Shedding light like I was just adjusting the f-stop Shooting for the sky, like I’m Gator busting a desk pop You might laugh since I don’t cuss to project shock But rappers make a mil of ideas as sus a pet rock Can I buy a vowel? Like I spit on the T.R.O.Y. beat? Earned a couple spins, but it would take more to employ Pete And Pete, they say that “Youth is wasted in the young” And then extrapolate it, like the proof is pasted in the slums I guess they never heard of raisins bakin’ in the sun They say, “Life is what you make it,” then they take it with a gun Cold world, but that’s too deep for the intro “Quit the politicking, homie, you be just LoPinto You should open for shows and be dope with the flows” Learn the difference between whitewashing and overexposed Smelling fishy, lemme guess, I’ve got an odorous nose I’d lose faith if I ain’t have the pope’s devotional prose Moving more toward logic and inferences Better course than the cosmic coincidences Got work, but at least he started the conversation First time in years that I felt proud of my denomination Word to the congregation, tell the truth in a verse Offer more than my two cents, in fact, I’ll loosen my purse We all sin, but I’m a do-gooder first Don’t change the fact that I’ve truly been stolen from under the roof of a church So spitting for salvation ain’t just salivation It’s so I can turn my cheek at any allegation Heal the holes in my heart that result from palpitations Awaiting something angelic and showing callous patience 23, so I got ten more years to be more Christlike But only two more to make it big or get my price sliced What’s my worth at 25 with no legion of fans? Missing a marketable single and a decent advance I’ve got a bone to pick with all who say that art pays My stage ain’t covering parquet down at Barclay’s Ascent stalled like it’s traffic on the parkway How long can I stomach it before I move to part ways? My mug ain’t blasted on TVs yet Ain’t get a single call I hoped for from CBS Sent my resumé, I guess they didn’t read me yet It’s like nobody really gets it, that I bleed these debts You see me stressed; focus, you won’t see it as an anecdote Every line I scribble’s just an excerpt of a manic’s notes Still if ever I feel I’ve gone and produced my swan song I’ll drop another album, just to try to put my mom on At nine, I promised her to cut though all the rhetoric Make a couple million, give her Christmas in Connecticut Sound like a better fit? Here’s the dichotomy: I ain’t got the bread, ma; it’s a wry comedy Instead of farm house scenes on a hidden lane I big up my father, as I rap under my given name Drilled in my head, success is so uncommon I steady ignore signs, ‘cept I show none stopping Mark the change of my mental state with a chord progression Show you the meaning life disguised as a boring lesson Sing my soul and I’m feeling lovely at long last Take it to the lab and conduct a study in contrasts

Identity crises plague me on the daily Learned that life's a trick, lettered way beyond the A-Z Nothing like my pops, but still pray he wanna praise me Only need myself, that’s the way my momma raised me — gaze upon the baby Boy, old soul, broke the mold from that of pitied kids Lone in broken home, and never folded to my lineage No privileges, never got comfortable saying, “Gimme this” Let the fire mold me and cleared the air like my city did That’s pretty big; I’m the plight of the ‘Bridge, I capture I Koppel’s anger I walk alone, I’m Charlie No Face’s doppelgänger Mad as Anthony Wayne, I think I’m Dorsett Odds been stacked against me, but doubting me is a poor bet Always hot, young polyglot, never dumbed down for the simpletons Slimmer than I used to be, face smoothed out from that pimpled skin Resent you if you peg me off behavior I abstain from, things that’ll make my brain numb I just know where I came from *Refrain* I'm not a Christian rapper, I’m a rapper that’s Catholic So when I speak to you secular, it ain’t half as dramatic As if LeCrae were to lash out Admit that he had doubts Not saying he ain’t dope, but unlike me, he ain’t crafting a classic Now that’s been established, I’m laying waste to cats in this rap biz Y’all yackety saxin’, I’m bold enough to actually ask it Like, “I know I’m white, so can you please not laugh, ask where Gap is? And I won’t patronize and tell you I cackle to Blackish?” Got unrealized potential, like Nash and the Shaqtus Let me circle back on a backpack, rappity rap tip Throughout the years, known a few folks who were casually Baptist But safe sex is all I’ve known them to factually practice That’s word to Iverson, I’m acting like the righteous one Accurate on many counts, announce it like