats your street talk, so just move Your test tube offerings can't touch the organic ain't nothing forced or fake, with Wise it's raw talent I don't follow trends or jump on bandwagons That's more than I can say for half you cats rapping Jumping from trend to trend in an effort to extend their life expectancy seems like that's what you expect from me But nah, this kid treads a different path When I look at half these acts, I see a bunch of copycats Ay, who's your favorite rapper? You don't even got to ask They mimic them so close they might as well rock a mask Just like it's Halloween, so now I'm hollering On all you crews of fools and your practice of following yessir The F, the W, H-H next to trouble you, may day Who? Wise37 What? Mic Wrecking Who? Sankofa What? Game over Sankofa It’s the magnificent mic manglers slanging another banging verse I’m hoping it hurts, ready set to open a hearse provoking the worst Choking you smurfs until you’re white in the face, rime titan amazed Biding the days until my crimson‘s carbonation, hearts a'racing RhymeWise37 Start defacing spark the laser, sharpening razors, marking the majors feel the bark of the taser, leave the bodies under the tarp for later Vader holdin a saber kid. I'm blazin', launchin' the flavor spit Rip as raw as it gets, targets are hit, leaving your carcasses split Sankofa The starving will quit their barnum carnival bid for stardom lickety split The wicked equipped with imminent disses, your midget he must have missed it So grip the rust and rip it, mister blister transistors and your man’s sister Hands twisted, the mystic mist advanced scripture RhymeWise37 Madman's temper, making your fam and fans whimper something you cant figure. Bite and youll be wearing a pair of bad dentures adventures of the ruggedest two, ripping a hole in you fools Stop. It's over you're through, nothing to do a waste of effort... you lose The F, the W, H-H next to trouble you, may day Who? Wise37 What? Mic Wrecking Who? Sankofa What? Game over
14.	The Zoom Zip 03:27	lyrics	buy track
Act a jerk, you're getting smacked for sure It's El Keter in the back with a track, superb and Sankofa with a rap to learn, clap your hands. Taking it way back to Dapper Dan. You might find something worth a listen right here right now, but if you don't try, you'll never find out. Lie down, taking a load off. making your woes stop. Oakland to Beantown-A's to the Bosox Flow locked? No question I'm testing most thought. Perfection is destined, I'm ready to go off at any given moment The frozen are arisen with a dose of focus Delivering the opus, spitting a cyclone I shiver the light bones and didn’t invite clones Lip-zip it and fly home, kid it is sick Minimum I wrote, envision the bliss With a telescope attached to the dopest rap Don’t need a skeleton, cause Vogue is wack Proceed to scatter facts in the mode of fat Slow speaking data cats grin and grow, with that Act a jerk, you're getting smacked for sure It's El Keter in the back with a track, superb and Sankofa with a rap to learn, clap your hands Taking it way back to Dapper Dan. Everything I rime’s huge, you, are minute An amoeba in a fly soup could hide you Nothing but your brittle pride bruised at high noon So pucker up and kiss the fist of a wry groove I provide gruesome ways to use a phrase crews are ablaze in blues for days They're leeding ooze in trays at the triage spot Mighty Mi beats go wack when Mr. Eon talks Beyond props, the phenom rocks from old age Shell changes but still the soul stays Melt faces when I wield the penmanship Intending to rip this, pretenders ended quick Ten are tentative, so I keep at it Wreak havoc, and the beat is magic An elite status courtesy of el Keter so bow down and spell better punk Act a jerk, you're getting smacked for sure It's El Keter in the back with a track, superb and Sankofa with a rap to learn, clap your hands Taking it way back to Dapper Dan. I must become one with the rusted drum I'd rather be a fool than one who trusted none Not mistaken for rappers ready to buck a gun nun dusted tongues stung when I bust a lung scum-sucking dust, you Ruxpins suck word to buxom sluts Sankofa with the custom stuff, plus Keter takes the breaks and busts them up righteous Been a long time since songs had such guidance All that plus midas touch ups in the dark room Scar goons rapping like they’re living in a cartoon Foreclose on their parfum and wardrobes Rock more shows, maybe rent a tour boat No bus cause Greyhound sucks, yep Don’t cuss but blaze nouns tough, trek Back and forth but my home zone is Fort Wayne My best teacher was Mrs. Rhodes, 4th grade Act a jerk, you're getting smacked for sure It's El Keter in the back with a track, superb and Sankofa with a rap to learn, clap your hands Taking it way back to Dapper Dan.
