Been a long time Shouldn’t have left you Without Blake B. to step to I told y’all (hold on) Now let’s go (go on) The wait was so long (so long) 6 years comin’ - sound of the struggle Back breakin’ beat makin’ – sound of the rubble Could barely bear the lion – sound of the jungle All balls in the air – sound of the juggle Sound of the hustle, sounds like silence Speakin’ from the stage while I planned in private Stayin’ so fly, certified pilot Focus on the flow like I’m worried bout the climate Petrified with perfection keepin’ me so froze Scared to share – it was keepin’ me so closed Threaded the threats like when you sew clothes Sheddin’ the stoicism – I’m gettin’ so close Livin’ authentic and findin’ my worthiness Spent my whole life being impervious But I’m certain if I’m turnin’ from livin’ in a tower I will change the world when I step into my power All my life I've been Running from everything Searching for something that could save me But now I'm here And all I need is Calling to me I just gotta listen till I'm free If I could tick all the boxes that were available Then my position would be unassailable Need fire rhymes so I won’t feel shade Need straights A’s so I won’t feel shame But though I made the grade and graduated to greatness The hole in my soul brought me back to the Matrix When I defined my worth by others’ opinions I would never know the strength I’d been given I’d been livin’ to please other people Deferential to a fault like I was never equal But now I found the fault lines and I’ll let ‘em grate Time to rock the planet with the tectonic plates Cuz I’m not afraid to change – bring on the eruption Can’t burn bright unless I trust the combustion Soarin’ from the depths - at least that’s what I’m hopin’ Imma be the mountain that rose from the ocean CHORUS Have patience, love the uncertainty Even when faced with the urgency Like everything in life is an emergency And I’m stuck in a state of perpetual purgatory I’m thirty-three, passion burns third degree like my PhD, yeah I’m talkin’ bout my third degree That’s just nerdy me, kickin’ out my demons here It’s my time to shine since now I’m in my Jesus year I’m feelin’ clean & clear, comin’ to terms with my scars Ready to rock the rock between Venus and Mars Lookin’ up cuz I plan to be ascending Since I contain the universe within me [I just gotta] So forget your perfect harmony [Listen till I'm] Just be who you were called to be [Listen to love] There’s a crack in everything That’s how the light gets in so sing… CHORUS

One choice is no choice, two is a dilemma Three gives you options so one might be a winner Forfeit your power that you hold in your five If you become defined by the haters in your life Or even in your mind cuz we’re always telling stories Days of defeat or glimpses of glory The roads lie before me, the paths are diverging The future’s uncertain but I can’t let that unnerve me You heard me, I’m worthy, my destiny’s deliberate Designer in my mind and warrior in my spirit I can either fear it or become the master Gotta grab my pen and compose the next chapter Tell me now How will my story be told And how will my life unfold Power's mine; if I survive It's gon' be cuz I decide Imma be the one, the one To choose, to choose, to choose Here we go Here we go like knock it out, like set it off, like turn it up Like short fuse, dynamite, set that spark and burn it up I learned to cut that excess, I’m giving fear a death threat Every day’s a fresh deck to focus on my next step Regret less? I’m trying. My history’s not destiny A caged past will bite me, so I gotta set it free And let it be like John said, always keep it one hunnit Gotta clear the cobwebs to make way for what’s comin’ I’m dream huntin’ not mean muggin’ so leave frontin’ behind If you see something like me comin’ you’ll be touchin’ the sky I’m beast dunkin’ and street thumpin’ and keep crushin’ those lies Cuz I need nothin’ I’m me lovin’ my peace on the inside [NICE] {hahaha} What you know about that? Invest in yourself, put your money where your mouth at You always have the power – I hope you never doubt that Ask yourself, “What else could this mean?” and you’ll bounce back Like house cats fallin’ on their feet, I stay ballin’ on the beat Even when I falter nothing’s wrong with me I can only call defeat when I don’t rise back up So even when the music stops I’ll still tear the track up Chorus