Esiason Noticed that I’ve always gravitated to the contrary I guess the normal had me ill-suited like Don Cherry *Refrain* Consider all that I’ve risen above Swimming through rivers of blood Still it isn’t enough I’m addicted to love, lust With a penchant for mixing it up As I fall to the ground with a sickening thud Wish you would see me as anything else but a stick in the mud Scrub, with a father to distant to judge Spilling my innermost thoughts, hope you listen and flood My timelines, since I could use the psychoanalyzing Without that dose of reality might go fantasizing That I’ve attained what I planned to and all my thanks amount To something more than pain in every facet but my bank account Underemployed and still raking more than a j-job Hands bloody from my day job, how much harder can I pray, God? Been humbled, done ate that plate of crow, yeah, that’s a cynic’s dinner Lonesome, I don’t want my dating hopes to hinge on Hinge and Tinder Recluse, yeah I’ve been that; head buried in my syntax Do the same, and you’ll see who I was is no longer intact Lowkey better for me, so I wish I’m readjudicated Grant me half an hour then determine if you choose to hate it

Dates was blind but the love wasn't I can laugh about it, it ain't gut-busting But is five, six hours really enough substance To find the measure of a man and not to rush judgment? Guess that's a matter of debate I mean, it’s been a while since I felt nascent with a date Readjusting to the pattern and the pace Tryna frame it up, but get distracted by the splatter of the Patience wearing thin, that’s a play on the environment As we walk the floors of this museum You took it as me having unique interests But I just wanted you in my zone like we’re 2-3in’ I’m 2-3 and change, and you’re freshly 22, so that’s probably got you on a Taylor Swift vibe On the flipside, I’m in this ride striving to discern if I’m more prone to sink than swim or sail a riptide You ask which piece is my favorite, I don’t know if that’s just polite or intellectual You like art? Or is pillow talk about some oversized Brillo boxes ineffectual? Will it sound pretentious if I say rap taught me 'bout Basquiat's work and Keith Haring's? Hiding my doubts in this dark room with projectors flickering; locked on your eyes, I keep staring, like: *Refrain: What do you see in yourself, as you float around this room like a metallic balloon Must you deflate my ego so soon? You ain't laughing at my jokes, or lapping up my quotes, oh no. Do you hate how I talk in smilies and metaphors? Are you counting seconds til you're rid of me forevermore? Or is this just nerves? Am I overthinking? Am I even your type? Can't get no distinction I'm playing it cool* And even that's a calculated risk All I know, aggressiveness could make you palpitate a bit PA born but looking more like you're an Alameda chick Type to talk all sweet at first and then an hour later Strip District leaving bars with bros that you ain’t spoken to Is that how you date, or I’m one of chosen few? Feeling these things out, all for seizing the certain But I ain’t press you for a kiss at the evening’s adjournment Hate texting, you prefer speaking in person Told me I was the exception, I’m keeping you current Sending bahahas and these blushing emojis Got me thinking you want my hand to be clutching it closely Momentum shifted, discussing the second date I suggest a plan, and you don’t hesitate Wednesday night, we fin to meet up by your spot down in Squirrel Hill Anxious that if I don’t make a move then the world will It’ll twirl still, and we’re sitting in this ice cream parlor when it’s 30 degrees Staring out the window thinking how I’ll introduce you to my family: as my girl or a burden to be Funny thing is those aren’t mutually exclusive, especially if you prove to be elusive Vacillating ‘tween someone who’d prove to be a nuisance and the type of woman who would swoon to be exclusive; the truth is I’m so lost in thought, I stumble over phrases Tryna sell myself to you, but humble over praises What’s the point, I mean, I’m sure you’ve done your own appraisement Hope you think I’m endearing to bungle stolen gazes Say you gotta cut the night short, you got things to get done for student teaching Quickly exit, I’m confused when leaving, down Panther Hollow, least the view is decent *Refrain* Apologized if I seemed off, I've found your presence a bit disarming Struggled with approach, so I stick with charming; it's a listless yarn spin However, I see potential in us, once we surpass the small talk and move on to a realer direction Three dots in a bubble give way to your thoughts: "It's been fun, but I'm sorry, I don't feel a connection." ...What?