15.	JON?DOE, AthenA, Ryan Officer, iCon the Mic King, ADRU THE MISPHIT, RhymeWise37 - Section8 03:05	info	buy track
16.	Creasy 04:03	lyrics	buy track
Still heating up after all of these years success and i'm calling it weird, bald with a beard scalding the ears of those cool enough to show the support Indiana rep…betrothed to the Fort soaked to the orbs with sweat after enough live show wanted to burn it down…didn't need to be a pyro eyes closed, the set done...crowd chanting my name never thought i'd make it, man it's insane a phantom aflame, mechanical brain is clicking fast Kicking raps and it's humbling being this at last isn't that what i dreamt about down in the basement locked in the bathroom for hours, practicing, pacing now it's back to the basics, a dope beat and some words Seems just as I calm down, there's no ceasing the urge releasing the merged murder fervor, leaping to surge indeed it's absurd, in league with the beat, it’s superb I can’t deny it, no matter how I try kid on stage riots, otherwise quiet fans repeating a verse, man I bleed for the thirst not needing to curse, these words impeach legions, observe unfeasible first and now conquered in the aftermath content with life, like i don't even have to rap but half of that is disbelief, I'm still around ripping beats simply combined with Keter on a sickened symphony the Tortoise Hustle moves forth and it's into me complicated words mash part DaVinci industry my limbs are weak, but still my heart demands more so i'm typing down bloodwork, leaving hands sore i don't need to plan war, but sometimes it's fun to build myself another wall i know i'm going to run through a one two...that's my catalyst, no fragile additives just me, formerly invisible new statuses Feeling strange when the folks call me by my rap name so I say I'm Stephen and I'm glad that they came I can’t deny it, no matter how I try kid on stage riots, otherwise quiet this is for the people who believed in me more than I and that there's a long list, so form a line you were there when everything was said and done and if the criticism's due, I know you will let it come I can trust the truth and do my damndest to improve a man in the booth, examining the muse...San is in the groove I don't waste energy to either love or hate a critic I work words to beats in the hopes you will say you dig it and if not, so be, the journey doesn't cease long as the pen moves and my soul is still loving beats give my head some room to breathe that's recovery rap tracks, rebuttals, beef, stashed facts the rubble bleeds upstairs our firetrap apartment, planning new tracks as the faucet leaks, the missing link grew back A fan for the ages, hoping to be earning dap Been at this since '98, there’s no turning back I can’t deny it, no matter how I try kid on stage riots, otherwise quiet

about

Quite possibly my longest-marinating effort, The Tortoise Hustle is a topical work spanning my thoughts on life. El Keter (who produced all but four cuts) more succinctly calls it my "Atmosphere album." I doubt the call of my work to the amorous, but it would be dope if the music resonated with listeners. The Tortoise Hustle is my M.O. I'm not consumed by visions of larger recognition and whatever perceptions define success, I just want to enjoy making music. After running the proper route of one-sheeters, near limitless postal expenditures, college radio mailings and all the proper routes for 2005's "Still Means Something", I regrouped with my philosophy of small. Thus 250 individually stamped and numbered tins with Cracker Jack type goodies were born. All sonic duties (recording, mixing down, mastering) were handled by Gillespie at Monastic Chambers. Some friends consider it to be my final release. Jenn thinks that's nonsense. Shout out to EDS for helping with the discface layout.

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released September 8, 2008

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Sankofa Fort Wayne

My rhymes kick in like a turbobooster.

Fort Wayne.

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