What doesn’t kill me makes the fuel in my tank Those who caused me pain are the ones that I should thank This might seem absurd, but I swear it’s the truth The fact that I’m still here today is the proof Stood on the roof like I couldn’t go on Thought I had no friends and couldn’t be strong Thought I was alone, thought that I was crazy Until a voice called out in the night to save me So many times felt I was unlovable Couldn’t get a date like I was untouchable Now I’m untouchable cuz I pushed through it Even though all I had at times was the music Since I got beat down, I can take a hit And since I got the beat now, I can make a hit If I got through that I can get through this If I made it through the pain, I can make it to the bliss This weighs heavy on my soul There’s so much I can’t control Gotta keep pushing through this pain I know it’s temporary And when it’s more than I can hold I know that I won’t fold Cuz when I feel I’m done, I just look back at what I’ve overcome In the moments when life feels hardest In the moments when light feels darkest When you hold that last dying spark Like it’s the only thing keeping you on target That’s the time to fix in your mind Save it as a memory of when you survived And the next time you face your weakness Use what you’ve overcome now to defeat it It’s the sequence, rinse wash repeat it Call upon the pain of the past when you need it If you don’t believe it, you couldn’t be wronger Tearing down the muscle’s only way to make it stronger I made it longer than I even had a right to be Because I had fam who were there to fight for me I don’t say this righteously, I say it with conviction Only you decide if the past is a prison CHORUS Used to hate the fear, now I feel I’m wantin’ this Pushing through obstacles only brings me confidence I’m positive that one day I’ll be rockin’ this Standin’ on a stage on the top of the Acropolis Almost thought I could never get a doctorate Drafted a letter sayin’ why I’d be droppin’ it Rehearsed the reasons I should be stoppin’ it Like the haters in my head formed a conglomerate But I conquered it, got in the studio And told myself May 31st I’d be launchin’ it That was Scholar, my album and dissertation That I consider one of my finest accomplishments So when you’re wantin’ to quit and just fold Look back how far you’ve walked along the brick road Your feet may slow and so will the music But the only way out is to blast right through it CHORUS

Have you ever been knocked down / beat up Passed over / pulled under / never felt enough Didn’t make the team, cut, bruised, battered, seen blood Stood in front of a crowd full of mean mugs Ever felt like you dropped the ball Like you missed the call, like you hit the wall Like you tried to start but could only stall Like you tried to walk but could only fall I’ve seen it all, like I didn’t do enough Like I tried and I failed and I let myself down All I ever wanted was a little applause And to make my friends and family so proud It’s so loud, all these critics hatin’ But most of them live inside my head Every day the only thing that keeps me going Is the commitment to make a difference before I’m dead I mean what I said, gotta flip a switch Gotta keep on runnin’ til I make it through the dip Can’t see a stumble as a set back Sumpin’ moves me forward then I’ll never regret that I gotta get bad if I wanna get better Takin’ that L means more to learn Whenever you don’t get what you want You get something more valuable in return What can I do to find a spark Even if it brings the pain Even if the fire’s burning Gotta find a way to use the flame Friction makes the spark that lights the match that sets the wood ablaze We’ll never rise above the ash until we see the good in flames It takes some pain to gain some growth Takes some shame to gain some hope Takes ditch diggers, big rivers, and a hose before you can go and drain that moat I quote the past like an avalanche that I can ride till I reach the base I feel the weight of my mistakes like boulders rollin’ - I’m being chased I see the face starin’ back at me Doubts feel like they’re attackin’ me Feel like life is a tragedy, but there’s another act coming rapidly This mastery is a product of coppin’ the knowledge from trial and error I know it You gotta write and recite at least ninety wack lines before you are a poet You know I’m talkin’ bout focus, gotta be dull before you are the dopest Descend the steps into the depths so you can bring light to the hopeless