Intro: I’m dreaming of money out of this world, but all of my checks terrestrial It’s coded in my blood; this hustle is hexadecimal Doesn’t mean what you think it means, oh he’s so exegetical Intentions less accessible and still no less exceptional Lemme miss you with the musings of an erudite This that beat you bump when you go cruisin’ in a pair a Nikes Hold the lime, I await my inclusion in the rarest light Stay practicing temperance, no boozing with an heiress type Far beyond the care if this’ll lose me a fan I’m the personification of the Vitruvian man My palms itching and burning like they scratched on cinders Tryna figure out why I can’t get a match on Tinder ..Or maybe it’s emblematic of the fact I chase the wrong ones So I’m giving y’all extended clips, and I don’t mean long guns …When they see me out and about they eye balling me But they don’t swipe right, what the pics ain’t high quality? Verse One: I’m over that, it’s Good Fridays at the Warhol Perfume Genius posters up, I wonder what the tour’s called Bruh, it ain’t Too Bright for me to remain this distractible Then front like y’all ain’t listening and strain to be irascible I’m refocused, so please notice: I’ve grown up since you last heard Re-energized, now the game’s as safe as 1-2-3-4 passwords Grand visions of an entourage, packed a hundred deep like it’s Senate seating Bold enough to drop to a new album when world’s celebrating Kendrick season Truth be told, there’s no overlap, so I’m posting that and I’m so relaxed Eyes focused on the prize, that’s why flipping rhymes like they’re soda caps Still the nicest with a Bic pen But got more to prove than I did then Up in lecture halls off of 6N Word to College Park like I’m Big Len Like I’m Big Len vs. Whiteside They try to cut you down when their hype dies Money hungry for Paydays, what a 100 Grand? That’s bite size When I just want a Phantom, all white, like I’m Homestar Drive it for a month, get bored and stash it in my boneyard *Refrain: I’m known to rock some like nice kicks like I’m GK3 Or don a throwback jersey like the teenage me I want my restitution, making what I’m worth, yeah, I’m a fan of that Step into the city, striking poses for the camera flash Striking poses for the camera flash Striking poses for the camera flash Paparazzi flock me, crop me, put me on them stands in mags Try to fake a smile when striking poses for the camera flash* Verse 2: Say I nailed it, like I just I made your cuticles clearer Not with corny dialogue, buddy, this ain’t musical theatre So don’t call me Tony when my dad wanted an Anthony Just like he and I, we’ve got differences, let’s examine these It’s Crayola to RoseArt, payola to Mozart Graphite Gray Lotus to a go-kart Just pay notice to the flow chart So smart with analogies, feel like it’s SAT prep It’s the warming up of a warrior, cadence on Steph, Klay heat check So bizarre, it’s a dose of that, Folks like, “Jumpin’ Jehoshaphat” Mood on 1998, I feel like I’m bringing Sosa back All for fun, but I’ll take a couple coins like I’m the game Contra Never be the type to go gaga over the fame monster *Refrain*

It’s wise to listen when the don speaks Vets’ll say I’m on point, kids’ll say I’m on fleek Slowed the flow, a little Rochambeau, chop up beats like they pomme frites So y’all can make a racket, still I’ll serve it like I’m Monfils Pardon my French, guess the wit is just rapier Balenciagas, man, I’ma need eighty pairs Givenchy jackets to impress the ladies there Parisian princesses sleep on this baby bear I’m just a cub and they hibernate, get it, bruh? So fresh, what substance can I relate? Silica? Gel with Voltaire the way I berate literature Satire and sarcastic rhymes for snakes spittin’ tough Oh God, boi, had to borrow Sean’s flow Cuz he’s Finally Famous, and I’m getting to it pronto My new shirt’s Alessandro I may fake a time out, drive it in like Blue Turk a la Rondo I’m just tryna make it to the nouveau riche Forget a pocket on swoll, I want them Cousteau deep To the point where the things I’m invoking ain’t a fantasy purchase Write from my villa in Var like I’m Anthony Burgess Got my Play Cloths on like a Re-Up endorser Possessing the trump card like a pinochle scorer All these dudes on my back, but I don’t need a masseur Coming for everything that’s mine like a prenup enforcer Il est le jeune roi, get with the translation I want table at Crown as Central as Grand Station Tough since I ain’t seen the Apple in a minute Busy underground king, I build a castle for the cynics Dig a moat around it just so you say the song’s wavy Performing hits without the gloves, call me John Mabry Wordplay too wild for your attention span I’m getting folks atwitter more than your mentions can I’ve been known to go in on a couple occasions And mix it well with the substance, huh, that’s such understatement You don’t admire the view then I might defenestrate ya But that’s a beautiful fall, ‘cause I got that je ne sais quoi.