Started from the bottom now we here Started from the bottom but it’s gonna take a couple years If you compare your beginning to another’s height You might feel like there is no hope in sight → Behind all success is a long line of losses Gotta lay the bricks before becoming bosses Gotta roll the wheel before you get flossin’ Gotta be Officer Ricky ‘fore you Rick Rossin’ {Ross Grunt}… but I got a different namesake The rap game’s big enough for two poets named Blake What immortal hand? I’m more Immortal Tech If my time’s not ripe, it’s cuz I’m more than fresh Ha! The fresh king of Berkeley Throne made of knowledge so no one can usurp me Spine made of steel will – no one can divert me Layin’ down the law so call yo attorney [Rob Newman] Measure twice before cuttin’ Begin with the end in mind before stuntin’ Double check the cornerstones and yo assumptions If you don’t start somethin’ there gon’ be nothin’ I paraphrased DMX, kid The president of eloquence is duly elected The battle for your dreams is rarely uncontested So stock up on courage, it’s time to get invested It’s takes a little time to perfect the grind But you know we still gonna shine Everybody say OH YEAH (OH YEAH) Say OH YEAH (OH YEAH) Journey too long, boots too heavy Can’t let the weight of waitin’ upset me Tempting to look at those who have surpassed me But comparison’s guaranteed to make me unhappy It’s not a track meet, but we all have startin’ blocks Where you are now is where you better start the clock Focus on the goal cuz we tend to start a lot But once you pass the finish line, you’re gonna be hard to stop Yo I’m hard as rocks combined with adamantium Take time to grow like the Precambrian And I make the planet spin, evolution can begin Once we start problem solvin’ and stop pannickin’ Forget Anakin, I’mma be the fly talker Before you kneel, make sure you’re at the right altar Keep your eyes forward or else you might falter Not talkin’ helicopters when I mention my choppa Blocka Blocka, Yeah I see you start to sweat I’m not in the building, son, I’m the architect Better size me up until the shoe fits Not Hov, but I’m laying down the next Blueprint [chorus] Rome wasn’t built in 24 hours Need a little help and a little more power To construct a structure so indestructible My fire’s the only way to make it combustible Untouchable, not talkin’ bout the caste But like stratification, I’mma make it last If you don’t know what I’m sayin’, take a class Disrupt the status quo – go on and shake it fast Gain a little mass until it’s critical Gotta turn on a dime – it’s so pivotal But don’t get caught in the spin and the ritual Exit the Empire with Force that’s centrifugal [Ha!] Shout out to Newton Break the inertia, it’s time to get movin’ Because when you see the momentum we’re producin’ Your face will physically express the confusion But don’t worry son, do your homework While you listen to Andre Ramone work Featuring raps by yours truly I’ll kick it on the track until they make the movie

My plate’s overloaded so I feel like I’m struggling Like I’m a waiter with these plates that I’m juggling Like I’m a lifter with the plates that I’m muscling Like an infomercial with the plates that I’m hustling Plate tectonics got the ground movin’ under me And Blake’s mnemonics got the town all wondering How to placate the state of feeling overwhelmed When you’re in a downpour and it keeps thundering (It) may be comforting to hear a little except You’re just one person but can amplify your effort With some delegation – workin’ with your delegates One person makes it – another one’s sellin’ it I’m no Henry Ford, no titan of the industry But I move the scale by doing things efficiently I’m just on a mission in pursuit of my purpose I’d rather put it out there than wait until it’s perfect I used to stress out about whether I would pass In a class cuz I didn’t know everything’s a draft I would just procrastinate until the last minute And with seconds left I would save it and send it Now I finish early cuz I don’t mind mistakes I will just revise as many times as it takes Cuz I can’t wait for my life to pass by While I worry bout the path that I’m gonna try to pace Life’s not a race, it’s like a train track With good and bad rails, and we can’t change that It takes both to guide us to our final destination And which rail we focus on’s our own interpretation But you’re the conductor so fire up the engine First foot forward’s all you need to be commencin’ Master every day and make it your creation Until the last gasp when you pull into the station I’m movin’ forward With all my burdens And all my struggles I just keep searching For a space I’m seekin’ A place where I can breathe it’s A little bit heavy, my feet are unsteady But baby I’m gonna try Gonna try harder than I ever did before I am not a martyr I’m a rappin’ matador This is an act of war against my need to achieve Without making mistakes, so I’m kickin’ doubts out the door When the clouds obscure my future from me Standin’ on the verge of an undiscovered country To be or not be, you already know my reply Live it to the fullest til the day that we touch the sky [Live it to the fullest until we touch the sky?] It’s not about perfection, all about direction I’mma take my chances, I’mma get to steppin’ Never be a question whether I am fresh and Every single test can turn into a lesson And if this is all I know And if this is all I know I’m not gonna let it go I’m gonna keep holding on You're movin’ forward With all of your burdens And all of your struggles You just keep searching For a space you're seekin’ A place where you can breathe it’s A little bit heavy, your feet are unsteady But baby you gotta try Baby you gotta try

Girl you workin’ hard, feel like you need a vacation But after all you lost, maybe you need affirmation That you’re good, that you’re strong, that you’re worthy of respect And that when someone calls, they shouldn’t call collect Cuz you’re worth more than that, and you give, and you give And you tryin’ to make a livin’ instead of tryin’ to live But you can and you will, cuz you learnin all those skills That gon make you a leader ‘stead of thinkin’ bout those bills Cuz you build and amass and you see the light at last And you focused on your future not upset about your past You came for the cream, higher standards, not the cash Tomorrow’s lookin’ green, you’re not talkin bout the grass So we’ll look back and laugh at the journey and the path Stack so many wins that the ceiling can’t collapse And we’ll have to raise the roof cuz we’re only going higher And you are not alone so you’re not a sole survivor But you made it through, on your own two – standin’ tall Honestly I’m surprised you can even stand it all Hurts me just to think about it, I can feel it But the fact you made it through means that you are too resilient For anything to stop you, not a roadblock at all You are unstoppable, shake it off when you fall → And when you’re on the edge of your dream and your purpose It’s good to be nervous, just know that you deserve it You worth it. Tears fall, gonna be fine You gon' be alright girl, get it in your own time Rain falls - you shine You gon' be alright girl, get it in your own time Oooh oh, oooh oh Every day you workin', you already perfect Oooh oh, oooh oh You know you deserve it, yeah you know you worth it They say you live and learn, but you gotta learn to live Always had it hard so you never were a kid But now your heart is big, you can feel it, you can fill it You can let it all go, hold that hope, don’t you kill it [unh]… that’s right, it’s time to be movin’ on They say do you, and so you be doin’ strong And dudes that did you wrong couldn’t handle who you are They were black holes trying to trap a star And now you’re breaking out of orbit with a smile that’s enormous Future’s lookin’ gorgeous like a sold-out performance And I’ll be in the front row leading the applause Soon they’ll all be standing, and you will be the cause Cuz you shine, yeah you shine, yeah you’ll get it in your time You don’t worry bout the future cuz it’ll all be fine I know the road was rocky and it felt like the hardest way But it was all perfect cuz it made you who you are today. You worth it. Chorus

I remember I’ve forgotten myself Maybe I’ll learn to appreciate what I have So I’m left wondering if this is all that I am What if I’m nothing more than a grain of sand Runnin’ in circles in circles all over again and then back to the start Wish I could find my way through this maze back to my heart I don’t know I don’t know when everything came apart When will I kno-ow if I’ve ever made my mark Back to the start, back to the moment we’re knowin’ that we are all equal So hard to depart from all the scars that tell us that we are all evil But we are all people, tryin’ to get by, and if we’re lucky we’re tryin’ to thrive, and if we’re lucky we’re really alive, and if we’re listening that’s you and I Haha, get it? We have this moment, this blessing, this fact that we’re breathing Is so miraculous that I’m just feeling so grateful and that is the reason Thankful for seasons, thankful for blazin’ and thankful for freezing [freedom] Follow my patience until I take in the fact that I’m the one who’s leading Is it my time, who will decide for me What if this life is just what I believe Feeling like rivers deliver me out to the sea Standing on sand with the ground rushing under my feet Walkin’ and thinking in circles all over again and then back to the start Know that mind is made up to go back to my heart Now I know, now I know we’re never really apart So I just move forward and leave the rest up to the stars I send it up to the stars I send it up to the stars