Homecoming, that’s when this all turned sour Took that job up north, I wouldn’t tell you not earn power Told me we’d talk weekly, now that convo’s ancient history Bathed in faded imagery, the latest brazen indices You hate to say you’re missing me, so you’ll just phrase it differently Feel so safe with symmetry; don't think that I forgot your plans to have me laying in these sheets I’m off that, know I beat it to death Was looking forward to October, I needed the rest Career-minded, you’ve been building up your sizzle reel Distancing yourself from me, I’m learning how belittled feels On occasion, you would toss me a crumb; dumbly, again I’d bite “Hey, you should come pay a visit, maybe, and spend the night” Couldn’t call it, but didn’t mind the suggestion If nothing else, it was a sign of progression Thrust me right back into the throes of passion Was once composed, collapsing, closure erodes in fashion, poems and notes dispatching *Refrain* Pat in the passenger, recruited for reunion’s sake En route to the ‘boro, ponder if I’ll make a new mistake So far removed from all the flirty chats and eyelash flutters Secret meetings and my sidetracked stutters Hard to believe we never acted on anything that we bandied about Preserved the tension, kept the vanity out We got to town only to find you weren’t joining us for lunch like planned Knew I shoulda trust my hunch like, “Man This is so typical.” So you bet I was heated when you strolled in late Lame excuse in which I showed distaste Shook it off, let’s hit the bars, I’ll be the designated driver Sober for the night, since I’m a dedicated lifer Lasted like an hour ‘fore the honest interruption Friend smashed at a party, that’s the drama’s introduction You gotta go save her ‘fore the consequences manifest Dropped you at the house, said “Text me later,” showing sham finesse *Refrain* Stopped in a parking lot, awaiting the word Nobody’s heard from you in hours, what’s the patience been worth? Not just tonight, I’m talking about since ’09 back in Chandler’s class Wish you woulda warned me we won’t work, I woulda handled that I’m still chasing you, and it’s not for date incompetence Not about nostalgia, but you paid my favorite compliment Said you loved the person you became when spending time with me One who wasn’t guarded, and that you would end it finally So to watch you leave the hotel bar with him and just play dumb The dude you said you’d move down south just to escape from The ex that let you down with all the chances you afforded him And claim he’s not a shark, what, cuz you ain’t see a dorsal fin? Thought y’all don’t talk, I guess there’s clutter in the policy Couldn’t even stop to fudge and mutter an apology So the question that I’m left with: Once it’s tempered, does it change? But the answer’s much the same – nothing ventured, nothing gained

First day of the year I was confronted with death Wondering where the spirit wanders when it’s done with the flesh That’ll put a family under duress Counting seconds cuz none of us really know when we gon’ run out of breaths I mean, we just saw you last week, pitched in for your Christmas gift Now it’s funeral plans, and how do we get this split? Empty apartment rooms, and booklets of pics just clipped Torn between properly mourning, and let’s skip this blip All for celebrating your life, but in that moment Sounds selfish, but it was feeling like a bad omen Human emotions, though it’s nothing to be proud about When the call came, we had barely finished the sauerkraut Ain’t that s’posed to be good luck or silly superstition? How can we stay optimistic in this bruised condition? When I got one less person to hope and pray for me Last thing I needed was another open vacancy Circle even smaller, I’ve got less supporters So much for finally moving up the pecking order Paramedics said old age, you never acted it Agreeing that’s what stopped your heart’s sounding like sacrilege You were right with God from the jump, so I’m guessing he relieved your burdens Rarely got spiteful, even if it was rightful, didn’t shake your fist and still believed for certain Guess I admired that, since I’m prone to fire back, neglecting my blessings, professing how I’m in debt Keeping my focus fixed on the glorification, Lord, I’m just poor at this waiting, I bear my cross, and I ain’t talking ‘bout a pound on my neck Stagnation’s been driving me to grind harder, only way I boast a happy tint’s off wishes I thought 