I’m rap’s double helix, realities are remixed Doubts are destroyed and fears get deep-sixed You love these kicks, [not talkin’ bout my sneakers bro] I’m talkin’ bout Raz-V bass to make the speakers blow Done playin’ small, we about to go sky high I spit it for my folks in the East Bay and FiDi Yo forget that, I kick it for the planet Earth My favorite place to stay in the whole entire universe It’s a human curse to doubt our own greatness But when it comes to being me, there’s no way to fake this Agent of the Swarm, DJ Decryption I’m a Marshall Scholar and a man on a mission I’m here so your conditions don’t become your destiny You already know the answer to the things you’re questioning Listen to yourself, let your intuition guide you You already know what to do down inside you Let me remind you of your own majesty You can make a triumph out of a travesty Pause passivity, time to be intentional Yo forget the forest – you’re a focused individual This is critical – only you can change Until the day we control other people’s brains So stay in your lane and arrange your plan to roll And spend your time on fixing what you can control Yo, I mean it, Ha Ha, I mean it If I’m on the mic, then you know I’m gonna bring it Yo, I mean it, Ha Ha, I mean it Look inside yourself til you see your own genius Nothing but a blip on the space-time continuum Always tend to go back and forth like a pendulum We’re afraid to fail so we slow our own roll But yo for real bro: let them tell you no Confidence comes from sheer repetition Plus a belief in the self you envision You’re at the helm so you gotta take control Yeah you gotta fake it until you make it so (oh!) Talkin’ bout Picard, yeah I got my Jean-Luc The same way Janeway doin’ what she want to Yo what you want boo? No you can’t offend me Of course I’ll give you more of the Quadrilingual MC Tu me demandes, “où t’es, papaoutai?” N’inquiete pas, le docteur est arrivé Hasta siempre, se repite la historia No tengo pelos en la lengua - hasta la victoria Hope I’m not boring ya, ask my Habibi Allem alby el gharaam, come on teach me So I’ll say salaam when I’m fadin’ from your speakers mayne Returnin’ to my Germans I’mma serve an auf wiedersehen Yo, I mean it, Ha Ha, I mean it If I’m on the mic, then you know I’m gonna bring it Yo, I mean it, Ha Ha, I mean it Look inside yourself til you see your own genius

This is more than 16 bars for the nation More than 32 lines filled with motivation More than 64 rhymes I’m incineratin’ Cuz I got more than 99 problems that I’ve been facin’ I doubt myself, often think I can’t make it Feel like I should quit and take a vacation Feel like a fraud and less than amazin’ Feel like I’ll never write another rap this blazin’ Feelin’ so impatient, like haven’t I paid dues Wonder if I’ll ever be front page news Before print media is burnt to a crisp In a nostalgic past that didn’t actually exist The history’s revisionist, and I’m just a speck In a universe that won’t cut me a check But I’m not owed anything, so I should be grateful For every scrap of food that appears on my table They said I’m not able when I’m raisin’ cain They said that I shouldn’t rap with my own name They said that a white kid spittin’s so lame Until they saw the stadium burst into flame Like “blocka, blocka” when I try to talk to them You should walk a block in Waka Flaka’s moccasins And you might get the connection to the cotton gin And the mental shackles the slave ships brought him in School to prison pipeline, whitewash the timeline White collar crime when the boundaries are redlined Standing in the breadline, who’s the real mockery The poor… or those who profit from the poverty? There’s no stopping me, you want to know how come? You’re focused on the outrage, I’m focused on the outcome Lyrically Malcolm, Marcus Garvey, Biko, Marley Stic-Man, I’m the One Man Army So get up! Yeah this is a stick up! Drop all your self-destructive talk, it’s the switch up Yeah, get your fists up before you take a swing at your reflection They want you to see yourself as imperfection But you aren’t, you are exactly as you’re made to be They say good things come to those who wait patiently But I’m a man of action / put a plan in motion Even if the ladder of success seems broken I’m crossing the ocean - going on an Odyssey Underground rap is modern day prophecy Hey politicians, take a listen, you should try it Hear it in the street before you see it in the riot If the arc of history bends towards justice No wonder we feel so much weight on our shoulders Some days we’re Atlas with the world up above us But other days we’re Sisyphus pushing up boulders I’m just growin’ older, seein’ my mortality And too many believers of the just-world fallacy While that might hurt like I struck a nerve It’s just not true that people get what they deserve Now you’re getting served, guess who’s the plaintiff It’s a pretty picture of America they painted Yeah it is ain’t it? The view from the top Is great, until you see all the have nots Hold up, hold up, Blake you’re spittin’ all that blasphemy Don’t warn the people on the verge of catastrophe Don’t expose the cloak of his majesty Or tell them the social net’s a pretty frayed tapestry What happened B? You were on our side When it came to theory you were down to ride Yeah, until I saw a crack in the plastic Because what’s true in theory is rarely true in practice I’m doing magic, rabbit in a hat trick You can burn a house down with just one matchstick And that’s it – pile of ash While the arsonists smile and laugh I’m trying to grab whatever I can and use it for good But when in the hood, or when in the home, it’s just like in Rome when we do what we should The ship is sinking softly to its grave But with too few lifeboats, who do we save? This seems so alarmist, is it really pressin’? The frog boiled slowly’s not aware of the progression And I may not know all the answers to the lesson But once we’re all silenced, who will ask the questions? Deep in your depression like acid in a funnel Praying for the light at the end of the tunnel At least until the moment it’s revealed That there’s always been the light cuz the tunnel isn’t real Your mind blown yet? Your spine prone yet? Your microphone breaking into cold sweat? Oh Yes, Dr. B is just so fresh Bringin’ brains to the brawl and hope to the hopeless I don’t even need a chorus I can rap for 5 minutes cuz they say they’re eager for it When I drop an album, all my fans are coppin’ it Tellin’ passersby – did you know he got a doctorate? Oh stop it kid, you flatter me 10,000 hours is all I need for mastery Combined with my passion, drive, and grit I guarantee the outcome will be satisfactory And one parting thought to leave you with You can put the I in leadership Take the time to develop the skill Because if you don’t, no one else will I’m more than ill, I’m a global pandemic Takin’ the pain and make it transcendent I stay on task but I’m all over the map You just got a hundred bars of reality rap

When it rains, do you choose to blame the weather? Cuz you can [either] get bitter, or you can get better You can [either] sit and whimper, or you can get clever You can wallow in the mud or dig and hit treasure Feels so wrong, I can make it so right Got everything that I need in life Got everything that I need inside Got everything right inside my mind You say I failed – I say I found a way that didn’t work You say I bailed – I say I left because I knew my worth I know who comes first when the worst is upon us Cuz there’s only one star, but a lotta prima donas I mean like Yeezus - narcissists in full bloom Unaware wolves comin’ out for the full moon It’s too soon to fold cuz we still gotta lotta learnin’ Til we grab ahold of the fact the future’s not determined Feels so wrong, I can make it so right Got everything that I need in life Got everything that I need inside Got everything right inside my mind Problems don’t exist if we call ‘em opportunities Defeatist attitudes are dead to me, here’s a eulogy Do you believe that you can find the good in a crisis Do you believe that beliefs can make you enlightened? You might be frightened but that’s good – you’re pushin’ yo boundaries If you’re down to see the right kind of things and you glimpse the gems like you use a sieve But who deceives us more than we, put roadblocks up so we can’t achieve And shrug it off like “Oh well, I guess it just isn’t meant to be” That’s a tendency that I tend to see but I’m down to fight Cuz I can’t retire ‘til I decide that I’ve truly tried with all my might Cuz all my life, it’s only I, can choose the vibe inside my mind Cuz this is the minute I lose it or win it so you know that it’s time to ride Feels so wrong, I can make it so right Got everything that I need in life Got everything that I need inside Got everything right inside my mind

Doctor of hip-hop is back in the building Got a million books all stacked to the ceiling Put ‘em all to use on a track that’s appealing Lyrical lasso to capture the feeling I’m the type of bandit to brandish my bandwidth And banish the banshees who blame all the mysteries But this is a Brandes who banters with branches Cuz answers do grow on trees if you’re listening Catch a breeze, I’m perception that can flex with ease More complexity than all the toppings with the extra cheese Mental ecstasy comes from a job well done When I focus on the process instead of the outcome So when you’re sittin’ at a standstill And you don’t know what to do just… REMIX YOUR REALITY When worry overwhelms you And you can’t escape just… REMIX YOUR REALITY It’s the remix, when I flip the switch and act like I mean it Majored in English, not the type to rap bout a G6 More the type of rapper to kick it bout the Order of the Phoenix Half genius, half genie out the bottle Got my ducks in a row cuz I watch how they waddle Next top model? No, America’s Got Talent said I was too smart for TV – the rap Aristotle So forget Howard Stern, did it on my own Got my team assembled and the cattle came home Now I roam-the-globe, and I kick it off the dome All I need’s my loop pedal and my trusty microphone So if haters wanna doubt you And tell you that you’ll fail just REMIX YOUR REALITY If critics wanna shame you And make you feel derailed just REMIX YOUR REALITY People talk rude but don’t know what I walked through I stay animated not talkin’ cartoons Makin’ moves with a flicka da wrist Didn’t crash in the past so I’ll blast through this Straight Ruthless when it comes to excuses Don’t watch a man’s mouth only what he produces Actions speak louder and I got the power To blast through Bowser in a matter of hours I devour the coward inside of me Apparently I’m the rightful heir to Shakespeare’s dynasty Lyrically I’m climbing trees and reportin’ back Showin’ you the future so you can forge a path So when you’re trapped in the jungle With darkness closing in just REMIX YOUR REALITY When you’re feeling all alone like You’ve been abandoned by your friends just REMIX YOUR REALITY Take a hatchet to the racket inside of your head It takes practice to master silence instead Breathe in so deep with the respiration Stay focusin’ the mind with the meditation I’m no monastic blacksmith of stillness I rap with passion so the masses can feel this Control what you can and release the rest You already have the tools to defeat the test I suggest you separate the situation and the story So you can craft an empowering allegory Go for glory when life’s most challenging If you change your focus you can remix your reality