2015 would be the year I turned the corner, but the cards that I’ve been dealt been inauspicious *Refrain* Wringing my hands Hanging my head in shame A synonym can’t Strangle my neck the same As the sense that’s got me tense in lopside fear That’s it not my year It’s not my year* What would life look like if we didn’t pose and laugh Straining to look happy for the moment of a photograph? We already have a tendency to click and see Other’s profiles to try to claim a moral victory That’s sick to me; I had a homie hit me saying, “Bro, the world needs your voice. Please never lose sight of that.” I went to write him back, wondered why he told me that, brushed it off and just got right back to my pious act Never occurred to me he was enduring such disorder, getting his ducks in order, rather get snuffed than sort ‘em Thought you liked your day job, but when darkness falls You find a bottle full of trouble and a stark withdrawal Hurts me, cuz you used to look at God like, “Who could rival my creation?” Now you’re being ruled by suicidal ideation Looking for a ledge, climbing the steps to the top And you only came down at the behest of the cops Self-worth plummeting, abandoning your passions Off the medication that's been tamping the detachment Without a thing to lose and no apology to spare You say you lost your hope, I plead you solemnly to prayer Find people so selfish, how they victim blame, so your fiction frames This disease as it splits the brain, from sick to sane, exacerbated any time you flick the flames Bad habits got you shook and off disregarding a few norms Good ideas you seem to think, but reception's been lukewarm Constant disappointment's perfect formula to brew storms Slide back to that edge, the only place you show your true form Wish you could see the value that you ache for Without a state store, or the destruction of a claymore Real talk, not just self-injected lobbyin' I don't want to lose the realest member of my audience *Refrain*

California area code on my phone screen reminds me of the way it was Back when I was smitten and before I got my paper up Interviewed at NPR, had me feeling worth a bit And then we ain’t talk for a year and change after the worst of it Fresh off the breakup, you said you hoped we’d speak in the future So I reached out in what I thought was a decent maneuver Divulged that I had no regrets and remember you fondly Typed in a message on the first of December to Bonnie Was forthcoming, made it plain this wasn’t something wistful You called me back in a nervous tone, like you’re done and bristled Left a voicemail, since I ain’t on pacific time Said we need to talk, cuz you’ve got issues with specific lines Shot a text like I was scheduling a conference call Once on the line, said I was tired of this constant pall Reiterated what you asked me and offered appeasement Let’s be civil, I wish you well, this is not a bereavement Disagree with the sensibility of mine, since, You don’t think about it, to you civility’s silence Back when we dated, said your life was so full of frustration That you can’t seem to separate me from the obfuscation Wasn’t in it for validation, but that left a bruise Forget the time we spent, I’m nothing but an ex to you Said I respect it, too, despite what a farce it is Made a song as long as your memory for catharsis is

Picture me at a house party, I was just playing the wall Watching over the beer Olympics, I guess staying involved Sticking out like a sore thumb, since this is way out of my comfort zone Friends all got distracted, so I might as well have come alone Strangers offer drinks that I politely refuse I'm good with my insecurity, no psyche to bruise I don’t like to be rude But I got my phone out, typing, I’m glued ’Til she put her hand on my chest and joked that she might think I’m cute I’m cooling, though, the girl I’m after’s not responding to her iMessages She blew this spot to meet a dude, don’t know what my leverage is I look up, spot a blonde who's steady eying me Wading through a sea of people to speak to me privately Standing with my brodie, so I’m tryna play the wingman She keeps pivoting to me, he nods like, “Ain’t a thing, fam” Then the lights cut out and quickly all the chatter stops People yelling cops, and the all underagers scatter off *Refrain* Armed with a first name and a vague idea of facial features I set out to find her, shoot I don’t even know her major either Education, maybe? Scrolling