Rollin’ – I’m cruisin’ Got nothing left to be losin’ I’m doin’ – no standin’ still But after the battle I’ll be standin’ still [Ha!] Yo I got a plan to build my dream mansion like Vanderbilt [I] Grab the hilt and swing the blade No time for haters tryna bring the shade Flip the script til I’m upside down I’m seeing nothing but the upside now Stake my claim up on high ground Cuz I gotta make this one life count Determine terms that return investment Turns out I’m not really impressed with All the terminology about gettin’ turnt I don’t care what you have, just what you’ve learned I don't even know what they told ya They don't know who I am Looking so fresh in the mirror Because I like who I am Gotta a future so bright Sunshine in my eyes Haters ain't N*Sync with the movement So I gotta tell 'em Bye Bye Bye Bye Bye, like nice try Like clear skies in my rearview Like I spy that upside I’m not inclined to fear you I had to fight one inch at a time Like I only had one chance at the rhyme It’s ironic that I would find Negativity of energy inside my mind but even external critics wanna make you limp Actin’ like they know you when they only get a glimpse If you can’t ignore ‘em then you gotta make attempts They don’t wanna make it better only wanna make it tense Why so dense? They’re light on the love Lackin’ satisfaction so they wanna push and shove Wanna make you less, extinguish all your fire So you gotta take the heat and only make it brighter Chorus Haters gonna judge when I'm on my grind Doubters gonna try to block my shine But I pay 'em no never mind Stackin' those wins that I define Chorus Deuces up and I’m gone They only know one verse of the song But I’m a five-part symphony Bangin’ like a timpani And I’ll create what I want This universe will leave you inversed Needin’ this approval is the human curse But you deserve to hear you at first And though it hurts, watch truth emerge I mean… listen deep inside There’s light there if you seek to find You can free ya mind, just realize That it requires a bumpy ride A hundred eyes all starin’ at me To keep me in a box so sterilized But I refuse to believe it’s true No Medusa leaving me paralyzed

I don’t even know how to count all the days on the earth that I have been allotted Feelin’ like I’m just a corpse with a pulse, nurse check my carotid Word, check my karate – procrastination black belt I’m half svelte, half scared, I’m sure you know how that felt More baffling than a Halfling with a bad ring and a good heart Got bad dreams from flat screens bout all the things I should start They make it seem like easy green if you can just be a visionary But that will just distract from the fact that we all end up in the cemetery Even when the clock slows down Even when I don’t feel right I just got to make it count This could be the time of my life Even when the road is long Even when I don’t see light Even when I’m on my own This could be the time of my life We don’t run the same race, but we all end up in the same place On a treadmill with a dolla bill in front of our face, that’s a strange chase Or maybe it’s that fame game, like make that cash and stay official Money come and money go – you know that you can’t take it with you So what I’m impressin’ now is that I can choose to be stressin’ out Over all the things I’m depressed about or this cloud of repressive doubts But if I question how to make this moment so golden I’m gon’ see that light emerge and embrace the state that’s so chosen [Chorus] You choose what you do – choose to / stand up / tall and / proud no victims livin’ here cuz This Could Be The Time of My Life No reaction, just the passion when we’re livin’ loud No passive sittin’ back cuz This Could Be The Time of My Life