search results to see what Facebook gave me Even if this works, it’s safe to say I’m crazy What do I open with? Hey, do you happen to be the Angela I hope this is? If so, I just wanna say your smile’s infectious, pardon if I’m socially awkward You should get know me, I swear I’m not an ogling stalker That’s pretty much what I went with, somehow it went favorably Flattered by the compliment, remarked there ain’t a way to be Smoother in that environment, and she’s hoping to link back with me All my skepticism shrinks that quickly Darrow gym, working out, late night, cuz that’s where my ex treads Avoiding that, laughing with Jessie over our text threads Conversation flowing, I’m primed to showing you more mix Woulda planned a date, but was leaving on that New York trip *Refrain* Eleven-hour train ride, but I’m making it, bearably All thanks to you, keeping it hushed, but I’m faking it terribly Knew the jealousy with her would spring and manifest Predictably defensive, spewing words that all demand regret Snapped a picture for you, top-floor view from the Manhattan Urged me to enjoy myself, but I didn’t plan actions Involving yet another girl, hand in hand in Atkinson Theatre Detailed it all on “I Could Be,” not rehashing it herefore What’s the relevancy some two years after it all? Story feels unfinished, I admit, it’s a matter of fault Should have been more of a man instead opting to turn a blind eye We weren’t an item, but we coulda been, look how time flies You’re on the cusp of commencement And I got much less pretentious, and it ain’t just the repentance Felt like we were well on track to build something deeper than sex appeal If you’ve ever want another go-around, just know I kept it real *Refrain*

Only filter's for the plosives Cherish optimism, but get stilted by neurosis Perfectionistic tendencies draining me of my motivation Missing days of cheap Logitech microphones in basements Loved my music, more than you do now When it was fifth grade, rapping over Coo Coo Cal Naive to enough to envision I could make it off of raw skill Thought y’all would be in awe still, and place me on the top bill What do my bars have to do with a marketing plan? Battle-tested, but I don’t battle like Arsonal can Running slants like I’m a short possession slot receiver Praising God like I was born again a gospel preacher Worry more where my vocals sit in the mix Than the fact that my fan base is the local limits of Pitt With a small chance of expansion, so my cries of underratedness May be just denial, and I shrink from some debate of this *Refrain* People ask me what I wanna do, well it depends Love to be shooter, I mean, I just bought a cine lens Collecting dust in the corner ‘long with my Canon camera That eyepiece doesn’t show me life in a panorama Post-grad struggles forced me back to the drawing board Investing in my future, collecting checks from the law and Lord Look at that as a means to get my oblation out Started making sense as the result of a location scout Reignited appreciation for arty directors Lustful thoughts of getting my hands on some Arri Alexas Wino remarked to me my voice is so ultra commanding Felt like my ride, looks of a Lexus with Altima branding Talking movies, gimme truth, not the based loosely He schooled me to potential jobs that ain’t move me Why is everything I love so oversaturated? Selling people dreams they’ll never reach, cuz no one abdicated I won’t be acclimated, I hold my pride essential But there’s a couple thousand other kids with my credentials *Refrain* Filling albums up with unspoken secrets Moral obligations, what, like I’m ‘sposed to teach this? Stand and give my speech, and when I’m done, toast the leeches? Knowing all along that they play one role: to sneak diss? Mood as dark as Yeezus synths off of “Send It Up” Action Bronson Vines like, “I gotta be better than Kendrick, cuh” I’m on my pensive stuff But if I’m a stan of any rapper, it’s Budden Though we all hail from the lands of where you scrap or get nothin’ I’ve been a battering ram, I didn’t passively duck in Lemme cook, this ain’t the sweetness like some marzipan Been through worst than most and never contemplated bars of Xan I just want my voice to bring me Ks like Kevin Harlan’s can Pry it from me if you want me off the warpath Middle twenties angst, no Hannah Horvath You should know, expecting me to fail is as useful as common core math Flexing on ‘em while I’m tryna get my form back